PG 2017 by Clare Hamman

PG 2017

ISBN: 978-0-9933986-9-8 Cover image Zahraa Shamkhi Designed & produced Clare Hamman First published September 2017 Printed London ÂŠ University of Westminster

Contents

Introduction

Masters Introduction

MA Architecture Introduction Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation) Research Lab 2 (Digital Media) Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

6 8 18 24

MA Interior Design Introduction Students

Students

30 32

Students

38 40

Students

Fabrication Laboratory

56 58

78 80

104 106 108

Research Books & Articles Funded Research AmbikaP3

112 114 116 120 132

Department of Architecture Staff

MA International Planning & Sustainable Development Introduction

Westminster Working Cultures

Research Exploration

MA Urban Design Introduction

Sustainable Urban Design Workshop

Introduction

MSc Architecture & Environmental Design Introduction

Beyond the Studio

Practice Links 2017 Sponsors

134 136 138

PG OPEN 2017 celebrates the study, reflection and creativity of the Department of Architecture’s Masters Courses, as well as some of those from the Department of Planning & Transport. For Departments grounded in professional courses, the Masters courses are important in themselves, but also as an element of free-thinking about our discipline unconstrained by the necessities of professional validation. The Masters Courses, therefore, continue to draw students from the widest diversity of backgrounds and experience, and to set standard for a research-oriented, and investigative, approach to architecture and the built environment. The mix of students and staff displays the Departments’ commitment to achieving a breadth of perspectives that any serious contribution to the culture of contemporary architectural and planning requires, with tutors stepping beyond the boundaries of their principle discipline. In turn, this mix enhances the life of the Departments. MA Interior Design explores an apparently simple area of spatial design to reveal the complexity and subtleties of our interiors, using a variety of media. MA Architecture and its three-specialist pathways – Cultural Identity and Globalisation, History and Theory, and Digital Media – enables students to begin their Masters studies of architecture at a broad, discursive, level before choosing a specialism that enables them to advance an interest through a clearly focused area of research and design. The MSc. Architecture & Environmental Design fosters the culture and practice of design professionals as enlightened and innovative stewards of the designed environment across the world. The MA Urban 2

Design course investigates the prevalent scale of strategic and spatial design of our human habitat, while the MA International Planning & Sustainable Development expands this to encompass our entire global future. The teaching staff of the Masters courses continues to expand, and is augmented by a variety of invited specialists from around the world. Through the generosity of the Quintin Hogg Trust, overseas fieldtrips from Oslo to Sao Paolo, often in collaboration with hosting Universities and as part of the Faculty’s Latitude programme, give students an opportunity to expand their studies into wider contexts. The research output of staff continues to inform the teaching, and to place students at the cutting edge of architectural thinking. A year into their new home in the renovated studios, the Masters Courses are flourishing. As part of the Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment, the Courses continue to benefit from the wider horizons of a cross-disciplinary environment. As well as research initiatives, such as the Latitudes programme, these include the expanding physical resources of the Digital Fabrication Laboratory. Over this summer and autumn, £3 million has, and is, being invested in upgrading and expanding our wood-, metal- and casting- workshops, along with a new environmental laboratory and photographic studio, print room and materials shop. Please enjoy the show. Harry Charrington Head of the Department of Architecture

Welcome to PG 2017

STUDYING FOR A master’s degree is a valuable opportunity. For some students, part way through their architectural education, it is a chance to specialise and develop their own design identity; for others, it is the first step towards a PhD and an academic career. But for all those engaged in master’s level study in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, a masters provides the context in which to reflect on their work as professionals and to enhance their skills. The following pages feature work from five master’s programmes: MA Architecture, MSc Architecture and Environmental Design, MA Interior Design, MA International Planning and Sustainable Development and MA Urban Design. Each course has its own individual character and subject-specific content but importantly all the courses are designed to support a variety of approaches to the thesis project or dissertation. An exciting mix of people from different design and technical disciplines, and from many different cultural backgrounds, come together

to study on our courses and each individual brings with them their own particular mix of interests and experience. The thesis allows each student to direct their research towards areas of study that will build on their previous education and can shape their future career. The work has been organised by course with a short introduction by each of the course directors. Each section contains synopses of all this year’s thesis projects. These brief accounts provide a fascinating insight into the nature of research in architecture and the built environment. Ranging from the intellectually challenging world of critical theory to the many exciting possibilities of research conducted both for, and also through design, every project presented here and in the accompanying exhibition, results from the dedication and hard work of all the students and staff involved.

Richard Difford Coordinator of Postgraduate Study

MASTERS IN ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING

Masters | MA Architecture

Davide Deriu, Richard Difford, Samir Pandya (Course Leaders), Nasser Golzari, Krystallia Kamvasinou, Dirk Lellau, Clare Melhuish, Filip Visnjic Davide Deriu is an experienced lecturer and established researcher. His main interests lie in visual and spatial cultures, and he has published in leading journals and scholarly books as well as magazines. In addition, he has edited works on architecture and landscape, and is a founding editor of the Architectural Histories journal. Richard Difford is an academic with expertise both in creative technologies and architectural history. The primary focuses of his work is the history of architectural representation and in the use of electronics and coding in architectural design. He has published numerous academic papers and supervised a number of award-winning dissertations. Samir Pandya is an award-winning architect and academic. He is Architecture Editor for the multidisciplinary journal National Identities: Critical Inquiry into Nationhood, Politics & Culture (Taylor & Francis) and an Editorial Board member for the architecture journal ‘FOLIO’ (funded by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts).

MA Architecture Elmira Afshar, Yaqoob Al Khaja, Maria Jose Arenas Escobar, Jevon Atmabrata, Behnaz Berengi, Ankur Chhabra, Alisa Elenevskaya, Linda Ferrari, Freddie Gee, Alejandro Gutierrez Fabregat, Danai Ilyadu,

Basma Johar, Taraneh Joorabchian, Massimo Melloni, Giulia Merlo, Dana Nasser, Chinonso Surllivan Ohaneje, Al Shima Rehman, Zahraa Shamkhi, Maria Skiada, Nithila Subbaroyan, Karine Sylvestre Lorent Saenen.

THE MA ARCHITECTURE course offers a unique opportunity to pursue advanced postgraduate research combining high-level theoretical investigation with innovative design approaches. The programme is both wide ranging and flexible, facilitating alternative modes of study and a range of options, including the choice of either a written or design-based thesis.

theory and practice on the basis of their research and critical judgement, and to use these insights to produce high-quality written work in a scholarly manner. In parallel, a set of design-oriented activities encourages students to develop their artistic, aesthetic and intellectual vision through the use of different media, in order to produce individual proposals with a high level of spatial, material and formal resolution.

The course also allows for specialism through its three designated pathways: Architecture (Cultural Identity and Globalisation); Architecture (Digital Media) and Architecture (History and Theory). Alternatively, students can also create their own pathway by selecting and combining relevant modules that meet their individual requirements. The range of optional and specialist modules offered allows students to develop their individual learning trajectories through the in-depth study of specific subject areas, involving theoretical components as well as practical applications. A series of theory-rich modules stimulate students to analyse current trends in architecture, design

The course is taught within a dynamic learning environment that comprises seminar-based sessions along with studiobased activities, suitably integrated by a wide range of lectures, tutorials, site visits, research training sessions, and independent study periods. The primary emphasis, however, is on the thesis project or dissertation which is explored in the context of one of the three tutor groups or ‘research labs’ aligned with each of the designated pathways. The projects described over the following pages are grouped according to research lab and provide a glimpse of the possibilities presented by this programme.

Guest Critics: Alessandro Ayuso, Amy Butt, Brad Carroll, Beth Cullen, Dusan Decermic, Mahsa Alami Fariman, François Girardin, Jon Goodbun, Reza Hakiminejad, Maja Jovic, Will McLean, Evangelia Magnisali, Sarah Milne, Mark Parsons, Mirna Pedalo, Angeliki Sakellariou, Shahed Saleem, Yara Sharif, Matthew Stewart, Yuri Suzuki, Heather Topel, Biky Wan, Santiago Rizo Zambrano 6

MA Architecture | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Yaqoob Al-Khaja Materialising Islam: An Architecture of Coexistence in London

THIS THESIS AIMS to address the issue of islamophobia and in particular responds to the negative portrayal of Islam in various forms of media in the West in recent decades. It does this through the design of an Islamic ‘community centre’ within London. Sited on the edge of Hyde Park, the immediate context of the proposal contains key buildings and functions which symbolise London’s (and Great Britain’s) local and international engagement with issues of identity. London – as a cosmopolitan and global hub – is home to a plethora of different religions and cultures in dynamic

interaction with one another. This proposal facilitates various forms of interaction through a series of programmes and spaces which include religious, personal, and multi-faith areas that, upon entry, open on to a larger space of civic scale. This central space accommodates an Islamic community-driven zone which, implicitly, both communicates and facilitates Islamic notions of coexistence. The proposal is represented through a series of visuals that show key spatial and material qualities in an attempt to covey the phenomenological experience of coexistence.

Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation) | MA Architecture

Jevon Atmabrata Architecture and Identity in Semarang City

THIS THESIS CHALLENGES the credibility of a new township development proposed in Semarang, Indonesia. The scale of the development is symptomatic of wider development in Indonesian cities over the past decade. The proposal is being challenged on the basis that its architectural language in no way considers any reference to the architecture of the region. Rather, it adopts a language which could be said to be ‘universal’ or ‘placeless’. The built and cultural context of Semarang is absent and therefore so too is a sense of belonging.

In response, this thesis aims to re-imagine the development by proposing a design based on a ‘contemporaryregionalism’. Drawing on the notion of critical regionalism, the design reinterprets particular vernacular and industrial forms of Semarang city. Beyond formal considerations, the design also reinterprets urban patterns and spaces, and how these relate to cultural practice. Ultimately, the design seeks an ethical approach to designing within an existing cultural context.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Ankur Chhabra Urban Collage in Bangalore

AT A GENERAL level, this design thesis project aims to examine the phenomena of decay, neglect, and sustainability in old city centres in India. More particularly, the chosen site for this design study is Bangalore (India). The map of Bangalore has evolved over time to result in one which represents neither a demarcated entity nor a sprawling metropolis. It is, rather, a place of open trajectories of materials and events. Present day Bangalore is a composite of the Tipu Sultan Plan, colonial infrastructure, and more recent sprawl related to the creation of IT Parks. These parks not only pull individuals

and investment away from the city centre, but they introduce an architectural and urban language, scale, and culture which is radically different from the increasingly abandoned city centre. This project addresses this through engaging directly with the old town, seeking to establish ‘urban tactics’ and extensions which may help to sustain the cultural habits, businesses and architecture of the old centres. In doing so, it is hoped that certain underlying cultural and urban conditions – such as chaos and multiplicity – will be surfaced and valued, creating an urban collage effect which can evolve with the lives of its inhabitants.

Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation) | MA Architecture

Maria Jose Arenas Escobar Oxlajuj Hotel: Mayan disclosure in Colonial Antigua Guatemala

THE HISTORICAL CITY of Antigua, once the capital of Guatemala, is one of the country’s most important cultural destinations. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The city is known for its colonial-style architecture, introduced by the Spanish conquistadores in the 16th century, and for the resurgent Mayan people that live alongside the dominantly Latino population. UNESCO’s World Heritage status recognises the city’s cultural value and uniqueness but also encumbers the area with regulations that hinder the city’s Mayan culture from reawakening. In response, this design-based thesis offers The Oxlajuj Hotel to contest the aforementioned obstructive regulatory

environment. The hotel is designed as an experience that engages with the city through separate rooms located in selected sites across the city. It aims to provoke a dialogue between existing colonial architecture and the ancient Mayan culture that continues to enrich Guatemala. The design resists external influences like those imposed by the UN’s UNESCO council. These influences are interpreted as representing the oppressive imperialist actors that for centuries have, and in many ways still are, interfering with Guatemala’s economic, demographic and cultural development.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Basma Johar Jeddah: A City Lost and Reclaimed

JEDDAH IS A developing port city with a rich cultural history and heritage in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this thesis is to explore the intersection of heritage and the more recent market-driven phenomenon of city branding. After the oil boom in Saudi Arabia in 1930, Jeddah became a rapidly developing city which modernised at the expense of its historical parts. This led to a perceived loss of cultural identity. In 2016, the ‘2030 Vision’ was created to set out the long-term goals and expectations of the Kingdom and its capabilities. A key aim was to make Saudi Arabia an investment powerhouse and a global hub.

As its starting point, this thesis interprets the ‘Vision’ as one which compounds rather than addresses the loss of cultural identity. A key aim for the design was to explore, in a speculative manner, the potential of addressing both the 2030 Vision and the cultural and built heritage of Jeddah. In trying to find a balance between the global and the local, inevitable tensions arise. These tensions are the productive ground for an architecture and urbanism of simultaneity.

Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation) | MA Architecture

Dana Nasserâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Hope within Memory: Rebuilding Mosulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Identity

THE URBICIDE OVER the past three years witnessed in the city of Mosul has not only erased its urban fabric, but also attempted to erase individual and collective memory. The aim of this thesis is to establish a critical position towards normative approaches to post-conflict urban development that are based primarily on economic recovery. In an age of globalisation and private market-led reconstruction, the response often relies on imposed and imported generic models, with no account of local cultural realities. This approach does little to address issues of individual and collective trauma, and may lead to a long-term and unresolved sense of displacement.

The thesis investigates a more critical and sensitive methodology for post-war reconstruction and attempts to understand how architecture can help to sustain identity and the social reconstruction of divided societies. It further aims to challenge the phenomenon of exploitation in post-conflict societies and the social fragmentation that often arises as a result. The outcome is a speculative representation of the city as palimpsest, bringing together the everyday, the past, and conflict, to hint towards possible future paths for reconstruction.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Al Rehman 100: Choreographing Invisibility

In the streets we are no longer ourselves, in reality we advance toward getting to a component of the urban space. Though we are haunted by men in various instants, as a female walker we become watching substances, |de-sexed, ungendered.1

THE QUESTION OF the female walker in the city is not new. The journey of a woman through public space is not always a reflection of cultural identity, but could be seen to be a universal experience. 100: Choreographing Invisibility explores the invisible and visible aspects of a woman walking through the city. While the joy of walking belongs to all, the question of what precisely constitutes ‘walking’ is key. Further still, the way in which the experience of walking is influenced by, or inflected through, gender, requires on-going investigation.

This written thesis benefits from and engages with the British Feminist and Modernist author Virginia Woolf, who was mindful of the ways in which women apprehend spaces. In addition and supplementary to Woolf, the question of women walking through the city is approached through navigating the work of different writers and artists who have addressed the question through various contexts and frames. 1

E lkin, Lauren: Flâneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London (London: Chatto & Windus, 2016)

Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation) | MA Architecture

Karine Sylvestre Lorent Saenenâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Good Architecture

GOOD ARCHITECTURE IS a written thesis project about the meaning of architecture in the contemporary world. More specifically, this thesis explores whether it is possible to suggest that a work of architecture is objectively good. As its critical starting point, the thesis asks whether the way in which architecture is valued and validated through high profile awards is the only productive way in which architecture can be perceived and appreciated. The thesis is supported by site visits to carefully selected buildings and, using a methodology of engaging with

buildings which are informed by phenomenology, it aims to document the subjective experience of a building which includes its imaginative dimension before visiting it, as well as its role in personal memory afterwards. Following on from this, rigorous reflection on the visits attempts to explore alternative ways to value and understand buildings. Ultimately, Good Architecture asks: can this other way of valuing buildings lead to other methods of design?

MA Architecture | Research Lab 1 (Cultural Identity & Globalisation)

Maria Christina Skiada Layering Athens: Re-establishing the role of public space in Athens

THE DRIVING FORCE behind this thesis design project is the global crisis in the relation between public and private space. Using the Greek capital city to explore this crisis, the thesis design is sited in the ‘Commercial Triangle’ in contemporary Athens, which used to be the nucleus of public interaction in the city. Today, it is abandoned. The design is informed by the rich historical precedents of Ancient Greek culture in public space and, in contrast, the current impoverished state of Athens.

Given the scale and severity of the crisis, the design responds through a visionary project, which serves as a polemic. It indicates the use of multiple layers of public space above the existing fabric of the city. The overarching aim is to establish a new system of interconnected public spaces inspired by Greek cultural activities from the past, as well as contemporary performance art conceived for public space. The design is supported by an horizontal and vertical grid, accommodating programmes such as leisure, education, arts and politics.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Elmira Afshar The Dynamic Modulation of Light and Shadow

BOTH AS A practical question of environmental design and in terms of the spatial and aesthetic qualities of the building, controlling the way light enters a building has always been an important aspect of architectural design. Throughout history and in many different cultures, the shape and position of window openings and the use of devices such as coloured glass have helped to create compelling and beautiful effects of light and shadow. However, in contemporary architecture these qualities are seldom addressed and cast light and subtle shadows more often than not give way to

large areas of unmodulated glazing. Inspired by traditional architecture, such as the Nasīr al-Mulk mosque in Iran, and the innovative technological light-responsive façade of Jean Nouvel’s Insititute du Monde Arab in Paris, this project seeks to combine digital technology with the timeless qualities of filtered and reflected light. As an ongoing investigation the project employs dynamic computer controlled lightmodulators and to create responsive and artfully composed patterns of light and shade. As such, it aims to address both the aesthetic and the psychological effect of light.

Research Lab 2 (Digital Media) | MA Architecture

Linda Ferrari Instability and Movement in Architecture

FOR THE MOST part, buildings are designed to be stable. At an imperceptible level, however, all buildings move and flex – alive with responses to geological and environmental conditions. Only in dramatic events such as earthquakes do we become aware of the dynamic nature of the spaces we inhabit. This project is about exploring human sensation and the spatial experience of movement. Of particular interest was the work of Claude Parent and Paul Virilio with their ‘The function of the oblique’ published in 1966 and accompanied by the manifesto Architecture Principe. They proclaimed the end of the vertical and the horizontal in

favour of the oblique. The aim of their project was to create an architecture ’in motion’ that will force the body to adapt to instability. Inspired by their project and by the potential for instability in architecture, this thesis uses earthquakes as a condition and case study for the disorienting nature of movement. The methodology is based primarily on analysis of the event and later with the creation of different devices that can respectively record and reproduce movement data to simulate its effects.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Taraneh Joorabchianâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Adaptive Resonance

SENSORY EXPERIENCE INCORPORATES many different kinds of qualities. In architectural design, however, it is often primarily the visual appearance that takes precedence. Only when the space is specifically intended for a function such as a concert hall does acoustic performance become a consideration. This project explores the notion that acoustics can not only take a more significant role in design but also that, using digital technology, the physical properties that determine the acoustics of a space can be made adaptive and responsive to changing conditions. Inspired by the seventeenth century music rooms of the Ali Qapou in Iran, the use of hollow boxes that resonate with particular

frequencies has been investigated. Significantly these boxes not only allow the space to be acoustically tuned but also provide a rich and decorative sculptural surface. Initial studies tested the acoustic properties of different elements such as the materials used, the size of opening and the shape and size of the box. Using mechanisms that can dynamically adjust these properties in response to the sound environment, the resonance of the box can then be enhanced or supressed. In the final stages a more speculative investigation is made of the complex configurations made possible by multiplying the boxes to create larger sound-responsive surfaces.

