Newly elected to the ArchiTeam Board at the 2023 Annual General Meeting, we ask Wesley Spencer 5 questions to find out a little more about him.
Wesley is the Director in Charge of CPD and Events Portfolio.
Who are you?
I’m Wesley Spencer.
Originally I’m from Egypt. My family and I migrated to Australia when I was 4. I have two sisters, 2 half siblings and 2 step siblings.
Presently, I live in Northcote with my partner and no pets. In my spare time, I practise Yoga, am learning French and attempting to learn the piano.
What do you do?
I'm an architect and run my own studio in Melbourne called Wexhaus. Thanks to my love of heritage, we specialise in heritage architecture. Recently I completed an additional Master’s degree in Cultural heritage. It’s not easy studying as a mature person while also running a business.
What is the most courageous/scary thing you've done?
Deciding to get a divorce and coming out of the closet. The shift has taught me the importance of living my true self without shame. It's also consistent with my values; being kind, open and honest with everyone, including myself.
Who do you admire and why?
Everybody has qualities worth admiring, especially when they're qualities I lack or wish to acquire or improve. I admire my partner for having patience and not being reactive. I admire Anne Hindley, another architect with whom I share an office, who doesn't sweat the small stuff and is brave. I admire some of my employees, past and present for their varied qualities.
What is it about ArchiTeam that made you want to get involved?
Architeam’s insurance is certainly the most competitive. Also, knowing that it’s a collective policy makes me feel, in a way, responsible to my fellow Architeam members to be a good architect.
Once I joined and was included in the Architeam chat group, I realised there was a wealth of industry knowledge available at my fingertips. There is always someone willing to offer a solution, and in tough times, even offer a shoulder. To me, Architeam isn’t just an insurance provider, but it’s my community of industry peers.