Tag: University of Westminster

Congratulations to George Hintzen, DS10 alumnus, on receiving funding through Dragon’s Den for further development of his company TOAD.ai

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

This episode of Dragon’s Den can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer, and will be available for the next 28 days.

TOAD.ai is a “data-driven outdoor advertising agency powered by technology.”

It was founded by George Hintzen in 2017, and their focus is on consolidating all of the UK’s outdoor advertising locations and layering it with geo-spatial audience data.

Award-winning Architect George held computational roles at top UK offices Heatherwick Studio, Zaha Hadid and Wilkinson Eyre on groundbreaking projects in like the Bombay Sapphire Distillery and Battersea Power Station. He specialised in optimisation of complex geometries and integrated signage – communicative architecture. Drawing from his experiences, he moved into the world of Outdoor Advertising – where the built environment meets media. He loves retrofit infrastructure: Mobile phone masts, billboards and treehouses.

TOAD.ai

Featured image: TOAD.ai

MArch DS22 tutors, Dr Yara Sharif and Dr Nasser Golzari, to screen their film alongside an interactive installation “Secrets of a Digital Garden” at the Berlinale Film Festival on Wednesday, February 19, 7pm at Betonhalle, Silent Green Kulturquartier, Berlin

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

MArch DS22 tutors, Dr Yara Sharif and Dr Nasser Golzari, have been invited to show their recent work Secrets of a Digital Garden at this year’s Berlinale Forum Expanded.

The work consists of a film and an interactive installation, previously exhibited at the Chicago Architecture Biennial 2019.

Secrets of a Digital Garden follows on the duo’s ongoing research by design, which aims to explore the hidden potentials of the Palestinians landscape, and the right to the rural. 
 
The work was produced in collaboration with Riwaq: Centre for Architectural Conservation, and is realised with the fantastic support of UNESCO, University of Westminster, Fabrication Lab, NG Architects, DOEN, Sweden/Sverige and PART.

The exhibition runs from February 19 to March 22.

The School of Architecture + Cities celebrates great success at the RIBA President’s Awards 2019

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

Both MArch students and the SA+C staff excelled in RIBA President’s Medal Awards 2019 / RIBA President’s Awards for Research 2019 earlier this week.

Ruth Pearn won a Dissertation Medal  for her MArch dissertation ‘Age Through the Terrace: The Evolving Impact of Age on Social and Spatial Relations in the Home’ (Tutored by Prof. Harry Charrington).

DS18 celebrated a double-win by their former MArch students:

Rachel Wakelin was the winner of the Serjeant Award for Excellence in Architectural Drawing at Part 2, for her MArch design project project ‘Avian Air – A Tropospheric Bird Sanctuary’

and

Fiona Grieve was given a Commendation in the Dissertation Medal category, for her MArch dissertation ‘The Reception of Refugees in the UK.’ (Tutored by Dr. Davide Deriu).

DS22 celebrated their former MArch student Sun Yen Yee, who won the SOM Foundation Fellowship (UK Award) at Part 2, for his MArch design project ‘SEED of Havana: Dissolving Condensers.’

Prof Kester Rattenbury (DS15 tutor) was shortlisted for the RIBA President’s Award for Research, in History and Theory category for her project ‘The Wessex Project: Thomas Hardy Architect.’  

Tumpa Fellows (PhD researcher within the Experimental Practices research team and BSc Architectural Technology tutor) received a commendation for the Annual Theme: Building in Quality category in RIBA President’s Award for Research, for her project ‘Improvised architectural responses to the changing climate; making, sharing and communicating design processes.’

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!

ArchiIMPACT Symposium: ONEPROJECT | Monday, December 2, 10:00-16:00, M416, Marylebone Campus

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

Architects, Students and Academics were invited to each present a single project from their practice, University design project or academic research that can be discussed in regard to (all/some of) the following principles of low energy architecture. 

This is deliberately a mixture of architectural practitioners at all stages of their careers  showing built and un-built projects, the successful and the unsuccessful (?!), side-by-side in an effort to collectively learn from one another, presenting a single project each with regard to the same set of criteria across all projects.

Each presentation will last around 30 minutes in sets of 3 presentations, with a conversation afterwards.

The chosen projects address the following issues:

  • Site Specific: Does the building employ existing features of the site as part of its environmental strategy? Utilising orientation, topography, existing structures, water and trees?
  • Climate Responsive: Does the project respond to local (micro) climatic conditions and environmental factors such as heat, light, sound, wind and air quality?
  • Efficient in Use: Is the building suited to its purpose, appropriate in its size and optimised in its use?
  • Climatic Envelope: Does the building have a highly energy-efficient building envelope suited to its location and use?
  • Energy Use: Has the design minimised operational energy, is the building a low carbon (CO2) emitter and a net producer of energy?
  • Material Construction: Has the use of (local) resources been optimised and embodied energy (CO2) reduced through appropriate material choices?
  • Waste and Water: Has the material waste, pollution and water use been minimised? Could the project collect and treat water?
  • Time Dependent: How does the building operate diurnally, annually and throughout its life? Is the building flexible, adaptable, easy to maintain and does it allow for reuse of all or some of its parts at the end of its life?

