Spotlight: Sophia Major
We’re delighted to share another entry from our employee spotlight interview series.
This series highlights the diversity of our talent, experience and personalities that we have across the team.
With that in mind, we welcome Sophia!
Sophia has a keen interest in design and upcycling and leads our Zero-Waste workstream.
She brings a wealth of experience in Life-Cycle Carbon Assessments and all things to do with materiality and the Circular Economy.
Love Design Studio are promoting the Zero-Waste service offering as it has become a key focus across both the planning sector and commercial fit out world. With the increased concern of our waste problem and carbon intensive materials, our Zero-Waste team are here to help deliver low impact projects.
Hi Sophia, let’s get started!
What one policy would you bring in first if you were made Prime Minister?
Reduced taxation on reused and recycled materials and associated labour for deconstruction, repair and maintenance – let’s make it cheaper to be more sustainable!
Love that! What’s the last one that really made an impression on you?
Society of the Snow (2023) - beautiful cinematography yet a horrific true telling of a Uruguayan rugby team that survived an aircraft crash in the Andes in 1972 and went three months without food or water. Grim.
That sounds intense yet fascinating. So, looking ahead, what’s getting you excited for this year?
Professionally, my aim is to continue working on circular projects that maximise material reuse and recycling and to build a close-knit community of designers, manufacturers and other services that can facilitate this. Ultimately the end goal is to reuse and recycle 100% of all on-site material waste - I believe if we solve this aspect of the wider climate crisis, there is hope we can solve all aspects.
What initially drew you to the Zero Waste Sector?
When I was younger, I was always intrigued by waste and upcycling and my school art projects often reflected this. There are two artworks specifically I am most proud of – the first a painting of a woman littering the streets, made entirely from discarded waste like wrappers, drink cartons, and crisp packets.
The other was the transformation of a salvaged armchair I found on the street into a sculpture which highlighted the stories of our local refuse collectors and the issues around recycling in the borough. Both pieces reflect my admittedly unusual fascination with waste and the process of turning something cast away into something beautiful and meaningful again.
Moving into the built environment sector after my architectural studies, I quickly noticed that the main priority is set on developing a site as cheaply and quickly as possible, often completely ignoring the pressing issues of climate change and waste generation. Toxic, carbon-intensive materials are chosen over low-impact alternatives, and demolition is favoured over retrofitting buildings. It became clear to me that the ‘cheap’ and 'easy' path will not address the crisis at hand and so from then on, I made it my personal mission to grow my understanding of our industry's impact, particularly focusing on the materials we use.
Materials seem to be a major focus for you. What’s the story there?
When we talk about sustainable design, we often focus on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and building performance which are crucial for reducing emissions. However, we tend to overlook the carbon footprint of construction materials. Our built environment alone contributes 39% of total carbon emissions globally, and this is split between operational energy and embodied carbon. On top of this, the industry accounts for 60% of the UK’s total waste – we are demolishing buildings and using materials that can't be adapted, reused, or recycled at the end of their life. The compounding problem of landfill waste and carbon-intensive processes is exacerbating the climate crisis and so addressing embodied carbon is a critical and urgent focus.
Another milestone in my journey was founding IGOLO in 2020; an online platform dedicated to sustainable home design. Frustrated by the prevalence of greenwashing—where products are misleadingly marketed as ‘sustainable’ to fool consumers—I delved into research to uncover what sustainability truly means for materials and products, going beyond the manufacturing process to also include the responsibility of companies once their products reach the hands of consumers. IGOLO emerged as a solution to address this lack of transparency, offering a platform for manufacturers that were committed to a path of improvement.
IGOLO sounds like quite the project! Can you share more about its journey and impact?
IGOLO was a collaborative effort. It became an exciting community of designers and creators all working together in our mission to influence an industry deeply entrenched in environmentally damaging practices.
Together, we produced sustainable alternatives to construction and interior design materials, using IGOLO as a platform to celebrate these products. We also organised workshops and exhibitions to showcase sustainable practices and educate homeowners, aiming to remove greenwashing in the process. My goal was to empower individuals to make more conscious decisions when renovating or building their own homes.
Our efforts garnered attention and recognition, with features in multiple newspapers such as the Yorkshire Post and the Metro. You can follow the links to read more about our journey here
How does your experience with IGOLO shape your role at Love Design Studio?
Drawing from my experience with IGOLO, I bring a skill set focused on hosting and facilitating change to my role at Love Design Studio. Workshops play a crucial role in our process, especially when driving circular economy and low-carbon design in commercial fit-out and planning projects.
During our workshops, we actively involve the design team in problem-solving sessions aimed at reducing demolition and identifying on-site materials that could be reused or recycled. We engage directly with companies and manufacturers who can support circular practices, by either salvaging materials or upcycling on-site demolition waste. These projects require innovation and collaboration among all stakeholders, and Love Design Studio stands in the centre, orchestrating this effort to ensure that each project meets its reuse and recycle targets.
With all the challenges and opportunities, what keeps you motivated in your work?
I take a lot of pride in actively shaping our industry. Using our technical experience, Love Design Studio support teams by validating their design - whether it's supporting a planning application or a pitch, we ensure that sustainability is integrated from the outset and recognised as a key driver in design. We strive to raise the bar across the industry and continue to push sustainability further up the agenda.
Being part of a sustainable and creative industry that drives tangible positive change is incredibly rewarding. We are seeing the industry changing before our eyes and knowing we are playing an important role in driving this change keeps me motivated and excited for what is to come.
I am always up for connecting with people in the industry to learn more about their projects and share ideas. If you'd like to chat over a call or meet for a coffee, feel free to reach out!
Thank you Sophia.