Technical Studies Lecture Series: Jason Flanagan “Sound, Acoustics + Architecture” Thursday October 4, 18:00, Room 416

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Mirna Pedalo

Technical Studies Lecture Series is back!

During the first semester the School of Architecture and Cities hosts the Thursday evening ‘Technical Studies’ lecture series to highlight new developments in the fields of architecture, engineering and environmental design. The series attempts to capture a contemporary philosophy of architecture and technology and introduce students to current and future trends in the development and understanding of architecture. This years talks include, a glass skyscraper in Southwark, a new ‘rusty’ steel footbridge in Chiswick, self-build housing in South London and a brand new type of ‘deployable’ structure.

The series starts with Jason Flanagan (Flanagan Lawrence Architects) talking about the importance of sound and acoustics in the design of new performative architecture.

When: Thursday, 4th of October 2018, 18:00

Where: M416, Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Rd., London NW1 5LS

Technical Studies Lecture Series: Robert Barker “Aquatecture – Building for Flood Zones”, Thursday 7th December, 18:00, Room 416

Posted on December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Robert Barker, Stolon Studio : Aquatecture – Building for Flood Zones

When: Thursday 7th December, 6pm,

Where: Room M416

Robert Barker is one of the co-founders of Stolon Studio Ltd along with Westminster alumna Jessica Barker. He trained at the Royal College of Art before working for a number of innovative firms such as Birds Portchmouth Russum. In 2003 he jointly set up Baca Architects and went on to win numerous awards and recognition as one of the leading innovators in flood resilient and adaptable architecture. With Baca, he won the RIBA Presidents Award for Research in 2009 and 2014, for the LifE project and the CAN project respectively. Robert is an author of the Metric Handbook – Flood Chapter (2015) and RIBA book – Aquatecture (2016). Whilst a director at Baca he worked on The Amphibious House (the UK’s first); A one-off house with a floating concrete base designed to resist flooding, which featured on Grand Designs and was winner of the London Design Awards, Gold 2015.

In 2016 he set up Stolon Studio with the aim of specialising in Architectural Development – using his design skills to unlock complex sites and push the boundaries of development. Robert is also a Part 3 examiner and he sits on several design review panels.

For lecture details contact Will McLean: w.f.mclean@westminster.ac.uk
www.technicalstudies.tumblr.com

Technical Studies Lecture Series: Pete Silver “The Electronic Architect”, Thursday 30th November, 18:00, M416

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Pete Silver – The Electronic Architect

When: Thursday 30th November, 18:00

Where: Room M416, Marylebone Campus

Pete Silver is an architect with experience of the construction industry, public sector housing, teaching, research and private practice. During the 1970s, he worked for five years as development manager for Solon Housing Association where he was responsible both for the rehabilitation of pre-war housing stock and the development of new-build projects in the outer-London boroughs, working with architects such as Patrick Keiller, Edward Cullinan and Walter Segal.

During the 1980s, Pete Silver trained at the Architectural Association under Professor John Frazer and cybernetician Gordon Pask, and subsequently completed four years as a Research Associate in the Land Use Research Unit at King’s College London under Professor Alice Coleman. Pete Silver has worked as a studio design tutor at the Architectural Association teaching with John and Julia Frazer, Greenwich University and the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, where he jointly established Diploma Unit 14 to investigate expert and real-time environmentally-responsive systems. Pete will be discussing the history of computing in architecture, machine logic and interactive design.

Pete is currently joint co-ordinator of Technical Studies at the University of Westminster, and is a director of the Chartered Practice Architects Ltd. Silver has co-authored four books with colleague Will McLean, which include Fabrication: The Designers Guide (2008), An Introduction to Architectural Technology (2013) and Air Structures (2014).

For details email Will McLean – w.f.mclean@westminster.ac.uk
www.technicalstudies.tumblr.com

Technical Studies Lecture Series: Prof Sadie Morgan, dRMM, Thursday 23rd November, 6pm, M416

Posted on November 20, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Professor Sadie Morgan – dRMM
Hastings Pier

Reinventing traditional pier design, Hastings Pier provides an open space, able to support a variety of events and uses from circuses to music events, fishing to markets.

Professor Sadie Morgan of dRMM will discuss the community-led regeneration project of Hastings Pier, which is this year’ winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize and the RIBA’s People’s vote. The judge’s citation explains; ‘Hastings Pier is a project that has evolved the idea of what architecture is and what architects should do … dRMM show what incredibly talented and dedicated architects can do: inspire, think big, interact and engage with communities and clients to help them to achieve the seemingly impossible; this is a great message for young architects following in their footsteps.’

