Category: Uncategorized

“Mental Health, Design, and Wellbeing; A Co-design Workshop” one of the finalists for 2023 Green Grown Awards UK & Ireland

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

The Mental Health, Design, and Wellbeing: Co-design Workshop, led by the Assistant Head of School and the ArCCAT lead Dr Ro Spankie, was one of the three projects from the University of Westminster that were named finalists for prestigious 2023 Green Grown Awards UK & Ireland.

Dr Spankie said: “All of us involved are delighted the Co-Production Workshop has been selected as a Green Gown finalist under the category of Tomorrow’s Employers as the development of complex transferable skills relevant to future practice is exactly what the workshop sets out to do. It does this by offering students a unique, immersive and experiential learning experience that challenges the ‘conventional’ pedagogy of designer-client / expert-user, by putting forward the notion of the ‘experts by experience’.”

University of Westminster website
Video submission by the Mental Health, Design and Wellbeing; A Co-design Workshop group

To read more about this and other projects please visit here.

UoW + London Festival of Architecture: Hamza Shaikh “Drawing Attention: Architecture in the Age of Social Media” | June 8, 2023 at 6.45pm (BST) in MG14, Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Thursday, June 8, 6.45pm-7.45pm

Where: MG14, Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LS

The School of Architecture + Cities is excited to host its alumnus Hamza Shaikh, who will be speaking about his recently published and timely book on architecture and social media.

Drawing Attention – Architecture in the Age of Social Media by Hamza Shaikh is a new book published by RIBA which provides practical drawing guidance from leading figures around the world.

In the context of huge changes occurring in the profession of architecture as well as the education system, Shaikh’s book sets the tone for a new era of architectural dissemination. “New tools, media, interfaces and ideas are emerging through social media; our new digital common for inspiration and communication. Students now go to Instagram for drawing guidance as universities tend not to explicitly teach artistic expression – arguably the most useful skill for visionaries and creative professionals. However this book provides step-by-step insights into a huge variety of drawing styles and methods to help people gain confidence in their creative potential”.

Join Hamza Shaikh at the University of Westminster for an in-depth dive into the journey of writing his book and understanding the exciting but unknown future of architects in the age of social media.

LFA Website

For more information and to book your free ticket please go here.

Technical Studies Lecture Series: Emma Hilton Grange, Helen Hough, and Nicola Moriarty from Bryden Wood “Design for Manufacture and Assembly – DfMA” | Thursday, October 27 at 18:00 (BST), M416 + Online

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Thursday, 27th of October, 6pm (BST)

Where: M416, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS + Online

Emma Hilton Grange is an Associate Architect at Bryden Wood who has worked at the practice since 2019.  Emma has been involved in several projects at the practice including developing a modular housing scheme for L&G Modular Homes, expanding her knowledge in DfMA and offsite construction working on projects such as kit of parts system for a bespoke housing company Kiss House, as well as number of healthcare projects.  

Emma is an alumna of the University of Westminster – During her Master’s degree, Emma developed a keen interest in research-based, and data led design, with her design projects being led by environmental data collected on site, and through desktop research, leading her to working at Bryden Wood. Bryden Wood is a global company of creative technologists, designers, architects, engineers and analysts. They are shaping the future of construction by bringing integrated expertise, innovation, deep experience, open minds and creativity to unravel the most complex problems and create exceptional, sustainable design solutions – all for a better built environment. Bryden Wood are leaders in the theory and practice of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), the Platform approach to Design for Manufacture and Assembly (P-DfMA), generative design, creative technologies, integrated design and automation in construction.  

