MORE 2023

MMORE 2023

ISBN: 978-1-8383870-3-7

Cover image Nishika Diyabalanage

Designed & produced Clare Hamman

First published September 2023

Printed London

© University of Westminster

WELCOME TO MORE 2023, and to the celebration of our postgraduate students’ work from the past year. After two smaller shows following the pandemic, this year we have a larger, more comprehensive exhibition that truly reflects the endeavour and achievements of our postgraduate and research community.

The exhibition reflects the unique combination of disciplines in the School, and the practice of students and staff in addressing regenerative and resilient Design, Making, Place, Spatial Policy, Mobilities, Territorial Transitions and Professional Practice. As before, the event is being streamed and the outputs (and catalogues) shared online, giving us a global reach that matches the nature of the School’s students and staff: a rich mix of views and approaches that is critical to our ability to address contemporary challenges and long-term resolutions. Our studentstaff climate action taskforce, ArCCAT, Equity Forum, and Cross-Disciplinary Exchange have given a lead to our work and, alongside the work on show in MORE, our website openresearchwestminster.org showcases the research and knowledge exchange in our five complementary research groups, and our world-leading research centres.

2022-23 has seen a larger than usual number of staff leaving and joining. With a deep sense of gratitude, we said farewell to our long-standing colleagues Stephen Brookhouse, Anne Graham, Chantal Laws, Tony Lloyd-Jones, Maja Piecyk and Allan Woodburn who retired after having given so much to the School and their disciplines; we have also welcomed Conor Clarke, Luz Navarro, Tassew Tolcha and John Somers, who is leading our new MA Urban & Regional Planning Apprenticeship.

We hope you will enjoy the show and get a feel for the creative serendipity that characterises the day-to-day life of the School. MORE is only a reality because of the endeavour of many. To Nasser Golzari and Yara Sharif, who designed and curated the exhibition, and Daniel Scroggins who organised the whole thing. To Clare Hamman who has designed and produced this beautiful catalogue. Our thanks go to our campus team led by Amaniel Gebreyesus, Kow Abadoo, and Chris Meloy for their help mounting the show. François Girardin and the Fabrication Laboratory staff who helped build the exhibition. Mirna Pedalo who curates our website [more2023.net] and social media. And thank you to all our students and the staff.

Please enjoy the show.

Harry Charrington Head of the School of Architecture + Cities

MASTERS

David Littlefield (Course Leader), Nick Beech, Conor Clarke, Dusan Decermic, Maja Jović, Paresh Parmer, Simon Banfield, Tomasz Dancel-Fiszer, James Engel, Clare Hamman, Ed Harty, Bruce Irwin, Debbie Kuypers, Anna Mansfield

David Littlefield is Senior Lecturer and has written, co-written and edited more than 10 books on architecture and cities. His research focuses on authenticity, heritage, regeneration and notions of place. He is presently undertaking a PhD into the representation of authenticity.

MA Interior Architecture

Students: Niharika Akshara, Yara Al-Hasawi, Yasmeen Aliesa, Ma Aleinna Majan Hilal Almukhaini, Ghadeer Alqallaf, Shivanshi Pranavbhai Amin, Mirna

Aodesh, Mohammad Asif,Tasneem Azeez Matcheswala, Raina Bafna, Rashmie

Balamurugan, Dinemis Balkaroglu, Jagruthi Bangalore Murthy, Ahmed

Khalil Barka, Blerina Berisha, Denzel Chabata, Atcharaa Chandrasekar, Rasika Rajendra Chitodkar, Shenon D Costa, Nishika Diyabalanage, Anna Duldig, Aysen Aysu Ergul, Morvarid Farhoodi, Yiwen Fu, Iveta Hanzenova, In Ut Ho, Sarafina Jozefzoon, Tanvi Arun Kale, Pallav Kapoor, Kayser Khalid,

OUR INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE MA promotes a speculative approach to spatial design that is rooted in theory and the world of ideas. Those ideas, however, are deployed to confront contemporary questions and challenges. This MA course, therefore, is both conceptual and pragmatic; experimental and rigorous. With a special focus on people and place, the course encourages students to develop a deep sympathy for the needs and aspirations of the users of a space, as well as a sensitivity towards (and response to) physical and social contexts.

Our MA programme provides a platform for students to develop personally and professionally, comprising a set of study modules that can be grouped into three categories: theory; technical substantiation; and design. These tacitly support each other, deepening students' understanding of place and site, their appreciation of the notion that design and social practices are forms of cultural production, and a way to develop the fundamental methods and skills to conduct and present research and critical thinking.

Students then progress to develop their own major project, through either a design proposition or a written thesis. We strive for a rich, mature synthesis of learning, a process

Rebal Khan, Gunjan Khemka, Xiaopeng Liang, Gazala Malik, Faezeh Mirzaei, Anushka More, Prashant Lilabhai Odedara, Natalie Olesen, Silvi Pramodbhai Panchal, Pratiti Devanshu Pandit, Serena Patel, Senuri Peththawadu, Maria Laura Polselli, Aishwarya Ramesh Kumar, Dewanti Ratnasarira, Layal Rmeih, Jinglu Ruan, Sahil Sachdeva, Sara Sahebgharani, Laura Sumardi, Zhe Sun, Tala Talj, Kanaka Dhirendra Thakker, Fateme Toofany, Nithya Shree Viswanathan, Xiaochuan Wang, Yi Wang, Weijia Yu, Alveena Zahid, Tianle Zhao

aimed to prepare students (academically, professionally and personally) for the challenges of a complex world.

This year, students were provided with a range of options for their major thesis study; some selected their own site and theme for investigation, while others opted to explore guided themes based at selected sites: housing; cinema (working with the Regent Street Cinema in central London); potential futures for Oxford Street's House of Fraser department store; and the adaptive re-use of the historic Bargehouse building on London’s South Bank.

The results were diverse, ambitious and extraordinary, representing the dynamism and diversity of our students, and reflecting their freedom and encouragement to embark on design-led adventures here at Westminster. Ranging from experiments with replicating space and recording the ‘voice’ of a site, to designing for moving bodies, and seeking inspiration from 19th-century clothing. We seek to inspire a strong connection with, and response to, place; what our students have done is both respond to the demands of a particular site as well as offering new and surprising interpretations of the physical and social contexts in which they find themselves.

Guests and Critics: Ying Man (Regent Street Cinema) , Jo Prosser (Royal Academy) , Bruce Weil (Lighting designer)

Maria Laura Polselli The Parasite of Oxford Street

ARE ALL DEPARTMENT stores fated to become empty carcasses for a parasite to wear? This thesis explores the relationship between a historic ‘host’ (architecture) and its extrinsic interventions, finding architectural beauty in the notion of parasitic growth in a site-dominant intervention which acts as a catalyst to sustain human memories inside a structure that has decayed with time.

This adaptive reuse strategy challenges the nature of retail itself, presenting architecture as a sculpture to display and interact with, instead of just being a box containing goods to sell. To align architecture with this ‘biological’ reality, it investigates the relationship between the building and the visitor, using olfaction as a parameter through which to measure the design and presence of this parasitic development of the built environment.

The former House of Fraser is the setting for the birth of this ‘parasite’. Growing in crystal-like aggregations, it

expands into the voids of the building, attaching to stairlift cores and vertical elements. It overwhelms the original structure and creates a new organic being, a strange and compelling hybrid.

The first bone-like structure, based on a 3D voronoi pattern, are appended by a second layer of soft and light textiles with which the public interact. Through a hidden ventilation system, each voronoi module is pervaded with scents, creating an ethereal atmosphere. This secondary system prompts the visitor to smell, touch and hear, measuring the surroundings with their body.

Growing volumes within an existing shell, this new life form conquers Oxford Street and proliferates on an urban scale, provoking wonder, terror and incredulity. Ultimately turning into an inhabitable superstructure, these scented pathways create a new viability system, reanimating the city and beyond.

Weijia Yu A Daydream: Breaking the fourth wall

THE CONCEPT OF the project is to re-imagine the experience of the cinema, translating the interface between dream and reality from film into an architectural space. Working with Regent Street Cinema, the thesis aims to break down the fourth wall between the stage screen and the auditorium, converting this central London venue into an experiential cinema which offers different ways to watch and engage in films.

The project started by analysing the Japanese Noh theatre, extracting the concept of the mirror room and transforming it into a physical reality. The element of mirrors connects the spaces so that they are both independent of each other but integrated, breaking the fourth wall in a new conceptual way. Translated to the Regent Street cinema, with its historic stage and cinema screen, the thesis creates areas with different atmospheres where cinema can become a

performance and live theatre can be distanced by the screen. Through analysis of two films: Alice in Wonderland and Inception, emotional experiences and triggers from these two films were identified and re-imagined within the physical reality of the cinema, creating interconnections and interactions between the spaces and how films would be experienced and viewed.

The design transforms the entire cinema space by creating areas with emotional and experiential differences which visitors can move through to heighten or counteract the experience of watching the film; breaking the fourth wall of the screen and mirroring various views. For example, the intimate and enclosed safe area of the small viewing room, the dining area where you can taste and imbibe with Alice, or the relaxed lounging auditorium.

Kanaka Thakker The Extended Body

THIS DISSERTATION CONSIDERS the relationship between the body and its surrounding space, conducted through extensive study of various fields like ergonomics, anthropology, psychology, sociology and philosophy. The thesis began as an investigation of compact formats of living for non-family units and to understand how the body navigates tight spaces. The analysis of the body, its movements and gestures while performing daily rituals led the focus of the dissertation to the question, ‘how does the body inhabit space?’

Using an auto-ethnographic research methodology to study the act of performing various everyday activities like watching TV, dressing and cooking, it was observed that the body engages with various objects and surfaces, using them as its extensions.

For example, in an activity as simple as sleeping, the body at times starts using objects like pillows, mobile and blanket as extensions of the body and sometimes it sinks into the horizontal and vertical surface of the bed for support. One could almost look at this exchange between the body, objects and surfaces as one entity, that is the ‘Extended Body’. Stating that the ‘Extended Body’ is more complex than allowed for by simple ergonomics and metrics, the dissertation recommends further investigation into this concept to help design more ergonomically-aware habitable spaces. It also proposes applying the concept of the extended body across various scales of built form to design inclusive cities.

MA Interior Architecture theses 2023 contd. Aysen Aysu Ergul

Mohammad Asif

The Home for Graffiti

This thesis transforms the abandoned Bishopsgate Station into a gallery to graffiti and street art. The exhibition space mirrors the nearby graffiti archways, capturing the mutable art form for broader public engagement while preserving the artists' anonymity.

Rashmie

Balamurugan

Beyond the Silver Screen: Unveiling cinematic wonders

Staged behind the screen of Regent Street Cinema, the UK's oldest cinema and one of only three of London's original West End cinemas, this thesis sets to capture the romance and nostalgia of cinema's golden age. Inspired by cabinets of curiosities, it proposes an interactive archive to celebrate cinema's heritage.

Nishika Diyabalanage The New Women of Oxford Street

This research-based project sets out to challenge the patriarchal domination of our urban environment. The thesis incorporates kinetic partitions within each floor of the former House of Fraser store on London's Oxford Street, empowering women and giving them agency to control spaces within the singular structure. It also promotes community and social interactions by seamlessly transitioning from private to public areas.

Emergency Temporary Housing: Examinination of sustainable construction

Growing from the major Turkish earthquake of 2023, this thesis looking at the development and consequences of how emergency architecture is a developed and implemented. It explores issues including alternative building materials, longevity of use and the architect's responsibility.

Natalie Gabriella Olesen

Primary Learning in Urban and Natural Environments

This thesis proposes a progressive exemplar for the future of learning environments, transportation, communication and collaboration. This vision radically transforms the disused House of Fraser store on Oxford Street and imagines a series of healthier alternatives to the building’s make-up, allowing for a stimulating learning environment where children can develop their highest potential.

Pratiti

Devanshu Pandit

Co-Living: Co-working

This thesis re-imagines the Bargehouse as a co-living and work space, reviving the materials and atmosphere of the original building. This is approached in a sustainable and economic way, ensuring the spaces can be offered to users at a low cost.

Raina Bafna

Façades of Artistry: Displaying creativity on the building's visual canvas

This thesis turns the façade of South Bank's Bargehouse into an artist community hub by apending creative pods, tailored for Coin Street Community artists, to amplify their visibility. Bridging architecture and art, these prototypes hold the potential to transform comparable adaptive reuse buildings, emphasising enhanced circulation, ventilation and spatial efficiency.

Xiaochuan

Wang

Bargehouse: The starting point for next generation artists

The project transforms the Bargehouse into a public complex with a strong connection to the arts, providing the next generation of artists with an architectural space in which they can live and work: a space to create, exhibit, sell and exchange their work. The design and concentration of creatives in one area will create a cluster effect to attract art lovers.

Faezeh Mirzaei Tidal Journey, Time, Street Art

It all started with the Bargehouse, a space for displaying art, which is not always accessible, and not always welcoming to people who happen to pass by. In reaction, this thesis design focuses on a nearby beach on the Thames. Only revealed at low tide, everyone can experience the beauty and creativity of nature as the Thames ebbs and flows.

(left-right) Xiaopeng Liang; Mohammad Asif; Gunjan Khemka

Atcharaa Chandrasekar

The Nature's Symphony: A biophilic sensory experience

This thesis creates a sensory biophilic experience in which one can be immersed in a lush, vibrant rainforest experience in the middle of Oxford Street, thus heightening the senses and nourishing and refreshing visitors' minds.

Xiaopeng Liang

Historic Alignment: Bargehouse restaurant & bar

Ahmed Khalil Barka

Short Stay Sanctuary: Bargehouse temporary student accommodation

This study proposes a solution to the challenges faced by overseas students first arriving in London. It investigates several layouts of bedrooms and common areas to meet the needs of students arriving in a large city with a limited budget when student accommodation is scarce, and no network of friends.

Yi Wang

Synesthesia: The sound-vision connection

This thesis explores the visual representation of sound, and how it can be enhanced or disrupted by architectural forms. Transforming the entrance to Regent Street Cinema, hanging spatial forms visualise and interact with surrounding sounds, synaesthetically embodying and disrupting sound waves. As a result, the noise and disturbance from the outside world will diminish allowing visitors to complete the emotional transition from the real world to the movie world.

Rebal Khan

Congenial Clusters: Integrative buildings for human activities in a symbiotic ecosystem This thesis proposes single-function buildings should be rejected. By investigating spatial utilisation by various user groups, it draws parallels between human activities and mutual behaviours in nature to establish interconnections and adaptability strategies to create resilient buildings which address the dynamic needs of users over time.

Gunjan Khemka

Last Train Gone: Investigating human postures to shape hanging hotels

This thesis examines daily human routines to inform the design of a comfortable emergency hotel within London's Liverpool Street Station. Drawing inspiration from natural structures like wasps' nests and the station's history as a WW2 shelter, this sleeper city offers safety and solace in the wee hours of uncertainty.

(left-right) Rebal Khan; Faezeh Mirzaei; Nishika Diyabalanage ; (top left) Yi Wang

Morvarid Farhoodi

Dancing with light

Derived from the study and analysis of how bodies occupy and move through space, this thesis explores the synergy which exists between people, and the transference of experience between physical and digital models. The recording of a person moving and dancing within an architectural space is transformed into a virtual reality experience, allowing users to engage with the spatial and emotion experience of another.

Prashant Odedara

Co-working Hub

This thesis turns Oxford Street's disused House of Fraser into a shared space with an open central courtyard and natural green spaces for recovering, learning, earning and socialising. It is a place that opens the opportunity for spontaneous conversations with like-minded people; being inspired by each other and being an inspiration for the next generation.

Kayser Khalid

The Loom House

This thesis explores re-imagining and reviving the art of weaving by creating an art centre through an adaptive and creative reuse of The Bargehouse warehouse on London's South Bank, where experts can practice and amateurs can engage in the art form.

Silvi Pramodbhai Panchal

The Inhabitable Sculpture: Inquiring ambiguity of thresholds

Can thresholds be inhabitable? This project investigates the ambiguity of transitional and in-between spaces. Standing tall at the Ranston Street, the inhabitable sculpture is an abstract, alien-like structure breaking spaces into situations and events. Each plane and element exists to provide opportunity for various household activities.

Senuri Peththawadu

Make Way for Wellness

This thesis sets out to encourage people to step outside their homes and engage with others within their community to avoid social isolation. Drawing from the principles of daily rituals of food shopping, this thesis imagines a community market kit and how it can connect people physically, emotionally and culturally.

Serena Patel

Political Power Clubs: An investigation into women's empowerment

Oxford Street's House of Fraser is re-purposed in this thesis. Designing a new haven for women in politics and power, it proposes a radical transformation of space, responding to the possibilities of women’s voices in a world of tradition and order. By reprogramming the generous voids of the 1920s building with engaging content, a new typological paradigm will form.

Anushka Rahul More

YATRA: A journey into the unknown

Every space is a mystery which tells us a story, making us inquisitive about exploring new ideas along with the context from which they are born. It is a mindful journey that expresses a poem of an inner mind or beyond, an amalgamation of ideas inspiring us with future possibilities.

Aishwarya Ramesh Kumar

Reimagining Productivity: Pioneering the future of creative workspaces

Using the Bargehouse as its canvas, this thesis project envisions the future of creative workspaces, asking: How can architecture enhance productivity and ignite creativity in workspaces? Through architectural ingenuity, the aim is to revitalise the disused building, fostering innovation and creativity.

(left-right) Kayser Khalid; Alveena Zahid; Pallav Kapoor

Pallav Kapoor

Layered Landscapes: Tracing history, time and graffiti at Leake Street Arches

The thesis investigates the sedimentation of time, from the microscopic to macro-urban scale by peeling back the layers of history, paint and artefact found in London's longest legal graffiti tunnel. Through archival research, chromatography and photogrammetry, the research documents and represents the ephemeral qualities of the tunnel through a temporary installation.

Jinglu Ruan

The Bird's Nest

This thesis addresses the limited availability of affordable housing in London. It considers the creation of a vertical residential community for young people just starting their careers at a site in central London. In addition to the infrastructure of the apartment building and ‘home’, the building facilitates social spaces for residents.

Shenon D'Costa

Unaccounted Traces: Investigating the intangible traces of Down Street Station

The thesis proposes a technique for capturing the intangible markings on the soot-covered walls of the disused Down Street Station using cyanotype prints, contrast mapping with Rhino 3D-modelling and fabric layering. It renders visible how a space is touched by the people living in it or passing through it.

Zhe Sun

New Birth of a Church Ruin

This thesis investigates constructing new functions for a church ruin located in central London, encouraging more people to visit and explore it, while allowing both its sacred and historic elements to exist. It considers how modern architecture can frame and enhance abandoned churches within cities.

Iveta Hanzenova

VerdureSanctum: Nurturing nature within

This thesis proposes transforming London's House of Fraser into a captivating nature-immersed haven. The structure cultivates thriving ecosystems, where architecture harmonises with abundant green landscapes, nurturing the relationship between humans and the natural world and offering an escape from the bustling city, providing a vital connection to nature.

Nithya Shree Viswanathan

Infinite Echoes: Mirroring the legacy of the Bargehouse

The thesis explores the metamorphosis of Bargehouse into an engaging cultural hub by blending history, community engagement and innovative design. It celebrates the past, evokes nostalgia and fosters connections through immersive experiences, art and reflection, enriching collective memory.

Fateme Toofany

Playing The Bargehouse

This thesis transforms the Bargehouse into an interactive architectural instrument, blending art and sound. Musical elements which function architecturally invite visitors to ‘play’ the building, creating collaborative soundscapes while illuminating the synergy between architecture and music on London's South Bank.

Alveena Zahid

Threads of Revival: Integrating sustainability and culture into urban renewal

In a state of metamorphosis, Oxford Street's defunct House of Fraser is awakened as Kintsugi's grace and wabi-sabi's wisdom turn flaws into art. This thesis imagines the former department store becoming a haven for renewal in the hands of social creators and designers. The antithesis of fast fashion, it embodies a mindful shift to former crafts of repair and redesign.

(left-right) Nithya Shree Viswanathan; Silvi Panchal; Ma Aleinna Majan Gonzales Almukhaini ; (top right) Shenon D'Costa

Nasser Golzari (Course Leader), Andrew Carr, Beth Cullen, Davide Deriu, Prajakta Kalamkar, Iman Keaik, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Dirk Lellau, Maja Jovic, Samir Pandya, Yara Sharif, Adriana Useche, Filip Visnjic

Nasser Golzari is a senior lecturer and senior partner of Golzari (NG) Architects. His research and build projects have won a number of awards including RIBA Award for Research, Holcim Award and Aga Khan Award.

Krystallia Kamvasinou is a senior lecturer, an architect and a landscape architect. Her research on the topic of Interim Spaces and Creative Use has been published widely in academic journals and books.

Yara Sharif is a practicing architect, senior lecturer and partner at NG Architects. Her work reframes architectural practice while exploring contested landscapes. Her book Architecture of Resistance and collaborative work with PART won the RIBA President’s Award for Research.

Filip Visnjic is an architect, curator and a media technologist working at the intersections of art, media and technology. He is editor-in-chief at CreativeApplications.Net, and director at HOLO Magazine

MA Architecture

Students: Dalya Abdulwahhab, Sara Al-Araj, Melcenur Aldemir, Behnam

THE ARCHITECTURE MA course offers a dynamic and unique programme on advanced postgraduate study, combining a high level of design and theoretical investigation with innovative representational methods and critical approaches to contemporary discourses on the subjects of design and theory. The programme is holistic, encouraging strategic re-thinking of habitation at the scale of the city/neighbourhood. Taking theories and design practices in socio-environmental ecologies or issues of globalisation and identity into consideration, students engage in conceptual and technical explorations of redesigning habitation at macro- and micro-scales.

The different modules on offer encourage alternative modes of study and creative methods in design, representation and research. MA Architecture allows for

specialisation in architecture design or theory through its three pathways: Cultural Identity and Globalisation; Digital Media; and History and Theory. Alternatively, there is an option for students to select and combine relevant modules that meet their personal interests for their career development, if they decide to take the two-year poststudy visa option of working in the UK and beyond.

The course also offers distinct student awards, including Jila Golzari for outstanding achievement in one academic year, and Weston Williamson + Partners for outstanding Thesis Design offering monetary and working in practice prizes; and Surjit Cheema Award, for the most outstanding and creative piece of writing. The awards are announced at the exhibition marking the end of the academic year.

Guest Critics:

Philip Breese, Danilo Bulatovic, Simon Cole, Richard Difford, Deniz Çetin, Prajakta Kalamkar, Charlotte Khatso, Katarzyna-Kasia Kwiatkowska, Mirna Pedalo, Adriana Useche

Azadfar, Lloyd Butcher, Ekin Arca Cavusoglu, Tsz Pan Cheng, Else Elizalde, Simay Fidan, Francesca Gabri, Nuha Imran, Zhiguang Jin, Julia Knapek,

Nekesh Maharajan, Lakshita Mohta, Vrushali Nazarkar, Ali Sardar Ozadam, Sara Rraja, Nastaran Sabzehali, Kristin Sharpe, Sakshi Pravin Sonigara, Shiraz Vir Singh, Mara Von Kymmel, Yijie Wang, Jobayer Ullah

TszPan Cheng Choi Hung Home

DRAWING FROM THE art form of ancient Chinese paintings, this thesis considers how to build a state of equality and harmony between men and women by challenging traditional concepts of ‘home’ and re-creating a modern vision of it.

Male superiority over females was an explicit part of ancient Chinese culture, and such a phenomenon had a great impact on the survival and development of women. During the 2,000-year-long feudal society, women as a group did not have an independent personality, and they were subject to the constraints of the patriarchal system, feudal rituals and the persecution of the concept of chastity.

By studying different Chinese ancient paintings about Chinese home culture and comparing to contemporary society, it can be seen that although male superiority over women is still present, there are changes taking place.

The Chinese home culture has always been considered the warmest and most secure by Chinese people, and in response the thesis incorporates elements of Chinese architectural, mutual equality and harmony, promoting the creation of a place where people feel included. The research project aims to create homes and communities with strong Chinese elements, to increase the sense of intimacy for the elderly, and allow those who live in the same area to be closer to each other to meet the psychological need for companionship.

The thesis project intends to build a state of equality and harmony between men and women, centred on the concept of home, where everyone lives together in harmony and equality as a family. The project is to paint home culture with personal knowledge of ancient Chinese paintings and to paint a different kind of home from the ancient Chinese period, i.e. gender equality.

Sara Al-Aaraj Environmental Archives: Investigating the cultural legacy of extracted earth

SOIL IS A RESOURCE that's often overlooked, or used abundantly without consideration; culturally treated as infinite. This thesis turns the spotlight on soil, speculating on it as a medium of continuity and archiving, preserving previous cultural practices. It’s a witness to the past and simultaneously offers a glimpse into possible futures.

Through digital media, this project frames soil as a living substance that needs to be nurtured like any crop, and is vulnerable to depletion and degradation through misuse. It considers how the earth we extract from the ground is a material with a narrative embedded within it. It’s a legacy, a treasured possession that should be valued and celebrated rather than neglected.

The thesis argues that in reaction to the mutations witnessed in land, climate and atmosphere as a consequence of the Anthropocene, entanglement between humans and nonhumans needs to be addressed to overcome the ideology of exceptionalism of the human race over all other beings – .

This ideology challenges the way we think about the environment as a field of separate entities each working on their own, but rather sets a framework to think about the environment as an interconnected system. Therefore, extractive processes are analysed and foregrounded as explicit evidence of how consumed and overexploited our environment has become, and consequently, raise empathy towards our relationship with the ground beneath us.

Dalya Abdulwahhab Echo through time: Erbil Citadel's legacy and the preservation paradox

THIS THESIS EXPLORES the intricate links between heritage preservation, cultural identities, and a local community's connection to its history. The Erbil Citadel, situated in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, serves as the primary case study. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Citadel holds immense cultural importance for the Kurdish populace, who have faced oppression and invasion throughout history.

Although preservation efforts have been aimed at safeguarding the physical fabric of the Citadel, local officials have limited access to the site in order to have it listed as part of UNESCO's world heritage. As a consequence, this restriction on the site has led to a disconnection

between Erbil's residents and their shared past. The thesis investigates the impact of heritage preservation policies on the cultural identity of the Kurdish community, with a particular emphasis on the historical roots that are in danger of being lost.

It sheds light on the paradoxical nature of architectural preservation and its effect on the oppressed Kurdish minority, using various qualitative research methods, including interviews, as well as a range of primary and secondary materials. The study's findings contribute to the broader theme of preservation and highlight the importance of including intangible elements of cultural tradition in such endeavours.

MA Architecture theses 2023 contd.

Melcenur Aldemir Synergy Seascape: A rediscovery of identity in Izmir Konak Square

Inspired by Italo Calvino's Cosmicomics, this project explores the consequences of rampant urbanisation and human greed in a fictionalised narrative of nature's revenge and subsequent healing of Izmir.

Ekin Arca Cavusoglu

Hypermaze as a Habitat for the New Era

Amplifying the design of a subterranean system inside the river Thames, the thesis imagines the inhabitants of London being relocated into underground shelters that are fragmented in a poly-rhythmic layout due to a catastrophic event that sets a dystopian reality.

Francesca Garbi

Finding Harmony between Past and Present: Adaptive reuse of historic buildings

This thesis analyses the adaptive reuse strategy used to transform historic Italian buildings into art galleries. It aims to evaluate its success at re-evaluating existing structures to prevent building decay or demolition.

Zhiguang Jin City Re-Imagined: Sharjah's twin world

This thesis sets up a theatrical ‘twin world’ to zoom in and exaggerate the phenomenon of wealth inequality of residents in Sharjah City. Comparing exaggerated versions of wealth creation and distribution within this oil-rich city, the thesis projects the implosion of this fictionalised scenario.

Behnam Azadfar Tehran Open University: Development through the Three Ecologies criteria

This thesis takes the idea of the Fourth Wall as a metaphor to tear down barriers and create an open university to life to bridge social, economic and environmental conditions in public spheres of Tehran.

Else Elizalde

De-centred Agriculture: Exploitation, colonisation and representation

Drawing on theory from James Corner to analyse landscapes through mapping, this thesis explores the historic and contemporary exploitation of land acquisition as a tool of power through colonialism and manipulated in the name of material profits.

Nuha Imran Topography of an Imagined Future

Delving into Riyadh's memory, this thesis considers a parafictional landscape that examines the city's urban developments and new aesthetics whilst exploring its ruins, displacement and erasure; a topography to remember and freeze the present city as it aspires to become a top global economy.

Nekesh Maharajan

xx xx

This thesis aims to connect the neglected parts of Kathmandu while addressing the needs of the Newar communities native to the valley by connecting different parts of the city with spaces designed to revive Newari culture and traditions.

Lloyd Butcher

Reactive Form in Opposition to Proactive Architectural Norms

Grounded in queer theory, this thesis seeks to establish reciprocity between subject and object to create deviant morphologies to destabilise socio-spatial norms which often deny, reduce and manipulate non-conforming persons and communities.

Simay Fidan Reviving the Forgotten Collective: An urban experience

This thesis aims to revive a forgotten collective culture by redesigning cultural heritage buildings in three zones: Functional, Art District and Food District, reinterpreting the ideal city.

Knapek Gasthaus

This project delves into deductive architecture, reimagining the concept of a Gasthaus with a sustainable and holistic vision. Prioritising a sense of belonging, wellbeing and comfort while preserving cultural heritage, it aims to harmonise modern development with historical preservation.

Lakshita

Mohta

Ephemeral Reminiscence: The evocative nature of St Dunstan in the East

This thesis delves into how collective memory evolves over time by exploring the dynamic relationship between memory, architecture and history in this transformed church, revealing architecture's enduring essence amidst temporal change.

(left-right) Nekesh Maharjan; Shiraz Vir Singh; Zhiguang Jin

Julia

Vrushali Nazarkar

Endangered Urban Forest: A case study on Aarey Forest

This thesis investigates the ecological, social and environmental challenges to the conservation and sustainable management of Aarey Forest, ‘the green lungs of Mumbai’, and proposes strategies to protect endangered urban forests amid urbanisation pressures.

Kristin Sharpe

Bricks and Morals: The production of space at the University of Virginia

This thesis explores the production of space at the University of Virginia's academic village, focusing specifically on the dynamics that constitute ‘The Lawn’ through a combination of historical research, empirical observation and reflections on lived experience.

Mara Von Kymmel

Rives Vertes: Redefining algae as a

sustainable building material

This thesis seeks to re-evaluate perception of algal overgrowth in Lac d’Echternach by transforming it into algae-infused clay bricks to foster connections between locals and the natural environment, while promoting regenerative sustainability in the built environment.

Ali Serdar Ozadam

Revealing Invisible Boundary Patterns: The role of time, body and interactions

Focusing on Istiklal Street, this thesis investigates boundaries, emphasising time and body interactions. It aims to develop a system diagram through research, case studies and rules-as-patterns to reveal concealed behavioural patterns and interactions.

Shiraz Vir Singh Re(Claiming) Horizons

Centred on areas of London where towering skyscrapers symbolise capitalism's opulence, this design thesis envisions a future characterised by de-growth and explores a transformative narrative where residents collaborate to craft a post-capitalist utopia reclaiming the very essence of these structures.

Yijie Wang Memory & Cognition of Longchang Apartment

The project takes the rapid urban development of Shanghai as the background, and attempts to record memory and cognition of a community where Longchang Apartment is the main body, in the form of digital assets.

Sara Rraja

Landscapes in Motion: Topological representation of walking in urban spaces

Focusing on Newington Green, this thesis investigates how walking in urban environments fosters transient spaces shaped by individuals' interactions with architecture, urban furniture and inhabitants within the broader network of the city's topological fabric.

Sakshi Pravin Sonigara

Rethinking Informal Settlements: The livework units of Dharavi, Mumbai, India

This thesis considers the redevelopment of Dharavi, Mumbai. It explores the role live-work units play in the social capital of an informal settlement, reasons for contestation, and how their integration contributes to local livelihoods to create sustainable community.

