A Day in London With Flawk's Ashley Law

Ashley Law is the founder of Flawk, a creative property developer transforming infill and underloved sites, using development opportunities as a platform to commission and support local emerging architects and designers. Flawk challenges the stereotypical developer ambition to deliver the largest margins possible by building with cheap, readily available and carbon intensive fabrics. Ashley studied architecture at the Bartlett, University College London (UCL) and later completed a Masters of Science in Environment and Sustainable Development at Bartlett, UCL. Before finishing her masters, Law started heading up the sustainability strategy at a fintech company where she gained insight into fundraising, which Law then applied to Flawk’s establishment. Her day involves on-the-go shakes, choreography, and music while sketching.

Ashley Law’s Flawk Bedroom. Photography by Lorenzo Zandri.

5:50am : Sunlight wakes me up gently. I never set an alarm and love waking up naturally with the sunrise; there are floor to ceiling windows with no curtains in my bedroom. The natural light has done miracles for my sleep quality.

After waking up, I always allow myself ten to fifteen minutes to enjoy the sun warming up my room and to stay cuddled up under my blanket, all cosy. Then, I’ll check my phone to see if I’ve received any urgent messages which I need to respond to immediately. Anything that’s not urgent can wait till later in the morning! I also check to see if there are new interesting plots that have come to market.

6:20am: I love putting on a song I’m obsessed with at the time, currently it is Here We Go (Uh Oh) by Coco Jones, and I have a little groove to start off the day. I take my time with my skincare, makeup, and picking my outfit because this is one of the few moments in the day I have to myself. Whilst getting ready, I call my family back home in Myanmar and have a good catch up.

7:15am: I drink a bottle of water whilst I’m at my laptop and make a list of everything I’d like to accomplish that day, ordered in terms of priority. I run a creative property development studio, Flawk, and since we are still a small team, I oversee everything from design and discovering new emerging designers, to financing, supply chain, partner relations, accounting, legal, and more! The mornings are when I power through my admin work; the tasks which require my fresh brain. My team sends me design updates in the evening so I’ll use the morning to review them and sketch my design feedback. We then jump on a quick call to discuss how to improve the drawings and outline the next steps forward.

Ashley on site, photo by NIKJOO Architecture.

9:00am: I make myself a protein shake — chocolate peanut protein powder with hazelnut milk and creatine. This shake is my on-the-go breakfast. I head out of the house to go onsite; the overground trains are so infrequent so I often have to run to the station to catch it on time! Trains are meditative for me, and so I love my noise cancelling earphones which allow me to be in my zone listening to baile funk music on SoundCloud. Right now I love Manuka Honey’s Boiler Room Miami mix

9:30am: I enjoy working with sites which are under-loved, so the site I’m visiting today is the backland of an off-license shop, which was used for deliveries and occasionally as a single parking lot. My studio, Flawk, breathes new life into overlooked plots and transforms them into characterful residences with a large emphasis on playful and intriguing design; the interiors of our developments are designed and curated in-house. The site is quite close to completion so we often meet plumbers, electricians, and the emerging designers who we are working with on the fixings and fixtures of this home. The conversations vary from technical aspects like how to conceal electrical wiring behind a non-plastered block wall, to sketching with local artists and brainstorming ideas for a pendant light in the entry hall area. I don’t travel anywhere without my sketchbook and pen.

12:00pm: We have lunch as a team at Sonora Taqueria — best tacos in London — which is only a few steps away from the site. I love supporting and discovering small, independent businesses, whether within food, fashion, or design. I’m that friend who suggests unheard-of restaurants to meet up at and try together.

2:00pm: I’m back at home and I blast another song that I can’t stop listening to on the speakers. I’m facing the mirror and I start choreographing the movement of my limbs; expressing the emotions I feel when listening to the beats through every joint of my body. Sometimes I create a sequence of movements which I love, but other times, I’ve learned to just enjoy the process. I then put on my high heels and practise routines from dance training — I’m part of a dance company here in London.

Stair designed by Ashley, rendering by HAZE.

2:45pm: I’m back on my laptop getting through any leftover admin tasks from the morning. It always feels more gruelling than early on in the day but the dance session beforehand mentally prepares me to push through the ‘less exciting’ tasks.

4:00pm: Gym time! I quickly change into a comfy gym fit and speed walk to my local gym. I’m part of a gym program based in Canada so I’m in the gym four times a week trying to smash my goals. I’ve just hit the sixteen-week mark in my program and I can definitely see the hard work paying off — my little muscles are growing!

5:30pm: My evenings are dedicated to designing. Even when my brain feels like mush, I still love sketching concepts for new projects with some background music. It doesn’t feel like work; I get lost in the tunes and my ideas. I particularly love elevating mundane details like handles or handrails through my design. You can catch a glimpse of my detail obsession on Flawk’s instagram.

7:15pm: I refresh myself to head out again to meet up with my friends for dinner. Walking is my main form of travel when I’m not in a rush. Anywhere under forty minutes, I’m walking!

10:15pm: I’m back home and I start my nighttime routine: bath, skincare, hot tea, and the Huberman Lab podcast. I try to avoid screen time in the evening, so I set a sleep timer for the podcast and doze off!