Emma will be joined by her colleagues Helen Hough, Head of Sustainability, and Nicola Moriarty, Structural Director both who have lead their disciplines in many of the practices most prominent schemes, such as The Forge, the UKs first net zero carbon commercial development using PDfMA. 

https://technicalstudies.tumblr.com/

For details contact: Will McLean  

w.f.mclean@wmin.ac.uk 

Architecture + Cities Research Seminar: “EXTRA Project” by Enrica Papa, Emilia Smeds and Tom Cohen | Monday, October 31 at 1pm (GMT) M416, Marylebone Campus + Online

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Monday, 31st of October, 13:00-14:00 (GMT)

Where: M416, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS + Online

The next Architecture + Cities Research Seminar will be by Enrica Papa, Emilia Smeds and Tom Cohen, on their work within the EXTRA project, Experimenting with City Streets to Transform Urban Mobility. It will be a hybrid event in M416, with the virtual link here. 

All staff and students are welcome to attend.

Congratulations to Ann-Melody Akanji from Year 2, BA Architecture on her display at the Royal Academy

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

Ann-Melody Akanji from Year 2, BA Architecture took part in RA Young People’s Programme: We Built This City as part of ‘John Hejduk: London Masque’. The works produced as a part of this programme are currently on display at the Royal Academy of Arts, London.

In Ann-Melody’s own words the display is:

“a selection of drawings and an experimental model exploring the themes surrounding John Hejduk’s London Masque and architecture of the imagination as part of a group exhibition. Mark Hampson (Head of Material Processes at RA/Senior Fellow at the RCA) led the week of making and challenged our understanding of architecture as an extension of personal creativity and agency.”

UoW + Docomomo UK: Lyons Israel Ellis Gray “A visit to Cavendish Campus hosted by Tony Fretton” | Friday, October 7 at 18:30 (BST)

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Friday, 7th of October at 6.30pm

Where: Cavendish Campus, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish St, London W1B 2HW

To book tickets please go here.

Please join us for an event organised jointly with Docomomo UK:

We are celebrating the University’s finest building: 115 New Cavendish Street, and the work of its architects Lyons, Israel, Ellis.

John Ellis, architect and son of the partner Tom Ellis, will bein conversation with Elain Harwood and John Miller.

Lyons, Israel, Ellis, ‘the most important form of architects you never heard of’, were a remarkable firm and employers / mentors of Neave Brown, Alan Colquhoun, Eldred Evans, James Gowan, John Gray, Richard MacCormac, Rick Mather, John Miller, and James Stirling.

Call for Abstracts: “Repurposing places for social and environmental resilience” | International Conference 2023, London | UEL, Arup, Counterarchitecture | Deadline: September 5, 2022

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: 23rd and 24th of March 2023

Where: Arup, 8-13 Fitzroy St, London W1T 4BQ, UK 

Whilst 20th century was mostly about starchitects, 21st century is about synergies and the relevant complex dynamics that these allow to grow. This shift happens in parallel to others; reusing, retrofitting, and giving a new life to the existing places, buildings and neighbourhoods, in an environmentally and socially resilient manner, developing ways for the existing communities to grow in a symbiotic relationship with new ones, designing processes of circular economy and upcycling, which allow people to collaborate and find viable solutions. Participation in architecture is a notion that continuously evolves, even more so in recent years. Knowledge and innovation that contributes to social justice and responsible design practices, emerges from complex networks and agile cross-disciplinary collaborations. 

In this context, this conference aims to discuss the link between social and environmental resilience, by looking into designed projects, cross-disciplinary research and investigations, participatory and collaborative design methods. It welcomes architects, designers, artists, planners, academics, educators, who have addressed some of the above themes through their work. Projects on adaptation and retrofitting of places in an environmentally and socially responsible way, as well as participatory projects, are particularly welcome. It also welcomes presentations of ongoing projects and collaborations, which will drive the relevant conversations forward. 

Indicative topics

Topic 1: Designed and built projects that address the conference theme. 

Topic 2: Critical analysis of case studies and places in relation to the conference theme. 

Topic 3: New approaches to participation and mapping, in the context of architecture, arts, urbanism, social sciences. 

Topic 4: Educational briefs and student projects that address the conference theme.  

Keynote speakers

Simon Allford, RIBA Director  

Anna Minton 

Prof Doina Petrescu 

Alex Scott-Whitby 

The conference is co-organised by the UEL, Counterarchitecture, Arup. 