Sadie is a founding director of dRMM with Alex de Rijke and Philip Marsh. Over her 20-year career Sadie has had an increasingly significant role in the advocacy of design and architecture through her professional practice and her advisory roles. Sadie is currently chairing the Independent Design Panel for High Speed Two (HS2), reporting directly to the Secretary of State. She is one of ten commissioners for the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) led by former Cabinet Minister Lord Adonis, and a commissioner for the Thames Estuary 2050 Growth Commission. In 2017, she was appointed as a Mayor’s design advocate for the Greater London Authority and she is Professor of Interiors in the Department of Architecture at Westminster.

For lecture details please contact Will McLean w.f.mclean@westminster.ac.uk

When: Thursday 23rd November, 6pm, Room M416

Where: Department of Architecture, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS

Technical Studies Lecture Series: Prof John Chilton, Tonight 9th November, 6pm, M416

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

The next guest in the Technical Studies Lecture Series will be Prof John Chilton from Nottingham University, who will give a lecture titled “Timber Grid Shells”.

When: Thursday 9th November, 6pm

Where: Room M416, Marylebone Campus, NW1 5LS

All welcome!

Technical Studies Lectures: Amin Taha + Jason Coe, Thursday 5 October, 6pm, M416

Posted on September 26, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Technical Studies Lectures are back!

Join us for the first in the series of lectures starting next Thursday 5th October at 6pm, with Amin Taha and Jason Coe of Amin Taha Architects.

159-168 Upper Street and other Projects

Replacing a gap site which was never redeveloped after WWII, Amin Taha architects have reconstructed an extraordinary but ‘misremembered’ facsimile of the bookend of a late 19th Century terrace opposite Islington Town hall. All external mouldings, window surrounds and features as well as internal skirting, dado rails, cornices and anglypta wallpaper were 3D modelled and then robotically routed into an expanded polystyrene formwork. The entire façade (including roof) was then cast insitu in a special terracotta/concrete mix. The walls are half a metre thick, are load-bearing, and perform as thermal barrier, and internal/external finishes. The terracotta structural skin was then filled with a series of cross laminated timber floors threaded through the outer shell. Up close the remarkable and innovative process of construction is revealed in the subtle ‘cast’ quality of eccentric details and features in a structural shell, which also contains secret panels and openings only visible on closer inspection. Amin Taha architects were established by Amin Taha in 2005 and the practice have recently been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize for their brick and wicker housing project in Barrett’s Grove, London.

when: Thursday 5th October, 6pm

where: Marylebone Campus, Room M416

A Site Diary Project

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Site Diary is a twelve-week module run by the Technical Studies team and it’s a part of the 2^nd year BA’s curriculum. The aim behind this project is to introduce the students to the construction site and the site team. The idea is to give students a chance to “witness, record and speculate on the Architect’s role in the construction process”, as well as to help them gain first-hand experience of working on a building site.

Students work in pairs, and are expected to choose their own local building site, communicate with the job architect(s) and / or contractors, and visit the site several times over the duration of the module.

In order to provide the context, give some structure and background to the task, as well as to help students gain understanding of how operations on the site relate to the architect, client, contractor, design team and contracts, a Technical Studies team also runs a series of lectures as a part of this module.

At the end of the module students are required to hand in a document / diary containing the following:

An overview of the construction project addressing key questions delivered in the lecture series through graphics, text and sketches.
A structured photo-journal documenting the progress of works during the period of observation addressing a list of set questions.
Appraisal of the project in terms of Inclusive Design and the use of Digital Technology.
A time lapse study of part of the building construction sequence, either through a series of drawings, model or animation-scale.

Other creative ways of exploring and describing one’s experience on site are also welcome, such as this short film by Hugo Shackleton, which was part of his submission in May this year.

Final year BA and MArch Students: Visiting Consultant Sessions, Friday 31st March, 14:00-18:00

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Technical Studies are organising Visiting Consultant Sessions for the 3^rd year BA students and 2^nd year MArch students to meet and discuss their work with various professionals in the field of architecture, engineering and environmental design.

To sign up please go to the notice board next to M503.

The available consultants are:

Dave Heely – Morph Structures (Structural Engineering)

Benson Lau – UOW (Architecture, Climate & Environmental Design)

Scott Batty – UOW / Scott Batty Architects (Detailing / Materials)

Oliver Houchell – Houchell Studio (Bridge and Structural Design / Architecture)

Jago Boase – StructureMode (Structural Engineering)

Andy Whiting – Hut Architecture (Detailing / Materials)

Yashin Kemal – Robin Partington and Partners (Detailing / Materials)

Chris Leung – Bartlett / UCL (Environmental Design and Engineering)

Will McLean – UOW

Final year BA and MArch Students: Visiting Consultant Sessions, Friday 24th March, 14:00-18:00

Posted on March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo