Tag: Inaugural Lecture

Inaugural Lecture: Professor Sean Griffiths | Monday, November 2 at 18:00 (GMT) in M416 (Robin Evans Room)

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Monday, 2nd of November 2025 at 6pm (GMT)

Where: M416 (Robin Evans Room), Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS 

Register via Eventbrite

About the Speaker

Professor Sean Griffiths is the principle of Modern Architect and a practicing architect, artist and writer. Alongside teaching he designs architecture, makes gallery-based installations and writes extensively.

Sean was the founding director of the art-architecture collaborative FAT whose design work and art projects have been widely published and discussed. Sean’s work as an individual and as a director of FAT has been exhibited at major national and international institutions including the RIBA, the V&A, the ICA, the Royal Academy, and Tate Modern in London, and the Carnegie Mellon Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Stroom in Den Haag, Arc en Réve in Bourdeaux, the Seccession Haus in Vienna, amongst many others. FAT represented the UK at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Besides his prolific architecture and design projects, art work, media work and his regular curation of group exhibitions and installations, Sean Griffiths has taught extensively both in this country and as visiting critic and professor and as invited lecturer in institutions around the world. He has been Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at Yale University on four occasions between 2007-2016.

Inaugural Lecture: “Helsinki to Kumasi – Stories from the Centre” by Prof Harry Charrington | Monday, March 17, 2025 at 18:00 in M416 (Robin Evans Room)

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Monday, 17th of March 2025 at 6pm

Where: M416 (Robin Evans Room), Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS

Eventbrite

In this lecture Professor Harry Charrington advocates for a more engaged history of architecture and place-making. He discusses some remarkable work in Helsinki and Kumasi, and introduces individuals with their own distinctive agency, showing that how they did things became what they achieved. He argues we need to share more stories like these if we are to develop a praxis capable of addressing the complexity of the living world. This is largely a task of recovery; these stories already exist as tacit knowledge in our day-to-day practices. Reflecting on over thirty years of practice, teaching, and research, and utilising archival material and oral histories, Charrington suggests how we might restore them to history – i.e. to humanity.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception – to close at 20:30.

Inaugural Lecture: Prof. Peter Sharratt, School of Architecture + Cities | Monday, February 10 at 18:00 (GMT) | M416 (Robin Evans Room), Marylebone Campus

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Monday, 10th of February 2025 at 6pm (GMT)

Where: M416 (Robin Evans Room), Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, NW1 5LS + Online

Eventbrite Booking

Peter Sharratt, Ma, DipArc, MSt IDBE (Cantab), RIBA, MIET, FRSA,

Professor of Practice, University of Westminster

Peter will make the case for a new design imperative, Strategic Design, in addressing the global growth challenges we face by applying design and systems thinking to solving complex and often contradictory problems. Drawing from his international professional experience leading a niche Strategic Design and Planning consultancy, he will explain what strategic design means, how it’s being deployed in practice and importantly, how architects’ unique skills can play a leading role in shaping the real-world solutions that make a difference. Examples include net zero transition strategies for organisations and cities in the Gulf region, policy innovation and post war recovery planning for Kyiv, and new approaches for economic infrastructure and urban development for emerging economies across Africa and SE Asia based.

Professional Practice Profile: With a background in award winning passive and low energy building design, Peter has held appointments at senior levels in international blue-chip design, engineering and management consultancies before setting up Fhoras Consulting, a niche strategic design consultancy advising cities, business and governments on sustainable development, economic infrastructure, climate resilience, Net Zero transition and inclusive, green growth strategies.