Research Lab 2 (Digital Media) | MA Architecture

Massimo Melloniâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Optical and Digital Spaces

THE STUDY OF optics is essentially the science of light and its interactions with optical components such as lenses and mirrors. Devices such as these can divert the path along which the light travels, bending and distorting the images that it forms. By contrast, the digital image is defined by the storage and transmission of data. The original optical properties are translated into a set of information which must be reconstructed and translated back into tangible matter. This project hinges on these differences and on the use of optical images in an architectural context. A series of experiments test both optical properties but also the relations of images and space. From the beginning the project draws inspiration from examples of optical devices that have formed part of architectural projects â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including the light scoop that forms part of the Reichstag in Berlin or the periscope/camera obscura built into Le Corbusierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beistegui apartment in Paris. Speculating on the possibilities of an optical-digital equivalent, the inherently scaleless nature of the image is explored through a series of imagined architectural interventions. In each of these, the space-defining quality of the image is tested by utilising both the magic of the optical and the flexibility of the digital.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 2 (Digital Media)

Chinonso Ohanejeâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Reclaiming the Material Qualities of Architectural Drawing

SINCE ITS EARLY beginnings at MIT in the 1960s, Computer-Aided Design/Drafting has progressively taken over from hand drawing as the primary means of conveying architectural intention and ideas. In many aspects of practice, the computer has all but replaced the drawing board and the generative potential of computation has become an important part of design. But at a moment when the role of representational drawing itself is now being challenged by information-loaded computer models and simulations, this project takes a critical look at the nature of the computer drawing and asks what has been lost.

The investigation centres around the expressive qualities of the hand drawing and its material qualities. With the aim of reproducing these attributes in a series of digitally controlled drawing machines, the physical interaction of drawing tools and the drawing surface were at first analysed and recorded. Parameters such as angle, pressure, irregularity and surface texture were then tested through mechanical devices that could create the same effect. Alongside a more speculative investigation of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;computer visionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; this project seeks to salvage the qualities of hand-drawing while embracing the potential and benefits of computer technology.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Alisa Elenevskaya Myrtus Project: A Biomimetic Development for Central London

BIOMIMICRY IS A fast-developing sector in architecture which successfully mimics processes from the natural world for environmental architecture and can provide far better solutions than any other type of ecological approach. The goal of the ‘Myrtus’ project is to create a residential complex with a thriving market, cafe, greenhouse and algae farm for locals and transform the Park Crescent area in Central London. The name Myrtus comes from a plant that has many positive functions, such as antibacterial properties, being an air pollution purifier and oxygenator. Similarly, the project aims to provide a solution for neutralising the negative impact of one of the most polluted streets in Europe, as well as making the local ecosystem stronger by reinforcing the positive environmental effects of the Regent’s Park.

A series of technological solutions are combined to realise a close-loop biomimetic architecture. Some of the features of the project are: a biopolymer membrane on the facade; algae energy collectors and farms on the rooftops; and use of algae energy generators to supply electricity. Overall, the buildings aim not only to be self-sufficient, but also to contribute to the local sustainability. Moreover, a unique feature of the Myrtus Project is its ability to be adapted to other polluted areas in cities that require cleansing and rejuvenation.

Research Lab 3 (History & Theory) | MA Architecture

Freddie Geeâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Metropolitan Green Belt: A critical appraisal in relation to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing crisis

AS MANY IN the UK are acutely aware, the south-east of England is experiencing an increasingly fractious housing crisis. One contributing factor that has been attributed to this crisis is the Metropolitan Green Belt: a legacy of a planning policy instigated in the mid-20th century to restrict unplanned urban growth and retain a clear distinction between town and country. With this in mind, the thesis investigates whether it is time for the Metropolitan Green Belt to be reviewed and whether it could potentially help to alleviate the current housing crisis. The work is structured around four key issues: a survey of what the Green Belt is and how its historical evolution has

shaped the way we live and treat these protected spaces; a closer look at the various complexions of the Green Belt revealing the contentious debate surrounding this policy; the empirical study of a threatened site shows the potential ramifications that de-designating this land for housing might have and what this could represent in the wider context of the Green Belt; and finally an analysis into two of the most feasible and bipartisan solutions further provides a subjective conclusion to this thesis. Critically investigating these multifarious features has been crucial in attempting to seek a rational response towards one of this countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most concerning planning issues.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Alejandro Gutierrez Fabregatâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Samaritan Hospital for Women: Adaptive Re-use of an Abandoned Building

LONDON IS ONE of Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cities whose multiple historical layers overlap to create a unique city rich in history and heritage, but it has a problem almost as old as the city itself: the need for more housing across a range of tenures, most crucially for affordable housing. Opportunities lie within these layers, presenting a viable approach to easing the housing crisis through the re-use of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s abandoned buildings. The site chosen for the thesis is the Samaritan Hospital for Women, a late-Victorian red-brick building located in the City of Westminster. Built in 1889 to offer free medical care to women and children, the building was Grade II listed in

1987 and has been disused since 1997. Its philanthropic past and prime location make this a very interesting site to explore adaptive reuse methodologies. Drawing on a range of case studies of adaptive reuse, the thesis proposes an innovative intervention that harmoniously combines old and new architectural elements, responding to the history of the building. Five major interventions occurred in different periods, each added to satisfy the changing needs of the users at that time. Now, after twenty years of abandonment, another layer is required to prepare the building for the next chapter in its history, and to meet the demands of its imagined future users.

Research Lab 3 (History & Theory) | MA Architecture

Danai Ilyadu Rebirth from the Ruins

HOW CAN THE reuse of an abandoned building introduce new meanings while preserving the memory of its past? This design-based project is based on research into the cultural identity of Istanbul’s Greek community, which since the Byzantine Empire has been the largest minority group in the city. While exploring the community’s traces that still remain in Istanbul, I selected a culturally valued abandoned building, Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage, located on one of the Princes’ Islands near Istanbul, Büyükada, as my case study. My project explores how reuse can keep the memory of the building’s past identity while introducing new meanings and functions to the site and structure.

The driving force of my design research was a desire to make the local residents of Istanbul aware of the historical importance of the Greek community through its architecture. To save this structure and give it a new life was my second aim. By reusing parts of it, incorporating different activities, and preserving and valuing the most important elements of the structure as ruins, I tried to make people participate in a dialogue between past, present and future. The former Orphanage is turned into a global educational and cultural centre where visitors will be able to witness history in a place rich with new possibilities.

MA Architecture | Research Lab 3 (History & Theory)

Giulia Merlo Building the Museum Experience: The role of digital technologies inside art museums

THE DISSERTATION INVESTIGATES how digital technologies are changing the visitor’s experience of artworks in a museum context. Currently, various technologies are increasingly used in museums around the world, and the debate around their implications is wide open. Therefore, the thesis project set out to explore which digital technologies are applied in different museums, and how they affect the users’ interactions with display objects and spaces. Starting from the psychology of museum experience, the study shows that technology provides a new level of accessibility to museum contents that affects the experience

inside and outside its space. It also interrogates the limits of what can be conveyed through specific technologies and how they can be successfully adopted without detracting attention from the artworks themselves. A case study approach has been used to analyse in more detail the applications of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality inside two different museums. While the former seems to be largely adaptable to the museum experience, offering different solutions for a given space, the latter shows more limitations given the inherently subjective and individual nature of VR experience.

Research Lab 3 (History & Theory) | MA Architecture

Zahraa Shamkhi Healing through Architecture

RUNNING… RUNNING… RUNNING… We live in a world where we are always running from one place to another, even our thoughts are constantly running in our brain non-stop. Unfortunately, we never stop to help our brain relax and have a break, because there is no time. All this causes increasing mental health issues. Hence, my thesis seeks to find a way to give you and your brain a break by healing your stress and anxiety, except the aim is to do this whilst your running. The aim of this design research project will be achieved through an architectural installation that engages with our senses of hearing and touch.

The proposal is to use ‘binaural beat’, a specific character of sound, in a tunnel of King’s Cross underground station, which is known to be one of the busiest in London. The idea is to make commuters stop thinking of all their thoughts and problems and clear their mind, whilst making their journey through the tunnel. Commuters are made aware of the space through an immersive soundscape that is designed to reduce anxiety and momentarily enhance their wellbeing.

Masters | MA Interior Design

Dusan Decermic, Lara Rettondini (course leaders) Richard Difford, Filip Visnjic, Debby Kuypers, Joe King, Claire Richmond Dusan Decermic is an architect who engages with both theoretical and design practices in architecture and interior design. He set up his own practice, arclab, in 1999 and in his professional career he has worked with numerous clients, large and small, including the Royal National Theatre and fashion designer Issey Miyake. Lara Rettondini is a Senior Lecturer, architect, and co-director Studio X Design Group, a London-based practice specialised in architecture and interior design projects. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the recipient of the Westminster Teaching Excellence Award 2017.

MA Interior Design Students: Rija Ahmed, Raghad Alkhalifah, Sabrina Barber. Hui Gao, Ella Goodsell, Kerri McGonigle, Simrit Panaich, Radhi Soni, Yingying Tian

EMBRACING THE MATERIAL and intellectual complexities and contradictions magnified by the psychological agency inherent in the subject of interiority, our students, like wayfarers, are encouraged to trace their own paths through this ever changing palimpsest-like topography, unearthing traces of history over and through which they weave in active, contemporary practices. Site visits to abandoned buildings and places, devoid of any tangible use or potential future, are seen with fresh eyes and for us become environments full of new promise. Interiors are elusive by nature, conspiratorial and inviting, dark, brooding, but also strangely alluring. This new territory, for too long ignored by more established disciplines, is rightfully taking it’s place of engagement with serious academic study and investigation. Academically young at heart but seasoned in practice, the MA Interior Design programme is poised to deliver new and exciting avenues of creative engagement. As a reflective example bearing these complexities, The Interior modules Retail and Decoding are set up in this context and seen as both antagonists and attractors, offering professional, vocational action, and active intellectual reaction.

Guest Critics: Carly Sweeney (Universal Design Studio), Ian Chalk (Ian Chalk Architects), Tomasz Fiszer (MJP Architects), Eva Sopeoglou 30

Our thesis projects are exemplars of these manifold concerns, embracing ambitious conceptual strategies but also striving for delicate, intricate material renderings. As the static, indulgent ‘expert’ gaze is being augmented and supplanted by the contemporary democratic idiom of the omnipresent cinematic ‘measuring’ of time and space, the course is pedagogically engaged through film and animation components of the Case Study and Introduction to Design Computing modules. A matrix of diverse modules is aimed to challenge students to strive for a rich, mature synthesis of these components, a process aimed for successful navigation through the complex, globalised world.

Special Thanks: Claire Richmond (with the generous support of Gensler & Associates) for sharing experience, knowledge and time

Masters | MA Interior Design

Raghad Alkhalifahâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Universal Mobile Walls

SCHOOLS PLAY AN important role in expanding our outlook and can also affect our self-esteem, performance and friendships â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which in turn shape us into who we will become. Every pupil has the right to a good education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a basic responsibility for any government throughout the world. However, the Saudi Arabian education system, specifically, kindergarten (age 3 to 5) does not support this. Children have to follow a regime, limiting their creativity and freedom, and thus preventing them from expanding his/her skills or hobbies. This project explores the Montessori pedagogy by Dr Maria Montessori as a solution to be applied to the Saudi

Arabian kindergarten curriculum. The Montessori approach gives children freedom but at the same time helps them adapt to society. This happens through the well-considered environment of movement and order which guides children in their development. As a template to be adjusted, a typical primary school has been chosen in order to apply advanced teaching and social tools in the form of newly designed fittings and furniture. The progression of infants through the years is reflected in ever-increasing complexity of internal design, from size, shape, texture and colour, all finely tuned to aid the Montessori teaching method.

MA Interior Design | Masters

Sabrina Barberâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Fitness Playground

OBESITY IN THE UK has been branded at epidemic levels, and is affecting both women and men. What is now more worryingly is that it is also affecting the younger generation, the future of our society. This thesis asks if interiors can influence the obesity crisis? Can architecture reveal the real architecture of the body? And if so, how can it be fun? In order to step away from the normative gym scenario, a new type of activity centre was proposed, including elements we find in daily life like ramps and stairs. Could these archetypes become more than just

circulation devices? The proposal is an holistic solution that puts in measures for prevention as well as being beneficial for existing sufferers. The research areas that were explored in order to develop the project were sports science, government-funded treatments, culture, nutrition, body analysis, and education. For interactive body analysis, as an obese 33-year-old female, I have put myself through an NHS weight-loss scheme, comparing current ideas with the history of weight-loss and how it is perceived in society.

Masters | MA Interior Design

Kerri McGonigleâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Sustaining Craft Education

THIS THESIS AIMS to discover and imagine a new space to keep the skills of craft dynamic and imperative for the future. Craft and making are vital to society, culture, and the economy. London is a hub for emerging artists seeking to work amongst vibrant and multi-cultured communities. With high rental prices, artists are being priced out of London, thus taking their talent elsewhere. This thesis proposes a sustainable craft school which is modelled on apprenticeships as an affordable option for young people to study and practice. The thesis suggests a scenario of an art school as an open system, one which invites opportunity and innovation: a key element of local community and social interaction and support. Researching the relevant political, financial, and

educational issues which the craft sector faces, the thesis aims to design a programme which encourages cross-fertilisation of art disciplines, education and a sense of community, by inviting the public to view the interior working of the arts. The thesis site is located in the vibrant and growing Granary Square, London, inside the Victorian building that is home to the University of Arts London, Central St Martins. The interior flow and circulation of such a school is modelled on the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s busy, crisscrossed paths and streets, encouraging chance encounters and collaboration between the arts. Educational facilitates such as the textile gardens in the textile district will grow plant-based fibres and natural dyes for the artists to utilise and look after to form a sense of community and knowledge of the origins of textiles.

MA Interior Design | Masters

Simrit Panaichâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Thresholds of Significance

DEMENTIA IS CURRENTLY the leading cause of death in the UK with roughly 800,000 people diagnosed, a figure that is only set to rise. Care homes in the UK are primarily set to tackle the general ageing population with limited or institutional facilities for those suffering from dementia. Adequate support and care for people with the disease is one of the major challenges facing the health sector. Dementia changes the way the brain perceives the world where one slowly loses themselves and their identities. It is an umbrella term for many different illnesses; the most common form of dementia is Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. I wanted to explore the design of a care home specific to the needs of

dementia patients through my thesis. My research exposed the importance of nature within healthcare and creating a mentally stimulating yet peaceful environment. My proposal directly responds to the deteriorating stages of the disease; accommodating a day care which engages with the wider community and three private residential clusters to negate any feeling of a larger institutional facility, allowing users to retain their dignity and independence for as long as possible. As one transitions deeper into the site, the levels of porosity and public engagement decreases in direct correlation to the final stages of the disease, allowing for a more sheltered and protected environment.

Masters | MA Interior Design

Radhi Soniâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Prithvi Theatre Gallery

THIS PROJECT PROPOSES an art gallery in Mumbai, India, that aims to not only bring international and local artists together to exhibit their work, but also gives several young artists a chance to have an impact on the visitors by narrating a story through their artwork. This building is currently a local performing arts theatre. The new scheme uses colour and light that fade out as one enters from the street into the building. The circulation helps to smooth the transition between spaces and also narrates a story of changing light and interior texture to the visitors. Starting from the bright lobby with sunlight hitting the glass

faĂ§ade and forming harsh shadows and textures, when one walks past the lobby and enters the exhibitions spaces, the viewers realise a sudden drop in light, texture and noise levels. They go through extreme dramatic transitions in light levels and its intensity. As they move past this gallery and walk into the gallery on the lower floor, they experience a shocking contrast in the light levels and colours as this space is extremely dark with limited yet powerful artificial light sources, contradicting with the gallery on the top floor. This dramatic experience will hopefully stand out from the usual museum/gallery experience, reflecting the energy and youth of showcased artists.

MA Interior Design | Masters

Yingying Tian Stacking House – An Innovative Nursery Complex

CURRENTLY THERE IS a shortage of pre-school places in the UK. The child-minder is the key to dealing with this problem, however setting up a child-minding business is difficult. At the same time, many high street shops are closing, leaving communities diminished, which creates an opportunity for other socially-engaged programmes to be proposed. The aim of this project is to propose a design solution to the shortage of nurseries whilst dealing with high street property vacancies and strengthening communities. My thesis aims to develop a nursery complex inclusive of a business model based on a small budget. Sensitivity to space and materials are to be strongly considered for a cohesive complex. The materials should also aid installation as well

as removal and costs by introducing a system with three design components. This flexible system can be used at any suitable vacant retail unit. The design principle uses a three-layer concept of ‘landscape’, ‘interior’ and ‘the city’ to underpin the interiors’ material articulation. The business model addresses start-ups as a core for community foundation to replace ailing businesses on the high street. A public café is integral to the scheme linking all users of the building together whilst also providing income revenue, helping to fund community events, which can be held in the internal exhibition spaces and external spaces of the building.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Rosa Schiano-Phan (course leader), Colin Gleeson, Nasser Golzari, Jon Goodbun, Benson Lau, Juan Vallejo, Zhenzhou Weng Rosa Schiano-Phan has extensive experience in the field of environmental design devoting most of her career to consultancy and research. She is co-director of Natural Cooling Limited and co-author of The Architecture & Engineering of Downdraught Cooling, published in 2010. Nasser Golzari is an award-winning practicing architect and academic. With partner Yara Sharif, Golzariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architecture practice NG Architects blurs the boundary between practice and research, viewing design as a tool to facilitate and create resilient communities within contested geographies.