Technical Studies Lecture Series: “Tackling Climate Change with Affordable Green Housing” Ripin Kalra, University of Westminster, Thursday, November 14, M416, Marylebone Campus, 18:30

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Thursday, 14th of November, 18:30

Where: M416, Robin Evans Room, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS

Ripin Kalra has been working in Disaster Risk Reduction, Low Carbon Development and Climate Resilience since 1992. He has first-hand experience in over 30 countries across Caribbean and Latin America, South and South-East Asia, Middle-East and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

He has been a technical manager, project director and adviser on several climate resilience and resource efficiency projects and co-authored the EU-ACP/GFDRR-supported “National Climate Resilience Investment Plan – CRIP” for Belize with the World Bank. Between 2012 and 2013 he carried out an independent review of the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF). He was Low Carbon Infrastructure/ Risk reduction adviser on the “Physical Development Plan” for Montserrat, with DfID between 2011 and 2012. In 2010 he provided pro-bono housing and planning support in Port-au-Prince, Haiti following the earthquake. He led the World Bank/ IFC supported ‘Affordable Green Housing’ work in Kenya and India. In 2014 he worked with DfID on the “Nigeria Urban Infrastructure Facility”, and in 2012 was Team Leader for the World Bank’s “Assessment of Insurance Instruments for Climate Risk in sub-Saharan Africa”. He has also worked on safe, green and efficient education and health infrastructure in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. He was Project Director for the Remediation Co-ordination Cell work supported by ILO in 2017-18 on garment factory safety in Bangladesh and UK FCO supported ‘Climate proofing Indian smart Cities’ in 2017-18.    

Ripin has been working at University of Westminster since 2000 and currently leads post-graduate modules entitled “Urban Risk and Resilience” and ‘Environmental assessment, policy and climate change’.

Ripin is a pro-bono Trustee of Commonwealth Human Ecology Council, the Commonwealth Housing Trust (CHT).

For lecture details contact Will McLean

w.f.mclean@westminster.ac.uk

https://technicalstudies.tumblr.com/

Podcast: A Small Voice Conversations with Photographers

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

Out NOW on A Small Voice podcast: David Moore on representation, the guilt-inducing, transgressive nature of documentary photography, his influential degree project “Pictures from the Real World” and why 30 years after it, he wrote a piece of verbatim theatre to help him deal with his discomfort over all those things. http://bit.ly/2Bg5VKr  Go listen! Learnings to made!

David Moore is a London based photographic artist once described as belonging to “the second wave of new colour documentary in Britain”. He has exhibited and published internationally and has work held in public and private collections. David has worked as a photographer and educator since graduating from West Surrey College of Art and Design, Farnham, in 1988. He is currently the Course Leader of MA Documentary Photography and Photojournalism at the University of Westminster. David’s 2017/18 project ‘Lisa and John’ responds to the archive of his influential 1988 graduation project Pictures from the real world – which was published as a book in 2011 – and employs theatre, installation, and collaboration. Lisa and John was launched at Format International Photography Festival in 2017, and included a theatrical play, The Lisa and John Slideshow, written and directed by David. The entire Lisa and John Project was exhibited and performed in London and Belfast in 2018 and received widespread acclaim.

Writer, Sean O’Hagan, wrote:

Moore is such a master of colour that he made me think more than once what William Eggleston’s photographs would have looked like had he been born in the north of England rather than the American south.

David’s current practice addresses agency and a critique of documentary as a genre using installation and theatre as a means posing questions around the production of knowledge through photography. 

In episode 115, David discusses, among other things:

Referenced:

  • Brian Griffin (Ep. 61)
  • Joel Meyorwitz
  • Bill Brandt
  • Ruth Orkin
  • Lewis Baltz
  • Paul Searight
  • Anna Fox
  • The Echo of Things by Christopher Wright

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Book Launch: “Designing London’s Public Spaces Post-War and Now” by Susannah Hagan _ Tuesday, December 3, 18:30-21:00, School of Architecture + Cities, Robin Evans Room

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

When: Tuesday, 3rd of December 2019, 18:30-21:00

Where: SA+C, Robin Evans Room, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS

Please join us for a book launch at the University of Westminster!

Speakers: Susannah Hagan (University of Westminster), Bob Allies (Allies and Morrison)

Chair: Lindsay Bremner (University of Westminster)

+ Detail Design Day

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

On Monday 8th of April, second year BA students from the School of Architecture + Cities had the opportunity to meet and have tutorials with a number of professionals from the industry.

