黑洞社区

What happens when accusations of egregious wrongdoing hit the founder and globally recognised face of a leading architectural practice? This is not a hypothetical question on a management course, but the real-word scenario that last summer seemed on the verge of destroying David Adjaye鈥檚 career and bringing down the hugely successful practice he founded.

When the Financial Times鈥� story alleging abusive and professionally inappropriate behaviour with three black women broke on 4 July, it triggered a wave of clients from Liverpool to the UAE to drop Adjaye Associates. Adjaye himself acknowledged relationships with three women whom he went on to employ, but said they were consensual and that key abusive and coercive incidents set out in the article had simply not taken place.

The FT says the version of events it reported was corroborated by the women鈥檚 colleagues, friends and families, and that it spoke to 13 members of staff, some of whom referred to 鈥渢oxic鈥� working hours within the firm. While many clients did stand by Adjaye, the business was forced to cut staff and retrench in order to manage the financial impact.

One of the people at the forefront of managing the practice鈥檚 response was Lucy Tilley, a longstanding and trusted colleague of Adjaye鈥檚. She has been a central 鈥� but previously low-profile 鈥� figure in the practice鈥檚 evolution. She has rarely spoken to the press but agreed to speak to 黑洞社区 Design, 黑洞社区鈥檚 sister title, to address the allegations and set out her vision for the London studio.

Appointed earlier this year as CEO of the UK office as part of the company restructuring that followed the scandal, Tilley is taking on an increasingly outward facing role. She has been at the practice for three decades, overcoming class barriers to succeed in architecture despite the odds. Her grit and determination saw her play a key role in building a globally successful business.

Recent events have put a spotlight on how she hopes to lead Adjaye Associates towards renewed growth. But before looking ahead, BD wanted to understand how she reacted to the fallout of last year鈥檚 FT story.

She found out about the allegations two months before the storm broke, so was to some extent prepared, but the impact on the business was still significant. 鈥淚t was hard because it was a great place to work,鈥� she says. 鈥淓veryone loved it here and we were working on some of the world鈥檚 most exciting projects.鈥�

The response from many staff was one of incredulity: 鈥淭hey were telling me that they didn鈥檛 recognise this 鈥榯oxic鈥� workplace and that they loved it here. The staff were crying, the clients were crying. It was horrible. It鈥檚 disgraceful.鈥�

We have many loyal clients. Our clients know David and they tell me, 鈥業 don鈥檛 recognise this person 鈥� we鈥檙e not going to leave鈥�

Tilley describes how 82% of staff are from diverse backgrounds and how the practice provides opportunities to people who would not normally have access to a career in architecture. 鈥淲e had to let some of them go,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t is heartbreaking.鈥�

The business lost staff in London and New York. 鈥淵ou mentor those people for years. You give them an opportunity, and then someone鈥檚 just taking their jobs away from them because of a story that to me doesn鈥檛 ring true. It was really difficult, losing some incredible talent.

鈥淭he media reported all the projects that we lost, but there was no report of the projects that we kept. So I think this is an opportunity to thank all of our clients that stayed with us.

鈥淲e have many loyal clients. Our clients know David and they tell me, 鈥業 don鈥檛 recognise this person 鈥� we鈥檙e not going to leave鈥�.鈥�

The practice describes itself now as 鈥渇irmly focused on the future as we go from strength to strength鈥� and 鈥済aining new work and recruiting in all three studios鈥�. Adjaye Associates has confirmed to BD that regarding the allegations 鈥渢here are no ongoing investigations in any jurisdiction, nor have there ever been any鈥�.

David Adjaye also made the following statement to BD: 鈥淚 am grateful to the clients and teams across our studios who have carried us through this difficult period following the baseless media allegations written about me last year. We continue to move forward and grow.

鈥淭he firm has a strong portfolio of projects under way internationally. Adjaye Associates in Accra is now firmly established and is a true global partner to our studios in London and New York.鈥�

From a BTEC to Foster + Partners

It is a situation that few architects would anticipate having to deal with in their careers, and even fewer would feel equipped to manage. Tilley鈥檚 mix of fierce loyalty and hard-headed practicality means she was perhaps temperamentally prepared to weather such a storm. But who is the woman now heading Adjaye鈥檚 UK office?

Her working-class background is unusual in architecture. Her father was a milkman and she was the first in her family to attend university. By her own account she had little idea what career she wanted to pursue.