MSc Architecture and Environmental Design Full time students: Hussam Alnahdi, Claudia Danon, Hassan Jafri, Oguz Kablan, Jinhyo Lee, Hadeel Mohamed, Daniela Park, Karan Patel, Deependra Pourel, Sanjog Shrestha, Peng Tan, Bernadette Widjaja, Kristel Zarate-Leon

Part-time students: Cecilia Araujo-Santos, Urszula Bajcer, Marta Frascoli, Andrzej Kukla, Daniel Owen

THE ARCHITECTURE AND Environmental Design MSc responds to the needs of current and future professionals for a deeper understanding of the principles of environmental design, and their effective application into architectural practice worldwide. The course reacts to recent developments in the discipline, responding to new research and experimentation, addressing the lack of environmental criteria in the creative design process and of comprehensive performance prediction and feedback protocols. Students gain the knowledge and tools to make informed design decisions based on postoccupancy feedback and performance analysis, towards a new paradigm of environmental architecture, which is environmentally and energy conscious, yet sensitive to the contextual and socio-cultural landscape we live in. The course teaches environmental design methods which relate to the various stages of architectural design, enabling the evaluation of existing buildings and the

design of new ones following a combined bioclimatic and building user focused approach. The core design modules follow an evidence based approach where the acquisition of specialised software and analytical tools are directly applied to an evaluation and a design project. The course is interdisciplinary and international providing the skills that can be applied to diverse building typologies and global climatic, environmental and contextual issues. The modules focus on the understanding of the principles and methodology of environmental design and on the development of critical thinking to challenge established practices, positively driving change towards a better and sustainable future

Special Thanks: Klaus Bode (Chapman+BDSP), Kevin Burchell (PSI), Meytal Ben Dayan (Architype), Guest Critics: Camilo Diaz (WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff ), Christian Dimbleby (Architype), Joana Goncalves Joana Goncalves (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil), (University of Sao Paulo, Brazil), Catherine Harrington (Architype), Maria-Lida Kou (Arup), Catherine Harrington (Architype), Anna Kerrane (Architype), Tony Lloyd-Jones, Phil McIlwain (Westminster Council), Fergus Nicol (Oxford Brookes), Sharmeen Khan, Maria-Lida Kou (Arup), Vera Sarioglu (Arup), Matas Olendra (FabLab),Vera Sarioglu (Arup), David Scott (FabLab), Zoe Shattock (Waverley Borough Council), Ben Shaw (PSI), Krista Zvirgzda (FabLab) Luisa Scambia (WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff ) 38

) Kristel Zarate Leon: Urban Farming Facilities in Sao Paulo

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Hussam Alnahdi Environmental Evaluation of the traditional buildings of Shibam

HADRAMAUT, A FAMOUS valley positioned on the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, is a historical area of cultural significance which played a major role in shaping our modern world in relation to religion, mythology, Arabian culture and specifically architecture. The region’s architectural significance is evidenced in the beautiful earth buildings and dense conurbation of its towns and villages that respond very well to the harsh desert climate. Early examples of earth multi-storey buildings in the town of Shibam deal with the hot and dry climate, incorporating

bioclimatic strategies from the urban scale to the detailing of the individual building elements. The current study aims to unpick the various strategies, quantifying the architectural and environmental qualities of this Unesco listed heritage site, and to question the potential of the traditional bioclimatic strategies to provide comfort to Shibam’s 21st century inhabitants. The research highlighted the considerable potential of the traditional design to provide improved thermal and visual comfort conditions in the earth construction residential buildings.

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Urszula Bajcer ‘Green Pockets’ as Microclimate Modifiers in the UK Urban Schools

THE RAPID DENSIFICATION of many UK cities poses significant pressure on the design of schools within inner city centres. London’s air quality has been associated with increased mortality, and pollution and noise levels have exceeded acceptable standards. As a consequence, most schools are mechanically ventilated and have little or no contact with the outdoors, with detrimental effects for the physical and mental development of students. This study investigates the possibility of improving the design of usually neglected and underexploited outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces within urban learning environments in order to convert these spaces into microclimatic modifiers and natural air filters. The study was based on field work,

analytic work and design studies on a case study project for a secondary school in a high density site in London. This is a collaborative thesis project conducted with Architype architects, who shared our interest in the environmental potential of outdoor and semi-outdoor spaces within schools. The research focused on the integration of green spaces into three different environments: outdoor courtyard, semi-outdoor break-out space, and indoor classroom. The findings of the analysis and design implementations indicate that the positive microclimatic effect of the green courtyard can be successfully used to achieve thermal comfort in semi-outdoor and indoor spaces throughout the year while improving visual comfort and air quality.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Claudia Danon Daylight Subjective Analysis in Paddington and St Pancras International Train Stations

THE SCIENTIFIC NEED for daylight and its effects on space have been widely studied; however, its subjective – pragmatic and poetic – responses, regarding how we feel in a space and why, has been much less explored. Daylight can perform in intriguing ways; shaping and enhancing architectural spaces, becoming part of its identity, impacting the wellbeing and mood of its users, underpinned by human patterns of psychological responses to the immediate environment. This work studies the effect of natural light as a shaping element in two iconic transport hubs in London: St Pancras

International (1868, refurbished in 2007) and Paddington Train Station (1854); designed with different agenda, celebrating new technologies of iron and glass with different architectural solutions; but with the same intention of bringing plenty of daylight into their boarding areas. Both train stations were carefully analysed within an open-ended approach, allowing unexpected outcomes to steer the focus of the research question, which suits its subjective nature, to investigate why, when given the choice, one space may be chosen rather than the other: Is it for the daylight, economics, provision or other subjective aspects?

Paddington Station glass roof

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Marta Frascoliâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Architecture for Urban Quality Enhancement: Retrofitting, Reuse and Re-integration of a Marta Frascoli Neglected Area in Malnate in the Urban Context

ITALY IS A country known for its rich architectural history and its architectural and urban spaces. Nowadays, there are many ancient and historical buildings which still stand on its territory. Italian architecture often evokes thoughts of the more famous structures, disregarding the large quantity of buildings constructed in more recent centuries that are nonetheless historical. However, the economic crisis, influencing peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial ability, the rise in the cost of fuel, and the change in lifestyle have left many historical and heritage buildings abandoned and left to decay. In addition, the majority of new buildings are not environmentally efficient or responsive and little has been done to upgrade and retrofit historic buildings. This project addresses the urgent need to develop environmentally responsive designs for new buildings and bring traditional buildings back to life. With appropriate environmental retrofit strategies which reduces the use of fuel, and promoting the use of local and natural resources, they can set an example for current and future buildings schemes. The final outcome serves as an example to local authorities and architects for simple, affordable strategies for new buildings whilst also preserving the archaeological heritage by re-integrating old buildings in the urban context and modern life-style.

La Focale/Marta Frascoli: Space between

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Syed Hassan Amir Jafriâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Environmental Performance of Industrial Buildings in Pakistan

PAKISTAN HAS WITNESSED an average economic growth of 4% in the past years. The contribution of Lahore to the national economy is considerable and mainly relies on the rapid increase of manufacturing and service industries. Despite the industrial growth, Lahore has also experienced an increase in AC demand and artificial means of cooling, such as mechanical ventilation. Moreover, limitations to supply the demand of electricity in the country have led to harsh working environments and to an unsustainable industrial model. This thesis investigates the current working environment of a shoe factory in Lahore (Pakistan), and explores the

integration of passive strategies in a proposed design for a new facility. To achieve this, interviews and questionnaires were conducted with the people working in the existing facilities, along with on-site measurements to determine air and surface temperature levels reached during the working hours. Moreover, software simulation tools allowed to test multiple design proposals and informed with the increase in visual and thermal comfort achieved (while minimising cooling demand) in the production halls, where the majority of the labor is working. The final outcome of this research aims to set a precedent for future projects in this sector under similar climatic conditions.

(left) Shoe Factory Production Hall, Lahore (Pakistan); (right) Bioclimatic Section of the Proposed Production Hall

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Oguz Kablan Poetics of Light in the Mosque

ARCHITECTURE AND LIGHT interact and offer unique spatial and environmental delight. Although the key function of light is to provide illumination, light also carries meanings. This is particularly significant in religious buildings where sacred ambience is created by light. Without doubt, mosques are the most important buildings in Islamic architecture, and the use of daylight in the mosques is unique and the luminous environment is different from other religious buildings. The aim of this study is to explore the light in the Mosque with a special focus on how the religious belief and practice

are enhanced by the interplay of form, space and light through field work and theoretical analysis. The luminous environments in two selected Mosques with distinctively different geographical contexts – one in Istanbul, Turkey, and one in London, UK – were investigated by personal visits and on-site monitoring. The preliminary research findings indicate dynamic change of luminosity through the spatial journeys between the outside and inside of the Mosques and the homogeneously lit internal environments enrich the spiritually calming atmosphere required for praying.

Luminance mapping for Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul and London Central Mosque

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Jinhyo Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x192; An Environmental Design Approach to Mixed-Use Building Design in Korea

AS THE ISSUES of climate change and energy depletion become more emphasised, international efforts to establish sustainable development are taking place in many aspects. In South Korea, the new government embarked in 2017 to phase out nuclear power generation, which accounts for 25% of the total energy supply, in response to the case of Japan and the number and intensity of recent earthquakes. This is expected to elevate the energy crisis especially during the hot summers. This project aims to exemplify how an environmentally conscious approach can help reduce energy demand and

provide high quality spaces, through the design of a mixeduse building of office, gallery and apartment in Busan. Solar control, daylighting and natural ventilation are implemented to minimise the cooling demand, which consumes 40% of the building energy in Busan. Field study and various analyses and visualisations were carried out to shape the building, one that features a zig-zag faĂ§ade and interspersed balconies. The project will actually be built following the thesis and its performance will be monitored to verify the effectiveness of this approach.

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Hadeel Mohamed Design Strategies for Sustainable Urban Microclimate in Refugees’ Camps, Jordan

REFUGEE CAMPS AROUND the world host displaced people who suffered from armed conflicts and have been forced to emigrate. The shelter units and urban fabric of refugee camps are designed to be temporary but the average stay last generations, producing a devastating environmental impact and overcrowded settlements. Refugees in ‘Zaatari’ camp, Jordan, also suffer the harsh weather conditions of the Jordanian desert, aggravating the thermal stress of refugees in both indoor and outdoor areas. The shelters are scattered and distributed randomly on site, only responding to refugees’ social needs with no consideration of spacing, orientation and privacy. The random distribution resulted in compact layouts lacking quality shelter and unhygienic conditions. Moreover, outdoor spaces suffer from high exposure to solar radiation, poor ventilation and air movement between caravan units.

This research aims to improve the living conditions of the refugees through a series of interventions to the outdoor space and urban layout using the available resources. Dynamic thermal simulations show how carefully considered orientation, space between units, surface reflectance and shading from recyclable tents can potentially produce a ten degree physiological temperature reduction in the outdoor space. Furthermore, air movement between units was increased by maximising thermal differential pressures between shaded and unshaded areas. The enhanced outdoor areas become an extension of the shelter units, which also benefit from a better indoor air quality and improved thermal comfort conditions due to the exchange of heat with the outdoor microclimate.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Daniel Owen Learning Environments – Guidelines for Secondary School Environmental Design in the UK

THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS of schools are particularly important to the well-being and productivity of both students and staff (Salford, 2016). By understanding how design decisions affect the environmental qualities of classrooms such as thermal comfort, daylighting and ventilation, wellbeing and productivity can be improved. 500,000 new schools places are needed by 2021, with 2,000 new schools planned by 2020 in the UK, the majority of which will be state funded (Forth & Clare, 2016). At present little data has been collected on post-occupancy performance within standardised EFA (Education Funding Authority) Secondary School buildings in the UK, due to the infancy of the scheme. This research holistically evaluates the design and performance of classrooms built to EFA guidelines in terms of thermal and visual comfort and proposes improvements, whilst highlighting areas that add the most value. Results of the research present passive approaches to improve comfort and environmental performance, allowing designers to better understand how design decisions can affect the productivity and well being of both staff and students who use these buildings.

Improved Classroom Ventilation – CFD Simulation

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Daniela Park Localised Thermal Comfort in Learning Environments

HALF OF THE total energy consumed in European buildings is spent on maintaining thermally comfortable environments. Creating artificially conditioned indoor environments contributes to climate change due to the employment of fossil energy and harmful refrigeration processes. The situation is worsened by the overuse of these systems for heating and cooling unnecessary and unoccupied spaces. Based on this concern and on the assumption that every human being has different preferences regarding thermal comfort, the present research was developed to demonstrate that tailored heating and cooling strategies are more advantageous compared to general systems. Recent research on adaptive comfort and localised stimulus

Thermal Imaging of Study Station

indicated that this approach works more efficiently and provides energy savings maintaining the same level of thermal comfort. The current study was developed in collaboration with ARUP and based on the ‘Internet of Things’ desk concept, a smart desk able to detect the occupant’s comfort preferences. Based on this starting point, different options for the design integration of localised comfort strategies within the microenvironment of the desk were developed and analysed. The study revealed considerable improvement in localised comfort whilst reducing the overall energy demand of the space.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Karan Patelâ&#x20AC;&#x192; (Re)imagine Housing in Morbi: In Existing Built Environments

THIS THESIS IS a critical study of current housing quality in the industrial city of Morbi in Gujarat, India, which faces rapid housing development with highly compacted, poor environmental qualities and social provisions. The regional development rules and regulations have become mere points to sugar-coat or falsely influence the strict building approval purposes. The main reason behind this exploitation is mostly financial gain and maximising landbuild by private developers. What eventually gets built is far from complying with regulations or providing liveable space standards. Extremely poor light and ventilation creates higher demand on artificial lighting and mechanical means including air conditioning.

The aim of the project is to explore possibilities of different design options, working with existing structures, by re-arranging units or re-configuring the blocks to improve environmental conditions in terms of: light, ventilation, thermal comfort, privacy and social spaces. In addition, the project develops a creative approach, a green screen, to address the urgent issue of air quality, combatting excessive pollution and dust which are common problems in industrial cities around the world. The project has also developed design guidelines for intervention in existing or new housing and its built environment.

Visual representation and sectional view

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Deependra Pourelâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Multi-Criteria Optimisation for Better Indoor Environments in UK Homes

THE DESIGN OF more comfortable and energy efficient indoor environments can be achieved only when thermal comfort, daylighting and ventilation are considered simultaneously. In dwellings in the UK, through the enforcement of Part L1A of the Building Regulations, the fabric performance is regulated while the other parameters are attended to only at planning stage. This collaborative research with WSP UK explored the implication and outcome of simultaneous compliance and multi-criteria optimisation in the design of mid-rise apartment blocks.

Relative distribution of results on eight cardinal directions

The outcome of the research is a set of guidelines derived from the results generated by a dynamic and integrated script developed to assess daylight, sunlight hours, overshadowing, thermal load, energy gains and losses, and overheating risk. Single aspect apartments were evaluated to arrive at best-fit ranges in terms of window-to-floor ratio for thermal comfort, window-towall ratio for daylight, and effective aperture opening size for ventilation. The guidelines, and the research tool developed, aim to help designers make better informed design decisions and appreciate the trade-offs between daylighting, heating demand and ventilation.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Sanjog Shresthaâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Designing an Energy Efficient Hotel in Nepal

BUILDINGS ACCOUNT FOR 20-40% of the total energy consumption in developed countries, and the use of certain fossil fuels can aggravate the equivalent CO2 emissions from this sector. This is particularly evident in Nepal, and more specifically in hotel buildings, being a fundamental part of the tourism sector in the country and estimated to contribute 5% of the total emissions. This thesis argues that there is high potential for reducing operating CO2 emissions of existing hotels in Pokhara, Nepal,

and provides a theoretical basis for the practical design of a built environment for eco-tourism. This thesis takes as reference one of the leading resorts in the area to develop a research-led design project that proves orientation, space layout, natural ventilation and user behaviour can reduce up to 3 tonnes of CO2 per year. The design proposal aims to set a precedent for similar industries to follow with the inclusion of best-suited passive design strategies in architecture.

Bioclimatic diagram

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Tan Hui Pengâ&#x20AC;&#x192; An Environmental Design Approach to Nursing Homes in Penang

IN THE AGE of globalisation, younger generations keep up tirelessly with fast pace living but at the expense of the older generations who can be neglected and age away quietly. This has led to nursing homes becoming the answer to their remaining days. The business opportunities of this sector have resulted in the sprawling of nursing homes in Penang. The well-conditioned were built and advertised with shocking price-tags, while the affordable are generally in poor conditions. Those who cannot afford may end up abandoned on the streets.

According to literature, the funds of nursing homes spent on buildings largely went to redundant and irrational designs and operating energy intensive systems, rather than being used to improve the quality of living of patients and staff. This thesis aims to design an energy efficient and economical nursing home for the hot and humid climate. Research was conducted on inviting more daylight into the space, ventilating away stale air locally and zoning the rooms to improve circulation and encourage activities and interactions. This will be a nursing home that puts people ahead of profit and make the elderlyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last days shine.

Masters | MSc Architectural and Environmental Design

Bernadette Widjajaâ&#x20AC;&#x192; A Sustainable Urban Housing Design Guide Inspired by Vernacular Javanese Architecture

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE IN Indonesia has gone through a vast transformation, in its styles and construction techniques following modernisation and the changes in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyles, especially in the urban areas. However, the contemporary designs have largely overlooked the hot and humid climate, and led to energy intensive living reliant on mechanical cooling and lighting, which has also resulted in tremendous carbon emissions. According to the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website of energy and mineral resources of the Republic of Indonesia, the total energy consumption in Indonesia was 195 billion kWh in 2016 with CO2 emissions of 442 Mt.

This project aims to draw wisdom from vernacular architecture, learning the passive environmental strategies for ventilation, daylighting and thermal modulation, and adapt them to formulate design guidelines applicable to the modern urban context of Indonesia. The vernacular houses were studied through fieldwork and simulation analyses to understand how they provide comfort and adaptive environments. The key parameters were identified to propose one sustainable architecture inherited from the past but reborn with a form, layout and materials for the new era.

