The Homing In podcast explores the importance of home in shaping who we are. Join Matt Gibberd, author and co-founder of The Modern House, as he invites each guest to discuss their life story through the lens of the spaces they’ve occupied, from their childhood home to where they live now. Each episode is recorded on location, on the guest’s sofa or around their kitchen table. This provides unique behind-the-scenes access into the private lives of some of our leading public figures, including actors, artists, chefs and entrepreneurs. Be prepared for tears, laughter and everything in between.
"The Best Podcasts To Listen To Now" – Vogue
Homing In is produced by The Modern House, with music by Simeon Walker.
The Modern House is an estate agency that helps people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. If you have a modern home to sell, get in touch to find out how we can maximise its value.
To hear more from us:
Sign up to our newsletter for weekly interior inspiration
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
To get in touch, email us at podcast@themodernhouse.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Homing In podcast explores the importance of home in shaping who we are. Join Matt Gibberd, author and co-founder of The Modern House, as he invites each guest to discuss their life story through the lens of the spaces they’ve occupied, from their childhood home to where they live now. Each episode is recorded on location, on the guest’s sofa or around their kitchen table. This provides unique behind-the-scenes access into the private lives of some of our leading public figures, including actors, artists, chefs and entrepreneurs. Be prepared for tears, laughter and everything in between.
"The Best Podcasts To Listen To Now" – Vogue
Homing In is produced by The Modern House, with music by Simeon Walker.
The Modern House is an estate agency that helps people live in more thoughtful and beautiful ways. If you have a modern home to sell, get in touch to find out how we can maximise its value.
To hear more from us:
Sign up to our newsletter for weekly interior inspiration
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
To get in touch, email us at podcast@themodernhouse.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today I’m talking to the wonderful Sumayya Vally, founder of the architecture and research practice Counterspace. When in 2020 Sumayya designed the Serpentine pavilion, she joined the ranks of luminaries including Zaha Hadid, Peter Zumthor and Frank Gehry. In 2021, Time Magazine named her one of the ‘100 Leaders of the Future’ and, more recently, she was artistic director of the inaugural Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia.
What really shines through in this conversation is Sumayya’s interest in the notion of home as it relates to place. She was born in an Indian township in Pretoria, just after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and she cites the city of Johannesburg as her biggest inspiration. When she arrived in London, she became interested in the gathering spaces where settlers from other countries and communities have established themselves: churches, synagogues, marketplaces, female community centres, black-music venues and so on. ‘Home is not a physical place,’ she says. ‘It’s a sensibility and a feeling.’
The name ‘Sumayya’ means ‘to rise to the occasion’, and she tells me how she’s an outlier in her family and how her parents made sacrifices to provide her with an education. Very occasionally in life, you meet someone who has an inner light that seems to shine more brightly than other people’s. For me, Sumayya has that. She’s incredibly composed, articulate and wise beyond her years and I’m full of admiration for the work she’s doing to bring disparate cultures together.
This episode was recorded in person in London.
For more:
Visit The Modern House website to see images of the spaces discussed in this episode.
Check out Counterspace.
Follow Matt Gibberd on Instagram
Follow The Modern House Instagram
Watch our Homing In films on YouTube
Producer: Hannah Phillips
Editing: Oscar Crawford
Graphic Design: Tom Young
Music: Father
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