The tutorials ran throughout the day, providing the students with invaluable insight and help with their final projects. The students were asked to bring in 1:20 model of a part of their project, as well as some drawings to help contextualise the model. The professionals took on the role of tutors, and were there to assist the students in understanding and solving the issues regarding detailing and construction. With only five weeks left until the portfolio submission, the aim was to use the model, alongside tutorials, as an “exploratory” investigation into the building envelope of the project, which would help pinpoint the building design that is, for most students, still in flux.

The participants: All Year 2 Architecture Students (UOW) Scott Batty Architect (UOW), Dr Stanislava Bošković (Imperial College), Todd Courtney (HUT), Rachel Eccles (HUT), Peter Greves (MAKE Architects), Matt Haycocks (UOW), George Jamieson (HUT), Vlad Luchian (HUT), Elena Marshall (Morph Structures), Dr William McLean (UOW), Sangkil Park (MAKE Architects), Paulo Pimentel (IP Design Studio), Jim Potter (Waind Gohil + Potter), Graham West (West Architecture), Julian Williams (UOW), Fran Williams (Technical Editor, The Architects Journal)

MegaCrit + MegaParty: “Who has the right to the city?”, Monday, April 15, 10:00-22:30, Ambika P3, Marylebone Campus, NW1 5LS

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Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody. – Jane Jacobs

OPEN TO ALL ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES

The University of Westminster and Westminster Architecture Society, in collaboration with the Architecture Foundation, invites all architecture students and recent graduates to the second edition of the Megacrit and inter-uni MegaParty!

MEGACRIT 10am-5pm

This year’s Megacrit asks the question: “Who has the right to the city?” and explores the theme of Architecture and Power.

Students will present throughout the day, exchanging ideas and engaging in a discussion with guest critics and visiting tutors from around the capital.

After presenting, students will exhibit their work around the space creating an inter-uni architectural exhibition of work for all to view! All students from any university and recent graduates are invited to come and watch the crits throughout the day, please sign up for a FREE ticket through eventbrite to confirm your attendance.

Last year, the Westminster Megacrit was a great success with 7 units, 40 students and 14 guest critics participating. With over 1700 people signing up for the event, it became one of the largest Megacrits hosted in London. We hope to have as much fun this year, and look forward to seeing you all there!

#makearchitecturegreatagain

#megacrit2019

MEGAPARTY 6pm-10:30pm

All students from any university and recent graduates are invited to celebrate at the MegaParty. Come along for a night of great music, student deals on drinks (£2.50 Peroni, £3 Wine, etc), explore the exhibition of work from the day and meet fellow architecture students from other universities! Please sign up for a FREE ticket via eventbrite to guarantee entry.

TIMETABLE FOR THE DAY

10:00 Megacrit – Morning Session

13:00 Lunch

14:00 Megacrit Afternoon Session

17:00 Panel Discussion

18:00 MegaParty starts

22:30 End

Additional Information

To access P3 please enter through University of Westminster main entrance reception on Marylebone Road. Please register for the MegaCrit and MegaParty through Eventbrite. We may contact you following the event to invite you to other similar inter-uni events run by the Westminster Architecture Society.

Please bring your student or alumni ID for entry.

By signing up you agree to receive emails regarding the MegaCrit and MegaParty and other events of relevance to the wider architecture student community.

Book tickets here.

 

aae2019: “Learning through Practice”_ Wednesday 24th – Friday 26th of April, Hogg Lecture Theatre Marylebone Campus

Posted on by Mirna Pedalo

The fifth international peer reviewed conference of the UK association of architectural educators, aae2019 Learning through Practice, will be hosted by the University of Westminster.

The conference aims to invite contributions from educators, researchers and architectural practitioners on the theme of contexts for learning architectural practice, and how the nature of these contexts shape the nature and form of the learning itself.

The conference will be a place to reflect on the value of studio-based practice for both student and professional practitioner, to examine the role of workplace located learning, to share knowledge of current and past radical or alternative models, and to speculate on future forms of architectural education.

Click here for the conference website.

Tickets cover entry to the main keynote lecture plus the preceding debate(s). You are welcome to come along to the debate at 16:00 or 16:30 or just head to the lecture at 18:00 or 18:30.

  • Professor Ray Land Wed 24 April 18:30 plus 16:30 debate on ‘Architecture and Professionalism’ (organised by Standing Conference of Heads of Schools of Architecture)
  • Liza Fior and Professor Clare Twomey In Conversation Wed 25 April 18:00 plus debates starting at 16:00 on ‘Partnership Studios: Conflicts and Expectations’ (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and 17:00 on ‘Archi-Culture: Is Studio Culture Dead’ (London School of Architecture)
  • Meejin Yoon Fri 26 April 18:00 plus debates starting at 16:00 on ‘Ethics and Sustainability in Architectural Education’ (Cardiff/Sheffield Hallam University) and ‘Models for Shared Learning’ (Architecture Foundation UK)

Book tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aae2019-debates-and-evening-lecture-tickets-tickets-59154989165