(clockwise from top left) Ali Serdar Ozadam; Sara Rraja; Lloyd Butcher; Kristin Sharpe; Nuha Imran

Rosa Schiano-Phan (Course Leader), Mehrdad Borna, Paolo Cascone, Joana Goncalves, Kartikeya Rajput, Filomena Russo, Rofayda Salem, Vera Sarioglu, Amedeo Scofone, Juan Vallejo

Juan Vallejo is an architect and environmental design consultant working and teaching internationally between Spain, Italy and the UK. Juan’s expertise lies in the field of building performance simulation, natural ventilation and passive cooling.

Filomena Russo is a doctoral researcher with a MPhil degree in Environmental Design in Architecture from the University of Cambridge. She is a registered qualified architect in Brazil and the UK, and has practiced sustainable architecture in the UK and internationally.

MSc Architecture and Environmental Design

Mathieu Naccarato, Esther Onabanjo, Yashkumar Patel, Srushti Pawade, Przemyslaw Piotrowicz, Nidhi Shreya Prabhakaran, Soma Rahem, Aishwaryasree Sivashanmugasundaram, Xin Thong Tan, Anju Thomas, Xiaoqing Xu

IN 2022/23 THE Architecture and Environmental Design

MSc was part of the Cross Disciplinary Exchange Project across the School’s PG courses and investigated the environmental performance of Living Environments, with an emphasis on social housing in central London. The study investigated work and live environments in the Church Street housing development in the London Borough of Westminster in the context of its climate, urban microclimate, architectural features and occupants’ behaviour. The analysis explored the mutual effects that such factors have on indoor/outdoor activities, environmental quality, human comfort and energy consumption in buildings. These evaluation projects led to the semester 2 design brief on ‘Environmental Retrofit in the Changing Climate’. Proposals for the retrofit and re-imagination of the studied site were offered by the

students with attention to the compounding requirements of social housing, energy crisis, climate change and resources conservation.

The course successfully continues the Collaborative Thesis Programme with Industry partnering with a range of architectural firms and environmental consultancies. To date theses feature a variety of topics in different climatic and socio-political contexts. The MSc AED embeds the BREEAM Approved Graduate course, while being Learning Affiliate with the Energy Institute. Since April 2022, the course has also received conditional accreditation by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers and the Energy Institute. These initiatives have led to joint publications with our alumni and employment opportunities for our students.

Special Thanks:

Guest Critics:

Jack Penford Baker (Haptic Architect) ,

Jennifer Juritz (DMA) , Matthew Marson (JLL) ,

Hrabrina Nikolova (Westminster City Council) , Sal Wilson (AA)

Hamza Alhalabi (WSP) , Dimitris Argyros (Haptic Architects) , Herman Calleja (SOM) , Justina Caputo (WSP) , M J Daccache (Hilson Moran) , Stephanie Del Mel (WCC) , Christian Dimbleby (Architype) , Lachlan Fahy (Terracool) , Catherine Harrington (Architype) , Dean Hawkes (University of Cambridge) , Patrik Hermon (LCD) , Sioned Holland (Architype) , Moha-taz Hossain, Brenda Kim (Marks Barfield Architects) , Phil McIlwain (Stroma) , Andrew Moore (Hilson Moran) , Harry Sumner (Haptic Architects) , Dilara Temel (Terracool)

Agrawal, Mathieu Naccarato: Church

Aditi Agrawal Roof Daylighting for Visual Comfort in Museums:

Daylight strategies for preserving artworks while enhancing the visitor experience

MUSEUMS PLAY A crucial role in preserving and displaying cultural artefacts. It can consume significant amounts of energy to maintain an internal environment. The use of lighting accounts for 20% of this energy consumption. Museums generally operate on a 10:00 to 17:00 hour cycle. Hence, incorporating carbon- and cost-free daylight is imperative for creating a low-energy museum.

However, the idea of lighting a museum with daylight resonates as a complex concept. The research is undertaken with three distinct and applicable case studies based in London to help understand the use of daylight to its maximum potential. The primary case study, Victoria and Albert Museum, is selected for its varied daylight spaces. Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) tests are carried out for the entire year, but with the help of a typical sunny summer day, the study evaluates the extremities of light in a day and the impact of roof daylighting on visual comfort. It brings along the intangible complexities in a space which include user experience, perception and visual comfort, investigated through designed questionnaires, observations at site visits and calibration of luminance levels respectively. Based on literature reviews, fieldwork and the comparison of simulation results and iterations, this work proposes design recommendations for optimised space dimensions of museums, roof types and their glazing ratios, and brightness and contrast values.

The research concludes the implementation of an adaptable hybrid roof daylighting strategy is pragmatic for preserving artworks while enhancing the visitor experience.

(left) Solar geometry of Victoria and Albert Museum gallery roof according to the seasons in London's climate; (right) Luminance render of gallery and exhibits in Victoria and Albert Museum in different conditions

Maria Degetau Environmental design system for a Maasai educational building

THE PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL design thesis aims to protect the environment as well as the native culture of the Maasai people in the northern area of Tanzania. It is a project proposed and fought for by the community, where many generations have come together to think about how they want their future to be.

Affected by global climatic changes, Tanzania is one of the many countries near the equator that will suffer a dangerous temperature rise, directly threatening life and therefore the region’s culture and traditions.

Future predictions see the local climate changing to tropical savannah. Starting from a detailed study of vernacular African building techniques a precedent is set to inform the design of this research. Appropriate passive strategies for this type of climate are adopted to achieve maximum comfort.

A holistic programme is proposed to take into consideration women's modern role without forgetting traditional and vital responsibilities, such as the provision of water and quality education.

The existing gender inequality gap, exacerbated by climate change, was addressed by refocusing the harvested rainwater supply into the centre of the community and therefore into the building. Consequently, the building will take its form, applying all the relevant environmental strategies to achieve comfort throughout the year and most importantly throughout the warmer seasons of the future.

The project was based on on-site fieldwork and community participation, allowing learning about traditions which informed the project and development of tailored solutions to meet the changing needs of Orkisima's Maasai community.

(left) Environmental strategy section; (right) Prototype model, winter solstice

MSc Architecture and Environmental Design theses 2023 contd.

Aminu Abubakar

Healthcare Facility at Kwarin Zurmi, Nigeria

Focusing on the design of healthcare facilities in extreme climatic conditions in Nigeria, this research examines how to build a sustainable, climateresponsive building that satisfies the community's demands and overcome the lack of vital services.

Abhishek-Prashant Bholagir

Strategies to improve outdoor thermal comfort of urban canyons in hot and arid climates

Focusing on hot and arid climates, this research aims to improve microclimatic conditions of urban spaces like street canyons, by implementing various strategies to achieve outdoor thermal comfort for pedestrians.

Noel George James

Overheating assessment methods for new residential developments

Focusing on residential buildings, this thesis explores key aspects of the CIBSE TM59 overheating assessment method and its significance in mitigating risks of overheating in the UK.

Raymund Laurel

The impact of green walls on air pollution and thermal comfort in street canyons

This research evaluates the effectiveness of green walls in mitigating air pollution and temperature increases during the summer in cities, as millions of people in urban areas are severely affected.

Oghenesiri Akpofure

Flood-Resilient Housing and Environment for the Urban Community – Nembe, Nigeria

Working with indigenous technologies, environmental simulations and digital prototyping, this thesis considers how to build affordable self-sufficient housing solutions which are also flood-resilient within the African context.

Lama Elayache

Whole Life Carbon Assessment: Unveiling the uncertainties of the carbon journey

Whole Life Carbon Assessment is essential to evaluate carbon emissions in building projects, but there are uncertainties about accuracy and comparability. This research analyses and provides ranges to quantify it.

Abid Abdul Karim

Enhancing HVAC Systems of high-rise office buildings in the UK

Focusing on high-rise office buildings' energy-intensive nature, this research considers solutions to HVAC systems tailored to the specific climatic conditions of the UK, and projecting towards net-zero consumption.

Himabindu Mannava

Overheating optimisation of commercial buildings in London for large glazed façades

This thesis analyses how solar control and passive cooling techniques could be optimised to minimise the risk of overheating in large glazed commercial buildings, and considers how to integrate them in façade designs.

Agostino Anselmo

Timber Solutions for Carbon Reduction: The impact of mass timber construction

This research considers how a carbon-conscious approach to building with mass timber can deliver significant reductions to a building's whole life cycle greenhouse gas emissions, beyond the embodied phase.

Arfa

Farookh

The impact on embodied carbon from locallysourced timber external wall systems

This thesis considers how using locally-sourced timber as cladding and insulation could reduce the embodied operational carbon of buildings to be in line with the 2050 net-zero target set by the U.K.

Neha Dinesh Khilare

Understanding the correlation between lux levels and overheating in high-rise buildings

Using the Kanchenjunga apartment building, Mumbai, as a case study, this paper evaluates correlations between daylight and overheating in high-rise buildings, and develops strategies to mitigate and balance them.

Vinoth Muthusamy

Operational Energy: Pathway to net zero carbon in later-living homes

This study examines and identifies the key factors influencing energy use in retirement homes and develops a methodology and architectural standards to achieve net-zero carbon operational energy.

(left-right) Neha Khilare; Srushti Pawade

Mathieu Naccarato

Low embodied carbon ventilation systems for healthy learning spaces

Passive systems are well known for their potential to reduce operational energy, but less is known about their embodied carbon. This research provides a comparative analysis of ventilation systems in temperate climates.

Srushti Pawade

Displacement ventilation for energy efficiency in museums and art galleries

Taking predetermined environmental conditions for both exhibits and visitors into consideration, this thesis analyses displacement ventilation strategies in galleries which significantly reduce energy consumption.

Soma Rahem

Evaluating the environmental impact of retrofit of 1970s office

buildings

Retrofitting 1970s office buildings in London is crucial for addressing issues of overheating and energy demand. This research evaluates the impact of external dynamic solar shading on operational energy and visual performance in commercial buildings.

Anju Thomas

Material Flow Analysis of recycled concrete aggregates in the City of Westminster

Using a Material Flow Analysis of recycled concrete aggregates within the city of Westminster, this thesis analyses how increased RCA use reduces waste and resource extraction, fostering a circular economy.

Esther Onabanjo

Assisted elderly living design in Ijebu Ife, Nigeria, Africa

Nigeria is experiencing rapid growth in the aging population. This project aims to design sustainable assisted elderly living in Ijebu Ife, Nigeria, incorporating eco-friendly practices and promoting well-being.

Przemyslaw Piotrowicz

Off-grid energy in EnerPHit retrofit residential buildings

Complete off-grid energy provision is rarely considered within retrofitted dwellings. This study evaluates the strategies required to achieve this whilst meeting the EnerPHit passivhaus energy criteria.

Aishwaryasree Sivashanmugasundaram

Embodied carbon associated with overheating strategies

This research aims to identify strategies to reduce embodied carbon through building façade materials and address the impact of overheating in a London community learning space.

Xiaoqing Xu

The Study of smart building design and its sustainability

By analysing the energy consumption of a case study office space, this study explores different methods for smart building design in commercial buildings, considering both energy savings and user satisfaction.

Yashkumar Patel

Circular Economy: Challenges and opportunities of recycled concrete aggregates

This thesis considers the challenges and opportunities for sustainable construction when using 100% recycled concrete aggregates, minimising waste and resource depletion while maximising value of existing materials.

Nidhi Shreya Prabhakaran

Adaptive Skins: Efficiency of dynamically responsive façades in commercial buildings

This research analyses the impact of light-responsive dynamic architectural façades in Dubai's commercial buildings on energy demand, carbon footprint and performance, evaluating their sustainability optimisation.

Xin-Thong Tan

Living with Floods: Innovative architecture for flood-prone locations

Floods pose a significant threat to buildings worldwide, and climate change exacerbates the situation. Focusing on Malaysia, this thesis proposes innovative designs and flexible planning for flood-prone areas to mitigate the impact on people's lives.

(left-right) Raymund Laurel; Oghenesiri Akpofure ; (top right) Esther Onabanjo

David Mathewson, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Simone Gobber, Luz Navarro, Simona Palmieri, David Seex, Louise Thomas

David Mathewson is a Senior Lecturer, with over 20 years' experience as an urban designer, architectural designer and international planner currently undertaking doctoral studies in planning policy related to flooding and the link with changing urban form in Jakarta, Indonesia.

MA Urban Design

Students: Nick Brown, Sara Campos Salorzano, Lauren Cook, Kieran Easton, Purvi Golecha, Dina Ibrahim, Nicola Jurkiewicz, Mugel Khalafalla, Taylor MacDonald-Plummer, Madiha, Marc Messmer, Natasha Muhammad

Razib, Vrushi Pravinkumar Patel, Neha Patil, Janhavi Patil, Kamatchi Nivashini

Ragaswamy Ganeshkumar, Dipu Sherathiya, Büşra Sönmez

THE PG URBAN DESIGN course, with MA, Diploma and Certificate Pathways at the University of Westminster provides a coherent approach to understanding and studying the challenges facing cities today. Combining structured academic study with live design projects, it allows students to develop practical skills alongside a theoretical understanding and an informed approach to sustainable urban development. As a multidisciplinary field, Urban Design overlaps with and incorporates elements of urban and regional planning, architecture, landscape design, urban regeneration, geography, transport planning and infrastructure planning, drawing students from all these backgrounds.

Cities are at the centre of modern life and are the places where the majority of the world’s inhabitants make their homes. They are the hubs of economic and social life and where the majority of resources are consumed. They have evolved over time with important city images, built forms and urban profiles that attract investment while serving as cultural assets which reflect the values of their inhabitants, around whom shared experiences revolve and daily activities are shaped. This process is well understood in the West; however, in a global context the pace of

Part-time students: David Batchelor, Tony Beaman, Adam Fall, Karla Johnson, Katherine Keyes, Chris Penny, Nomai Thompson-Cox, Karolien Yperman, ‘Kate ‘ Leuk Ki Yung

change is both dramatic and accelerating, creating new challenges for city design and management, particularly in the developing nations of the global south.

Drawing on the cultural and economic forces acting in the city, the urban design course focuses on understanding and shaping the physical setting in which these processes take place; it carefully considers the manner in which buildings, streets and urban spaces are combined to create distinct environments that nurture daily life, provide efficient urban systems, and form memorable places valued by their inhabitants.

The work presented here is based on student dissertations and major design projects in which particular impacts on the city design are identified and how, in the light of these effects, urban form can best be adapted to current and future needs. The practice of urban design has been emerging as a distinct profession globally since the 1970s and is underpinned by a growing knowledge-base informed by research and tested through spatial analysis and design proposal; these studies represent a critique of current responses to urban challenges and provide a unique contribution to urbanism’s body of knowledge.

Dissertation Tutors: Andrew Boughton, Jeff Howard, Ripin Kalra, Sebastian Loew, Isabel McCagg, Federico Redin, Abubokkar Siddiki, Ian Simpson, Mireille Tchapi

Design Critics and External Contributors: Karan Bakre (Grimshaw) , Nick Bidgelow (LDA) , Odysseas Diakakis (Prior + Partners) , Evgeny Didorenko (LDA) , Cecily Eckhardt de Eckenfeld (Diamond + Schmitt Architects, Toronto) , James Gross (Urban Place Lab) , Nicola Longland (LDA) , Juan Oyarbide (Prior + Partners) , Mark Williams (LDA) , Marcus Wilshere (The Collaborative City) , Felix Yates (Prior + Partners)

MA Urban Design theses 2023

Nicholas Brown

Mind the Gap: The incongruences between conceived streets and lived streets

A study applying Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the Production of Space to the relationship between the street as conceived by London councils' ‘Liveable Street’ strategies and the street as perceived by the people who experience them.

Sara Campos Solorzano

Urban Design and Refugee integration with Cities as Prime Gateways: The case study of Rinkeby, Stockholm

Integration in urban design is the way refugees learn how to use their new surroundings; in what manner they impact and connect to the neighbourhood that already exists; and how they discover how to navigate resources and social dynamics. The research observes, identifies and analyses this process in Rinkeby, Stockholm.