Bringing the vernacular to a modern urban context

MSc Architectural and Environmental Design | Masters

Kristel Zarate Leon Daylight and Thermal Requirements for Better Performance Kristel Zarate Leon in New High-Rise Dwellings in the UK

DAYLIGHT AND SUNLIGHT levels play an important role in the design process and performance assessment of buildings, and can considerably improve the wellbeing of residents while minimising energy costs. This research questions how daylight and sunlight can be balanced to solve overheating problems in high-rise residential buildings and how to maximise the wellbeing of residents from early stages of the design process, following overheating assessments and Part L of the UK Building Regulations. This investigation, undertaken in collaboration with WSP UK Ltd, developed guidelines applicable to compact high-

Façade solar analysis of a rectangular block

rise buildings in London. The methodology assumes two scenarios of its possible growth. Computational simulations and manual calculations were employed to analyse different orientations for a typical tower block. The objective of the study was to find a balance between daylight and thermal performance for different orientations in order to address challenging visual and thermal requirements early in the design stage of new projects. Overall, the research exemplifies, in design guidelines, different scenarios to find a balance between lack of sunlight levels in winter and excess heat gains in summer, in order to minimise energy consumption and maximise comfort.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Tony Lloyd-Jones (Course Leader), Robin Crompton, Bill Erickson, Ripin Kalra, Krystallia Kamvasinou, David Mathewson, David Seex, Johan Woltjer Tony Lloyd-Jones is a Reader and Course Leader in the MAIPSD. He is also Director of Research and Consultancy at the Max Lock Centre international development research unit. Krystallia Kamvasinou is a Senior Lecturer and an architect and landscape architect. She has published widely and is an active researcher having completed most recently a Leverhulme Fellowship on ‘Interim Spaces and Creative Use’. Johan Woltjer is Professor of Urban Infrastructures and Head of Department of Planning & Transport. His research focuses on institutional innovations for urban regions and the role of sustainable governance, urban geographies and policy evaluation in Europe and Asia.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development Students: Isabella Beatrix, Jenna Boreham, Colin Chan, Alishia Conteh, Simon Dunn-Lwin, Rosie Evans, Reasat Faisal, Jianing Fu, Oli Haydon, Thalita Hiramsyah, Farhana Hussain, Harpreet Johal, Pamela Longhurst-Pierce,

Nachi Majoe, Zakera Matin, Siri Montague, Melina Nacke, Paola Pinzon, Gaetano Roffi, Afua Sagoe

THE COURSE EXPLORES contemporary theories, public policy and practice in planning for sustainable 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 challenges, reflected in the student project work illustrated here.

The course is aimed at built environment professionals and others with a relevant disciplinary background that wish to pursue a planning or development-related career in the UK and/or international practice. The course is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda and we are a Habitat Partner University, with several students that have worked as interns with UN-HABITAT.

There are two pathways through the course. The Spatial Planning Pathway has a strong urban design component and an emphasis on development planning. The Urban Resilience Pathway provides a sustainable developmentfocused route with a core emphasis on climate change risks and adaptation planning.

The course is aimed at full-time international, UK and EU students, but it is also open to part-time UK-based students who want to explore an international development planning career pathway. The MA course is fully accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as a ‘combined planning programme’.

Guest Critics: Darshana Chauhan, Martyn Clark (Tripleline), Professor Ian Davis, Tim Edmundson, Professor Simon Joss, Dr Sebastian Loew, Professor Circe Monteiro (UFPE, Brazil), Professor Michael Mutter, Professor Peter Newman, Geoff Payne (Geoffrey Payne Associates), Federico Redin, Robert Sadlier, David Seex 56

Special Thanks: Dr Judith Allen, Duncan Bowie, Professor Marion Roberts, Dr Tony Manzi, Professor Nick Bailey, Professor Fred Steward, Dr Isis Nunez Ferrara, Dr Phu Phong, Professor Pat Wakely (DPU Associates), Dr Camillo Boano (DPU/UCL) Professor Ya Ping Wang (University of Glasgow), Sara Hafeez

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Isabella Beatrix Assessing Integrated Child-Friendly Public Space at Local Level: Isabella Beatrix Towards Planning a Child-Friendly Capital City in Jakarta

JAKARTA, AS THE capital city of Indonesia, continues to experience extensive growth. Rapid urbanisation resulting in agglomeration has created several problems in the urban fabric, public space being one of them. There has been an alarming level of decline in urban green space. Since Jakarta’s independence, the amount of open green space has been reduced to less than 10% of its total area. Privatisation of land, both formal and informal, is the main contributor to the problem. In response, Jakarta’s municipality has created a new policy in the past couple of years, driven by a strong planning programme supported by the Governor. The programme ‘Integrated Child-Friendly Public Space’ (Ruang Publik Terpadu Ramah Anak – RPTRA) is still ongoing today. Though reliant on community participation, there has been minimum publicity of the policy and understanding of its potential impact on the citizens of Jakarta. This is reflected in the low satisfaction level of children and young adults in general, despite the fact that RPTRA pilot projects have been assessed as providing good value based on the study conducted to evaluate their play spaces.

Distribution of RPTRAs in Jakarta as they relate to variations in population density

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Colin Chanâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Reclaiming Our Streets: Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Teardown Movement

THE WORLD IS becoming more urbanised and with a growing population, cities must be ready and able to accommodate this. There are many current theories on sustainable urban growth including the compact city, the smart city, and the eco city models.

This dissertation looks into the history of roads in the US and specific case studies, past and present, to see if the rest of the world can learn from Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teardown movement.

In the US, there are a growing number of teardowns: the removal of city highways. This trend presents a unique opportunity for innovation by unlocking a significant amount of land for development but alludes to a changing attitude towards sustainable transportation.

U.S. Department of Transportation: The National System of Interstate and Defense Highways

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Alishia Conteh The Potential Contribution of Solar Energy to Alishia Conteh

Urban and Rural Development in Sierra Leone

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS becoming vital for sustainable development to improve living standards in developing countries, where there is substantial poverty and lack of employment opportunities. In this context, there are three major areas of renewable energy provision: air and water heating/cooling; transportation; and electricity generation. Power supply is probably the most important including offgrid energy services in rural areas. Around 1.6 billion people, approximately one quarter of the world’s population, are living without electricity. While rural areas, in particular, are facing energy problems, urban areas are also suffering from major deficiencies in the power supply.

As one of the poorest countries in the world, Sierra Leone needs to invest in its infrastructure to facilitate development with power supply as a priority. The study looks at how these issues can be addressed through provision of modern forms of renewable energy, in particular solar energy, to improve living conditions for the people and reduce poverty in the country. The project explains the potential role and benefits of solar energy in addressing development issues in Sierra Leone’s rural and urban areas by considering the experiences of other African countries.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Simon Dunn-Lwinâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Myanmar

ON 2ND MAY 2008, the largest natural disaster in Burmese recorded history struck the country. Cyclone Nargis, registering category 4 with wind speeds of 215kph (135mph), made landfall in lower Myanmar, south west of Yangon. Within two days the storm had dissipated to the Thai border, leaving 138,000 dead and over 3 million homeless. Storm surges up to 9m high were reported in the low-lying delta region that bore the brunt of the impact. Small towns and fishing villages along the coast, where people lived in small timber and straw houses, were unprepared.

This study aims to understand Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Myanmar, before and after-Nargis. It explores the development of DRR in the context of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, and implications for its successor, the Sendai Framework for DRR (SFDRR) 2015-2030. The study finds that significant efforts have been made since the tipping point of Nargis to accelerate DRR and provide a yet untested robust HFA/SFDRR framework. But the country is still emerging from decades of isolation in the geo-political arena, with many challenges ahead.

ÂŠ Neryl Lewis, RRT, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia: Myanmar Delta

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Rosie Evansâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Ecological Determinants in Vector-borne Disease Transmission from Natural to Urban Environments

IN RECENT YEARS we have globally seen a decline in malaria, but other vector-borne diseases have seen a resurgence. Increasing international travel, deforestation and poor land planning and management have exasperated the problem. Furthermore, international efforts to control mosquito populations and eradicate diseases have focused mostly on insecticide or genetic manipulation approaches which may be jeopardised by conflict, natural disaster, or economic failures.

Dengue fever accounts for a significant burden of all vectorborne disease; with outbreaks in over 100 countries, around 390 million infections per year and 2.5 billion people at risk of infection. There is no cure or vaccine for dengue.

Vector-borne diseases account for 17% of all infectious diseases, around 1 million deaths per year are caused by vector-borne diseases. This places an often overwhelming burden on local health systems, frequently in areas with limited resources and existing socioeconomic problems.

This study takes an ecological approach to explore the jungle to urban transmission of dengue.

Growing jungle to urban transmission of dengue, autochthonous transmission in previously unaffected areas, and changes in climate and environments generate opportunities for epidemics.

Virus cycles of Dengue and Yellow Fever in Tropical and subtripicalareas

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Reasat Faisal Enhancing Built Environment Conditions within the Readymade Garment (RMG) Reasat Faisal Sector in Bangladesh Including Planning Considerations

THE READYMADE GARMENTS (RMG) sector of Bangladesh is very important because it reflects the achievements of the country in terms of its bulk contribution in the GDP. But recent unfortunate accidents with high death tolls and injuries of the workers in the industries created a shock both nationally and internationally, and raised a lot of questions regarding the sectors competency at the international level. Key issues raised include problems in the built environment,

such as the structural condition of the industries, and occupational health and safety issues, such as fire hazards, which are central problems this study investigates. The study concludes with policy recommendations to enhance the built environment conditions for the garments workers of Bangladesh.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Jianing Fu Sustainable Transport Development in China

CHINA IS EXPERIENCING urbanisation and motorisation at a faster rate than most other nations in the world have ever experienced. Together with rapid economic growth, China is facing a series of urban problems: social, environmental and economic. Within the context of international agreements limiting carbon emissions, this dissertation investigates how China aims to deliver the related goals through sustainable transportation. To explore the sustainable transport development in China, this project focuses on China’s current transportation

development and relevant transport policies. This study provides a definition of ‘sustainable transport’ and outlines a hierarchical typology of ‘integrated transport’. It investigates international experiences on sustainable transport development and critically adapts the lessons learnt from these to the context of China, taking into account particular Chinese characteristics. The study aims to show ways of implementing sustainable transportation in China at a strategic level.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Oliver Haydon A Critical Evaluation of the Post-Disaster Early Recovery and Long-term Reconstruction Oliver Haydon Following the 2010-11 Canterbury Earthquakes

IN SEPTEMBER 2010, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck near Darfield, west of the New Zealand city of Christchurch. Of the thousands of aftershocks, the most notable was in February 2011, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake near Lyttelton, Cantebury, in close proximity to Christchurch’s CBD. Much of the city was destroyed, 185 lives were lost and homes and business were impacted. In response, the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) was formed; a new government department entrusted with the swift and effective response and longterm recovery of the city and its surrounding districts. The

The Cardboard Cathedral, Christchurch

Authority had wide-ranging powers, from planning, land-use, suspension of laws and allocation of recovery funding. This study explores how the formation of this authority led to issues arising in the early-recovery stages, how a lack of objectives and aims led to a lack of focus and motivation for its staff and its projects. Since the dissolution of CERA, the NZ government has pledged a newfound determination towards creating a legacy of recovery knowledge, experience and tools to lead an empowered community forward in rebuilding their society and lives around them.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Thalita Nafitia Hiramsyah Governance and its Role in the Development of Informal Thalita Nafitia Hiramsyah Settlements and Affordable Housing in Jakarta

CITIES IN THE developing world are in a state of near constant urbanisation, where populations are swelling due to migration from rural areas. This has helped to fuel the growth of informal settlements within these cities, as well as suburban sprawl at their peripheries. In the case of Jakarta, Indonesia, the world’s second largest urban agglomeration, the poor planning system is coupled with an imbalanced real estate market where the majority of housing is far from affordable for the large numbers of urban poor. This has resulted in the growth and proliferation of kampungs or informal settlements which astonishingly cover more than 60% of the city’s land area.

These areas are important for they provide affordable accommodation for the city’s poor and migrants, in dense developments, often built on poor quality land that typically floods, or sandwiched between towers catering to the city’s wealthy elite. This study focuses on policies and strategies to be undertaken at the regional (DKI Jakarta) and local levels (kotas) to address these issues.

Central Jakarta skyline

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Farhana Hussain Could Micro-homes be a Solution to the UK’s Big Housing Crisis?

THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE of this research is to identify whether, with appropriate policy support, micro-housing could be a solution to the UK housing crisis. This paper explores the ‘Micro-housing’ concept, and evaluates the potential of downsizing as a means of resolving the UK housing crisis. It attempts to establish whether micro-homes are considered as ‘sustainable development’ as set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The research has three primary objectives. Firstly, it reviews and assesses the key historical milestones as relevant

Pocket living scheme, Brixton

housing policy has evolved up to the present day in terms of planning and architecture. Secondly, it pinpoints a definition of what constitutes ‘micro-homes’, as well as the motivations, challenges and agents involved in their execution. Lastly, the research discusses the potential for tackling the housing crisis through the micro-housing approach and a framework for implementation in the context of affordable housing in London.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Harpreet Johal The Role of Social Capital in Urban Tourism Regeneration

SOCIAL CAPITAL IS a means for a community to either ‘get by’ or ‘get ahead’. The research conducted was about understanding the relationship between Urban Tourism Regeneration and Social Capital and if/how it can aid a community. Urban Tourism Regeneration has the possibility (if implemented as a development initiative) of increasing employment opportunities, generating investment and revitalising local economies. Social Capital as a concept has no precise definition. It is acknowledged that this heterogeneous concept draws on the perspectives of an expansive range of fields and disciplines.

The research investigates whether there is a basis whereby Social Capital can be used to build tourism-based communities, foster positive attitudes amongst residents and promote sustainability of the tourism industry. It does so by gathering data from an extensive literature review and a case study of the Coin Street redevelopment. The research concludes that ‘bridging’ Social Capital was the main way in which residents worked together: it aided the community regeneration of Coin Street and has continued to be a beacon to show that ‘there is another way’

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Pamela Longhurst-Pierce Creating Regeneration Opportunities through Public Realm Improvements: Pamela Longhurst-Pierce Planning for High-Quality in Deprived Neighbourhoods

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE of this study is to examine how physical improvements to public space impact the life of residents, and to determine if improvements to the public realm create opportunities for regeneration on a larger scale. Three open public spaces that have been improved in the EC1 postcode in south Islington, London, formed the basis of the case study. Research was conducted using a qualitative and quantitative approach for data collection and analysis which considers four factors: the spatial structure of the selected public spaces; quality of the built environment; usage patterns; and end-user perceptions in

Public realm improvements, Old Street, London

deprived communities. Information was gathered from an observation study, a space audit and end user perception surveys, together with quantitative measures analysed though space syntax methodology and published statistical data. The research found that revitalisation of open public space has increased usage and residents’ sense of safety, and has created a positive perception of the area. Although the inhabitants’ health hasn’t improved, crime has been reduced, and the area has attracted investment which is reflected in an increased commercial presence in the area.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Nachi Majoe Delivery of Sustainable Mixed-income Housing Developments: Nachi Majoe An Assessment of Cases from South Africa

MANY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES are facing an increased demand for the provision of affordable, sustainable and integrated housing to accommodate the growing urban population. South Africa is no exception, and with a history of spatial segregation along racial lines, the country has an even more complex housing backlog. Since becoming a democratic state in 1994, government policies were developed to address housing delivery, with the most recent policy framework being the Breaking New Ground (BNG). Amongst other things, the BNG seeks to deliver sustainable mixed-income human settlements, in line with the global

priorities of sustainable development and as a tool for achieving the country’s housing vision. The dissertation investigates South Africa’s experience in the delivery of sustainable mixed-income housing to ascertain the successes, failures and level of sustainability. Four case studies are assessed using a sustainability index that measures the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the mixed-income developments as well as other factors namely: governance; location, transport and connectivity; services and amenities; and housing design and the built environment.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Zakera Matin Sustainable Urban Form and Spatial Strategy for Rapidly Zakera Matin Urbanising Megacity Dhaka: An Investigation

THIS DISSERTATION INVESTIGATES how Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, can incorporate its growth in a sustainable way for a liveable future. The methodology involves literature review of sustainable urban form, analysis of secondary data from collected maps and photographs, and case study of Dhaka’s urban form, spatial planning strategy and related issues. The research findings show that the existing urban form of Dhaka lacks compactness and polycentricity. Dhaka is severely lacking any adequate provision of public transport. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is absent.

Dhaka urban densification

Analysis of the existing urban form shows that Dhaka city is going through rapid urbanisation in an unplanned manner and growing haphazardly in all directions, engulfing flood plains, scarce green open spaces and putting pressure on existing infrastructure. Literature review and case studies suggest that a polycentric urban form respecting the local context and integrated with mass transit provision can be a long term sustainable planning strategy to solve Dhaka’s urban problem.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Siri Montagueâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Inclusionary Urban Policy and the Informal Sector: The Path to Achieving Siri Montagueâ&#x20AC;&#x192; a Green Economy In Developing Cities

INCREASINGLY, GOVERNMENTS ARE putting the issue of environmental improvements at the forefront of global discourse, with governments committed to meeting global environmental targets over the coming decades. Sustainability is informing strategies for national development and growth and, with rapid urbanisation, it is becoming critical for urban areas within the developing nations. The encouragement of the green economy is one approach for meeting sustainability objectives. In targeting economic growth to meet development objectives, implementing green-growth strategies can form a major element.

Despite some progress, particularly in the more developed parts of the world, creating a green economy is not straightforward. In many developing countries, this is hindered by the lack of funding, weak government structures, and the failure to consider the potentially positive contribution of the large unregulated section of the economy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the informal economy. Many of the top-down policies specifically exclude the informal economy, which is viewed as a temporary phenomenon. Taking the example of Kolkata, this study looks at the policy implications of a more inclusive green growth approach to the informal economy including the sustainability of the informal built environment.

Green growth opportunities in developing cities

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Melina Nacke The Impact of Community-Based Mapping on the Living Conditions Melina Nacke of Informal Settlements: A Comparative Case Study

THROUGH THE ANALYSIS of the cases of TECHO and Slum Dweller International (SDI) in Argentina and Ghana respectively, this research examines the impact that community-based mapping can have on the living conditions of slum dwellers in developing countries. With a focus on the mapping actions produced by the communities of ‘Villa 31’ in Buenos Aires, Argentina and ‘Nima’ in Accra, Ghana, this research evaluates if the actions carried out by both organisations (TECHO & SDI) had any impact on the political decisions taken about the informal settlements. It also analyses the form and levels of commitment of the inhabitants of the settlements. The research purpose is to prove that maps allow us to understand not only the urban morphology of cities but also the housing concentration, living conditions and their social consequences, while the community-based mapping provides tools to strengthen the social organisation of the informal settlements’ inhabitants.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Paola Pinzon Mega Event-led Urban Regeneration and the Role of GIS

THERE IS MUCH attraction for a city to host mega-events due to the positive perception of potential opportunities in urban regeneration, which can quickly boost the socioeconomic growth of a city. This vision of ‘automatic prosperity’ is built up of many components such as infrastructure, economy, policy, tourism and environment which depend on good decision-making. The evolution of Geographic Information System (GIS) in the last few years has developed a powerful mechanism for data management that allows one to view, understand, question, interpret and visualise the world in ways that reveal relationships, patterns, and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports, and charts.

This research is focusing on the relationship between large mega event-led urban regeneration and the implementation of GIS in host cities Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona and London. In summary, GIS software has different analytical tools that allow faster processing of data and visualisation of information in a more user-friendly way. Urban Regeneration led by mega-events can use GIS as a support tool to monitor and plan growth. Thus, GIS can reduce time to achieve results and allows for better management of data which contributes to decision-making.

MA International Planning and Sustainable Development | Masters

Gaetano Roffiâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Role of Urban Agriculture for Community Empowerment Gaetano Roffiâ&#x20AC;&#x192; and Resilience: A Case Study of London Initiatives

URBAN AGRICULTURE HAS been promoted as a sustainable urban land-use for tackling challenges faced by many cities related to food security, poverty alleviation, climate change, ecological and urban degradation, social inclusion and unemployment. The Brundtland Report and Local Agenda 21 have stated the fundamental importance of communities in leading the way towards sustainable development through inclusion, participation and empowerment.

urban agriculture, prompting the envisioning for Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes (CPUL) as part of the sustainable regeneration of urban areas.

In the Global South urban agriculture has long been practiced, with countries like Argentina, Brazil and Cuba endorsing its practice in urban planning because of its economic, social and ecological benefits. Cities in the Global North are increasingly growing an interest in the multi-functionality of

The findings provide alternative pathways in encouraging sustainable and productive landscapes within the urban fabric.

Glengall Wharf Garden

The research specifically explores the role of communitybased urban agriculture in London and to what extent it has fostered community empowerment. Three communitybased urban agriculture sites in London have been analysed, each with a different type of space-use.

Masters | MA International Planning and Sustainable Development

Afua Sagoe Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Urban Regeneration Plan: Afua Sagoe An Indicative Model of Sustainable Development

THE GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY (GLA) has 38 Opportunity Areas for urban regeneration across the Greater London area, that are all urban regeneration strategies for a sustainable city of London. This thesis evaluates the local plan and proposals made for one of the Opportunity Areas, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, guided by sustainable development and urban regeneration case studies and literature, and indicators from international policy on sustainable development, national policy on sustainability, and GLA’s policy/guidelines on spatial planning and design for all the Opportunity Areas.

The thesis formulates spatial planning/design proposals that address what is lacking in the plan for Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, informed by indicators from policies used in the evaluation. The proposals aim to present Thamesmead and Abbey Wood as a vibrant economic hub, with strong social and environmental strategies that make it a model for sustainable development.

Strategy for Development, Thamesmead & Abbey Wood

Masters | MA Urban Design

Bill Erickson (Course Leader), Krystallia Kamvasinou, David Mathewson, Michael Neuman, Marion Roberts, David Seex, Louise Thomas Bill Erickson is a Principal Lecturer and architect with extensive experience in urban design. He has practiced in Australia, Italy and the UK and leads the MA Urban Design. David Mathewson is a Lecturer and architect with MAs in Housing and Urbanism (AA) and IPSD (Westminster). He has thirteen years experience in urban design and international planning consultancy.

MA Urban Design Students: Natalie Adubofour, Saina Ahmadnia Roudsari, Ahmed Awadelkarim, Elizabeth Awoyemi, Kinda Ayoub, Tom Buttrick, Simon Daly, Rohit Dhawle, Jignesh Dholakia, Obinna Edeh, Ikrame Essalih, John Greensted, Hagar Melamed, Rajendra Menaria, Jane Monk, Charlie Mulford,

THE URBAN DESIGN course at Westminster provides a coherent approach to issues that face our cities, combining structured academic study with live design projects, allowing students to develop practical skills, a theoretical understanding and an informed approach to sustainable urban development. It overlaps and incorporates elements of town planning, architecture, landscape design, urban regeneration, transportation and infrastructure planning drawing students from all these backgrounds. Cities are essential to modern life, they are the place where most people make their homes, but they are also the sites where our economic and social life evolve and where most resources are consumed. They evolve over time becoming a cultural asset reflecting values of the people who inhabit them, around which shared experiences revolve and daily life is shaped. This process is well understood in the European context, however in the global context the pace of change is both dramatic and accelerating, creating new challenges for city design and management.

Patrick Newell, Daniel Ong, Cezar Petcu, Havan Pishdary, Adam Price, Nathan Rickard, Manuel Rivera Medina, Vihangi Shah, Todd Strehlow, Sanyukta Tapkeer, Roula Tello, Vishakha Tiwari, Ioana Toma, Zhenliang Wu

Drawing on the cultural and economic forces acting in the city, the course focuses on understanding and shaping the physical setting in which they take place. It considers how buildings, streets and urban spaces are combined to create vivid environments that can nurture daily life; provide efficient urban systems; and make memorable places we value. The work presented here is based on students dissertations. Most opt to prepare a written dissertation, in which they identify particular impacts on the design of cities and how, in the light of these, urban form can best be adapted to our current and future needs. The practice of urban design is emerging as a distinct profession and is underpinned by a growing knowledge base informed by research. These studies represent a critique of and contribution to that knowledge.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Saina Ahmadniaâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Microclimate Based Urban Design in Hot and Arid Areas

NOWADAYS, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY is a crucial debate in almost all aspects of science and technology. This subject has significant importance in the context of urbanism and focuses on the relationship between human, built environment and natural environment. However, the environment is now threatened by several phenomena including population growth, incremental trend of energy consumption and urban sprawl.

These environmental threats have more intense effects on some regions including hot and arid ones. Therefore, why not try to do something?

Air, as a component of environment, is getting more and more polluted. Also, climate is changing and the globe is getting warmer and warmer.

If it is possible to live greener and healthier, why not?

This research attempts to provide an holistic view towards the topic and employs urban design and urban planning systems for ameliorating the harsh climatological conditions and enhancing air quality in hot and arid areas.

Urban heat profile

MA Urban Design | Masters

Elizabeth Awoyemiâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Global Lessons for Urban Flood Resilience: The Case of Lagos and Bristol

THE WORLD IS urbanising rapidly. The increase in the proportion of human population living in cities continues to grow, raising a huge concern for infrastructure, climate change and environmental degradation.

Flooding has become a threat worldwide. It has severely impacted many cities such as Lagos and New York, as well as countries like Pakistan and Australia, representing a huge risk to life and property.

Urban resilience has gradually become a strategic concern across cities globally as a means to improve and guarantee the future of both rapidly growing cities in developing countries and established cities elsewhere. An urban resilience strategy aims to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;future proof â&#x20AC;&#x2122; cities so they can systematically maintain existing structures and functions.

This study looks at a city-wide systems approach to addressing flooding with a comparison between Lagos and Bristol. It explores a strategic approach to urban design and planning with holistic management for flood risk measures to increase flood resilience and reduce flood challenges facing the 21st century city.

Flood risk study, Bristol

Masters | MA Urban Design

Kinda Ayoubâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Street Design in Arid Regions

STREETS ARE ONE of the richest and most distributed urban public spaces, people spend a considerable amount of their time on streets, whether to walk, cycle, commute, play or even socialise. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many countries in arid regions which form around one third of the world. Many arid cities have failed to deliver good street designs which would encourage people to use the streets for their daily activities. In fact, most of the streets were focused in

these regions to be used to only travel by cars. Although there are many difficulties and challenges, such as the hot weather and the high humidity, there are many approaches that can be learnt from the European model. This thesis is focusing on studying street design in European countries and identifying what makes a street successful. It also investigates the possibility of applying these good practices to provide a similar experience within arid regions.

MA Urban Design | Masters

Rohit Dhawle To Identify Public Open Spaces at the City’s Coastline for Contemporary Use

METROPOLITAN CITIES HAVE continuously rising populations as people are drawn towards the chance of greater wealth and a better livelihood. Such cities are becoming densely populated with an unpleasant living environment. This leads to a decrease in green and public open space in the city. There is a need for publicly accessible green space for balance in nature and for a healthy and steady life. The presence of public open space is a crucial factor in promoting physical, physiological and social health benefits for individuals and the society.

The main objective of the study is to identify the open spaces with connection to a city’s coastline which are exploited and neglected due to rapid urbanisation. Through identifying the existing open spaces, the holistic approach would be to make connections between people and spaces to integrate nature into the urban fabric for better utilisation of public open spaces. The dissertation desires to focus on the public realm as a key for development and reforming the city’s coastline and enhance the unused open spaces.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Jignesh Dholakiaâ&#x20AC;&#x192; How Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Principle Inspires Urbanism

Nature does nothing uselessly Aristotle

NATURE HAS ALWAYS inspired humans through its shapes, forms and functions. The research focuses on bio-inspired design that combines urban design principles with nature to develop sustainable solutions for the built environment. One such approach is biomimicry design, which uses nature-inspired innovation to develop design. In the context of current global issues, climate change, depleting resources and an increasing urban population, the research explores biomimicry as an evolutionary discipline that addresses design through natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s principles.

The methodology for the study includes desktop research and case studies of Canvey Island at Essex as well as Lavasa city in Pune, India. The research addresses key aspects of urban design such as public spaces, mixed land-use, place making and urban forms. Biomimicry principles are analysed to create a comprehensive basis for a design framework with its application at the urban scale. The research proposes solutions that can be sustainable and can be applied to urban design by integrating biomimicry principles in the urban context.

MA Urban Design | Masters

Ikrame Essalihâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Open Urban Public Spaces: Proposal for Restorative Space Design

THIS RESEARCH PROJECT investigates the opportunities of improving open urban public spaces in terms of form and contribution to well-being. The project aims to implement restorative environment features which act on the psychological and physical dimensions of space, while enhancing at the same time the social-environmental benefits for users of the space. Crisscrossing theories and concepts related to environmental psychology, restoration and public space with urban design

and landscape design, I propose and test a model or series of interventions on a chosen site in London which could also act as inspiration for other open space projects with similar potential. Whilst the layout and the location of the site have an impact on the proposed design guidelines, the latter focus on introducing specific restorative design elements and on the particular enhancements to the user experience of space these might offer.

Masters | MA Urban Design

John Greenstedâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Human Perception of the Street: Providing Scientific Evidence of Urban Design Theory

WE UNDERSTAND CITIES through walking their streets â&#x20AC;&#x201C; experiencing the activity that takes place on them, the buildings that define them, and the culture and history that they embody. However, the way in which humans perceive streets and what makes a street an enjoyable place to be in and travel through is in part unclear.

By reviewing human psychological theory and, in particular, how human evolution has hard-wired our brains to adapt to our environment, we can gain an understanding of the way that humans interpret and appreciate elements of streets. These outcomes can form a scientific basis to support relevant theories set out in key urban design texts.

What this research seeks to identify are links between urban design theories associated with great streets and human psychology and test the outcomes against a case study in Stratford, London.

Through this evidential approach, we can then develop initial guidelines to aid the design of streets such that they are spaces that people want to spend time in and ultimately build great cities.

A Tuscan street

MA Urban Design | Masters

Hagar Melamedâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Let the Sun Shine in â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Urban Black Holes Reimagined: Hagar Melamedâ&#x20AC;&#x192;

Integrating disposed military bases into the urban fabric

FENCED COMPOUNDS, SOMETIMES heavily guarded, are found in many cities around the world. These enclosed areas of various land-uses such as civic institutions, government hospitals, factories and military bases, can be perceived as urban black holes. They form points of singularity within the city, attracting people and goods, but to the public eye giving nothing away. They can only be observed indirectly through their influence on their environment. In this dissertation I study the characteristics and types of urban black holes, focusing on urban military bases and their disposal process. Armies around the world undergo waves

Urban black hole

of re-organisation and urban military bases closure is one of the outcomes. There is a global recognition that the closure of urban military bases can become drivers for regeneration but the challenges of achieving successful integration into the city are countless. There is a gap in the knowledge base of urban design approaches and criteria for successful urban military base land disposal. My study aims to offer urban design guidelines for the integration of urban black holes (including military bases) into the urban fabric.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Rajendra Menaria Lost Spaces as an Opportunity: Mechanisms to Create Urban Assets

WITH THE ADVENT of rapid urbanisation, cities are in ever shorter supply of open space and yet, ironically, much of the fabric of our cities may be characterised as ‘Lost Space’. The term lost space itself is multifarious – a metaphor for the underused, poorly structured, unmanaged or undeveloped spaces in the urban realm. They are, for instance, the marginal spaces, parking lots, unutilised plazas, the neglected fringes, and the brownfields. Such spaces are understood to impact negatively on the social activity of a place which often leads to a deteriorated, fragmented and vulnerable environment.

Lost Space in the context of this study is significant as the antithesis to ‘Public Space’; i.e. those spaces that are active, functional, and encourage a social life to flourish. Through a study of Lost Space typologies, this study aims to generate a methodology to both identify the range and nature of Lost Space as well as mechanisms to integrate them into the built environment.

Eastern curve garden

MA Urban Design | Masters

Jane Monkâ&#x20AC;&#x192; R e-Play: Rethinking the Design of Cities for Children

MODERN CITIES EMBODY a clash between adult and child priorities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; designed by and for adults, convenience is prioritised over meaningful contributions to social interaction and human well-being. Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play is undervalued and misunderstood, perceived as a single activity that can be contained in space and time. Urban facilities have followed the Modernist agenda of functional segregation, providing barren, single-purpose enclosures. Research shows this is inadequate, as children need self-directed risky play, private places and community interaction for social, psychological and physical development.

Physical freedom of children has dropped while cars continue to have an unchallenged right to inhabit the public realm. Rising child physical and mental health problems and deficient access to natural environments suggest that the priorities currently embedded in the design of city environments are flawed. Rather than segregating and containing children, they would be better served by rethinking the public realm as an inspiring and inclusive multifunctional space that prioritises use by all people, and includes integrated opportunities for playful child interaction.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Charlie Mulfordâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Intensification: A Decision Chart to Help Deliver New Homes in London Around Urban Transport Interchanges

THIS STUDY IS set in the context of efforts to accommodate Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing population within its administrative boundaries, while transforming it into a prosperous, more environmentally responsible and liveable city through creative, carefully considered and integrated urban design. This thesis attempts to explore how imaginative yet practical design codes can be assessed to inform the decision making process at the local authority level when determining proposals for infill development schemes, with the underlying objective to help deliver appropriate residential intensification in Outer London. The overall aspiration of the study is to develop an intensification decision chart to help guide successful forms of urban infill development by establishing key design parameter codes integrated within the decision chart. This guidance is based on best practice urban design techniques; government design guidance; local plan policies; and evidence-based lessons learnt from intensification case studies within the London context. The aspiration is for this intensification decision chart to be implemented as a planning guidance tool to supplement the decision making at a local authority level.

(top) Housing intensification carried out in isolation; (bottom) Phased housing intensification as part of a comprehensive long-term plan

MA Urban Design | Masters

Daniel Ong London Rising: Rethinking the Skyscraper in the Capital

LONDON’S RECENT SKYLINE is undergoing a dramatic change. From the government’s policies aimed at economic growth to the local boroughs where these urban giants are poised to hold their ground, the long-term effects of these landmarks are part of the complex planning puzzle that is the London real estate market. With an increasing array of towers proposed for the capital, there is a great and pressing need to rethink the concept of building tall in cities. This dissertation covers three research components, beginning with London’s historical and political circumstances that seeks to question how extensively

complex, unnecessary or ambiguous the planning regime has been structured towards tall building development and how it has to change according to this new reality. The second part of the study focuses on the symbolism, function and appropriateness of the high-rise typology and attempts to understand their influences in society. The final chapter is an aesthetic critique of London’s towers and includes evaluations and proposals of how to manage the design of the polycentric skyline and the tall building clusters that comprise it.

Masters | MA Urban Design

MA Urban Design | Masters

Cezar Petcuâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Night Time Activities and Residential Uses within 24-Hour Neighbourhoods

AT THE END of the 20th century, cities started to regenerate their centres in order to achieve economic growth. Strategies for areas that could be active for 24 hours were developed and the night time neighbourhoods became a usual feature of the modern city. After the expansion of the night time districts, issues such an increased crime, noise and litter level or lack of residents within these areas, appeared. This paper will identify, within the first chapters, the main issues of the 24-hour economy areas and the conflicts between residents and other users of such districts. Finally, after a thorough investigation of two European night time districts, the thesis aims to provide a series of design guidelines whose value will be demonstrated on an existing site, where 24-hour activities have generated, across time, a series of significant issues: Old City Centre, Bucharest. As the discussion will prove, the main characteristics of a successful night time economy area are highly related to the number of alcohol-related venues and their distribution within the area.

Proposal for old Budapestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night time city

Havan Pishdaryâ&#x20AC;&#x192; The Contrast of Historical and Modern Facades Havan Pishdaryâ&#x20AC;&#x192; in Squares and their Influence on Townscapes

THE STUDY EXPLORES the variation of traditional and modern methods of planning, focusing mainly on facades since individuals observe that part of a building the most, thus having impact on the immediate surroundings. The study argues that squares with historic buildings facing it create an harmonious environment for people due to the sufficient amount of exterior decoration along with many other appreciated features contributing to a successful townscape.

Modern methods of planning are intended to be functional, to serve a different purpose with advanced technology and building methods creating a practical environment for inhabitants. After observing a wide range of squares built from different time periods and in different locations, a number of design guidelines have been set based on the successful features discovered for future developments to be designed in a way that incorporates these features.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Adam Priceâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Tall Buildings in Cardiff: A Strategy

IN RECENT YEARS there has been a substantial increase in the volume of tall building developments obtaining planning approval and being constructed within Cardiff, Wales, which has received little academic or media attention to date. The study investigates the contribution of the recent rise in these developments, considering how these have affected, or are likely to affect, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skyline and question whether the current approach to the control of tall buildings is working. The study conducts a comparative case study analysis of other cities of a similar size and economic status to consider which alternative approach to the consideration of tall buildings, if any, should be taken in Cardiff if the existing policy framework is proving to be ineffective.

Cardiff skyline

MA Urban Design | Masters

Nathan Rickardâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Shared Space: An Appropriate Alternative to Traditional Street Design

STREETS PLAY A significant role in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s everyday lives. They are used to get from one place to another and act as a space to socialise with others. Currently our streets are traditionally designed to separate pedestrians and drivers, with the thought that separating the two creates a safer street. Streets in the UK and in the U.S.A. have a significant amount of collisions that occur each year with many resulting in deaths.

Shared street space

There is a need for streets to be redesigned in order to create a safer street. The shared space concept is one street design that should be evaluated further in regards to safety, ease of movement, socialisation, and scale of design. This paper examines the role shared streets have in creating a safer and more social street by exploring previous research and completing an empirical study on four shared spaces in the UK and in Austria.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Manuel Rivera Urban River Regeneration: For Vanity or Sustainability?

THE RESEARCH IS focused on river regeneration schemes in the UK and Europe, specifically looking into how sustainable they are across three pillars: social, economic and environmental. The primary aim of this dissertation is to study and then evaluate the success of the River Lea regeneration, centred about the Stratford Olympic park in London. Case studies of Glasgow and Barcelona are used in order to contrast two different forms of river projects. These are urban regeneration along the Clyde and river rehabilitation on the Besòs.

Overall the research highlights the importance of rivers for urban design, by showing how they contribute to sustainable environments, as well as their historic importance in the development of human settlements. Concepts of ‘urban regeneration’ and ‘urban entrepreneurialism’ are also drawn on to show how the development of the city can be biased towards economic gains rather than social and environmental benefits.

Trends in urban river regeneration

MA Urban Design | Masters

Vihangi Shah Towards Multiculturalism – Guidelines for the Design of a Multicultural Space

TODAY,THE METROPOLITAN cities in the developed world (like London in United Kingdom) and in other developing countries in Asia have a large influx of immigrants from all over the world and thus they display a mix of different religions, ethnicities, class, abilities, and cultural groups. Thus, multiculturalism is promoted as the way to respond to the cultural, social and religious differences within a space. We are riding the crest of the immigration waves. Due to globalisation, recently cultural diversity has emerged

Urban Multi-culturalism

as a key concern due to existence of varied social codes between and within societies. But according to the Report of the World commission on culture and Development (UNESCO and United Nations, 1995), cultural diversity is not just an asset to be preserved but it is a resource which should be promoted for its various advantages. And thus, there is a need to think of a ‘place for all’ where the essence and liveliness of diversity is maintained.

Masters | MA Urban Design

Sanyukta Tapkeerâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Urban Regeneration: A study of Traditional Urban Spaces and their Role in Sanyukta Tapkeerâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Contemporary Times for the Transformation of Urban Public Realm

URBAN REGENERATION OR revitalisation is a concept for the transformation of spaces for the better. In the transformation of these spaces, the traditional outlook is an essential part of the identity of the place, where the populace relates to the existing scenario. The traditional urban spaces can always be envisaged to develop, adapt and change to suit the contemporary scenario without misplacing their own identity. In a similar vein, the long established cores, open spaces, heritage sites within cities can invite possible interventions that will help in the development of an area in particular and

the city in general in the long run. These spaces forms the lifelines of the city, and an appropriate design intervention, taking into consideration the present need, will be beneficial for the future of the city. The inherited tradition and context of these spaces continues to reform itself according to the present situation. The subject looks at the concept of refurbishment of urban spaces whilst identifying and analysing the traditional values attached and the use of these spaces in contemporary times.

Traditional urban space, Prague, Czech Republic

MA Urban Design | Masters

Roula Telloâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Physical Urban Heritage Regeneration: The Case of King Faisal Street, Damascus, Syria

DAMASCUS IS CLAIMED to be the oldest inhabited capital of the world, with an origin dating back to the first period when mankind lived in cities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; possibly as early as 5,000 B.C. The historic urban tissue extends beyond the old city walls, with important ancient suburbs lying to the north and south-west. The value of the urban fabric in these areas is no less than that within the city walls. King Faisal Street runs parallel to the city wall of the old city of Damascus as well as to the Barada river. It has a mix of historical and new buildings, but there are also ignored sites filled with scrap materials, and the appearance of commercial frontages can also be unacceptable for the residential neighbourhood. Therefore, physical regeneration is usually necessary even though it may not seem in sufficient condition for successful regeneration. In some circumstances, it may be the main engine of regeneration. In almost all cases it is an important visible sign of commitment to change and improvement. The key to successful physical regeneration is to understand the constraints and the potential of the existing physical stock and the role of improvement can play in enabling and, where appropriate, promoting renewal at regional, urban, or neighbourhood level.

King Faisal Street

Masters | MA Urban Design

Vishakha Tiwari The Importance of Breathing Spaces in Transit Interchanges

AS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION plays a vital role in urban revitalisation, the quality of public realm around the transport interchanges also has an immediate effect on the urban neighbourhood.

Along with social, economic and urban factors, the public spaces associated with transit interchanges have a lot of potential to act as a connection between people, places and culture.

The dissertation focuses on understanding the importance of the public spaces associated with the transit interchanges as a ‘breathing’ or ‘buffer space’ between the transit and the public infrastructure. Hence, various contemporary concepts which revolve around transits, like T.O.D, Open Transit Design etc. significantly stress the quality of public spaces associated with interchanges. These spaces have set opportunities to enrich the public realm around the vicinity.

Incorporating urban design tools and looking beyond the spatial arrangement of areas around the stations can help largely in making it a successful public space.

Narrowing the research, the ultimate objective of the dissertation is producing design guidelines for the public spaces associated with transit interchanges in urban growth areas.

MA Urban Design | Masters

Ioana Toma Public Spaces Around Urban Transport Interchanges

IN THE LIGHT of urban transport interchanges becoming hubs within cities and true destinations that attract a wide range of users for different reasons, their interface with the surrounding environment should be equally important. More and more professionals and researchers have started to express interest in developing the public space adjacent to interchanges in a different way – a way that leads to the creation of ‘places’ to which people can relate, and not just transit spaces dominated by engineering constraints and, eventually, military planning.

Historic timeline of Euston Station

The thesis looks, from a design perspective, at how can station squares become successful public spaces with a strong urban identity and still address the ‘node’ function of the interchange. Following the investigation process of the characteristics of successful public spaces, the constraints and challenges of station squares and possible methods to improve their quality, the hybrid thesis finally provides a series of design guidelines which address both integration in the local context as well as the spatial layout of the public space. The value of these guidelines will then be demonstrated on the public space adjacent to Euston Station, in London.

BEYOND THE STUDIO

Beyond the Studio | Sustainable Urban Design Workshop

Sustainable Urban Design Workshop, Florence

IN JUNE, PROFESSOR Michael Neuman co-led the collaborative and interdisciplinary international design charrette, with Professor Camilla Perrone, of the Department of Architecture, University of Florence. Focusing on sustainable urbanism, the charrette was an intense, two-week participative, collaborative, and interdisciplinary design project which explored and analysed site-specific urban development solutions for an area to the north-west of Florence. Nine FABE Master of Architecture students along with nine University of Florence students took part in the international and interdisciplinary workshop which brought together architects, urban designers, political scientists, engineers, sociologists from the Universities of Westminster and Florence. The focus of conversations was on how to improve the environment, health and well-being of a five kilometre square area on the city’s metropolitan fringe. Through lectures, site explorations, discussions and design, the Charrette brought a fresh approach to issues of development, transport and infrastructure, economics, and design to create integrated solutions that put sustainability at the centre of urban design, improving the ecology, habitats and general well-being of the residents of that part of Florence.

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By applying the ‘SWOT’ analysis to Florence, the design groups distilled Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats to rethink the concept of sustainable urbanism so that issues of food security, biodiversity, population health and responsive housing practices are thought of simultaneously and improve the city for all. For example, one student team design proposal, Organic City, explored ways of concentrating activities together around shared cycle paths, parks and transport hubs. Another group’s design, Via Verde, introduced new canal routes to the city, lined with trees, creating a habitat for wildlife, a better method to transport goods from factories and light industry, and a space for people to enjoy and utilise. The Charrette was funded by a £39,000 grant from the University of Westminster’s Strategic Research Fund. The next sustainable urban design charrette will take place next year in London, when students from the University of Florence will be invited to discuss and research solutions for improving the sustainability of one of London’s districts.

Charrette project examples (clockwise from top left) Seso Stitches: impressionistic sketches, Ecochord: 1:5000 masterplan, Organi[C]ity: zoning , ScienceCity: zoning , Via Verde: proposed site plan

Beyond the Studio | Westminster Working Cultures

Westminster Working Cultures Trip, Hong Kong

THE FIRST WESTMINSTER Working Cultures trip took place in June this year with students from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. Opening students’ eyes to the opportunities of working internationally, the aspiration of global connections and the chance to engage with former students to learn of the possibilities offered by an expatriate life. Fourteen students from across architecture, interior architecture and property & construction were selected on the strength of their proposed research project, which looked at issues ranging from the opportunities of densification, pedestrian infrastructure, and public space and vegetation in urban areas. The group had a week to immerse themselves in the work, rest and play of Hong Kong..

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Each student met alumni of the university and had the opportunity to shadow them in their work at internationally renowned companies such as Jones Lang La Salle, PDP and AEDAS, getting a glimpse of the international footprint of some well-known companies. Interspersed with cultural, social and economic trips to key sites such as The Peak and Hong Kong’s night markets, the students were taken on walking tours of Hong Kong which exposed some key architectural, historic and social issues of the island. For example, Peter Ferretto from CUHK showed the rapid transformation through gentrification of some of the areas around the old markets, whilst other staff members told the history of some of Hong Kong’s key social housing projects, built in the 1950s, all of which provide a wider commentary on ideas of global architecture and planning.

Hong Kong: (top) Francesca Benetti Genolini; (bottom) Duncan Catterall

Beyond the Studio | Fabrication Lab

Fabrication Lab

THE FABRICATION LAB offers students and staff across the faculty the opportunity to work with the latest digital fabrication equipment as well as traditional craft processes for wood, metal and casting. Now combined with the Built Environment Lab, it also offers structural and environmental testing facilities.

might be used to invent and develop new ways of creating innovative architecture. Each project develops through student workshops and speculative research, culminating in a week-long public performance in our unique robot cell overlooking Marylebone Road. The first of these events was held during the week of FAB FEST.

It has been a busy year, beginning with a very successful first FAB FEST. This international fabrication festival produced almost 50 pavilions, with guest teams from eight countries. The creativity and variety of work it produced was extraordinary, as was the enthusiastic response from students, professionals from practice who mentored the teams, and from the many visitors who enjoyed the public events.

Finally, we are delighted to announce the final stage of the refurbishment of the Lab. We won the funds this year to complete the renewal of the old workshops over the summer, modernising traditional making spaces and adding a new photography studio, Light Lab, and an extensive Materials Lab. We look forward to welcoming you to the new, greately enhanced Fabrication Lab in September 2017.

Following this success, we hosted FAB FEST ’17 this summer, opening out the festival to even more teams from around the world. We welcomed teams from more than 15 countries and all corners of the globe, including the United States, Cyprus, Hong Kong, and Italy who joined more than 20 teams from the University of Westminster. The resulting pavilions were open to the public for music, drinks and festivities, and for an exhibition. It’s great success means FabFest 2018 is already marked in the calendar. See FABFEST.London for full details, and do please join us.

We want particularly to thank the Quintin Hogg Trust and DS Smith for their continued support with funding and materials for FAB FEST and A.R.T.

Dr David Scott Director

The festival also featured the launch of the Lab’s Architectural Robotics Theatre project. A.R.T. is a series of research projects exploring how industrial robots

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(clockwise from top) FAB FEST featuring the Architectural Robotics Theatre, FAB FEST ‘17 poster; Fabrication Lab produce; Constructing

Department of Architecture | Fabrication Lab

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(top left):FAB FEST ‘16, Globe; (top right):FAB FEST ‘16 construction; (bottom left):Using the Fabrication Lab; (bottom right):Laser cutting

(top):The Trans-Siberian March Band; (bottom):Constructing Pavilions

THE DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE fosters a strong and diverse approach to teaching, research and practice. It has an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, for attracting award-winning staff and students, and for a wide range of scholarly activities. As contributors to the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment’s submission to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, our research was placed in the top 50% of the 45 submissions in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning. 20% of our publications and research effort were deemed to be ‘world leading’ (4*) and 45% ‘internationally excellent (3*). The four case studies of our research impact also scored very highly. This significant endorsement of our research capability has provided the foundation for expanding and enhancing our UK and international role since. Research in the department is organised around five distinct themes, translated into five research groups:

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Architectural History and Theory

Environment and Technology

Expanded Territories

Experimental Practice (EXP)

Representation, Fabrication and Computing

These are loose alignments of staff, research students, designers and practicing architects who undertake joint research initiatives and organise events of common interest. For further details, visit our website: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/architecture-and-cities

The following pages highlight publications and research awards by architecture staff in 2016/17, the bi-weekly research forum and the department’s PhD programme. This is followed by details of the four grant funded research projects currently hosted by the department.

RESEARCH

Research | Publications

Staff Publications and Research Awards 2016/17 Lewi, H. and Peckham (eds.). (2016-2018). Six Single Authored Books: Anthology Issues selected from the last ten Bremner, L. (2017). ‘Observations on the Sharif, Y. (2017). Architecture of Resistance: years of The Journal of Architecture. concept of the aquapelago occasioned by Cultivating Moments of Possibility within the McLean, W., Schlimme, H. and Wall, C. (eds). Palestinian/Israeli Conflict. London: Routledge. researching the Maldives. Shima 11(1):17-29. (2017). Construction History: International Journal Bremner, L. (2016). ‘Thinking architecture from Spencer, D. (2016). The Architecture of of the Construction History Society 32(1). an Indian Ocean aquapelago.’ Geohumanities Neoliberalism: How Architecture Became an Stringer, B. (ed.). (2017). Architecture and Culture 2(2): 284-310. Instrument of Control and Compliance. London: 5(1): Villages and Globalization. Deriu, D. (2016). ‘“Don’t look down!”: A short Bloomsbury history of rooftopping photography.’ Journal of Wall, C. (ed.). (2017). Oral History Journal 45(1). Wall, C. (ed.). (2017). Construction History Chapters in Books: Architecture 21 (7):1-29. Lecaro, M., Lau, B., Rodrigues, L. and Jarman, Journal 35(1). Bottazzi, R. (2017). ‘Gravesend-Broadness Peer Reviewed Journal Articles:

D. (2017). ‘The application of vernacular Non Peer Reviewed Journal Articles: Australian environmental design principles in Glenn Murcutt’s architecture.’ Future Cities and Spencer, D. (2016). ‘The Limits of Limits: Schmitt, Aureli, and the Geopolitical Ontology of the Environment 3(3):1-18. Lewi, H. and Peckham, A. (2016). ‘Transcribing Island.’ New Geographies 8:118-127.

Weather Station.’ in Joseph-Lester, J, King, S., Bler-Carruthers, A., and Bottazzi, R. Walking Cities: London, 67-80. London: Camberwell Press.

Bremner, L. (2016). ‘Thinking architecture with an Indian Ocean archipelago.’ in Disputed The Journal of Architecture: research, Spencer, D. (2016). ‘Out of the Loop: Architectures, 28-31. London: The Bartlett production and publication 2004–2013.’ Journal Architecture, Automation and Cognitive School of Architecture. Disinvestment.’ Volume 49. of Architecture 21 (4): 479-489. Bremner, L. (2016). ‘Filter|Funnel.’ in D. Malaquais

Peckham, A. (2016). ‘Beyond formalism: the Spencer, D. (2016). ‘The Consistency of and N. Khouri (eds.) Afrique - Asie. Arts, espaces, quiescent art of formal analysis in architecture.’ Experience: Architecture, Mass Ornament and pratiques, 17-42. France: Presses Universitaires the Indifferent Environment.’ Praznine 10. Journal of Architecture 21 (5):679-689. de Rouen et du Havre. Stringer, B. (2017). ‘Introduction’, ‘Villages and Bremner, L. (2016). ‘Muddy Logics.’ in M. Edited Books: Urbanization,’ and ‘Makutano Junction: A Village Przybylski and L. Sheppard (eds.) Bracket – at Soap Opera for Kenyan TV, Ben Stringer in Bremner, L. and Bottazzi, R. (eds.). (2016). extremes – almanac 3, 199-206. Barcelona: Energy, Matter. London: Actar. Conversation with Producer David Campbell.’ Architecture, Architecture and Culture 5(1):1-4, 5-20, 99-114. Department of Architecture, University of Charrington, H. (2016). ‘Retailing Aalto in Watson, V. (2017). ‘On the Matter and Westminster. London.’ in N. Stritzler-Levine (ed.). Artek and Intelligence of the Architectural Model: Arthur Schopenhauer’s Psychophysiological Theory of Architecture and Konrad Wachsmann’s Design of a Space Structure.’ ARENA Journal of Architectural Research, 2(1). Editorships of Peer Reviewed Journals:

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Joseph-Lester, J, King, S., Bler-Carruthers, A., and the Aaltos, 101–142. New Haven:Yale University Bottazzi, R. (eds.). (2017). Walking Cities: London. Press. London: Camberwell Press. Charrington, H. (2016). ‘The Artek Manifesto Lau, C. (ed.). (2016). Dialogical Designs. London: in Practice’ in N. Stritzler-Levine (ed.). Artek Department of Architecture, University of and the Aaltos, 364–373; 374–379; 380–385; Westminster. 386–395; 446–453. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Charrington, H. (2016). ‘Artek and the Aalto Atelier in Postwar Finland.’ in N. Stritzler-Levine (ed.). Artek and the Aaltos, 573-604. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Publications | Research

Dernie, D. (2017). ‘Walking: Material Conditions of the Street.’ in Joseph-Lester, J, King, S., BlerCarruthers, A., and Bottazzi, R. Walking Cities: London, 83-101. London: Camberwell Press. Kamvasinou, K. (2017). ‘Short-Term Projects, Long-Term Ambitions: Facets of Transience in Two London Development Sites.’ in J. Henneberry (ed.). Transience and Permanence in Urban Development, 65-84. NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. Saleem, S. (2017). ‘Building and Becoming: The Shahporan Mosque and the Unfolding of Muslim Visual Identity in London.’ in Quash, B., Rosen, A., C. Reddaway (eds.). Visualising a Sacred City; London, Art and Religion, 205-217. London: I.B Taurus. Spencer, D. (2016). ‘Less than Enough: A Critique of Aureli.’ in T. Stoppani, G. Ponzo, and G. Themistokleous (eds.). This Thing Called Theory. London: Routledge. Wall, C. (2017). ‘New notions of value in Modern Architecture.’ in H. Neate and R. Craggs, (eds.). Modern Futures. London: Unicorn Books. Williams, J. (2016). ‘Site Parade.’ in Morrow, R., Harriss, H., Benedict Brown, J., and Soane, J. (eds.). A Gendered Profession, 79-85. London: RIBA. Awards Deriu, D. (2016 – 2017). Selected Researcher for Architecture and/for Photography, a multidisciplinary project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Saleem, S.(2016). Shahporan Mosque, 444 Hackney Road E2. Nominated for the Aga Khan Award. Sharif, Y. and Golzari, N. with the Palestine Regeneration Team (PART). (2016). RIBA president’s Award for Research, Cities and Communities Category.