After turning down a school-leavers鈥� job at Barclays bank (her mother warned her that she would get bored), Tilley won a place on a Youth Training Scheme BTEC course that was keen to attract more women into construction. At 16 she was placed for four days a week with an architect in Islington.

鈥淚t was a tiny little practice, still drawing with pens,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat was the beginning of my career.鈥�

The fifth day was spent in college. 鈥淲e used to build brick walls. It was very practical, very much about where the damp-proof course goes.鈥�

Two years spent in a small practice exposed Tilley to a range of work and responsibility that many architects do not experience until they are qualified, if at all. When the partner she worked for took a work trip to New Zealand, she and a young colleague were left to get on with project delivery on their own.

鈥淗e left us in charge of this practice at 16,鈥� says Tilley. 鈥淲e had to fax him in the morning that we had arrived at work. Then, throughout the day, we would go to site, delivering a nursery project, and then fax him again before we left in the evening.鈥�

She was encouraged to apply to South Bank University to do her undergraduate degree in architecture. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 where I met David,鈥� she explains. 鈥淗e was my tutor. He was a real influence on why I continued with the career 鈥� he has always pushed me.鈥�

Tilley shared a bedroom with her sister, who she kept awake by working late into the night. In the end her mother bought her a five-foot by three-foot shed so that she could work in the garden and leave her sister in peace. 

鈥淚t had no windows and was the width of my drawing board 鈥� I could hardly move,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut David would come every night to give me crits. We would pin everything up in the room and he鈥檇 be there pushing 鈥� 鈥榊ou know, you鈥檝e got to do this鈥�.鈥�

On the verge of not presenting her final degree project, Tilley鈥檚 mum called Adjaye and asked for help. 鈥淪o, he came, in his little banged-out Golf. And, although I remember I cried the whole way, he was saying, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e gonna be fine. You鈥檙e gonna be fine. You鈥檙e gonna do this.鈥�

鈥淪o, he took me to uni and I presented for my degree. I got my first-class degree and I was super proud of myself. And then I went to work for David for my year out. It was Adjaye and William Russell at the time 鈥� there were three of us, two partners and myself.

After six months working in a cramped studio space on the Portobello Road, Tilley decided to accept an offer from Foster + Partners. 鈥淒avid said, 鈥楲ook, we鈥檙e tiny. If you go and work for them, you can look at how people structure things properly, really get to understand how a big machine works.鈥� So, I went to work there for six months. I worked on the HSBC Tower in Canary Wharf. That was great just to learn the different scale.鈥�

The Architectural Association

Tilley then won a two-thirds scholarship to the Architectural Association. 鈥淚t was difficult,鈥� she says of the AA. 鈥淚 had been at a really practical school 鈥� very much about how to build buildings 鈥� and then I went to the AA and suddenly they were asking me about what my ideas were behind what I was doing. What was the philosophy?

鈥淚t was tough for a year but, by the second year, I really enjoyed it. My tutor was Shin Egashira 鈥� he was incredible, really very much about building. We went to Japan, we built a bus station, it was really practical.鈥�

Mohsen Mostafavi was the then-chairman of the AA. 鈥淗e was a really great mentor as well,鈥� says Tilley. 鈥淎lways pushing, always telling me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e doing great鈥�.鈥�

A feeling of insecurity and sense of class prejudice however seems to have overshadowed much of Tilley鈥檚 time at the AA, where she developed a particular anxiety around being questioned about her background. 鈥淵ou know, a lot of people always ask, 鈥榳hat do your parents do?鈥�

鈥淚鈥檇 say, 鈥楳y dad was a milkman鈥� and people were like, 鈥楢rchitecture isn鈥檛 really for you. Your dad鈥檚 a milkman 鈥� you shouldn鈥檛 be doing that鈥�. And they鈥檇 be almost laughing at me.

鈥淪o, for many years I just tried to avoid the question. I dreaded people asking me what my parents did. I look back over my career and that鈥檚 all I鈥檝e been judged for.

Tilley says she has lost count of the number of times that people have assumed she was not an architect. 鈥淭he amount of meetings I鈥檝e gone to and people ask, 鈥楢re you the office manager? Can you take my coat?鈥� It has been there my whole career.鈥�

A return to Adjaye

鈥淚 finished my master鈥檚 degree and Mohsen came to my parents at the end of the year show and said, 鈥榃e can鈥檛 let this girl go. You know she鈥檚 incredible, and she did it all in her heels.鈥� So, he asked if I wanted to teach at the AA, which I did. I taught there part-time for three years with Shin Egashira, which was great.