Lauren

Cook

Designing for the Fourth Space: Design principles for an increasingly digitised world

This dissertation explores the changes in how we utilise physical space as a result of increased reliance on internet and online spaces to carry out daily functions, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a lens for investigation.

Nicola

Jurkiewicz

How can modern public spaces be designed for urban dance performances?

This master’s thesis studies the design factors of public spaces used by street dance performers. It aims to fill the knowledge gap of what makes a successful public performance space for dance through the development of a general design code.

Kieran Easton

What gives Peckham its ‘Peckham-ness’? A study of urban character and place identity on Rye Lane

A comprehensive study looking into how best local character and place identity can be retained and enhanced as large-scale new development come forward. The thesis also recommends design principles for how the forthcoming Aylesham Centre proposals should respond to Rye Lane's rich character and place identity.

Dina Ibrahim

The Intersection of Road Design and Public Space: The role of road design in enhancing public space quality in urban areas

This thesis investigates the impact of road design on the quality and liveability of public spaces in urban areas. By analysing three case studies and conducting a literature review, it offers valuable insights for creating inclusive and sustainable public spaces that enhance the overall urban experience.

Taylor MacDonald-Plummer

True or Trivial? An Examination of the Regent Park Revitalisation Plan’s community engagement strategy

This paper examines the community engagement strategy for the revitalisation plan for Regent Park, Toronto (Canada). It is treated as an exploratory case study to better understand if and how community empowerment can result from a more inclusive and substantive engagement process.

Madiha Revitalising Historic Waterfronts: Design paradigms employed in Western coastal cities

This thesis evaluates the synergies, challenges and opportunities of urban regeneration strategies in Western historic post-industrial waterfront coastal cities, exploring different perspectives that have been utilised in London, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

Janhavi Patil Dynamics of Urban Sprawl in Mumbai

Focusing on Mumbai, the objective of this dissertation is to understand the causes of urban sprawl. It seeks to analyse and assess urban developments and their impacts on a city's liveability, particularly those that affect housing and transportation infrastructure, as well as the general populace.

Kamatchi Rangaswamy Ganeshkumar

Rethinking Indian Neighbourhood Streets for Child-Centric Experiences: A paradigm shift for indian neighbourhoods

This dissertation explores the paradigm shift required to rethink Indian neighbourhoods for child-centric experiences. Focusing on children's mobility, it considers the significance of promoting their freedom to navigate and explore their surroundings.

Marc Messmer Queering the City to Design Safer Spaces for All

This work explores the concept of ‘queering the city’, recognising the heteronormative forces that shape our cities and countering them to create inclusive and safe spaces for all.

Vrushi Pravinkumar Patel

Urban Karigar: Reviving Indian Treasures

This dissertation focuses on the Urban Karigar communities (Kumbhar Wada, Mumbai). It considers the issues they are faced with and what could be done to help them grow sustainably. The study aims to determine how community and art can promote social and economic cohesiveness in the public realm and be beneficial to a society and its cultural heritage.

Natasha Razib From Theory to Practice: Improving communal spaces in Malaysian social housing

The paper examines communal space in low-cost housing in Malaysia from a design perspective, highlighting its significance in low-cost housing developments. It aims to bridge theory and practice by offering design suggestions for the communal areas of the social flats, serving as a guideline for future retrofitting.

Büşra Sönmez Investigating the design conditions and testing the applicability of Barcelona’s superblocks

Neha Patil Cities for People: Public spaces as a device for Urban renewal

Examining Mumbai's urban rise and fall, this thesis investigates factors behind its decline and the public realm's role in renewal. It aims to create a toolkit for urban renewal through the public realm in developing nations such as India.

Dipu Kishorbhai Sherathiya Investigating the relationship between urban design qualities & residential property value

The research aims to investigate the relationship between urban design qualities and residential property value to determine if and how it influences property value. It analyses multiple design characteristics, such as exterior aesthetics and enclosure, to assess their contribution to property value.

Growing from an interest in Barcelona's Superblock strategy, this study investigates the morphological and spatial conditions of this urban design intervention and test their applicability to London.. The study analyses the sustainable development and mobility concepts behind this urban design philosophy including its effects on traffic calming, creating walkable neighbourhoods, and the wider ramifications for the city.

Tony Lloyd-Jones (Course Leader), Krystallia Kamvasinou (Dissertation Module Leader)

Giulio Verdini, Roudaina Al Khani, Andrew Boughton, Jim Coleman, Bill Erickson, Jeff Howard, Ripin Kalra, Sebastian Loew, David Mathewson, Johannes Novy, Federico Redin, David Seex, Abubokkar Siddiki, Ian Simpson, John Somers, Mireille Tchapi

Tony Lloyd-Jones is an architect, urban designer and planner involved in international development research and practice. He is Reader in International Planning and Sustainable Development and Director of Research and Consultancy at the Max Lock Centre.

Giulio Verdini is Reader in Urban Planning at the School of Architecture + Cities, and Visiting Professor at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco. His research explores cultural sustainability and socially innovative territorial development in the context of fast urbanising countries.

Krystallia Kamvasinou is a senior lecturer, an architect and a landscape architect. Her research on the topic of Interim Spaces and Creative Use has been published widely in academic journals and books.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Students: Hajira Anjum, Elaheh Behrouzinia, Maryam Khurram, Rukmini Gotmare, Ana Lopes Santos, Namrata Menon, Dorisa Mirzai, Dylan Rodrigues, Sumitra Simkhada, Fathima Sumayya, Thi To

THIS COURSE EXPLORES contemporary theories, policy and practice in planning and urban design for sustainable, inclusive and resilient development in cities, regions and communities in a rapidly urbanising world. It spans both developed and developing world contexts, in locations facing a wide range of growing climate change and other environmental, economic and social pressures and risks.

Structured around written assignments and studiobased projects undertaken in group workshops, which are supported by lectures, seminars, tutorials and site visits, the course is grounded in three core modules: Planning in a Globalising World; International Spatial Planning Practice; and Sustainable Neighbourhood Development. Students can then choose to follow one of two pathways: Spatial Planning has a strong urban design component and an emphasis on development planning; alternatively, the Urban Resilience pathway provides a sustainable development-focused route with a core emphasis on climate change risks, adaptation planning and natural hazard risk management.

The course is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda and we are a Habitat Partner University. The curriculum draws on the hands-on experience of the Max Lock Centre, an international development unit that has been actively involved in action- and policy-focused research across the developing world since 1995.

MAIPSD is aimed at international, UK and EU students with a relevant background who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of planning and sustainable development, whether to improve career prospects in their country or enter UK or international practice. The course is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as a ‘combined planning programme’. Graduates from this course find employment as planners and urban designers, urban regeneration or environmental management specialists in private consultancy, local and national government, and non-governmental sectors in their own country or internationally, including international development agencies and financial institutions.

Guest Critics:

Darshana Chauhan (CoPlug ), Martyn Clark (Tripleline) , Nandini Dasgupta, Yann Leclerc (Dar Group) , Geoff Payne (Geoffrey Payne Associates) , Robert Sadlier

Special Thanks:

Camillo Boano (DPU) , Angelique Chettiparamb (University of Reading) , Malcolm Moor, Michael Mutter, Marion Roberts, Olivier Sykes (University of Liverpool) , Pat Wakely (DPU Associates) , Ya Ping Wang (University of Glasgow)

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development selected theses 2023

Hajira Anjum

Car Dependency: How can its influence on urban planning be reduced?

This dissertation explores the intricate relationship between car dependency and urban planning, investigating how the overreliance on automobiles impacts city development, transportation infrastructure, environmental sustainability and social wellbeing. It considers potential solutions for fostering more sustainable and liveable urban environments.

Sumrita Simkhada

Exploring Social Inclusion in the Public Open Spaces of Kathmandu Valley: A case of Lainchaur and Tundikhel

vesThis research considers the multifaceted aspects of social inclusion shaped by Public Open Space in Kathmandu Valley through two case studies. The research uses different research methods to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current state and potential for the Kathmandu Valley, and offers recommendations for promoting conservation and inclusivity of public spaces in city planning.

Rukmini Gotmare

ment

Rukmini Gotmare

Feminist Perspectives in Urban Planning: Advancing gender equality and sustainable development

MA International Planning & Sustainable Development Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

This dissertation investigates feminist urban planning, an evolving paradigm that reimagines cities. It considers if and how this approach to community creation can overcome the marginalisation and exclusion of minority groups, challenging historic urban planning patterns which overlooked underprivileged communities.

Maryam Khurram

Enhancing Neighbourhood Safety: Investigating the role of urban form in crime prevention and residents’ perception of safety

This research investigates various features in urban form and examines their impact on crime rates. The primary objective is to provide evidence about how factors such as street layout, land usage, building typology and density can deter or encourage antisocial behaviour in a neighbourhood. The study analyses two contrasting case studies in London: Kings Cross redevelopment and Aylesbury Estate in Walworth.

Namrata Menon

Integrating Parklets into London’s Urban Streetscape: Challenges and opportunities

Examining the potential of parklets in London, this dissertation investigates the obstacles and advantages they offer to urban environments and communities. Furthermore, it analyses their implementation challenges and opportunities for enhancing public spaces.

enhancing the influence of underrepresented groups ningful participation in decision-making processes. This

Fathima Sumayya Diminishing Public Open Spaces in Greater Mumbai: An analysis

This study explores the challenges of urbanisation in Mumbai, focusing on its impact on public open spaces and sustainability. It examines the current state, causes of deterioration, laws and regulations, and community perceptions, emphasising how past development plans as well as the Revised Draft Development Plan 2014-34 consider preserving public open space in the city.

Dylan Rodrigues

Old Meets New: A comparative assessment of sustainability in transport management between London underground and Singapore’s MRT

Comparing London's Underground with Singapore's MRT, this study delves into their historic evolution, as well as their social, economic, and environmental sustainability strategies. Reflecting on the interplay with urban planning, it offers insights into sustainable transport and city planning.

Thi To Urban Planning Solutions towards Sustainable Transport in Hanoi as a Future Megacity

The dissertation explores the nature of key urban transport issues and the relationship between transport and urban structure. Through the primary case study of Hanoi, it considers sustainable transport solutions through planning while reflecting on the wider implications they can have on the city.

(top to bottom) London tube platform [photo Glen Scott] ; London tube tunnel [photo by author] ; Expo MRT station, Singapore [photo Mac Qin]

Rutendo Musikavanhu (course leader), Dimah Ajeeb, Ian Arnott, Stroma Cole, Helen Farrell, Anne Graham, Lindsey Hanford, Clare Inkson, Josef Jammerbund, Maja Jović, Fatemeh

Mohamadi, Chiara Orefice, Ilaria Pappalepore, Andrew Smith

Rutendo Musikavanhu is an experienced academic, skilled in education, strategic leadership, mega-sport events, tourism and hospitality. She is a strong research professional with interests in the legacy and social impacts of mega events.

MA Event Design & Management MA Tourism Management

MAEDM Students: Anjali Anjali, Saikiran Reddy Aenugu, Ahmed Almubarak, Sarah Alrabeh, Ella Marie Aunaas, Rebecca Cummins, Arslane Dilane Rahmoune, Joe Divall, Gayatriben Dixitkumar Patel, Sara Ghiglione, Salome Gracio, Jolly Ikekhide, Julia Immordino, Sourav Kanodia, Parul, Arsha Koyyodan Puthiyapurayil, Federica Latronico, Ifeoluwa Makinde, Maya Mira, Anna Nalesnik, Mary Neophytou, Priya Patel, Marina Pérez Silvestre,

THE MA COURSES in Event Design and Management and Tourism Management are strongly aligned and delivered by a close-knit team who combine established academics, early career researchers and a range of professional experience in events and tourism.

Our sister courses hold a unique position within the UK higher education sector due to their situation within an architectural school. We take a distinctive position on the spaces and places for tourism and events with a focus on destinations and the urban environment, drawing on our own research and links with industry in London and further afield.

A growing area of specialism is the field of experience design and our MA course was successfully relaunched in September 2018 (with increased enrolments) to focus further on the creative design aspects of event management.

We attract a diverse and highly international community of students who come to the courses with a range of education and prior experience. All of this makes for a

Ruxandra Petrescu, Tegan Rees, Chiara-Vivien Reichert, Victoria Rezajew, Jenine Sandhu, Serena Smith, Shilpa Sooda, Agata Wapner

MATM Students: Simona Andruskova, Lia Ciancimino, Nikhil Dhimmar, Sanika Kulkarni, Syed Hasan Munir, Heena Ashok Parmar, Muhammad Rakha Ramadhan, Sohel Shaikh, Selin Yilmaz, Xinzhi Zhou

dynamic and rich study environment for students and staff alike, and well reflects the global nature of professional work in tourism and events.

These taught masters courses provide students with the opportunity to focus their studies through a range of optional modules. These reflect the research interests of the staff team including creative experience design, global festivals and events, the inter-relationships between tourism, culture and society, airport and airline management and tourism entrepreneurship. We are fortunate to draw on excellent industry links to provide a range of guest speakers, visiting lecturers and field trips.

The courses combine small-group classes, some studio work, experiential learning and independent study. In the final phase of their studies students produce a thesis using original primary research.

Our alumni have been recognised for their scholarly and professional achievements, including multiple winners of the Tourism Management Institute’s Postgraduate Dissertation Prize.

MA Event Design and Management

Theses 2023

Saikiran Reddy Aenugu

Informed practices to improve green practices for event managers: A case study of the UK hospitality industry

Ahmed Almubarak

Mega Sport Event Sponsorship: Strategy for developing market brand value for global brands

Sarah Alrabeh

A Critical Approach to the Effects of City Branding: The Medusa Music Festival case

Anjali Anjali

Events as a strategic tool

Ella Marie Aunaas

“The Most Beautiful Show in the World Right Now”: Karpe's 10 x Oslo Spektrum (A case study)

Rebecca Cummins

An exploration of the role immersive experiences play in aiding brand engagement

Arslane Dilane Rahmoune

The business of middle east tourists for hosting destinations: Comparison of Turkey, Malaysia and Indonesia

Joe Divall

Juxtaposition of modernity and tradition: How do you modernise the FA Cup, football's oldest Final?

Gayatriben Dixitkumar Patel

Enhancing event design in tourism management

Sara Ghiglione

Examination of how the Salone Nautico boat show has improved tourism and facilities in Genova

Salome Gracio

The impact of streaming services on the attendance of live music events by millennials

Jolly Ikekhide

Project management strategies in achieving sustainable event venue in developing region

Julia Immordino

What does the future generation of event planning entrepreneurs in the US look like?

Sourav Kanodia

Destination weddings in India: An analysis of the factors driving its growth and its implications on the event management industry

Arsha Koyyodan Puthiyapurayil

Examinination of the efficacy of UK's eco-tourism initiatives on local biodiversity conservation and community empowerment

Federica Latronico

The case of Morando Pet Food, Italy: Examination of field marketing strategies in company event portfolio

Ifeoluwa Makinde

Lagos Fashion Week Awareness and Brand Sponsorship: A case study of Tecno Mobile

Maya Mira

Effects of climate change and environmental sustainability on preference for architecture

Anna Nalesnik

Korean Wave: The role of music festivals in South Korea’s destination portfolio development

Mary Neophytou

The impact of local festivals in the framework of developing sustainable tourism in Cyprus

Parul

Leveraging gamification in events to boost brand-loyalty of sports brands

Priya Patel

Technologies for event design tourism management

Marina Pérez Silvestre

What is the future of gastronomic events? Research and proposal for immersive dining experiences

Ruxandra Petrescu

Examination of local London arts' venues and the post-pandemic consequences

Tegan Rees

The influence of social media on how UK wedding vendors market their businesses within the industry

Chiara-Vivien Reichert

Formula 1 and Digital Marketing: Effectiveness of brand awareness through TikTok phenomenon

Victoria Rezajew

Examining brand engagement from motorsport events sponsorships: A Consumer Perspective

Jenine Sandhu

How sustainable supply chains are developing in Delhi and are engaging with the event industry in the city

Serena Smith

An exploration of how millennials & wedding planners manage cultural identities and diaspora when planning a wedding

Shilpa Sooda

Rise of Influencer-based events in Indian B2C marketing and their future

Agata Wapner

Events as a tool to promote Korean culture in London

MA Tourism Management

Theses 2023

Simona Andruskova

Generation Z’s climate friendly travel behaviour: Rhetoric vs reality

Lia Ciancimino

New York Christmas Appeal: Factors that make a destination seasonally desirable to tourists

Nikhil Dhimmar

Sustainable Tourism Development of Gujarat

Sanika Kulkarni

‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’: How movies influence Indian experiential tourism in Spain

Syed Hasan Munir

Tourism in Peshawar: The effect of social media influencers

Heena Ashok Parmar

Destination Management Organisation: Educating travel agents about responsible tourism

Muhammad Rakha Ramadhan

Destination Branding Lombok as Indonesia’s Five Super Priority Destinations for Indonesia Market

Sohel Shaikh

Tourist Behaviour and Motivation: An investigation of personal and local influencing factors

Selin Yilmaz

Sports Tourism: The benefits to Turkey of hosting the football World Cup tournament

Xinzhi Zhou

Research on the Development and Evolution of Cultural Tourism in Qufu, China

Nigel Dennis (Course Leader), Andrew Cook, Frances Kremarik

Nigel Dennis is the course leader and a specialist in airline economics, forecasting, scheduling and marketing. He has served on international committees including those of the Transportation Research Board in the US and the Association for European Transport.

Andrew Cook leads the department’s air traffic management research and sits on national and international ATM committees. He also lectures on air transport market research and data analysis.

Frances Kremarik assists with the day-to-day running of the course and specialises in airline networks and the North Atlantic market as well as air travel statistics and surveys.

MSc Air Transport Planning and Management

THE MSC AIR Transport Planning and Management is a very practical course that brings together academic content with a large number of specialist contributors from the aviation industry. It is uniquely taught in block mode where students attend for modules of five days’ duration, making it very accessible to part-time students working in the aviation industry both in the UK and internationally. Additional activities are arranged for fulltime students in-between the module blocks, including tutorial and discussion sessions, guest lectures and visits to airport facilities and outside events.

Students come from a range of disciplines (first degrees have included Economics, Geography, Engineering, Languages and Music). No prior knowledge of the air transport industry is assumed but a passion for aviation is one of the best qualifications taken in conjunction with a formal academic background or equivalent appropriate work experience.

Students take three taught core modules: Air Transport Economics; Air Transport Management and Operations; Air Transport Forecasting and Market Research; and three taught option modules, currently from a choice of

four: Airport Finance and Strategy; Air Transport Policy and Planning; Airline Marketing and Business Models; and Air Traffic Management, Scheduling and Network Planning. Students also have the possibility of a free choice module from another suitable programme in place of one of the three options. Most modules include a group workshop or business game in which students apply their knowledge to work as a team in a competitive environment.

The Research Dissertation is also a core module undertaken in the second half of the study period. A wide range of aspects of the aviation business can be analysed and this year’s dissertations have covered subjects including: reducing airline mishandled baggage; an analysis of the role weather plays in commercial air accidents; the future of small UK regional airports following the pandemic; improving efficiency in flight dispatch; investigating the cost impacts of on-time performance; alternative heating and lighting solutions for airports; analysis of the technical feasibility and suitable markets for electric or hydrogen powered regional aircraft; and the potential for a new supersonic aircraft.

Guest Speakers:

Carole Blackshaw (aviation consultant) , Robert Boyle (formerly IAG) ,

Guillaume Burghouwt (Schiphol Group) , Adrian Clark (NATS) , Nick Fadugba (African Aviation Services Ltd) , Tim Hawkins (Manchester Airports Group) ,

Stuart Holder (Civil Aviation Authority) , Kelly Ison (American Airlines) ,

Antoinette Nassopoulos (Foster and Partners) ,

Tim Wheen (Heathrow Airport)

Marzena Piotrowska (Course Leader), Julian Allen, Mengqiu (Matthew) Cao, Jacques Leonardi, Maja Piecyk, Allan Woodburn

Marzena Piotrowska is Research Fellow and lecturer whose primary research interests focus on city logistics, urban freight consolidation and transport policy. Her current research centres on the role of urban freight consolidation facilities in supporting sustainable city logistics.

Julian Allen is Senior Research Fellow. His research interests include the role of transport policy in reducing the negative impacts of logistics operations, developments in retailing and their relationship with logistics and transportation systems, and the history of freight transport.

Mengqiu (Matthew) Cao is Senior Lecturer in Transport and Urban Planning at the School of Architecture and Cities. He has worked in both academia and industry, specialising in an interdisciplinary research field crossing transport analysis and urban studies.

Jacques Leonardi is Professor of Sustainable Logistics with over 20 years’ experience in developing, testing and evaluating sustainable logistics solutions. His research focuses on supply chain energy and global logistics, and applies methods to evaluate new technologies and policy impacts.

Maja Piecyk is Professor in Logistics. Her research interests focus on the optimisation of supply chain networks, GHG auditing of businesses and the sustainability of freight transport operations. Piecyk is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK).

Allan Woodburn is Principal Lecturer in Freight Transport and Logistics, with over 25 years’ teaching experience. He often works on industry research and consultancy and his research focuses on different aspects of rail freight including policy, operations, sustainability and efficiency.

MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management

MSC LOGISTICS AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, introduced in 1998, is one of the longest established logistics postgraduate courses in the United Kingdom. The course has been designed to combine logistics concepts and principles with ‘real world’ experience, with a particular emphasis on issues relating to freight transport (i.e. product flow) within the supply chain. The course delivery encourages reflective and critical thinking in helping students to extend existing skills and competencies. In particular, students are given guidance on developing their skills for undertaking personal research, and a considerable amount of time is spent by the student on personal study for the Research Dissertation.

The course can be taken full-time over 12 months or parttime over 2 years, starting in September. We also offer a Logistics and Supply Chain Management Postgraduate Diploma and a Logistics and Supply Chain Management Postgraduate Certificate. The Diploma usually takes one year to complete full-time, while the Certificate usually takes six months to one year to complete part-time. Each

taught module occupies a three-hour slot per week. Modules use a variety of teaching and learning methods including academic lectures, seminars, tutorials, case studies, guest speakers, site visits, small group exercises, and group and individual presentations.

The course attracts a diverse, international group of students which is of particular benefit to a programme that focuses strongly on international logistics and supply chains. Over the years, students on the course have come from all parts of the world and have brought a huge variety of educational and professional experience.

The course team is highly active in freight-related research and consultancy projects, with a particular focus on freight transport efficiency and sustainability. The curriculum is updated regularly based upon our research which ensures that the course content and overall strategy reflect current issues in logistics practice, preparing students for careers in this area. We work closely with clients and project partners in both the private and public sectors.

Enrica Papa, Rachel Aldred, Mengqiu (Matthew) Cao, Tom Cohen, Luz Navarro Eslava, Ersilia Verlinghieri

Enrica Papa is Reader in Transport Planning and course leader of the MSc. Her main research interest is in sustainable accessibility planning.

Rachel Aldred is Professor in Transport and Director of the Active Travel Academy.

Mengqiu (Matthew) Cao is Senior Lecturer in Transport, Logistics and Urban Planning at the University of Westminster.

Tom Cohen is Reader in Transport at Westminster and a member of the Active Travel Academy. His research interest is in transport policy.

Luz Navarro Eslava is Lecturer in Planning at the University of Westminster and a member of the Active Travel Academy

Ersilia Verlinghieri is a Senior Research Associate in Urban Mobility at Westminster and a member of the Active Travel Academy

MSc Transport Planning and Management

THE MSC TRANSPORT PLANNING and Management course aims to develop the students’ abilities to initiate and undertake qualitative and quantitative analysis and research in the areas of transport policy, planning and operational management.

The course intake is diverse in terms of background and sector experience. Students without experience in the sector are enabled to equip themselves with knowledge, techniques and methodologies required to take policy decisions or to provide the necessary information/ knowledge for others to take such decisions. They benefit from learning from the experiences and knowledge of part-time professional students, who in turn benefit from the opportunity to critically reflect on their own practice and examine transport, policy and planning issues from a wider perspective than their present employment.

The overall objectives are to provide all students with a stimulating academic environment within which to study transport issues, to ensure students are aware of current transport policy and planning issues and to prepare them for a wide range of potential employment within

the transport sector by developing relevant transferable skills. The course is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), and graduates are exempt from the Institute’s exams. The Course also forms part of the pathway to the Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification.

Students following this course develop a critical, in-depth understanding of key transport issues, alongside the skills that will help them progress careers within the sector. The course team is in regular contact with key employers, many of whom both sponsor current employees and employ our recent graduates. Such employers frequently provide information about vacancies and come into the University to speak about the opportunities that they offer. Some offer to partner with full-time students on key dissertation topics of interest, for example providing data for analysis, which can be an excellent route into the industry.

Many of our graduate have progressed to senior levels in management and policy-making within transport operators, public bodies, consultancy companies and non-governmental organisations.

Special thanks: Michael Barratt (TfL) , David Carrignon (Arcadis) , Adrian Hames (WSP)

MSc Transport Planning and Management Theses 2023

David Asiedu Ayim

Public bus transport and road crashes in Ghana

Samuel Goddard

Are patterns observed in London’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods being replicated in Local Authorities outside of London?

William Hummerstone

The ‘Share Mile’: Investigating the potential for ‘shared space’ in the streets of the City of London

Yunfei Liu Liu

The impact of high cost HSR on the choice of transportation modes for Chinese travellers

Olayinka Omotosho

Transport infrastructure provisions and its effects on primary school children in Ondo city, south-western Nigeria

Christine Ssebowa-Ascott

An evaluation of e-scooters as an alternative, environmentally friendly mode of transport

Olakunle Faleti

An evaluation of construction logistics planning and the role of vehicle holding areas in London

Hashan Maduwa Guruge

How to affect the post-Covid-19 transport behaviours of London commuters

Sonia Kazemi

Study into the feasibility of implementing intelligent transport systems to organise the mobility systems within urban historical textures

Lucy Molloy

Is ‘predict and provide’ outdated in the world of transport planning? Exploring new transport planning approaches in the context of rural counties: A case study of Buckinghamshire

Nicolas Schonwald-Bavaro

To what degree can the development of the transport network in Delta county, Colorado USA, be inspired by the successful rural transportation network in the Rhinetal Valley, Switzerland?

Emily Flinchum

Determining how and where 15-minute cities can best be adapted and implemented in urban centres in the United States

Justin Hooley

An assessment of whether e-scooters should be integrated into the existing UK transport study of Buckinghamshire Council’s e-scooter trials

Andre Klebl

The ‘Netflix of Bikes’: How can bicycle subscription models contribute to more active travel in European cities?

Joshua O’Donnell

Are the Elizabeth line and the London bus network opportunities for urban growth, and what does this mean for existing bus routes?

Merylyn Webb

The effect of public transport quality on car usage in London

Johannes Novy (Course Leader), Andrew Boughton, Suzy Nelson, David Seex, Ian Simpson, John Somers, Nancy Stevenson (dissertation tutors)

Johannes Novy is a Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and holds a PhD in Urban Planning from Columbia University, New York. In addition to his work in teaching and research, he is a founding member of the Berlin collective u-Lab, Studio für Stadt und Raumprozesse, and a member of the Curatorial Board of the International Building Exhibition Stuttgart Region IBA2027.

MA Urban and Regional Planning

ENGAGED IN AN INTENSE learning experience, students of the MA Urban and Regional Planning course can study full- or part-time, and includes those who are new to planning but with a background in a related area, as well as others who are already working in London or further afield. The course culminates in the final thesis which students use as a vehicle to explore a wide range of exciting topics, mirroring the concerns and interests of planning practitioners and researchers today.

While for many years urban planning was perceived as a discipline in crisis whose meaning, purpose and practice were questioned by many, this is no longer the case in today's crisis-ridden times. The increasingly evident effects of climate change and the general fragility that characterises today's world, was central to many of our discussions. The prevailing view was that the challenges we and the world at large face, while daunting, also present opportunities for planning and, crucially, that planning as a profession has a big role to play in addressing them.

With regard to tackling the climate crisis, it is now widely recognised that urban planning has an essential role to play. Place matters: the quality of our built environment has a direct impact on our wellbeing, both as individuals

and as a community, and planning can help ensure that the places we inhabit benefit rather than harm us.

Given the importance of planning for individuals, communities and societies at large, the discipline also has a great (ethical) responsibility which is something we regularly draw students' attention to. We also communicate to students that they should use their time with us and the work they put into their studies, and especially their dissertation, wisely. Notable topics this year included the future of High Streets as important commercial and social hubs, the ongoing – and heated – debate about the need to reform England's planning system, the potential and limitations of digital technology for democratising planning, and the promise of Green and Blue Infrastructure for improving health and wellbeing.

Many of the dissertations not only showcase the talent of our students, but also their commitment to the core mission of planning: enhancing the built environment to improve people's lives. Their work serves as a reminder of the enduring importance of our field in shaping sustainable, equitable and vibrant communities. Looking ahead, I am excited about the contributions our students will make as they continue their journeys in the planning profession.

Students: Kaya Allnutt, Fatimat Bakare, Helen Bonham, Katherine Elworthy, Lucy Fawcett, Avigayil Fishburn, Isha Ashutosh Hasme, Christopher Lamb,

Taelin-Jordan Lambert, Grace Logan, Harvey Moodley, Brooke Pride, Rebecca Tilley

MA Urban and Regional Planning Theses 2023

Kaya Allnutt

A Critical Evaluation of Status and Protection beyond the National Heritage List for England (NHLE): How do we secure the protection of NonDesignated Heritage Assets?

Fatimat Bakare

How Democratic and Representative are Local Planning Consultations?

Helen Bonham

Community Engagement: Planning as a collaborative community-led process

Katherine Elworthy

Righteous Control: Moral appeals in the contemporary English planning liberalisation debate

Lucy Fawcett

The Decline of the High Street: A study of two Islington high streets and their varying degrees of prosperity following the COVID-19 pandemic

Avigayil Fishburn

Are Car-free Developments in London Selfselective? An investigation, and study of whether they discriminate against people with disabilities

Isha Ashutosh Hasme

Urban Form of a Neighbourhood and its Correlation with Energy Usage

Christopher Lamb

Deregulation vs Design: Situating the role and impact of permitted development within the UK government’s Levelling Up planning agenda

Taelin-Jordan Lambert

High Speed Rail and its Potential for Urban Regeneration: Leeds case study

Grace Logan

Investigating the impacts of Green and Blue infrastructure development on health and wellbeing in the Metropolitan Borough of Battersea

Harvey Moodley

An investigation into the impact of small site housing contributions towards affordable housing delivery in Surrey

Brooke Pride

Is there a Third Way to Developing within the Metropolitan Green Belt?

Rebecca Tilley

Planning for Education: A critical analysis of design review panels in England to inform a framework for design reviews for schools

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES FORMS an integral component of all courses across the School of Architecture + Cities at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels. Our role is to help students develop ways of working together and build an understanding of their role in the complex landscape of practice, whatever their subject focus.

The nature of working and practicing within fields of urban design, planning and strategy means that students are expected to contribute to society in a variety of ways when they move into the workplace. Professional studies is an opportunity to develop working practices with colleagues, in addition to cultivating an appreciation of personal, economic and intellectual well-being.

Professional practice and ethics is drawn out of the courses in a variety of ways from design to

contextual studies. For example, undergraduate architecture students take a two-week work experience placement at participating design practices; having been developed at BA level, a live design studio is now included in the Master of Architecture [Part 2] programme and will be the basis for developing a live design practice within the school; while the PG Diploma Professional Practice in Architecture [Part 3] is the largest such course in the UK. Supported by staff and professionallypracticing teaching fellows, the symbiosis between teaching and practice is further cemented at this important stage of professional development for architects by recent course graduates becoming Part 3 Champions and mentoring current postgraduate and undergraduate students.

Alastair Blyth Assistant Head, School of Architecture + Cities

PRACTICE & STUDY

RIBA Part 3

Alastair Blyth, Wilfred Achille, Susanne Bauer & Stephen Brookhouse

THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + CITIES runs the largest RIBA Part 3 programme in the UK. This year (2022-23) over 470 students enrolled on the course. The students come from a wide variety of backgrounds including overseas schools of architecture. Architects who trained outside the UK also attend the course to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexities of UK practice.

