Open Studio is an interactive project run by the School of Architecture + Cities at the University of Westminster to make its design, research and practice-based work available online while it is happening. The site acts as a real time teaching and learning environment in which the work of both students and staff is curated and documented – the work of its design studios, or its other teaching and research groups and workshops. Read more in Blog, follow us on Twitter and like us on Instagram.
When: From Friday, 24th of June (5pm) to 14th of July 2022 (available for viewing Monday – Saturday, 9am-6pm)
Where: Silver Building in the Royal Docks, 60 Dock Road, E16 1YZ
BSc Architecture and Environmental Design will be hosting a public exhibition at the Silver Building in the Royal Docks, where local people can explore the students re-imagining of the neighbourhood.
There is a public opening on Friday 24 June to which everyone is welcome.
To attend the opening, please register here.
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:
To attend, please register here.
Where: M321, Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Rd, NW1 5LS
When: Tuesday, 21st June 2022 at 2pm
To join online please go here: https://eu.bbcollab.com/guest/a8b04a2558aa464a8d91ad23c4e4189d
When: Thursday, 9th of June from 6pm to 10pm (BST)
Where: Fabrication Lab, University of Westminster, Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5SL
Make your own ceramic patisseries in the UoW’s Fabrication Lab. Assemble your cake with clay 3D printed by robots, decorate using digitally fabricated cutters & stamps, & paint it with a glaze. Yours to keep forever! All proceeds will be donated to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
For more information please go here.
This academic year, several of the BSc Architecture and Environmental Design students [who are part of the Westminster Environmental Society] and academics have been collaborating with Square Mile Farms in the creation of a hydroponic green wall for the production of food.
This project is the result of the successful application to the Westminster Green Fund.
The wall was installed in the entrance of Marylebone campus on Thursday, May 26th and will be ready for the first harvest after 4 weeks. The installation process was lead by students and Square Mile Farms team. The Vice Chancellor Peter Bonfield also visited the site and chatted to the team.
The official launch and the first harvest are scheduled for June 24th. To attend, please register here.
From September, the BSc Architecture and Environmental Design students will take charge of the maintenance and harvesting of the wall.
Congratulations to all involved!
When: Thursday, 16th of June 2022 from 5.30pm to 8.30pm
Where: Marylebone Studios, Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS
Head of School Harry Charrington cordially invites you to attend the opening of the graduating students’ degree show, OPEN 2022, featuring work from
Preview
Thursday 16 June, 5.30pm
Show opened by Kate Macintosh MBE, 6pm
Exhibition continues
Friday 17 June – Monday 11 July
PLEASE SEE ATTACHED INVITATION FOR DETAILS AND TO [open2022.eventbrite.co.uk]REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE.
You can also RSVP to DCDI-Events@westminster.ac.uk
When: Friday, 13th of May 2022 from 10am to 6pm (BST)
Where: M416, University of Westminster, Marylebone campus, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS
Register via Eventbrite.
The ‘Emerging Territories’ research group hosts a one-day symposium on current research initiatives of the School of Architecture and Cities, which contributes to the global agenda of sustainability of the University of Westminster. We work at the interface between London-based explorative practices, and globally-relevant projects, with the aim to promote and design more resilient and inclusive communities, places, and territories, around the following priority emerging areas: Climate Urbanism; Health & Wellbeing; Urban-Rural Interfaces; Anthropocene Territories; Public Space and Diversity.
Urban and Architectural research, in recent years, is confronted with new challenges affecting cities and the built environment: the unexpected outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic, the increasing evidence of the tangible impact of climate change, and the rising tensions among nation states in a changing global scenario. This has resulted in unprecedented social and environmental vulnerabilities, and new rapidly evolving phenomena, such as the digital transition of the way of living, residing and working.
Taken together, these challenges pose serious questions that scholars in the field of architecture and planning should face, in primis the redefinition of the notion of local vs global, and the very idea of scholarly engagement across different places in the new normal. On the other hand, this can be taken as an opportunity to define new ‘emerging territories’ of research where problems can be captured, solutions can be tested, and ideas can be shared more effectively across multiple scales and contexts.
The aim of the symposium is therefore to bring together interdisciplinary research between architecture and planning, based at the School of Architecture and Cities and to share new ideas and approaches to tackle city problems and their vulnerabilities in the new global context.
Krystallia Kamvasinou, Giulio Verdini (Co-Chairs), with Roudaina Alkhani, Lindsay Bremner, Sabina Cioboata, Corinna Dean, Shengkang Fu, Ripin Kalra, Kon Kim, Tony Lloyd Jones, David W. Mathewson, Michael Neuman, Mai Sairafi, Ben Stringer, and others to be confirmed.
For queries on the symposium, please contact:
Giulio Verdini G.Verdini@westminster.ac.uk or Krystallia Kamvasinou K.Kamvasinou01@westminster.ac.uk
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
Congratulations to Nedal Harris Ghoshesh, Jessica Abdul Matin and Jack Morris, BA 2nd year students, who will be participating in the London Student Sustainability Conference on Thursday the 24th of February, presenting their design studio semester 1 projects.
The conference is entirely student-led; with students exhibiting their research and projects through presentations, posters and demonstrations. This is the first time that University of Westminster Architecture students have been invited to participate in this event.
This is an online event and registration is free:
Image caption: Left: Jessica Abdul Matin, Right: Nedal Harris Ghoshesh
When: Monday, 29th of November at 6pm (GMT)
Where: In-person in M416 (Robin Evans Room), University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS + Online
Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.
The launch of the School of Architecture + Cities Equity Forum will introduce its members, explain its values, and its place within the School’s wider EDI-related strategic planning.
Although the intention is to stream the session online as well as hold the face-to-face event, we would encourage participants to attend in person to engage more directly in discussion, as well as join us for refreshments and networking after. In addition to celebrating the launch of the Forum and providing updates, the event aims to provide Tutors, Course and Module Leaders with more context to help inform their own EDI-related thinking and planning at course and module level. Our response to the challenge of making our school more equitable will require ongoing discussion, reflection, and – crucially – action. External friends, stakeholders, and supporters will also be in attendance.
Tickets are broken down into in-person attendance (Student, Staff or External), or virtual (via Zoom as a webcast). Please ensure you register prior to attending, so we can ensure we have an accurate record of attendees.
Programme:
18.00 Introduction: EDI in Architecture and Cities (Harry Charrington, Head of School)
18.15 The Equity Forum: Context and Aspiration (Samir Pandya, School EDI Lead)
18.45 Introduction to newly appointed Student EDI Champion (Andy Pitchford, Director of CETI, introduces Lucy Banbury)
18.55 Panel Discussion – What difference does Difference make? (Chaired by Linda Tighlit, Westminster Architecture Society), followed by Q&A.
19.30 Drinks and networking
Panel Members:
• Alison Carrillo Culqui (BA Interior Architecture)
• Amjad Butt (BSc Architectural Technology)
• Derin Fadina (School Alumnus)
• Lucy Banbury (School Student EDI Champion)
• Marie Kaune (BA Designing Cities)
• Shaun Ihejetoh (School EDI Practice Advocate, West Port Architects)
• Sude Yilmaz (BA Architecture)