鈥淎nd Mohsen was really supportive. He was pushing me in front of all of these famous architects.鈥�

It was at this point that the possibility of returning to work for Adjaye emerged. 鈥淚 remember Fosters offered me 拢18,000 a year and David offered me a job for 拢14,000. So, it was really like, 鈥榃here do I go?鈥� But, when I worked at Fosters, I didn鈥檛 really fit in. I didn鈥檛 feel at home. I felt much more at home working with David.

鈥淚 had a long chat with Mohsen and he said, 鈥楪o with what you feel comfortable with 鈥� if you feel comfortable working with David, then go.

鈥淒avid had a couple of small residential projects, but he had just won this big penthouse in Kensington Palace Gardens. He wasn鈥檛 one of those big-name architects at the time. But he was my mentor.

鈥淗e had made me who I was at that point. So, I thought, 鈥榊ou know what, I think this journey鈥檚 going to be good鈥�. So, I went and worked for David.鈥�

First 10 years at Adjaye鈥檚

Tilley describes the first decade back at Adjaye鈥檚 as 鈥渕ore about the architecture鈥�. She was drawing, making models and delivering projects. 鈥淢ore of the stuff architects become architects for鈥�

鈥淭hose 10 years were really all refurbishments of houses. I worked on almost all of them 鈥� Barnsbury Street, Kensington Palace Gardens, St John鈥檚 Wood 鈥� it goes on and on.

鈥淚t was a great testing ground for the larger projects that we worked on later. But what was interesting for me was that, while we were doing a lot of wealthy people鈥檚 homes, we were also being commissioned at the same time to do some social housing schemes.

鈥淚 remember David telling me, 鈥榊ou know it鈥檚 easier to build buildings when you鈥檝e got a big budget. But the challenge is how to do something incredible for people that don鈥檛 have as much money.鈥� So that was really something I was interested in 鈥� how do you give the quality of air and light to people all on a tight budget.

鈥淚t took a long time for the practice to move up a scale. When you鈥檙e doing smaller-scale projects, no one trusts you with the next project up. So we had to pitch a lot, fight a lot. And then we went on to the Bernie Grant Centre, Stephen Lawrence Centre. I worked on all of those.鈥�

Tilley has now been a director for around two decades and believes her background and experience means she took to management naturally. 鈥淚 was managing from day one because I鈥檇 been doing that from 16,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚 think it was a natural instinct. I am creative, but I鈥檝e got this weird kind of practical side to me very much about how to get it done.

鈥淚鈥檓 not very wishy-washy. I don鈥檛 go off into a tangent into this creative world. I鈥檓 super into the creative side, but also the business side.鈥�

The storm

The decades of experience in management appear to have prepared Tilley well for the storm that broke in July 2023. When the FT published its story, Tilley says she was angered by what she feels was a one-sided article.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it, to be honest. I鈥檝e known David for 30 years plus and the picture that was painted of him is nothing to do with what he is like.鈥�

In the 2023 article Adjaye and his legal representatives were given the opportunity to respond to the allegations. The FT published this statement from his lawyer: 鈥淚 am ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which, though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives. I am deeply sorry.

鈥淭o restore trust and accountability, I will be immediately seeking professional help in order to learn from these mistakes to ensure that they never happen again.鈥�

Tilley similarly insists that, while relationships had existed prior to and during the women鈥檚 employment by Adjaye, they were not coercive or controlling.

The FT article stated that 鈥�a lawyer for Adjaye said that the three women each had 鈥榯heir own grievances鈥� against Adjaye鈥�.

Two of the women who were based in the Ghana office were eventually dismissed from their jobs when, according to the practice, it 鈥渂ecame apparent that their skills weren鈥檛 a good fit for the roles鈥�. The FT鈥檚 report confirms that a $40,000 payment was made by Adjaye Associates to one of the women in May 2019, as part of a settlement. A second woman also says she received a settlement of $1,475. 

The FT reported that Adjaye鈥檚 lawyer presented evidence of one of the women then later 鈥渄emanding $120,000鈥� in addition, although she claimed not to recall sending the email with the demand. 

鈥淭here are two sides to a story, and I鈥檝e seen the evidence that was given to the FT from David,鈥� says Tilley.