Following the requirements of the ARB/RIBA Professional Criteria, Part 3 is structured as a series of building blocks with clear assessment points throughout the year. The lectures, delivered by industry experts, allow students to balance attendance with work commitments and are recorded for easy future access.

Students’ professional development in the workplace is supported by a team of 40 professional tutors – all architects in practice – who provide one-to-one tutorial

guidance on project-based coursework. Professional examiners consistently comment on the high, critical standard of the coursework which we attribute to the structured tutoring system where students are challenged to think about practice differently.

The students' personal backgrounds, the types and number of practices represented on the course, along with the tutors and examiners gives the course an unprecedented reach into the architectural profession. This enables the course both to draw from the breadth of practice experience as well as contribute to it.

The Part 3 Course was validated by the RIBA for a further five years in November 2022. The Visiting Board gave it Commendation, citing the efforts of ‘Part 3 staff (both full-time and part-time) in producing an outstanding programme that is integrated and holistic, in preparation for architectural practice’.

Wilfred Achille

Wilfred Achille is Co-Course Leader. Wilfred completed a major study on Broadwater Farm, Tottenham after the eighties riots. Founder of Mode 1 Architects specialising in estate remodelling projects and urban regeneration, he is developing new Turn-key solution business models for architectural practice.

Alastair Blyth is Assistant Head of School and Co-Course Leader. He spent ten years in the Directorate for Education and Skills at the OECD developing a research programme on learning environments. Publications include books on Briefing (Routledge, 2001, 2010); and education environments (OECD 2009, 2012). He collaborates with architectural practices in Sydney and Mexico on school building projects, and is part of an international project investigating Innovative Learning Environments and Student Engagement run by the University of Melbourne.

Susanne Bauer is Senior Lecturer in the Professional Practice in Architecture and the Architectural History and Theory courses. She has practiced in offices in the UK and Germany, including Foster + Partners and AHMM, and previously taught at Norwich University of the Arts and Birmingham City University.

Stephen Brookhouse is Professor Emeritus and contributes to the Part 3 course. He is a chartered architect with over 20 years' experience in practice has authored the first three editions of the Part 3 Handbook as well as Professional Studies in Architecture: A Primer

Alastair Blyth

Lecture-based Modules

The two lecture-based modules are delivered during the first semester. The lecture programmes are delivered by differing industry experts, including construction lawyers, construction managers, architects and surveyors, and are

repeated to allow students to balance attendance with work commitments. Lectures are video recorded for easy future access. Each series concludes with an open book written exam.

Architectural Practice Management

This module is delivered as an intensive short course in January with a written examination held in May. The 12 lectures cover general management, marketing and practice management, as well as managing health and safety, different forms of architectural practice and the role of the professional and regulatory bodies.

English Law, Regulations, Construction Procurement and Contracts

This module is delivered as a programme of evening lectures from September to December with a written examination held in January. The module starts with an overview of the English legal system, the regulatory framework that architectural practitioners work with, the procurement of construction projects, the range of contracts used in practice and dispute resolution. Throughout the course students are encouraged to place the issues covered in the context of their practice as well as other experience they will have had.

RIBA Part 3

Work-based Modules

These are supported by a team of 44 professional tutors – most of whom are architects in practice – who provide one-to-one tutorial guidance and act as the students’ professional studies advisors for the year. Tutors arrange a mix of group and individual tutorials and additionally provide individual advice by email where needed.

The Professional Case Study

The aim of the module is to bring together student’s knowledge of practice including management, legal frameworks, procurement and critical analysis in the context of a construction project, drawing substantially on their own experience. It aims to build on the theory studied in the lecture-based modules, and provide an opportunity to make professional judgements. The case study covers the practice, the design team, appointment, regulatory framework, procurement, and the construction stage. Students are asked

The work-based modules are also supported by a lecture programme. Students may defer submission of the coursework for the work-based modules for either six or twelve months to enable them to respond to their workplace context.

to analyse their project against best practice, and make recommendations for future practice based on their analysis.

Students submit a draft case study in March and receive formative assessment and feedback in April. The final coursework is submitted in June and assessed in July. Guidance is given on preparing for the oral examination which takes place in September.

(left) Clovis Kamaha: ‘Get Away resort for the Elderly with Dementia': Section & elevation; (right) Kavi Mitchell: Domestic extension, London [Edward Williams Architects];

RIBA Part 3

Work-based Modules contd

Professional Development and Experience

This work-based module tracks and supports the student’s professional development in the workplace. A student’s professional development is discussed with their Professional Tutor who provides guidance on the professional Curriculum Vitae and the Career Evaluation as well as guidance on preparing for the oral examination. Coursework, comprising the CV, Career Evaluation and PEDR sheets, is submitted in June and assessed in July. Students are required to complete PEDRs for the duration of the course and the PEDR sheets are reviewed on a quarterly basis.

Oral Examinations

Oral examinations for both modules take place in early September, with interviews generally lasting 45 minutes. Professional Examiners are paired and will see six students over a day. Their role is to assess the candidate’s performance at oral only and the interviews are based on the Professional Case Study and the Professional Development coursework submitted. The written coursework will have been marked already and the examiners will see the feedback given to students.

Live Design Practice

openstudiowestminster.org/beyond-studio/live-design-practice/

LIVE DESIGN PRACTICE is part of the new MArch Studio run by Maria Kramer. Through it, we introduce new ways of working collaboratively across sectors by taking our multidisciplinary skills within academia and using these in live projects to serve communities. It is a process that promotes an understanding of complex relationships between stakeholders while introducing novel ways of practice, making broader participation exciting, engaging and empowering.

Our approach is to use Live Projects as a way to understand issues and ask questions. This enables deep reflection on the interaction between spatial, political, economic and social factors in relation to our lived urban experience. This process of design is iterative and demonstrates applied and action research. Significantly, the tangible physical aspect of projects connects to and communicates with a wide audience of users.

Cody Dock

How can architecture be practiced responsibly in terms of creating new social and cultural relationships to our natural environment? This is the question MArch DS20 students responded to in the context of the post-industrial landscape around the abandoned former coke smelting wharf, Cody Dock. This complex site adjacent to the River Lea has become a thriving ecological base, but the fragile community is threatened: increasingly dwarfed by extensive high rise housing, and by a river with high levels of toxicity.

Through field work, site analysis, experimental model making and drawing, students explored how to create neighbourhoods to encourage social interactions and meaningful places while promoting ecological awareness and ‘civic-ness’, strengthening local identity and culture.

In parallel to the Live Studio, which we hope will leave a legacy of learning in the community, underlining the projects undertaken by Cody Dock, students developed ambitious investigative thesis proposals. The individual projects explored dynamic interactions between the existing conditions and future engagement with the area, forming a multi-programmatic masterplan with ecological regenerative principals at its heart.

The locus for this analysis was the unique opportunity to work with a diverse set of clients who informed the studio’s Live Project: the QHT-funded (university) Therapeutic Horticultural Hub at Cody Dock. The students were involved in context-based professional practice learning, gaining direct, experience and the opportunity to be involved in all work stages.

Maria Kramer Project Lead

Thanks to:

Wilfred Achilles, Peter Bonfield, Harry Charrington, Tom Cohen, Nic Henninger, Will McLean, Chris Meloy, Simon Myers, Enrica Papa, Huan Rimington, Nick Runeckles, Ro Spankie, Ben Stringer, Steve Webb, Camilla Wilkinson, Julian Williams

RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE Exchange in the School of Architecture + Cities is organised into five interdisciplinary research groups and four research centres. The research groups are: Architectural Humanities; Emerging Territories; Place and Experience; Making and Practice; and Transport and Mobilities. The groups comprise staff and PhD students working on common themes who organise their own symposia, exhibitions, mentoring sessions and other events. The research centres are: the Active Travel Academy; Air Transport Management Centre; the Max Lock Centre; and the Centre for the Production of the Built Environment (co-hosted by the Westminster Business School). Research centres include full time researchers working on funded projects.

One of the most important cycles in the UK university sector research calendar is the Research Excellence

Framework (REF) evaluations that take place every 6-7 years. In 2021, the School of Architecture + Cities submitted 77 members of staff, 159 research outputs and five impact case studies to the REF, and were rated 7th in the country for research power, a metric reflecting the number of people submitted and the overall quality of research. Our impact case studies were also assessed very highly. This reflects the excellent quality and quantity of research being undertaken in the school.

Since the last REF, higher education research is now coupled with knowledge exchange, which comprises research partnerships with business or community groups, short courses, and public and community engagement events. For further details about ongoing events and outputs by our research and knowledge exchange community visit:

http://www.openresearchwestminster.org/

Lindsay Bremner SA+C Director of Research

RESEARCH

RESEARCH GROUPS

Architectural Humanities

Members of the Architectural Humanities Research Group address critical questions about architecture and its historical, social and cultural contexts by engaging with a range of humanities-based methods, including interdisciplinary approaches that bring together arts and sciences.

Convened by Kate Jordan and Davide Deriu

Place and Experience

The Place and Experience Research Group focuses on tourism, events and leisure research with specialisms in: City Tourism, Mega Events, Urban Parks, Destination Community Experiences, and Sustainability.

Convened by Stroma Cole and Ilaria Pappalepore

Emerging Territories

The Emerging Territories Research Group focuses on societal and environmental challenges faced by cities and territories in relation to evolving notions of sustainability and resilience, climate change, healthy cities, governance, diversity and social inclusion. Key themes intersecting our research are: Climate Urbanism; Health, Wellbeing and Cities; Urban-Rural Interfaces; Anthropocene Territories; and Public Space and Diversity.

Convened by Krystallia Kamvasinou and Giulio Verdini

Transport and Mobilities

The Transport and Mobilities Research Group covers a diverse range of aspects of transport and mobility, including: City Mobilities, Active Travel, Freight, Infrastructure Investment, Networks, Accessibility and Transport Equity.

Convened by Gerald Gurtner and Enrica Papa

Making and Practice

The Making and Practice Research Group brings together award-winning design practitioners and leading academics who conduct innovative research through the process of practice and making. Collectively, they have exceptional expertise in the fields of representation, fabrication, live projects, experimental building projects, and environmental design.

Convened by Paolo Zaide and John Zhang

RESEARCH CENTRES

Active Travel Academy [ATA]

The ATA is an interdisciplinary research and knowledge exchange centre that currently leads projects funded by organisations including NIHR, DfT, and TfL. It hosts the Active Travel Studies journal and organises events including the regular Walking and Cycling@Teatime seminars. Director: Rachel Aldred

Max Lock Centre

The Max Lock Centre is an international development research unit drawing on planning and design expertise across the School of A+C and wider development-related expertise across the University. Focusing predominantly in the global South, for over 25 years it has investigated planning and design solutions for sustainable and inclusive development.

Directors: Tony Lloyd-Jones & Giulio Verdini

Centre for Air Traffic Management Research

CATMR builds on more than 20 years of research into air traffic management, for which the University of Westminster is well known. Working with academia, industry and international organisations, the group is active in projects funded by Clean Sky 2, SESAR and Horizon 2020.

Director: Andrew Cook; Co-Director: Luis Delgado

ProBE

ProBE provides a research hub, a forum for debate and discussion, and a focus for interdisciplinary and international activity related to the Production of the Built Environment as a social, environmental and historical process.

Director: Rosa Schiano-Phan

Gender Ecologies

Corinna Dean

Funded by the British Council Pakistan/UK partnership (Gender Ecologies call) January – October 2023

THE GENDER ECOLOGIES PROJECT is a collaboration between architect Corinna Dean, architect Marvi Mazhar, filmmaker Zohaib Kazi and performance artist Abuzar Madhu.

Focusing on the Indus and Ravi Rivers in Pakistan, the project builds upon existing collaborations with farmers and community alleys fisherwomen and attempts to underscore the integral relationship between indigenous knowledge of land, ecology and cultural practices. As part of the project, a documentary film will be developed to capture the stories of three activist fisherwomen from three locations near the river and the sea who will talk about environmental degradation, land rights and human / non-human epistemologies through poems, songs and inherited knowledge.

Dean's response to the investigation is from the perspective of her research and work around the Lower Lea Valley exploring how water lies between the intersection of landscape and infrastructure, and how to engage with contamination of the waterways and environment in an artful way. The work is partly explored through engagement with the Cody Dock Charity with whom Dean has collaborated through undergraduate and postgraduate architecture Design Studio she tutors to design and build floating reed beds and a community growing space.

The project formed the basis for Dean's article which was awarded second prize in the 2022 Architecture Foundation Writing Prize, in the category 'Design and the Climate and Biodiversity Emergencies'.

Water Insecurity and Gender-Based Violence: Exploring links and steps for prevention. A comparative study of Indonesian and Peruvian women

Stroma Cole

THE PURPOSE OF the study was to investigate the potential link between household water insecurity and gender-based violence (GBV) in Indonesia and Peru. It also aimed to identify factors that may be related to the vulnerability or resilience of women in these study areas to household water insecurity.

The larger goal was to use this knowledge to inform locally-appropriate strategies to reduce water insecurity and GBV in the study areas. Starting with a review of the global literature on water insecurity and GBV, it was found that no other studies have used robust qualitative or quantitative data or have been conducted outside of Africa or South Asia (Tallman et al., 2023). This study uniquely

found a qualitative and quantitative association between household water insecurity and GBV in Indonesia. These findings have been submitted for publication (Cole et al., submitted). Furthermore, we identified extended risks of household water insecurity to include indirect impacts on women’s health and well being in Peru and Indonesia (Tallman et al., submitted). This included issues such as teenage pregnancy (Archdeacon et al., 2023). Policy recommendations were developed in collaboration with non-governmental organisations to mitigate the risks of GBV and promote gender-sensitive water interventions. Together with stakeholders, impact programmes were developed, including reproductive health education for community health workers, education for teenagers on gender equality, and calendars for households to remind them about broader issues related to gender equality and the environment.

There were several strengths from the interdisciplinary and international aspects of this study. For instance, working with mixed methods from the researchers' respective disciplines (anthropology, public health and social work). This generated quantitative findings which were presented to local stakeholders allowing for the identification of solutions. Qualitative data provided insights into the dynamics at play that lead to GBV in the context of water insecurity. Combined findings were used to inform action and garner impact.

This project showed that GBV and water insecurity are connected and that GBV is not only a social and health problem but is intimately connected to environmental resource scarcity, governance and infrastructure.

:

Water insecurity means women in Sumba suffer from physical, psychological, structural and slow violence

Mapping the 15-Minute City

Enrica Papa (Principal Investigator)

Julian Allen (Research Fellow)

THREE YEARS AGO, Anne Hidalgo campaigned for her re-election as mayor of Paris with the promise to make the French capital a 15-minute city. Since then, numerous international cities have joined the 15-minute city goal of sustainable mobility and transport in inclusive and climateneutral cities.

However, the practical implementation of the concept is highly dependent on context and varies significantly with different neighbourhoods according to demography, the socio-economic structure of the local population, and the economic, morphologic and institutional landscape.

With its 15-minute City Transition Pathway, the European partnership Driving Urban Transitions to a Sustainable Future (DUT) aims to address this knowledge gap. One of the main goals is the creation of a 15-minute City Innovation Portfolio, which will pool knowledge on strategies, policies and other aspects of implementing the 15-minute City concept with each city's different parameters.

The 15-minute City Mapping Project provides an initial overview for the Innovation Portfolio and solid analytical methods for collecting international experiences, tools and best practices to follow phases of the Portfolio roadmap for the 15-minute City Transition Pathway.

In line with the DUT’s 15-minute City Transition Pathway’s approach, we interpret the 15-minute City concept as a mosaic of measures and activities for urban transitions in four main fields or Key Areas:

1) personal mobility;

2) urban planning and public space;

3) urban logistics; and

4) innovative governance.

Those areas are among the main categories used to map international experience in this project and derive key criteria and elements for deeper analysis of selected case studies.

Additionally, the project will show whether and how the concept can be applied in less central and less dense areas with high car dependency levels.