Conference organisers: Dr Anastasia Karandinou (UEL, Counterarchitecture), Florence Lam (Arup) 

Advisory Committee: Prof Hassan Abdalla, Carl Callaghan, Alan Chandler, Prof Richard Coyne, Prof Gail Findlay, Prof David Tann, Dr Julie Wall 

Organising Committee: Dr Deborah Benros, Christian Groothuizen, Dr Debra Shaw, Catalina Pollak, Clare Penny 

Scientific Committee: Prof Ela Aral, Dr Aghlab Al-Attili, Pauline Desouza, Dr Angelique Edmonds, Prof Heba Elsarkawy, Prof Ozlem Erkarslan, Armor Gutierrez, Prof Luisa Maria Gutierrez, Dr Arman Hashemi, Carsten Jungfer, Prof Roland Karthaus, Prof Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira, Prof Anastasios Maragiannis, Dr Kat Martindale,  Dr Anna Mavrogianni, Prof Rosa Mendosa, Fernanda Palmieri, Sowmya Parthasarathy, Melina Philippou, Prof Christine Schwaiger, Dr Sally Shahzad, Dr Renee Tobe, Amanda Wanner

Deadline for abstract submission: September 5, 2022

https://www.counterarchitecture.com/repurposing-places-conference

https://www.uel.ac.uk/about-uel/events/2023/march/repurposing-places-social-environmental-resilience

LFA 2022 + UoW: The African Off-Grid Housing Project | Monday, June 20, 2022 from 17:00 to 19:00 (BST) | Online Event

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Monday, 20th of June 2022, 5pm-7pm

Where: Online Event

The talk will disseminate the results of the African Off-grid Housing [AOH] research project developed at the School of Architecture & Cities of the University of Westminster thanks to the support of the Global Challenge Research Fund / UKRI.

The talk is curated by the [AOH] Principal Investigator Dr Paolo Cascone in collaboration with the Research Associate Maddalena Laddaga, with the aim  to animate an open discussion on innovative design to build methodologies towards affordable and self-sufficient housing solutions for sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore the [AOH] research team will be in conversation with a panel of international experts from different backgrounds, to discuss possible synergies and developments, among the others:

  • Conor Black / Arup
  • Dr Claudia Loggia and Dr Viloshin Govender / University of KwaZulu-Natal
  • Vincent Kitio / Chief Urban Energy Unit / UN-Habitat
  • Prof Mark Raymond / Director of the GSA / University of Johannesburg

To attend, please register here.

ClimateDemonstrator 2022 – Live Build Summer School | From 23rd of May to 24th of June 2022

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

Julian Williams, Principal Lecturer at the School of Architecture + Cities, University of Westminster is pleased to invite you to join ClimateDemonstrator 2022: A free live-build summer school involving students from across the School of Architecture and Cities, other Schools in the University and primary school pupils in Camden and Westminster.

The brief is to design and build interactive instruments or installations to demonstrate the science of buildings and their interaction with climate and biodiversity. The project will run from 23rd May to 24th June. You will be working in teams supported by mentors from design and architectural practices, presenting your ideas to 9-10 year olds, then fabricating the works for installation in the partner primary schools.

All the details including dates and how to sign-up are on the website: climatedemonstrator.org.uk

Exhibition: “Planetary Assemblages” at Lethaby Gallery, Central St Martins | April 5-30, 2022

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: From 5th to 30th of April 2022

Where: Lethaby Gallery, Central St Martins, Granary Square, N1C 4AA

The work of Monsoon Assemblages and the Manifest Data Lab visualises geophysical and atmospheric data as ways of making climate change perceptible and public.

Through drawings, maps, animations and models saturated with data from multiple sources, Planetary Assemblages proposes a critical engagement by bringing two groups of work into dialogue. This dialogue demonstrates the power of art and design to explore our connections to the climate crisis and motivate awareness of the material, social and cultural ways we are implicated in it.

For more details please go here.