Open Studio Event

This mid-year event allowed invited guests, fellow staff and students to see work in progress and share the diversity of architecture and design at UEL

We held the Open Studio Event with student presentations and guest talks at UEL, over two days in February 2022. The event welcomed invited guests, all students, members of staff and people who were interested in our architectural and design studies.

The Open Studio Event was again a unique opportunity to see work in progress and to share the diversity of studies. The event was organised in such a way that selected students from each Unit or Course presented their ongoing work. As such, it was both, a ‘mid-term review’ with work in progress and a vital platform for discussion about academic work in architecture.

Special Guests: Baldeep Heer, Philip Christou Baruti, Liam O’Dell.

Thursday 24th February 2022

Following courses presented: Product Design, ADT Architectural Design Technology, Landscape Architecture, MArch Unit 2 (Open Space, Kidbrooke, Greenwich, South-East London), MArch Unit 6 (Sustaining Education or Sustainable Education - UEL Docklands Campus, London), March Unit 8 (Towards a Sustainable De-Industrialisation, Hackney Wick, London), MRes Architecture (Understanding the Neoliberal City), First Year Architecture BSc

Lunch Lecture by Deborah Benrós

Deborah Benrós is an architect and researcher. She holds a doctorate from University College London - The Bartlett School and was a visiting student at MIT. In practice, she worked at several offices including Foster and Partners and Arup. As visiting faculty at Cornell University, she taught design studio and a course focusing on her research field which includes shape grammars and mass customisation of housing.

The lecture explored research work on shape grammars/housing archetypes, past teaching experiences in studio and architectural work which include Foster and Partners’ Apple campus, Apple Stores and The Walbrook building in the City of London.

Evening Lecture by Neven Sidor of Grimshaw

Since joining Grimshaw in 1981, Neven Sidor has led design teams on 21 major completed projects. His work spans several sectors, such as transport, higher education, exhibition halls and master planning. He is currently a member of the Stewardship Group, which oversees the values, ethos and standing of the practice.

Grimshaw was founded by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw in 1980. The practice became a Partnership in 2007 and operates worldwide, employing over 650 staff. The company’s work is characterised by strong conceptual legibility, innovation and a rigorous approach to detailing, all underpinned by the principles of humane, enduring and sustainable design.

Friday 25th February 2022

Following courses presented: MA Interior Design, BA Interior Design, Degree Unit A (Action Space, Hackney Central, London), Degree Unit B (Rock, Northumberland UK), Degree Unit C (Creat(iv)e Soho, London), Degree Unit E (Brick Lane, London), Degree Unit H (Continuity and Tolerance, Limehouse Cut, London) and MA Architecture + Urbanism

Lunch Lecture by Tony Fretton about Geoffrey Bawa

Tony Fretton is a Visiting Professor at UEL and he is known for his building projects across Europe. He set up his practice in 1982 and his projects include the Lisson Gallery in London and the Fuglsang Museum in Denmark. Tony’s architecture is sensitive to local contexts and his approach is centred on people’s need, social engagement, perception and proportion.

Tony spoke about the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, who practiced from the late 1950s until the 1990s. Goeffrey Bawa’s architecture is often described as ‘traditional modernism’, combining vernacular and contemporary designs. His architecture relates to an astonishing sense of place and emotional depth. Without falling into common architectural categories, each building understands its location and function, by showing Bawa’s architectural intelligence, touch and spatial awareness.

‘INTERSECTION’

A degree show at Broadgate, City of London for BA Interior Design Pol Gallagher & Keith Winter

BA Interiors were tasked with designing and building an exceptional exhibition for the whole of the Architecture and Physical Design cluster as well as UEL Fashion graduates for their final year runway, all housed within the prestigious London centre location of 3 Finsbury Avenue, Broadgate. The developer, British Land, signed off on a 1F floorplate to be used by UEL for this end-of-year show and BA Interior Design Year 02, led by year tutor Pol Gallagher, were given the responsibility of designing it as their main brief for Semester B.

Four groups were created, 1. Walls and Plinths, 2. Entrance Arch, 3. Bar and 4. Reception Desk. Each group was given multiple tasks to assign to each group member and numerous interim crits to check in with tutors and guests along the design journey.

One highlight was the dialogue of Year 02 Interiors and Year 03 Fashion students, collaborating for short snappy video interviews and presentations, that led to the final designs for the exhibition with a customdesigned runway and concept of ‘Intersection’. This event has since been listed by London Fashion Week for the first time in UEL’s history and is set up to be an incredibly popular weekend for the students, staff and visitors.

The Architecture and Physical Design Cluster then took over the space after LFW and showcased the best work from Architecture, Interior Design, ADT and Product design. With Pol’s bright yellow powder-coated scaffold poles and off-set dark blue wall colour, the office space became a transparent labyrinth providing excitable moments around every corner.