With the results of this project, we will lay the foundation for the development of the Innovation Portfolio and thus focus the discussion of the 15-minute City on the concrete implementation of the concept in practice.

The project is run by an international consortium that includes: Technical University of Munich, University of Westminster and University of Porto

Accessibility and Connectivity Knowledge Hub for Urban Transformation in Europe (ACUTE)

Enrica Papa (Principal Investigator)

Sabina Cioboata (Research Fellow)

Funder: ESRC – JPI

WITH THE AIM of envisaging more sustainable urban development pathways that address current global challenges, a series of projects were funded under the Joint Programming Initiative of the European Commission call on Urban Accessibility and Connectivity (ERA-NET ENUAC, 2021-2024). The projects address sustainable urban passenger mobility, freight transport and connectivity as integral parts of sustainable urban development, and bring together partners across the academic, government, civil society and private sectors.

Within this framework, the Accessibility and Connectivity

Knowledge Hub for Urban Transformation in Europe (ACUTE) was launched in 2022 in order to facilitate cross-project co-operation within the ENUAC programme. The hub is composed of a consortium of multi-disciplinary researchers and practitioners from five European countries, with Dr Enrica Papa leading Work Package 1.

ACUTE is expected to support ENUAC by conducting a synthesis of results, connecting the projects and consolidating a network of complementary competences and knowledge in the field of accessibility and connectivity. Thus, it will identify results with a potential for further investigation and validation, engaging practitioners, funders and policy makers in order to facilitate the translation of research into practice. By conducting research on the funded ENUAC projects, It will map their collaboration networks, and lead a series of engagement and networking activities.

In this sense, the ACUTE knowledge hub is designed as a flexible instrument for enhancing collaborative scientific research and innovation for tackling complex, multi-sectorial challenges by enabling research, networking, coordination and capacity building across transnationally-funded research at European level.

Climate Cartographics

Lindsay Bremner (Principal Investigator)

John Cook

Ben Pollock

NOrTHolt RACECOURSE ESTATE MAP

CLIMATE CARTOGRAPHICS IS a Proof of Concept

Grant to investigate the commercial potential of the mapping techniques developed during Monsoon Assemblages, a European Research Council funded project that ran 2016-2021. Our cartographic methods combine climatic, geographic and societal data to produce visually powerful maps and data visualisations of the impacts of climate change on particular sectors and contexts. To test the feasibility of this idea, this grant has enabled us to undertake market research into competitive products and services, understand who the key market players are, profile potential clients for our product, and learn what market drivers, barriers and triggers they might face are. In addition, we have investigated the IP and data security issues our innovation raises and scoped out the strengths and weaknesses of potential commercialisation strategies.

Most importantly, we have pilot projects with partners from different sectors to develop how our services can assist customers from across public, private, not-forprofit and academic sectors. We have partnered with: the Active Travel Academy, the NGO Trees for Cities, Southwark Council, and Pelagian, a private under-sea cable company. These projects have enabled us to refine our value proposition for each sector and undertake market segmentation within and across sectors. It has highlighted how each client has different cartographic needs, and how to tailor the services we provide to meet their requirements, including: type of product, depth of enquiry

and presentation, methods of delivery and engagement, and differences in price and ways of calculating it.

RACECOURSE ESTATE MAP

Piloting has tested and expanded our cartographic repertoires in response to client briefs and provided data on which to compare their needs and develop a grid of criteria to guide future work and build future markets. By the end of the Proof of Concept phase we aim to have formalised contracts with at least one client from each sector for future work.

Trees for Cities, Prince Consort Lodge, Kennington Park, London, SE11 4AS

Map of tree planting by Trees for Cities at Northholt Racecourse Estate. [Map by Ben Pollock and John Cook]

THIS IS AN international, interdisciplinary, intercultural project to reimagine the ‘good city’ from Ennore Creek in north Chennai, India. The creek is a tidal channel with extensive wetlands that were once dense with diverse habitats and interwoven histories – mangroves, saltpans, marshes, sand dunes, fish, crabs, prawns, and humans of various castes, occupations and cultures. From the 1960s, many of these lives, linkages and histories began to unravel with the descent into this watery landscape of a state-sponsored heavy industry complex which obliterated and transformed it into a contaminated techno-scape. Local fishers and artisanal communities, whose lives were almost erased by these changes, fought

Reimagining the Good City from Ennore Creek

Lindsay Bremner (Principal Investigator)

Karen Coelho

Nityanand Jayaraman

Asif Qureshi

Bhavani Raman

Aditya Ramesh

back. Their struggles to reclaim the wetlands and their livelihoods have been multi-stranded and multi-layered, with shifting frames, methods, actors, audiences and collaborators.

Drawing on interviews and stories gathered from local people, on archival research, including the archives of the Save Ennore Creek Campaign, and on a variety of co-design strategies, the project is bringing together diverse communities of knowledge and practice to tell the history of the creek and to co-design its ecorestoration as a thriving lifeworld and buffer against weather extremes and climate challenges.

Staff : John Cook, Gajendran V., Raju K.

Ennore Creek, north Chennai, India.

[Photo: Raju K.]

Experiments in 'Torsegrity': Helical frameworks with torsional integrity

Pete Silver

Fabrication and Assembly: Will McLean, FABRICATION LAB staff (David Scott, François Gerardin, Christian Newton, Guy Sinclair and Kristina Veleva). Thanks also to Harry Charrington for his support.

THERE IS A CONTINUING need to develop lightweight but strong structures that are quick and easy to assemble, thereby minimising their embodied energy and use of natural resources. For example, diagrid structures, like Lamella domes, use less material than conventional frames when deployed for buildings and roofs. Similarly, structures like cable-stayed, suspension or ‘tensegrity’ structures demonstrate a high strength-to-weight ratio by assembling discrete structural elements so that compressive struts are held in place spatially by tensile wire or rope.

In 2022, Pete Silver was granted a UK patent for his novel structural system: Helical Structural Framework with Torsional Integrity Both natural and synthetic materials of various dimensions and cross-sections that can undergo elastic deformation may be employed. Examples include

Carbon fibre products: Easy Composites Ltd.; Connecting components: RK Rose+Kreiger.

For a full description of UK patent number GB2594037B see: ipo.gov.uk/p-find-publication.htm

bamboo, young (green) timber shoots, and carbon-fibre and epoxy composites. It seeks to provide a threedimensional structure based primarily on the principle of stiffening linear elements with a low elastic modulus to form arcs. These elements may be applied as structural components within a building such as columns, beams, or trusses, or form entire structures such as bridges.

The School of Architecture + Cities sponsored Silver to build a set of large-scale prototype structures to complement his own proof-of-concept models. Carbon fibre rods are used to form splines which are held in torsion by rigid elements made from 18mm-diameter carbon fibre tubes with reinforced polyamide connecting components. The forces exerted by opposing splines cancel each other out to generate structural integrity.

(left) Drawings; (centre top) Test model; (centre bottom & right) Proof-of-concept models – 8mm dia. carbon fibre rods held in torsion by a rigid scaffolding of 18mm dia. carbon fibre tubes with reinforced polyamide connecting components

Interpreting Ephemeral Heritage of Displaced Communities: Case study of Syrian refugees in Jordan

Maja Jović

THE ENVIRONMENT OF a refugee camp is novel; it does not repeat nor duplicate any environment people who reside there have lived or dwelled in before. If a certain living environment is composed as an assemblage of relations, materialities and politics, then the refugee camp's environment is one of a kind and so is its heritage.

The Interpreting Ephemeral Heritage research cluster sits at the intersection of several disciplines including: refugee camp studies, heritage studies, post-conflict studies, tourism and architecture. It is led by Dr Maja Jović (University of Westminster) and Dr Aya Musmar

(University of Petra). The cluster was initially formed in 2021 under the umbrella of the Regenerating Cities During Crises project, a collaboration organised between University of Portsmouth and University of Jordan and funded by the British Council and Newton Fund.

Cultural heritage is often associated with iconic archaeological sites or widely shared practices, but the last few decades has seen a shift in this thinking to question broadly why it is important, why it is at risk and what can be done to protect it. In the refugee camp environment, there is an added layer of ephemerality and transitioning that the research group is particularly interested in.

At the same time, despite debates on its ethics, there is a continuing rise of interest in dark and slum tourism, and refugee camps are spaces where this type of tourism has been seen to have started to develop. The research cluster was thus formed to interrogate the extent, value and validity of recording and interpreting the ephemeral heritage of these displaced communities.

Jović received QR Funding to travel to Jordan to continue the work to develop this research and visit sites of interest, most notably Za’atari Refugee Camp (in collaboration with International Rescue Committee). She delivered a lecture at the University of Petra on the neoliberal approach to regenerating post-conflict cities, reflecting on decision-making processes and their cultural identity. The workshops she co-organised in Jordan focused specifically on interrogating outsiders' motivations to visit a refugee camp in an attempt to understand the relationship between the voyeur's gaze and the ephemeral heritage of the displaced communities, as well as comment on the ethical implications of these activities.

Life in Za’atari camp: Prefabricated container turned into a place of worship

Moving Pictures: Reusing cinemas as places of worship in the diaspora

Kate Jordan (Architecture + Cities)

Julie Marsh (Westminster School of Arts)

USING PIONEERING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY methods, this project examines the adaptive reuse of cinemas as places of worship. In so doing, it captures a vital snapshot of faith and diaspora in contemporary urban landscapes which could inform future heritage practices. A broad survey of converted cinemas used as places of worship will support close readings of specific sites in London.

In addition to offering a picture of faith in the twenty-first century, the case studies will provide valuable information on the role of planning in the reuse of heritage buildings, exploring practical constraints but also the potential for generative dialogue. The project will combine scholarly research with the innovative art-based methodology, ‘Site-integrity’ (developed by the project’s co-leader,

Funded by Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) https://moving-pictures.info/

Julie Marsh) to gather data and record material through film, audio recording and oral histories. These outputs reflect the architectural significance of the case studies' former existence as cinemas. To understand the wider context, the team will visit a selection of cinemas that have been reused as mosques, temples and black majority churches across the UK. In each of the site visits and case studies, the research will explore encounters between heritage bodies, local communities and faith groups, examining intersections of the sacred and secular; assimilation and autonomy. By uncovering the role of faith communities in shaping and negotiating their own spaces, the project will demonstrate that adaptive reuse of heritage buildings by diaspora communities is a practice that is culturally enriching, environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive.

Former Granada Cinema (now Christ Faith Tabernacle Cathedral), Woolwich (1936-37).

Theodore Komisarjevsky (Interior) with Cecil Masey & Reginald Uren (Exterior) [photo © Sirj Photography]

RE-IMAGINING CORAL REEFS is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between architecture researchers, design students and marine biologists to explore VR and the metaverse as critical design tools to communicate vital climate science to a wider audience.

As vital ecosystems that sustain 30% of all ocean species, efforts to understand and preserve coral reefs constitute a critical endeavour that brings together scientists, designers, local communities, NGOs and governments. However, these viscerally rich environments and the multi-sensory data gathered from them are typically represented through conventional media. Consequently, the emotive and uplifting efforts to protect coral habitats are lost to the public, under the dominant climate narrative of

Re-Imagining Coral Reefs

John Zhang

Ben Williams (UCL/ZSL) Jason Lynch (UCL/ZSL)

doom and gloom. Meanwhile, discourse in virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse – the very tools and environments that are capable of creating multi-sensory experiences –are dominated by conversations around gaming and social networking.

Using digital tools typically deployed in architectural practice and spatial design, this project bridges this gap. Field data collected from coral reefs in Indonesia is transformed into an immersive and interactive VR environment, through which the public can experience healthy, degraded and re-imagined coral reefs. Co-created by architecture researchers, marine biologists and students, these digital and virtual investigations are accompanied by explorations in 3D-printed prototypes, with the project development process captured on film.

In exploring VR and the metaverse as a new medium to represent climate data, the project aims to bring different strands of coral research together in a single accessible scientific call for action. As a creative practice, the project investigates the capacity of the metaverse as a space to explore non-human perspectives in the representation of climate science, from where designers and scientists can collaborate and co-create, giving form to the emotive impetuses that underscore scientific endeavours.

Funded by Quentin Hogg Trust

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London: A mixed-methods study of benefits, harms and experiences

Ersilia Verlinghieri

Rachel Aldred

Patrice Ajai-Ajagbe

Jamie Furlong

Harrie Larrington-Spencer

Low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) are transport interventions that limit through-traffic motor vehicle access in a set of residential streets. Their aim is to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more comfortable, and make driving less convenient.

There is some promising evidence of the benefits of LTNs, including decreased car ownership and use, increased active travel, and a reduction in street crime and road traffic injuries. However, there is also concern about adverse impacts, for instance on disabled people who need to use cars and whose journeys will be longer, or for residents on boundary roads which may experience the negative consequences of diverted motor traffic.

Funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research, the ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London’ project uses both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the benefits, harms and experiences of new

Funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)

LTN schemes and inform the future of similar transport interventions.

One key component of this work is ‘go-along’ interviews with residents who live in or nearby an LTN. During the go-along, residents are asked to guide researchers around their local area; they discuss their daily experiences of living within or near the low traffic neighbourhoods and how the scheme impacts them and their journeys, both positively and negatively. The method allows researchers to better understand the inclusivity of the schemes, such as the experiences of disabled people and older residents who have diverse travel needs and might use roads differently. At the same time, go along interviews enable researchers to highlight potential positive or negative impacts not easily captured by quantitative data or traditional interviews, including changes in perceptions of safety of the local environment or changes to the way public space is used.

Modal filter for a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in Stoke Newington, Hackney

Re-imagining London’s Streets: What drives attitudes to active travel funding?

Jamie Furlong

David Fevyer

Rachel Aldred

THE SHIFT EXPERIENCED during the COVID-19 pandemic to more people walking and cycling, exposed the unequal allocation of space in Britain’s towns and cities for different transportation methods. In response, the government created an Active Travel Fund to support English local authorities to rapidly improve cycling and walking facilities. This funded a range of schemes (e.g. protected cycle lanes, pedestrian crossings, School Streets and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods). Some have been controversial and not all remain. For instance, in London around 130 Low Traffic Neighbourhoods were implemented in 2020-2021, but around thirty have since been removed. What determines people’s attitudes to these kinds of investments in walking and cycling? Who wants more funding for active travel, and who thinks there is already too much?

Using the Travel and Places TfL Survey data, which has around 1,500 repeat respondents in three waves, the team have been investigating associations between travel behaviour and attitudes, and demographic variables. Analysis has already found interesting demographic associations; for instance, around car ownership or age and attitudes to investment in different transport modes. Other topics to be explored with a third year of data include impacts of local ‘bikeability’ (quality of the local environment for cycling) on travel behaviour and attitudes, and whether getting to know a cyclist affects attitudes to cycling and cyclists.

Funded by Transport for London (TfL)

Car-free Megacities

Rachel Aldred

Athena Brook

Charlie Couve

Jamie Furlong

Asa Thomas

Ersilia Verlinghieri

THIS ONGOING COLLABORATIVE project with climate action charity Possible (funded by KR Foundation) aims to reimagine our cities as places where private cars are obsolete, starting with London, Paris and New York, and has led to the ATA producing a range of reports on topics related to active travel and reducing car use. For instance, Ersilia Verlinghieri led a high-profile study on cargo bikes and their potential to replace vans in inner London. She has also led a report looking at Paris’ recent transformation with the introduction of bike lanes, greening and School Streets. Interviewing a range of stakeholders and advocates, her work has sought to understand how the changes were implemented and what the barriers and enablers were. Another report led by Ersilia Verlinghieri as part of this project has involved speaking with businesses in north London about the experiences of local streetscape changes.

Jamie Furlong recently led research looking at the impact of councillors’ tweeting about Low Traffic Neighbourhoods on voting patterns in London. This found that there was no clear correlation between LTN Tweets and reelection outcomes; if anything, tweeting about LTNs may have had a slightly positive impact on votes, although the relationship was different for Labour and Conservative councillors. The report was interesting because often controversial schemes are assumed to have large effects on voter sentiment and behaviour, but the research suggested that this may not actually be the case.

Funded by Possible

Report created as part of Car-free Megacities collaborative project

THE AIM OF the project, carried out in partnership with the EFBWW, is to analyse and understand changes in the construction industry, particularly in the scaffolding sector, to identify areas of possible action and develop policy concepts and proposals for those areas in which the EU is responsible.

In this context, the research activities consist of:

1) Supporting and coordinating the project partners in the elaboration of six country reports, namely for Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Poland and the Netherlands; detailing the economic situation of the scaffolding sector; the working conditions in the sector with some focus on occupational hazards; the training systems in the participating countries and in Europe,

School of Architecture + Cities: Rosa Schiano-Phan

Filomena Russo

WBS: Maria Christina Georgiadou

Fernando Duran-Palma Linda Clarke

specifically the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) training; the changes in the technical composition of scaffolds and used tools and the related standardisation work, but also regarding their environmental sustainability, digitisation and robotisation in scaffolding activities and later the use of scaffolding.

2) Evaluating the country reports and producing an overall research report based on the findings which will further address the feasibility of a European OSH Certificate for the scaffolding sector, as well as other policy recommendations on working conditions, training and technological change.

3) Running workshops and engaging in dissemination activities.

Improving Training, Working Conditions and Transformation in the European Scaffolding Sector

Funded by European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) and the European Union (€30. 000)

100k Fuel Poor Homes Retrofit Review

School of Architecture + Cities: Rosa Schiano-Phan Filomena Russo

School of Applied Management, WBS: Maria Christina Georgiadou

THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH project investigated the progress made by the London Mayoral Office in retrofitting fuel poor homes in London, as part of the pledge to the Just Transition campaign led by the NGO, Citizens UK.

The research, undertaken between May and July 2023, involved a desktop-based state-of-the-art review on fuel poor homes retrofit in London. An overview of existing theoretical frameworks around fuel poverty definitions, energy efficiency and retrofitting in residential buildings was conducted. The study included an analysis of relevant existing databases and published reports. Freedom of Information requests were sent to the 33 London Boroughs and the GLA to collect data on the number of retrofitted homes since 2021. The results of the desktop analysis and FoI data collection were tested at a workshop in July where focus groups of relevant stakeholders, including academics, politicians and GLA officers and Local Authorities, fed back on the findings of the review.

The research concluded that although an initial understanding of the Mayor’s commitment appeared to indicate an intention to upgrade a total of 100,000 fuel poor homes before the end of the current mandate, there was never a formal commitment to a binding number of residential units but instead a promise to continue working to achieve larger numbers together with the G15 housing association group. A final report is currently under peer review, and it documents the number of retrofits reported by LA and G15 to date.

MSc AED Vertically Integrated Project: Agostino Anselmo

Rayman Laurel Mathieu Arnoud Naccarato

Funded by Research England, Participatory and Policy Research Fund (£8,000)

Fuel Poverty & Home Retrofit Focus group

Women in Construction and Wood and Forestry Sectors

School of Architecture + Cities: Rosa Schiano-Phan

Coralie Guedes

School of Applied Management, WBS: Maria Christina Georgiadou

Fernando Duran-Palma

Linda Clarke

THE OVERARCHING AIM of this project, carried out on behalf of the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers, is to strengthen, reinforce and promote gender equality and women representation in the

construction, wood and forestry sectors enhancing genderbased diversity and female leadership with a particular focus on the European Sector Social Dialogue in a context of severe labour shortages.

The project entails:

1) Collecting statistical data on the presence of women in construction, wood and forestry following a new EFBWW survey questionnaire, administered in 2020-21.

2) Identifying good practices and experiences related to gender matters in collective bargaining and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) in the construction, wood and forestry sectors. This involves a large-scale literature review on the transforming nature of the construction industry and data analysis of the above EFBWW survey questionnaire.

3) Producing a practical and sector-specific manual for practitioners that includes tools and resources for increasing the participation of women in the construction, wood and forestry sectors.

4) Identifying priorities for EFBWW gender policies on EU level, with a particular focus on the European Sectoral Social Dialogue.

5) Presenting the manual and engaging in a wider discussion with external stakeholders (employer representatives) at a side-event during the General Assembly of the EFBWW.

Women in Construction and Wood and Forestry Sectors [photo: BC Insulators Union]

Funded by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (€15, 000)

PHD STUDENTS IN the School of Architecture + Cities are engaged in wide-ranging areas of research that fall within and across the School’s five research groups: Architectural Humanities; Emerging Territories; Making and Practice; Place and Experience; and Transport and Mobilities. Recently completed theses have made pioneering contributions to global scholarship in tourism, climate change, transport and architectural theory. Those who completed this year include Frances Kremarik, whose thesis entitled ‘The Changing Nature of Long-Haul Traffic on the North Atlantic: An examination of airline network strategies’; and Lida-Evangelia Driva who was awarded an MPhil for her thesis entitled, ‘The Operation of the Hidden: Towards an understanding of architectural urban space; the case of Omnia Square’.

In addition to standard-route PhDs, we continue to supervise students working towards PhD by Published Work and PhD by Practice. The practice and published

work models offer routes into postgraduate study for outstanding professionals with an established body of work and have helped to forge valuable connections with industry. Recently completed PhDs by Published Work include ‘Doors that could take you Elsewhere: The architectural practice of reading science fiction’ by Amy Butt and ‘The Values of Urban Design – Spatial Models’ by Alain Chiaradia. Nicola Murphy completed a PhD by Practice entitled, ‘Slow Practice: (Re)drawing time balancing narratives, ghosts and tensions’.

This year Dr Constance Lau was successful in securing a prestigious Techne Collaborative Doctoral Award, in partnership with the Zaha Hadid Foundation. Constance will be supervising Architecture + Cities alumna, Laura Nica, who won the studentship.

For further details about our PhD programme, visit: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/researchdegrees/thinking-of-doing-a-phd

Kate Jordan PhD Coordinator

PhD candidates, 2023

Hala Alnaji

Katherine Bartlett

Athena Brook

Alain Chiaradia

Didem Ertem

Minerva Fadel

Jennifer Fernando

Karen Fitzsimon

Shengkang Fu

Asa Henry Patrick Thomas

Sugandhi Jayaraman

Prajakta Kalamkar

Iman Keaik

David Littlefield

David Mathewson

Joao Matos Da Silva

Nicola Murphy

Anishka Narula

Simona Palmieri

Dulce Pedroso

Luis Pinto

Marzena Piotrowska

Dawn Rahman

Fred Raphael

Rofayda Salem

Rick Schumaker

Rachel Simmonds

Xinyao Song

Lorna Stevenson

Sally Stone

Cristina-Alexandra Trifan

Carine Woiezechoski

Mengran Zhu

Forming bonds and shared experiences while cycling with children

Mad or Magnificent? Mothers who cycle with their children

THIS RESEARCH SET out to understand the practice of mothers cycling with their children (aged 11 and under) in the UK. As part of the research, I carried out several focus groups with women who work in cycling, surveyed approximately 1,300 mothers and conducted 30 in-depth

interviews. The mothers taking part in this research were highly motivated to incorporate cycling into their lives but had to be meticulously organised to juggle cycling with other care duties and employment.

The most popular journeys undertaken by bicycle were to education sites such as schools and nurseries, followed by those for shopping and errands, as well as visiting friends and families. Unfortunately, many of the mothers noted certain barriers when cycling, such as bad driving and aggression from other road users. Just under a quarter of mothers surveyed had experienced close passes from drivers, and more than a third had suffered verbal abuse when cycling with their children. Similarly, other issues such as guard rails, A-frames and steps on traffic-free paths often made simple journeys more complicated, particularly for those using non-standard cycles which struggle to fit through such barriers.

However, despite some of these problems, there was an overwhelming sense that cycling with children was deemed a positive and worthwhile activity to undertake. Many of the mothers taking part in the research listed the countless benefits they had found from riding with their children. These included: improved health, both mental and physical; the confidence their children gained from learning the skills to ride a bicycle; plus the sheer joy and fun of cycling together. Moreover, many of the mothers firmly believed cycling with their children allowed them to form emotional bonds and hopefully build lifetime memories.

Dawn Rahman

Supervisors: Rachel Aldred, Tom Cohen and Ersilia Verlinghieri

Asa Thomas

Mediating Mobility at the School Gate: Interpreting London’s school street schemes

FOLLOWING THE INITIAL stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of streets in front of London’s schools has expanded from a marginal policy to one that covers nearly a third of state-funded primary schools across the city. This rapid or ‘tactical’ expansion has improved the air quality and public space of many of the streets by schools. However, as with other cities that have pursued similar programmes of road space reallocation in recent years, the expansion of these schemes raises several questions around the evolving nature of urban change, the fairness of these practices (and their outcomes), as well as their ability to impact urban mobility systems more systematically.

This PhD explores these questions using a mixture of methods and data, including practitioner interviews, spatial analysis of the distribution of ‘School Streets’, and school mobility data. It finds that although policymakers have been successful in rapidly introducing a widespread programme of schemes with much less controversy than similar measures, issues of equity remain; there is little evidence of prioritisation of schools facing the worst air pollution at the city-scale, and there are significant disparities across London’s administrative geography. Focusing on the impacts of these schemes on mobility, this research also shows that School Streets have had a broader impact on journeys to school, with decreased use of motor vehicles detected. These findings contribute to wider debates surrounding the role such ‘tactical’ approaches to streets have on influencing how people travel in the city.

Road closure scheme in place outside London school

Supervisors: Rachel Aldred, Tom Cohen, Jamie Furlong

Prajakta Kalamkar

Supervisors: Krystallia Kamvasinou and Andrew Smith

Digital Placemaking: Co-creating temporary public places using digital technologies

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC highlighted the prominence of two key trends in urban social life: the rapid digitisation of society and the increased need for urban public spaces. These have significantly changed socio-spatial relationships and patterns of behaviours, meanings and representation in the urban built environment. While digital technologies are embraced as a convenient and feasible means of socialisation, on the other hand the effects of heightened digitisation on everyday life (such as zoom fatigue and isolation) resulted in an increased need for urban public spaces.

This research focuses on digital placemaking, a concept which engages people in places through digital technologies, and asks: ‘How can digital placemaking facilitate communities to co-create meaningful urban places? By using social networks and digital technologies, digital placemaking provides communities with new opportunities to form a sense of place, representation and agency

of co-creation to make or reshape a hybrid place. This qualitative research study uses urban studies methodologies to understand how people use digital technologies to co-create urban spaces and to create meaningful attachments to them.

This research is based on two case studies: Luchtsingel Rotterdam, a bridge co-created through online crowdfunding and social media; and a co-created pocket park in Barking, east London. The examination uses an innovative combination of physical and digital methods of data collection, such as Netnography and Internet-mediated desk research, combined with face-to-face interviews and on-site observations. The results of these studies will aid in a comprehensive understanding of how digital placemaking acts of co-creating public spaces can create attachment to place, and how digital placemaking can aid in the creation of place capital.

Staff

Vasilija Abramovic

Wilfred Achille

Panagiota Adilenidou

Sam Aitkenhead

Dimah Ajeeb

Rachel Aldred

Roudaina Alkhani

Julian Allen

Ian Arnott

Alessandro Ayuso

James Baldwin

Russel Bamber

Simon Banfield

Mark Bannister

Pete Barber

Tessa Barraclough

Scott Batty

Susanne Bauer

Nick Beech

Ross Bennett-Cook

Carine Berger Woiezechoski

Sabina Blasiotti

Alastair Blyth

Stefania Boccaletti

Mehrdad Borna

Roberto Bottazzi

Andrew Boughton

Anthony Boulanger

Lindsay Bremner

Florian Brillet

Stephen Brookhouse

Christopher Bryant

Tom Budd

Toby Burgess

Aleksandra Cannock

Mengqiu Cao

Paolo Cascone

Ian Casey

Harry Charrington

Conor Clarke

Tom Cohen

Stroma Cole

Jim Coleman

Mark Coles

Andrew Cook

John Cook

Jonathan Coventry

Beth Cullen

Wajiha Dadabhoy

Miriam Dall’Igna

Christopher Daniel

Corinna Dean

Dusan Decermic

Luis Delgado Munoz

Nigel Dennis

Davide Deriu

Zoe Diakaki

Richard Difford

Orsalia Dimitriou

Kirti Durelle

Liz Ellston

James Engel

Bill Erickson

Elantha Evans

Helen Farrell

Amr Fawzy

Tomas Fiszer

Alex Fox

François Girardin

Simone Gobber

Inan Gokcek

Nasser Golzari

Joana Soares Goncalves

Anne Graham

Sean Griffiths

Thomas Grove

Eric Guibert

Yannick Guillen Sloma

Gérald Gurtner

Alison Gwynne

Johannes Hagan

Clare Hamman

Jeremy Hammant

Lindsey Hanford

Stephen Harty

Ed Harty

Adam Holloway

Thomas Hopkins

Md Mohataz Hossain

Sam Sam Hui

Zac Ibrihimi

Clare Inkson

Bruce Irwin

Sho Ito

Caroline Jackson

Josef Jammerbund

Kate Jordan

Maja Jovic

Angela Kailisch

Ripin Kalra

Rim Kalsoum

Krystalia Kamvasinou

Paol Kemp

Neil Kiernan

Jennifer Kingston

Michael Kloihofer

Mary Konstantopoulou

Maria Kramer

Frances Kremarik

Debbie Kuypers

Diony Kypraiou

Ed Lancaster

Constance Lau

Chantal Laws

Dirk Lellau

Jacques Leonardi

Sebastien Leow

Christopher Leung

David Littlefield

Tony Lloyd-Jones

Gwyn Lloyd-Jones

Ian Lowden

Maria Lozano Lara

Jayne Luscombe

Jane Madsen

Evangelia Magnisali

Arthur Mamou-Mani

Balveer Mankia

Anna Mansfield

Andrei Martin

Max Martin

David Mathewson

David McEwen

William McLean

Alison McLellan

Joanna Meehan

Marina Mersiadou

Tabatha Mills

Fatemeh Mohamadi

Irene Roca Moracia

Bongani Muchemwa

Richa Mukhia

Rutendo Musikavanhu

Cheryl Mvula

Robert Nathan

Luz Navarro

Suzy Nelson

Michael Neuman

Natalie Newey

Andreea-Laura Nica

Antonia Noussia

Johannes Novy

John O’Shea

Jamie Ogilvie

Chiara Orefice

Samir Pandya

Enrica Papa

Ilaria Pappalepore

Roman Pardon

Jake Parkin

Paresh Parmar

Deborah Pearce

Mirna Pedalo

Diana Periton

Catherine Phillips

Maja Piecyk

Stuart Piercy

Marzena Piotrowska

David Pitfield

Alicia Pivaro

Ben Pollock

Sylwia Poltorak

David Porter

Kartikeya Rajput

Kester Rattenbury

Federico Redlin

Paul Richens

Katy Roberts

Toby Robins

Michael Rose

Filomena Russo

Shahed Saleem

Rofayda Salem

Vera Sarioglu

Era Savvides

Rosa Schiano-Phan

Amedeo Scofone

David Scott

David Seex

Yara Sharif

Geoffrey Shearcroft

Conor Sheehan

Abubokkar Siddiki

Pete Silver

Ian Simpson

Andrew Smith

Paul Smith

Tsz Wai So

John Somers

Ro Spankie

Afolabi Spence

Robert Spooner

Kenneth Stevens

Nancy Stevenson

Matthew Stewart

Carly Straughan

Ben Stringer

Henning Stummel

Allan Sylvester

Jane Tankard

Graham Tanner

Mireille Tchapi

Adam Thwaites

Alessandro Toti

Cristina-Alexandra Trifan

Anastasia Tsamitrou

Juan Vallejo

Athanasios Varnavas

Giulio Verdini

Filip Visnjic

Christine Wall

Richard Watson

Victoria Watson

Zhenzhou Weng

Andrew Whiting

Camilla Wilkinson

Julian Williams

Allan Woodburn

Andrew Yau

Mika Zacharias

Paolo Zaide

John Zhang

We wish to thank the following organisations for their support:

Bibliotheque McLean

NATURAL COOLING LTD

THE JAMES PHILLIPS FOUNDATION