Care and Pride

Introduction to the Architecture and Physical Design Cluster

There are many words, and even more fantastic images of work within this book, immortalising a years activity within the Architecture and Physical Design Cluster, which I have had the pleasure of leading for the first time. I will keep my introduction short, and centre it on one of the many shared strands that unite us all across the various disciplines within the cluster, and that is the care and the pride that we all take in what we do here.

At UEL, and in particular within the Architecture and Physical Design Cluster, this notion of care runs through everything we do, inherently impacting all who pass through our doors. From students to faculty, from Torre our ever-present smiling security guard, to Mark Sowden our long standing colleague and master technician, who has for 25 years inspired our students. Our cluster is built on a simple idea that we care. It is infectious, it envelopes us all and it is the foundation for the success of all our graduates.

This book celebrates the incredible work of our current students but will inevitably reach a wider audience through friends, family, colleagues, alumni and future members of our community.

To those of you who are at the beginning of your journey with us, picking up this year book, I hope you are inspired, as I am, by the incredible achievements of our students and excited about what we will achieve together. And if you are asking yourself what it’s like to study at the university of East London, I offer you this:

Our staff really care for our students and in return our students really care for their tutors. We are a family, and collectively we care about the future of our professions and their impact on our planet. From the products that our hands will contribute to making, to the spaces our designs will inhabit, to the architecture and cities that we design and contribute to. This is a special place, full of an incredibly diverse group of people, all united in a common goal to make our world better through design.

To our alumni, we are so proud of your achievements, and the stories of your success are an inspiration to us all, from Jayden Ali’s co-curatorship of next years British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, to the many of you who are now in senior positions in world leading architecture and design practices. If you are reading this, and we have not been in touch, please do reach out and reconnect. You are, and always will be a part of our UEL family, and we look forward to welcoming you back to the school in the near future.

To our current students and those who are about to graduate from our cluster. You have not had a normal education and the Covid-19 pandemic has dealt you a really difficult hand. Your resilience has awed and amazed us. In truth it inspired us to do what we do and we could not be prouder of what you have achieved. We hope you will come back, remember your time with us with fondness, and hopefully remember a little of what we have taught you. We look forward to watching you shine bright, rise high and forever change the face of the professions you choose to pursue. Remember your fellow graduates and those you met along your journey, and importantly keep caring for each other, as you have over the past years. You might not know it yet but the class of 2022 will move mountains, especially if you do it together.

To our returning students, your energy is infectious, and we are really excited to see what the next year/s will bring. Rest well over the summer, try something new, see something you haven’t seen before and reflect on what you have learnt this year. We look forward to welcoming you back in September brimming with energy, ready to push on and take both you and your studies to new heights.

To our prospective students/potential applicants and your families. This school is a very special place. Now just 15 minutes from the heart of London by Elizabeth Line, we are a school that is consistently moving on an upward trajectory and breaking new ground in creating a careers led education in our subject areas. We care and protect those that step into our ‘Factory of Creativity’, and will nurture you to be the best that you can possibly be. We are looking for people who care about quality and community, and if you think you are one of those rare, wonderful people then we would love to hear from you.

To the Architecture and Physical Design staff, technicians and ACE School Office Staff, thank you.

Thank you for nurturing our students to be the best that they can be, thank you for caring for each other, and also for putting up with me. This book is a celebration of your commitment to our students and their journeys, and while your hard work and countless briefs occupy the background of this publication, it is very much front and centre of my admiration.

Well done, now onwards and upwards!

Alex Scott-Whitby Cluster Leader - Architecture & Physical Design