鈥淭here were WhatsApp messages from after these women said that he did these things to them saying 鈥榤erry Christmas鈥�. It wasn鈥檛 what it was made out to be in the FT, and it鈥檚 really unfair.鈥�

One of the women in the FT story also alleged that the Ghana office had been chaotically run, and that she had been left unpaid and short of food for herself and her child. Tilley acknowledges that, when the Ghana office was set up, it was a small entity without a clear structure. But she denies that staff went unpaid.

鈥淧eople were always paid. No one would stay if they weren鈥檛 being paid.鈥� 

No legal proceedings

Tilley believes that the absence of legal proceedings speaks for itself. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no legal case against him and yet somebody can just write in the media whatever they want about somebody. Shocked is an understatement. You can鈥檛 just write something about somebody and cancel somebody鈥檚 reputation by media trial.鈥�

Although Tilley says that Adjaye considered ways to publicly address the story to restore his reputation, the view was taken that this would only feed a negative narrative. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e accused of something you haven鈥檛 done, you want the world to know that you haven鈥檛 done it. You鈥檙e desperate to tell people, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 do that鈥�.

鈥淗e鈥檚 not that type of person. And so, imagine how he feels, or his family feel, that he can鈥檛 give his side. It鈥檚 horrendous, to be honest. I read the newspapers now and I have to think twice about everything I read because you can鈥檛 trust what people say about each other.鈥�

Why, then, did Adjaye not come out more openly and forcefully in public to refute the allegations? 鈥淗e鈥檚 got his reasons, but what I know is that he didn鈥檛 want to start another media frenzy of him fighting back against these women.鈥�

All three of the women who accused Adjaye were described in the FT article as self-identifying as 鈥渓ighter-skinned鈥� black women. One of the accusations made was that Adjaye had described black women as 鈥渓ow-hanging fruit鈥�, singling them out for a relationship, before undermining them for not being 鈥渂lack enough鈥�.

The FT article quoted Adjaye鈥檚 lawyer as stating that he 鈥渞ejects entirely the overall portrayal of his conduct during their relationship, such as the claims about his attitudes towards black women and the imputation that his behaviour was 鈥榖elittling鈥欌��.

Tilley is also adamant this is not in character. 鈥淗e puts women on a pedestal. He鈥檚 always pushed me professionally, but I鈥檝e never felt uncomfortable around him, nor have any of my staff.

鈥淚鈥檓 a white woman, so some people might ask, 鈥榃ell, you鈥檙e white, so what about the black women?鈥� There鈥檚 not one woman of colour in the office that feels uncomfortable around him. There are many men in the industry that treat women in a particular way 鈥� he鈥檚 not one of them.鈥�

The FT report stated that the three women in its report 鈥渇elt compelled to come forward about their experiences in order to prevent other women from encountering similar abuse and to make public the architect鈥檚 private behaviour鈥�.

Tilley repeatedly points out that 82% of the practice鈥檚 staff come from a 鈥渄iverse background鈥�: 鈥�67% of our staff are black, 53% in the London office are women. And many of the staff are black women.

鈥淚 asked all the women that were here, the women of colour, 鈥楬ave you ever felt uncomfortable?鈥� And they鈥檙e like, 鈥楢bsolutely no. Far from it 鈥� that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here.鈥�

The impact on her team and the office was significant but navigable given that many clients stood by Adjaye and the practice. 鈥淢any more clients stayed than left,鈥� says Tilley, 鈥渁lthough it was way more interesting for the media to report the ones that left.

鈥淏ut unfortunately, there were some incredible projects that we lost and I know it was difficult for clients. Some struggled with it. We had tears from clients. People didn鈥檛 want to leave, but they felt that the media had put them in a position where they had to.鈥�

Adjaye has admitted that he had relationships with the three women while he was married. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something he and his family need to work out,鈥� says Tilley. 鈥淭hat is not part of his business. That鈥檚 something he and his wife need to sort out between them.鈥�

Many have perceived the pattern of behaviour of relationships with female employees 鈥� even if entirely consensual 鈥� as in itself a serious lack of professional judgment. 鈥淎bsolutely. Absolutely. I totally agree,鈥� says Tilley. 鈥淏ut look, it鈥檚 happening in many practices.

鈥淵es, it is inappropriate. Yes, you shouldn鈥檛 have affairs with staff members. But, you know, that happens not just in architecture. That happens across the world. And we can all judge whether that鈥檚 inappropriate or not, but why don鈥檛 the FT write about the other architects that are doing it?

鈥淎ll the architects I鈥檝e met since this has happened ask why the media selected David.鈥�

Is the implication that some of the response to the FT鈥檚 report relates to Adjaye being singled out for cancellation because he himself is a successful black man?

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 going to say that. But, as a white woman, I can tell you I hadn鈥檛 witnessed racism in my life until I came here, and I can tell you for the last 30 years I鈥檝e seen racism beyond what you can ever believe.鈥�

Restructuring

The practice has responded to the allegations and Adjaye鈥檚 recognition that the relationships were professionally inappropriate by restructuring and seeking to ensure that recruitment is handled by a panel, rather than through Adjaye making appointments directly. Tilley is CEO of the London office, while Pascale Sablan and Kofi Bio head up the New York and Ghana practices respectively.

The practice has also set up an ethics and policy committee with an independent external advisor to consider any potential grievances.  

鈥淲e have monitoring of how we employ staff and who makes those decisions,鈥� says Tilley. 鈥淲e have internal boards, an ethics committee, and we鈥檝e put procedures in place.鈥�

Meanwhile Adjaye retains 100% ownership of the three offices, which although financially separate, share work and collaborate as a single entity. 鈥淧ascal and Kofi and I are really close. We meet two times a week and it鈥檚 run as a global practice.

鈥淭he link is David. They鈥檙e all run in the same way. We鈥檝e all got the same ethos. We all are trying to create architecture that evokes change. We鈥檙e part of one family.

鈥淒avid designs all the buildings. What we want him to do is carry on doing what he鈥檚 good at 鈥� and we will run the business.鈥�

Tilley has played an integral role in driving the business, from a team of three to 150 staff across three offices. What does she envisage next for the practice?

鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely been a challenge. There鈥檚 been lots of bumps along the way. But that resilience makes you stronger. If I hadn鈥檛 been through what the practice has been through over the last 30 years, I wouldn鈥檛 have survived this.

鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not just me, it鈥檚 the resilience of the practice 鈥� there are many people that have been here 20 years, directors, staff 鈥� it鈥檚 the whole team here.

鈥淲e鈥檝e built up a resilience. We鈥檝e been let down. We鈥檝e been through tough times. We鈥檙e tough, we鈥檒l get through it and it makes you want it even more.鈥�

Looking to the future

鈥淚t鈥檚 an exciting time,鈥� says Tilley, who expresses a desire to rehire staff who wish to return and get numbers back up to 200. 鈥淲e鈥檙e working on some great projects. We鈥檙e obviously working on the Holocaust Memorial.

鈥淚鈥檝e met many of the [Holocaust] survivors and they鈥檙e getting old. They鈥檙e saying, 鈥楶lease make this happen. Please allow this to be built before I die.鈥� You just want it to happen for them. I鈥檓 hopeful that it gets through, but it鈥檚 been a long journey.

鈥淎nd we鈥檙e also working on a new mosque in Abu Dhabi, which follows on from the synagogue, church and mosque we did there recently. And we鈥檝e been commissioned to design the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, which is a contemporary art museum for Indian art. It鈥檚 incredible 鈥� 100,000 square metres and it houses a lot of new contemporary Indian artists.

鈥淲e鈥檒l work harder carrying on with our legacy, which is to create these incredible places for people, for communities, and we鈥檒l keep going.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an exciting time. We feel positive. We鈥檙e focused on incredible projects with incredible people and on keeping on doing what we do, which is making architectural change, places for people. So that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�

As Adjaye Associates seeks to turn a page on this crisis, some in the profession may be looking on with continued anger, wondering if this is a case of a successful man abusing his position and leaving a series of victims to deal with their trauma.

Tilley and many of the practice鈥檚 clients are clearly convinced that Adjaye is guilty of nothing more than inappropriate behaviour 鈥� an issue that can be addressed through employment processes and for which the personal fall-out is primarily an issue for him and his own family.

A guest at the recent RIBA Royal Gold Medal celebrations for Lesley Lokko at 66 Portland Place, Adjaye also appears to be making tentative steps back into the public sphere.

As with all such allegations, it seems likely that they will continue to dog Adjaye personally, whatever happens with his business. Whether this is seen as just desserts, or a grave injustice to a man who many see as one of the world鈥檚 most innovative black creatives depends on who you choose to believe. For now, there remain those likely to require further convincing.