Research | Funded

Public Space and the Role of the Architect in London and São Paulo Principal Investigator: Professor Susannah Hagan Research Associates: Dann Jessen RIBA, Dr Neal Shasore, Professor Jose Lefèvre Co Researchers: U niversity of São Paulo: Professor Jose Lefèvre, Professor Monica Carmargo (Brazil)

THIS THREE-YEAR research project is a collaboration between the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, University of Westminster, and the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of São Paulo. It takes advantage of the complex and often spectacular legacy of architectural Modernism in both London and São Paulo as a way of reflecting historically on contemporary public spaces in both cities, and on the changing role of the architect in their production. The research is a response to a growing anxiety about the increasing privatisation of public space, and the demand for greater democratic authorship and ownership of it. This requires a wider and deeper examination of the neglected roles of the designer and design, which are as important to a discussion of the public realm as the debate about what constitutes ‘public’. In a contemporary social context of growing demand for greater democratic authorship 116

Project Partners: B ritish Council, Design Council, RIBA, RTPI, 20th Century Society (UK) Funding bodies: AHRC (UK); FAPESP (Brazil)

and ownership of the built environment, in particular its public realm, the role of design needs to be understood by designers and their clients in a far more informed way. If public space is co-constituted, then attention needs to be paid to the space as well as to the public. Today, there are marked similarities between London and São Paulo: they are both financial capitals, and they both have multicultural populations. They both suffer from a wide divide between rich and poor, and from chronic housing shortages. More importantly for this research, both tend to think about public space defensively, mirroring social segregation with spatial segregation. The emptiness of many public spaces in São Paulo, and its over-surveillance in London, are symptoms of urban dysfunction unanticipated by the optimistic public space agenda of architectural Modernism.

) Susannah Hagan: Centro Cultural São Paulo (CCSP) designed by Eurico Prado Lopes, 1978

Funded | Research

Monsoon Assemblages Principal Investigator: Professor Lindsay Bremner Research Associates: Dr Beth Cullen (anthropologist), Christina Geros (architect, landscape architect and urban designer) PhD: Harshavardhan Bhat (political scientist) and Anthony Powis (architect) MArch Studio DS18: Aligned with the project 2016-2019

MONSOON ASSEMBLAGES (MONASS) is a five-year research project funded by the European Research Council undertaking interdisciplinary, design-driven enquiries into relations between changing monsoon climates and urban development in three of South Asia’s largest cities: Chennai, Delhi and Dhaka. The project is being undertaken at a time when extreme weather events converge with neo-liberal urban policies and rapid urban growth to produce fragile futures for urban survival. In this context, it adopts a novel approach, treating the monsoon not as an external threat, but as an organising principle of urban life and urban environments as more-than-human,

(left):Monsoon [+ other] Airs symposium poster; (right) Michele Vianello: Kilkattalai Ery, Chennai

Monsoon Assemblages is funded by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant Agreement no. 679873).

monsoonal assemblages that operate across multiple scales and through media that are indivisibly natural, social, political and technological. It aims to produce knowledge of and design strategies for these environments and to assess the potential impact of this approach for the cities studied, the spatial design disciplines and the environmental humanities more generally. In April 2017, MONASS hosted Monsoon [+other] Airs, the first of three annual symposia structured around the monsoon’s three material elements: air, water and ground. This was an interdisciplinary symposium that brought together scholars, journalists, designers and artists of monsoon science, air, politics, practices and risks. Sean Lally of Chicago based Weathers Architects was the keynote speaker.

For further information, visit the project’s web site: www.monass.org

Research | Funded

ADAPT-r: Practice-based Research University of Westminster lead: Professor Katharine Heron

THE ADAPT-r PROJECT concluded in December 2016 after four years of intense work from the seven international partners including Westminster whose contribution was led by Professor Katharine Heron. In this time over 40 fellows were employed, we engaged in 8 training conferences known as Practice Research Symposia, delivered two research conferences, held a major exhibition in Ambika P3, and completed three key books. All of this is available on the website: http://adapt-r.eu Funded by the EU and Marie Curie, the training network expanded the ground-breaking PhD by Practice model developed and established at RMIT. The researchers (Creative Practitioners at varying stages of development of their PhD research) developed new research and

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The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013.

exchange their findings across the partnership guided by the partnersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Scientific Committee. PhD by Practice assumes creative practitioners have a pre-existing body of mature work. Participants shared intense public supervisory sessions at twice yearly Practice Research Symposia (PRS). They investigate their own research, within past and current practice, that is transformative of future practice. These generously open events are attended by over 100 practitioners and the work is presented for critique to supervisory panels with peers and external critics. The PhD examination is held in public, and during the course of ADAPT-r, nine candidates satisfactorily completed their defence, eight fellows were Senior researchers with PhD completed.

ADAPT-r Exhibition

Funded | Research

ProBE Research Fellow: Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen

Prof Linda Clarke (WBS) is co-director of ProBE, Professor of European Industrial Relations in Westminster Business School, and president of the European Institute of Construction Labour Research, based in Brussels.

PhD student: Denise Bowes Resident visitors: PhD student Michael Mulvey (Maynooth University)

Colin Gleeson is deputy director of ProBE, Reader in fABE and chartered building services engineer with a doctorate in energy and buildings.

Visiting Scholars: Dr Valerie Francis (University of Melbourne), Dr Richard Clark (Birkbeck) and Prof Kazuhiko Asami (Senshu University, Japan)

Christine Wall is co-director of ProBE, and Reader in Architectural and Construction History, fABE.

THE CENTRE FOR Research into the Production of the Built Environment (ProBE) is a cross-faculty centre spanning fABE and WBS. It is committed to a multi-disciplinary approach to investigating the planning, production, and social processes creating the structures and spaces that constitute our urban and rural built environments. The Centre consists of three joint Directors: Prof. Linda Clarke (WBS) and Readers, Christine Wall and Colin Gleeson (fABE) with Research Fellow Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen, full-time PhD students, Visiting Scholars and an external Advisory Board.

on a Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Partnership Grant ($2,547,130.00) which funds the international project Adapting Canadian Work and Workplaces to Respond to Climate Change: Canada in International Perspective (ACW) including the University of Westminster projects:

Our research spans contemporary issues such as the European Commission funded project Inclusive Vocational Education and Training for Low Energy Construction (€50,000). Prof Linda Clarke, Dr Colin Gleeson and Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen are external experts to 10 country partners. Clarke and Gleeson are also Co-Applicants

The Centre also has a strong and active profile for research into architectural and construction history and has recently run two University of Westminster Strategic Research Funded Projects. Architecture and Building Labour: using oral and visual evidence to enrich policy and practice in the built environment (£23,750, 2016), with PI Dr Wall, and CoApplicant Prof Clarke, catalogued and deposited the archive of the Constructing Post-War Britain oral history project at the Bishopsgate Library, produced a portable exhibition, and organised a symposium on Architecture and Building Labour. The current project Housing and Labour: a pilot oral history of post-war council house building in England and Scotland (£23,750), with PI Dr Wall, Co-Applicant Prof Clarke and Research Fellow, Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen, prepares the groundwork for a major exploration of the role of local authority builders in post-war social house building. The Faculty also funded Dr Wall for Housing and Urban Change in London Fields: from gentlemen traders to feminist activists, a project using oral histories of former squatters and visual archive documents, to provide new insights into the origins of feminist architecture in London and wider processes of urban change.

)© Hackney Archives: Former Squatted Homes Prior to Demolition, Hackney c.1989 [Ref.P08330]

Green Transitions in the US and Europe: breadth, depth and worker agency, with Fred Steward (PSI)

Green Transitions in the Built Environment

Research | Exploration

Environment & Technology Academic Staff: Rosa Schiano-Phan, Benson Lau, Will McLean, Peter Silver

ENVIRONMENT AND TECHNOLOGY draws together two closely related strands of research in the Department of Architecture: environmental design, and practice driven research into the history and technological development of architecture. Areas of interest range from the spatial poetics and environmental performance of historical buildings to advanced construction technologies. This year Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan has contributed to the Latitudes Global Studios project with a studio based research on the ‘Environmental Performance of British and Brazilian Modernism’ with Visiting Prof. Joana Goncalves from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, University of Sao Paulo, and has initiated a collaborative research scheme between the MSc AED and Arup, Architype and WSP. This summer, Rosa is co-presenting nine papers with current and past AED students at the 33rd ‘Passive Low Energy Architecture’ conference in Edinburgh. She is also working on the second edition of a book on Natural Cooling, published by Routledge and is currently supervising three PhD students.

Scott is currently building a low-emission, high-efficiency house in rural Sussex, which will be monitored over a 12 month period. He is also refitting a 1970s house in St Albans which incorporates architecturally-integrated passive heating and cooling systems. Benson Lau joined the Department of Architecture in January 2017 as a Reader in Architecture and Environmental Design and leads the new BSc Architecture and Environmental Design starting in September 2017. Benson writes about the spatial delight and environmental performance in architecture and is a regular contributor to academic journals and conferences. His research work in the National Energy Programme II funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China, Taiwan will be disseminated in the NEP II Symposium to be held at the University of Westminster in October 2017.

Will McLean is currently enrolled in the PhD by Published Work programme at Westminster and is researching the socio-technical history of construction innovation. Will writes about the technology of architecture and has co-authored four books with colleague Pete Silver. He recently delivered a paper on the work of structural engineer Tim Macfarlane at the 4th annual conference of the Construction History Society, University of Cambridge. Will was recently appointed co-editor of Construction History, the International Journal of the Construction History Society. Scott Batty is a practising architect researching and experimenting in the field of low-energy architecture. 120

):Cromwell Tower looming above Frobisher Crescent at Barbican, London

Exploration | Research

Palestine Regeneration Team (PART) Nasser Golzari, Yara Sharif

LAST NOVEMBER, NASSER Golzari and Yara Sharif were awarded the RIBA’s Commendation Award for Research for their design-based projects and research in Palestine. The award celebrates the strong triangular relationship between the team’s academic activities at the University of Westminster, their architectural practice, NG Architects and their research by design group Palestine Regeneration Team (PART), where they offer responsive research by design and live projects that tackles the subject of fragmented geography. PART is a design-led research group that aims to search for creative and responsive spatial possibilities to heal and empower marginalised communities. Members

Nasser Golzari and Yara Sharif produced and curated, with the support of the University of Westminster, Qalandiya International London, a bi-annual event whcih promotes contemporary art, architecture and design in the Middle East. The third series of Qalandiya International (QI) brought together artists and architects from across the cities including Jerusalem, Haifa and Beirut. Entitled This Sea is Mine, the event hosted over 100 international artists, architects, filmmakers and spatial designers to explore the subject of refugees and the sea under through a series of installations, film screenings, art and architectural projects, culminating in a one-day symposium Contemplating the ideas of return and refugees, the symposium’s discussions tackled the displaced in and around the Mediterranean Sea. Unpacked by the different participants, the sea was a medium to navigate through. A layer that can possibly bring to the surface absent narratives of the contemporary Diaspora and of the ordinary people. The symposium questioned the role of artists, architects and other professionals within the complex political and economic structure, exploring whether alternatives can be offered to heal, and a new geography emerging from the sea can be created to mend the fractures. Notions of ‘home’, waiting, ‘return’ the absent narratives and other subjects raised by the exhibits and the participants will be explored.

Harry Charrington: RIBA Commendation Award for Research

Research | Forum

Architectural Research Forum

THE ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT holds a bi-weekly research forum. This is an opportunity for staff and visiting fellows to present their work-in-progress to stimulate discussion and critical debate about their research. Seminars are open to all staff and students. During 2016/17, the programme was: Victoria Watson Rurality and Minimal Architecture: An Enquiry into the Genealogy of Tate Modernâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bankside Gallery Spaces Lindsay Bremner, Panel Discussion on Field Trips Samir Pandya & Ben Stringer Zhenzhou Weng An e-Learning Tool for Environmental Design John Bold The Politics of Heritage Regeneration in South-East Europe Alastair Blyth Measuring the Effectiveness of School Design Katharine Heron Practice-based Research in the Context of the ADAPTr Exhibition Julian Williams Collaborative Research: Reporting from the Estate. Joana Goncalves The Environmental Quality of Brazilian Modernism Nancy Stevenson & Taking a Hike Roberto Bottazzi Camilla Wilkinson Dazzle Davide Deriu The Vertigo Project

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Architectural Research Forum posters

PhD | Research

PhD Students THE DEPARTMENT ACCEPTS candidates who qualify for PhD research in fields in which its staff have expertise. For information of how to apply for a PhD at the University of Westminster, please visit: www.westminster.ac.uk/courses/research-degrees/phd-study

In 2016/2017, a number of outstanding PhD candidates successfully defended their theses: Samra Kahn

The Sethi merchantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; havelis in Peshawar, 1800-1910: form, identity and status. Supervisors: John Bold, Davide Deriu

John Walter

Alien Sex Club: Educating audiences about continuing rates of HIV transmission using art and design Supervisors: Linday Bremner, Victoria Watson, Francis White

Sarah Milne

Merchants of the City: Situating the London estate of the Drapersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Company, c.1540-1640 Supervisors: John Bold, Lindsay Bremner

Noha Alahmadi and Lilit Mnatsakanyan were awarded MPhil degrees.

Current PhD students registered in the Department of Architecture are: May Aljamea

Kon Kim

Cultural Preservation in a Saudi Domestic Environment in the Eastern Province

Towards Long-Term Regeneration of Urban Voids through ShortTerm Restoration of Community-based Social Capital

Abdullah Almuraiqeb

William McLean (PhD by Publication)

Supervisors: Lindsay Bremner, Samir Pandya

Shopping Malls as Public Spaces in Riyadh Supervisors: Marion Roberts, Nasser Golzari

Harshavardhan Bhat (Monsoon Assemblages PhD Fellowship) On the Skies of Surface life: In Search of Monsoon Air Supervisors: Lindsay Bremner, David Chandler

Mehrdad Borna

Designing Healthy Cities: The Impact of Urban Microclimates on Human Health | Air Quality Supervisors: Rosa Schiano-Phan, Krystallia Kamvasinou

Phillip Luehl (University of Westminster Fellowship)

Negotiating Informality: Spatial Co-Production as a way to Repoliticise Space in Namibia Supervisors: Lindsay Bremner, Isis Nunez Ferrera

Sharmeen Khan

Back to the Window: Re-addressing the Environmental Performance of Adaptive Fenestrations for Hot and Humid Climate Supervisors: Rosa Schiano-Phan, Nasser Golzari

Supervisors: Tony Manzi, Krystallia Kamvasinou

A Sociotechnical History of Architecture and Invention

Supervisors: Victoria Watson, Lindsay Bremner

Anthony Powis (Monsoon Assemblages PhD Fellowship) Fluvial City: Reading Chennai through Groundwater Supervisors: Lindsay Bremner, Beth Cullen

Philippe Saleh

Towards nearly Zero Energy Buildings in Lebanon: bioclimatic design and experimental building strategies for energy demand reduction in new builds. Supervisors: Rosa Schiano-Phan, Colin Gleeson

Duarte Santos

Hybrid territories, Performative geographies, Fluid cartographies in small islands. Supervisors: Davide Deriu, Helen Farrell, Lindsay Bremner

Emilia Siandou

Modern architecture in Cyprus as heritage

Supervisors: John Bold, Davide Deriu, Panaiota Pyla

Research | PhD

Abdullah Almuraiqeb Supervisors: Prof Marion Roberts, Dr Nasser Golzari

Shopping Malls as Public Spaces in Riyadh SHOPPING CENTRES HAVE long been criticised for their generic formulae, decontextualised architecture, and for their disruptive effect on the urban fabric. However, unlike their counterparts in western cities – to which malls have been the anti-thesis – malls in Middle-Eastern and East Asian cities have been an integral part of the urban process. For Riyadh, an accelerated urbanism, compressed spatiotemporal development and the environmental challenges of the past three decades increased the demand for urban spaces for which the mall offered a solution. Progressively, it emerged as the dominant typology for public space and became a favoured place for leisure, entertainment and consumption. Some studies have argued that the built environment in Saudi Arabia has proved an inadequate response to the local social climate due to its westernised and imported

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nature and has ultimately led to a sense of detachment and resentment from locals towards their city. Yet in Riyadh, the ever-growing number of shopping malls seem to be challenging such propositions. Consequently, it becomes imperative to displace the discourse in order to investigate what it means for a Saudi conservative society to live in the postmodern-capitalist city of Riyadh. Acknowledging that shopping malls today are becoming the new Saudi public space —though not public public spaces— is essential if we are to understand the constraints put on any effort that seek inclusive and socially sustainable urban public spaces. Not only does the mall allow the exploration of architectural and social concerns that are specific to the typology as such, it is a vehicle that enables the evaluation of global and capitalist urban mechanisms within which the social responsibilities of architects, urbanists and policymakers alike are to be exerted.

Food traders at Herero Mall informal market, Windhoek

PhD | Research

Harshavardhan Bhat Supervisors: Prof Lindsay Bremner, David Chandler

On the Airs of Surface Life / In Search of Monsoon Air MY PHD WORK is part of the Monsoon Assemblages Research project. It starts from the view that the monsoons are a constituency of the air and that the air’s changing material politics in this anthropocene age affects not just the worlds that rely on monsoonal ecologies, but inversely also affects the monsoons. In this process of exchange, the condition of the anthropocene age produced through the infrastructure and activities of humanity needs to be thought of and researched, framing it and its engagement with anthropocene airs.

Crane, architecture to be, air, cloud: London 2017

Situated in the New Delhi National Capital Region, the research uses Delhi’s current air and monsoon discourse to start a conversation. New Delhi therefore becomes the site where air politics is observed and thought through. The site is also the place of a particular hypothesis, in the sense that the city’s contemporary situation in it’s condition of growth and infrastructural effect is altering not only the air, but also the bodies which breathe it. However, this conditionality is perceived temporally to only be for and caused by the ‘bodies’ that occupy the region. But is that really so? Monsoon airs aren’t something that just appear to the satisfaction of perceived seasonal clocks but are constantly transforming forces and exist/become before and after the event of rain in a certain place and time that gives life to agri-logistical and political-economic clocks. These airs cohabit not just the oceans and the forests but also urbanity, it’s humanity of which the air challenges. Through Delhi’s rich socio-political-legal history with the ‘air’, the monsoon and the opportunity it provides a rich seam for monsoonal investigations. This project attempts an interdisciplinary questioning of its politics and possibilities.

Research | PhD

Mehrdad Borna Supervisors: Dr Rosa Schiano-Phan, Dr Krystallia Kamvasinou

Designing Healthy Cities: The Impact of Urban Microclimates on Human Health | Air Quality IN RECENT YEARS the world has experienced unprecedented urban growth. Moreover, population growth and escalating rates of urbanisation has had a substantial influence in forming our cities to date. As a consequence of population growth, urbanisation and government policies, more building stock will be needed in the near future, and that would result in a decrease in the proportion of greenery and open spaces available to the community, through the densification processes of construction. This means that an increase in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s density could cause some serious problems to the environment, the formation of unpleasant microclimates particularly at surface level, energy resources, wind velocity and its formation, solar exposure and daylight, air quality, outdoor space temperature all respectively impact on human health and well-being. Every year nearly two million premature deaths are attributed to the effects of urban outdoor and indoor air pollution. In a developed city like London, more than 9000 people die prematurely as a result of air pollution. In fact, the pure statistical ratio of people per unit area does not seem to be the most important factor in determining how people feel about living in high-density cities. It is what is in these places and how effectively spaces are designed that matters.

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Considering the above, the core focus of the present research is to pilot a study on London to discover and identify the relationship between human health and urban air quality and to critically review and assess the status quo of pre-existing contemporary research material to offer support to this observation and so to resolve an apparent gap in knowledge within related criteria of urban planning and design. Therefore, the aim is to develop a most effective design solution to improve human health by the elimination of oppressive microclimate condition in urban outdoor spaces through modification of the urban form and design.

Visible air pollution in London: 23 November 2016 (left) & 18 January 2017 (right)

PhD | Research

Phillip LĂźhl Supervisors: Prof Lindsay Bremner, Dr Isis Nunez Ferrera

Spatial Co-production as a way to Re-politicise Space in Namibia NAMIBIA HAS ONE of the most unequal societies in the world, which finds its roots in its particular colonial history. Spatial practice in Namibia continues to re-produce certain socio-spatial legacies of colonialism and Apartheid. The uncritical perpetuation of colonial/modernist values and spatial practices compounded with global economic influences require a large number of residents to pursue informal economies in the interstices of modernist order.

The informal market commonly known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Herero Mallâ&#x20AC;? in Katutura, a former Apartheid era black township in Windhoek, is posed as a post-colonial space that ruptures structures of urban and territorial control first imposed under colonial rule. It offers a singular opportunity to challenge not only its actual existing spatial configuration, but also the very processes through which this space is (re) produced. This practice-driven doctoral research thus aims to test methods to critically engage with informal workers at Herero Mall informal market and other stakeholders to coproduce spatial interventions that will address their specific spatial and material needs. Its main research question is: How can informal workers be empowered through spatial co-production and what are the implications for spatial practice? Conventional consultant-based spatial practices, which even if well intentioned, are often inadequate as they are expert-led and tend to decide on behalf of users who are usually not empowered to take part in spatial development processes. Instead, the proposed methods aim to empower informal workers to negotiate and become co-producers of space, to re-politicise the production of space in Namibian towns and cities.

Food traders at Herero Mall informal market, Windhoek

Research | PhD

Sharmeen Khan Supervisors: Rosa Schiano-Phan, Nasser Golzari

Back to the Window: R e-addressing the Environmental Performance of Adaptive Fenestrations for Hot and Humid Climate TO PROVIDE HOUSING for its rapidly growing population, the Indian government is aiming to build 20 million affordable homes by 2022 under the ‘Housing for All’ scheme. Along with the growing households, India has been experiencing about 15% rise in the sale of air conditioning units per year. This rising demand for cooling in Indian cities and the concentration of high numbers of population in the urban centres of the country is also directly associated with the persistent shortage in electricity supply which has led to power cuts of about 16 hours in predominantly rural areas of the country. Hence, the comprehensive focus of this research is to interrelate the evolution of windows and the factors that have influenced them along with their effect on human psychology and their contribution in creating better living spaces. However, the main aim of this study would be to portray ‘window’ as an adaptive tool, since they have the potential to create diversity, flexibility and social interaction as well as providing thermal and visual comfort for its users. The objectives of this research will be achieved by readdressing the passive window design elements prevalent in the traditional Indian buildings, by documenting government housing policies, current trends in window design, user preference and their energy consumption patterns. Through this study there is a hope to shift the focus from mechanical systems and make an emphasis on the importance of windows as a comfort regulating adaptive tool that provides the users with the flexibility to control their indoor environment and synchronise the same with the outdoor weather conditions.

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PhD | Research

Kon Kim Supervisors: Tony Manzi, Krystallia Kamvasinou

Towards Long-Term Regeneration of Urban Voids through Short-Term Restoration of Community-based Social Capital IN SOUTH KOREA, during the 2000s, the central government introduced new urban policies to allow more financial capital to flow into poorer residential areas in an effort to mitigate uneven growth, not least in large cities such as Seoul. However, massive redevelopment projects by the policies came into a sudden revocation significantly due to the recession after the 2008 global financial crisis. This dramatic change led to more severe inequality and isolation of the deprived areas – physically, socially and institutionally – resulting in the proliferation of internal malfunction (e.g. abandoned properties or poor infrastructure) and external disconnection (e.g. lack of institutional support or real estate investment) that I describe as constituting the ‘Urban Voids’ (Trancik, 1986; Sola-Morales, 1995; Doron, 2000; Groth and Corjin, 2005; Rahmann and Jonas, 2011; Von Scheele, 2016) in Seoul. This study begins with situating the concept of the urban voids in Seoul in a broader context; not only confining it

to the underused buildings or lands in the deprived areas physically, but also extending to wider urban districts isolated from the existing urban fabric of the city socially and institutionally. In this perspective, this study gives significant attention to a new institutional setting in Seoul that contributes to re-functioning and re-connecting the urban voids by encouraging small and temporary types of urban practices rather than single large scale redevelopment projects. In particular, while deciphering temporary events and interactions between the actors in the small-scale urban practices, this study explores how local community-based social capital (Putnam, 1994) is built and how it influences the transformation of the urban voids in Seoul. In so doing, this study aims to assess how the short-term restoration of the community-based social capital contributes to achieving the city-wide vision that is the long-term regeneration of the urban voids.

Research | PhD

Anthony Powis Supervisors: Prof Lindsay Bremner, Dr Beth Cullen

‘Unsustainable Abstraction’: Reading Chennai through Groundwater THIS PROJECT ATTEMPTS to look at a city from the ground up. Chennai (Tamil Nadu, India) is a fragile coastal city characterised by increasing frequency of both drought and floods. Lodged between the Bay of Bengal and the high plateau of the Indian peninsula, Chennai sits amongst low-lying coastal plains formed of the alluvial deposits of river deltas. In the ground of this fluvial city sits a high water table, only metres below the surface, and the majority of the population are reliant on daily extraction (‘abstraction’) of groundwater for domestic use and consumption. Within this context, the increasingly unpredictable retreating monsoon cycle brings with it a manifold set of meteorological phenomena that resaturate, flush, and cleanse the ground. Chennai has always been a wet city, ‘pockmarked with tiny water bodies’: monsoon waters that flow from west to east and drain into the ocean are captured by building bunds to form lakes or ‘eris’. This hydrological co-habitation is being eroded by intensive development that distorts flows both

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above and within ground, as well by infrastructural projects that actively seeks to harness and divert them. This research will look at particular sites (‘scenes’) along a transect through the city, defined by explicit encounters with the underground: commercial and domestic wells, disposal of industrial effluent via spongy marshlands and salt pans, and the ongoing tunnelling works for the new metro system. These scenes of ‘destratification’ destabilise surfacelevel certainties, bringing technologically-driven ‘smart’ cities into explicit contact with planetary histories, and unsettle the stable-state narrative on which much of urban policy is based. I begin by rejecting the ontological separations of ‘water’ and ‘land’ – instead exploring their manifold entanglements though which we might glean a sense of how urban form and culture are fundamentally bound up with geology and hydrology.

PhD | Research

Philippe Saleh Supervisors: Dr Dr. Rosa Schiano-Phan, Dr Colin Gleeson

Towards Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in Lebanon: Bioclimatic Design and Experimental Strategies

THE RESEARCH IS located in Beirut, Lebanon, the home country of the author which has the following characteristics: long hot and humid summers, short mild winters; heavyweight construction; chronic power shortage and different construction guidelines issued by numerous local bodies.The aim of the research is to find the best thermal performing construction material or combination of materials that would allow reduced energy usage in order to achieve acceptable comfort conditions in the residential new built.

in the difficulty of accurately simulating the thermal behavior of heavy weight construction in hot weather. In order to prove these limitations and to reach accurate conclusions of the best construction technics for thermal performance the research, purposely built three full scale test cells of 3.4x2.9x3m with different insulation positioned differently within their double cavity walls.These test cells are observed and analyzed during the three summer months from June till September 2017.

Numerous apartments are thermally monitored and analyzed during summer 2015, followed by computer modeling and simulation. Although these steps are the most commonly used for thermal studies, nevertheless going through them showed many gaps and limitation.The limitation was obvious

In this way, and by going through the different methodologies the research is showing the limitation of the most commonly used ones yet overpassing them to reach best results and conclusions.

Three purposely built test cells rooms, located in the North area of Lebanon

Research | Ambika P3

Ambika P3

AMBIKA P3 PROVIDES a platform for research. It is a laboratory to invent new work and publicly disseminate the outcome. Multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research can flourish here with external partners. In late 2016 the ADAPT-r exhibition was presented as one of the outcomes of a €4 million grant awarded to a partnership of seven European Universities, accompanied by the eighth Practice Research Symposium also held at Westminster. This explored the research processes of working artists, architects and designers from digital designers to landscape architects, brand designers to design activists, painters to performance artists, and many architects. 35 practitioners exhibited work in progress and four individuals were examined for their PhD within the exhibition context. A series of public events ran throughout the exhibition – notably a screening of Something Rich and Strange, the film made about the life and times of Iannis Xenakis with live performances.

In March/April 2017, an exhibition of six new commissions was enabled through the Casebooks Project at the University of Cambridge, under the directorship of Dr Lauren Kassell, and funded by the Wellcome Trust. International contemporary artists were commissioned to make new works engaged with the Casebooks Project and their research into the manuscripts of two seventeenth-century English astrologer-physicians: Simon Forman and his protégé Richard Napier. The manuscripts themselves (housed at the Bodleian Library, Oxford), document 80,000 medical consultations, and are testament to the preoccupations of patients with questions of health, disease, fertility, stability and their place within wider natural and supernatural schemes. The six artists – Jasmina Cibic, Federico Díaz, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Rémy Markowitsch, Lindsay Seers and Tunga – each made new works spanning sculpture, video and audio installation, live performance, robotics and artificial intelligence. Sign up for our newsletter, Facebook or look at our website: www.p3exhibitions.com

Professor Katharine Heron Director

(top) CASEBOOKS Exhibition (clockwise from top left): Tunga: Eu, Você e a Lua; Lindsay Seers: Mental Metal; Main exhibition space showing from foreground: Federico Díaz: BIG LIGHT (Space of Augmented Suggestion), Rémy Markowitsch: Casebook Calf, & Tunga: Eu, Você e a Lua; Casebooks Exhibition book; Jasmina Cibic: Unforseen Forseens 132

(bottom) Adapt-r Exhibition (left) Adapt-r Exhibition Space; (right) Leon van Schaik & Lady Frances Sorrell

Department of Architecture | Staff

Staff

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Wilfred Achille

Claire Dale-Lace

Sean Griffiths

Yota Adilenidou

Miriam Dallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Igna

Eric Guibert

Alessandro Ayuso

Rita Darch

Michael Guy

Peter Barber

Corinna Dean

Mohamad Hafeda

Scott Batty

Darren Deane

Susannah Hagan

Alastair Blyth

Dusan Decermic

Tabatha Harris Mills

Stefania Boccaletti

Davide Deriu

Stephen Harty

John Bold

Richard Difford

Matt Haycocks

Shumi Bose

Chris Dite

Catherine Hennessy

Roberto Bottazzi

Jeg Dudley

Katharine Heron

Anthony Boulanger

Julia Dwyer

Andrzej Hewanicki

Eva Branscombe

John Edwards

Adam Holloway

Lindsay Bremner

Anthony Engi Meacock

Edward Ihejirika

Stephen Brookhouse

Elantha Evans

Bruce Irwin

Terence Brown

Stephanie Fischer

Platon Issaias

Toby Burgess

Jonathan Fisher

Andrei Jipa

Clare Carter

Theeba Franklin

Alan Johnson

Harry Charrington

Isabel Frost

Kate Jordan

Matt Cousins

FranĂ§ois Girardin

Maja Jovic

Paul Crosby

Colin Gleeson

Gabriel Kakanos

Ruth Cuenca

Nasser Golzari

Krystallia Kamvasinou

Beth Cullen

Jon Goodbun

Joe King

Maria Kramer

Samir Pandya

Duarte Santo

Jane Tankard

Diony Kypraiou

Harry Paticas

Shahed Saleem

Juan Vallejo

Debby Kuypers

Amanda Pawliszyn

Rosa Schiano-Phan

Giulio Verdini

Gillian Lambert

Andrew Peckham

David Scott

Filip Visnjic

Benson Lau

Mirna Pedalo

Yara Sharif

Christine Wall

Constance Lau

Ruby Ray Penny

Neal Shasore

Elly Ward

Dirk Lellau

Emma Perkin

Gabby Shawcross

Richard Warwick

Chris Leung

Callum Perry

Gordon Shrigley

Richard Watson

Tony Lopez Winkler

Catherine Phillips

Jeanne Sillett

Victoria Watson

Alison Low

Sue Phillips

Pete Silver

Zhenzhou Weng

Gwyn Lloyd Jones

Stuart Piercy

Giles Smith

Andrew Whiting

Michael MacNamara

Juan Piñol

Ro Spankie

Camilla Wilkinson

Jane Madsen

Alicia Pivaro

Afolabi Spence

Elizabeth Wilks

Arthur Mamou-Mani

David Porter

Douglas Spencer

Julian Williams

Andrei Martin

Anthony Powis

Kate Squire

Nick Wood

Will McLean

Virginia Rammou

Manos Stellakis

Andrew Yau

Alison McLellan

Kester Rattenbury

Joanne Stevens

John Zhang

Clare Melhuish

Ruby Ray Penny

Rachel Stevenson

Fiona Zisch

Sarah Milne

Tom Raymont

Matthew Stewart

Richa Mukhia

Lara Rettondini

Bernard Stilwell

Natalie Newey

Paul Richens

Ben Stringer

John O’Shea

Michael Rose

Allan Sylvester

Department of Architecture | Architectural Practice Links

Practice Links 2017

Anne Thorne Architects

Eric Parry Architects

MJP Architects

Spaced Out Architecture

aLL Design

Exploration Architecture

Mobile Studio

SPPARC Architects

Arboreal Architecture

FACtotum

Modern Architect

Studio Memo

Architype

Fletcher Priest Architects

MRA Architects

StructureMode

Arup

Gensler & Associates

NG Architects

Studio Hardie

Assemble

Green Infrastructure

nimtim architects

Studio Gkoudkoudi

AY Architects

Grimshaw Architects

OPEN Architecture

TAFH

BGS Architects

Haptic Architects

Perkins + Will

The Klassnik Corporation

Bradley Van Der Straeten Architects

Hawkins\Brown

Piercy&Co

Thomas Heatherwick Studio

Chapman+BDSP

Hayhurst & Co

Platform 5 Architects

Tim Ronalds Architects

Hopkins Architects

Platforms

Universal Design Studio

HTA

PLP Architecture

Urbanus

Hunters

Pritchard Themis

Veretec

Ian Chalk Architects

Project Orange

VOLA

Jason Bruges Studio

RALA

Wandle HA

Karakusevic Carson Architects

Ruimte Design

Wayward Architects

Lama Studio

Sam Jacob Studio

Weston Williamson

Leslie Jones Architects

Simon Bowden Architecture

Wilkinson Eyre Architects

Lobby

SimpsonHaugh and Partners

Wood Bagot London

Loyn & Co Architects

Square Feet Architects

WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff

Mae Architects

Smout Allen

Zaha Hadid Architects

MATT Architecture

SNAS Design & Development

McCarthy Architects

Something and Son

Coffey Architects Collective Works Corbett & Tasker Curl La Tourelle Head Architects Dan Marks Studio David Chipperfield Architects Darling Associates DCUK de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects DSDHA Architects Duggan Morris Architects Edward Williams Architects

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We wish to thank the following organisations for their support:

T H E JAM ES P H I L L I P S F O U N DAT I ON

PG 2017

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE

University of Westminster 35 Marylebone Road London NW1 5LS Tel 020 7911 5000 x3165

www.westminster.ac.uk iv

PG 2017

PG 2017 UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER