School of Architecture + Cities 2023 Equity Forum Symposium: “Pursuing Urban Equity” | Thursday, June 22 at 14:00 (BST) | MG14, Marylebone Campus, University of Westminster

When: Thursday, 22nd of June at 2pm (BST)

Where: MG14, University of Westminster Marylebone Campus, 35 Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5LS

How does a school of architecture + cities pursue school-wide equity? How are questions of equity emerging in student projects, and how could these projects inform school strategies? What can practitioner perspectives offer the way in which a school shapes its approach?

This inaugural symposium will bring together academics, students, and practitioners to discuss projects and exchange ideas on the notion of equity for built environment disciplines. The symposium will open with an introductory talk on the tactics and challenges of introducing a ‘cultural infrastructure’ to support the pursuit of equity in the School. This will be followed by two panels in succession: a practitioner panel, and a student panel. Members of each panel will present a short talk on one project relating to equity, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A.

The projects and their themes will be wide-ranging, but all linked by a focus on the cultural approaches, forms of intelligence, and skills required to move towards greater equity. The symposium will conclude with the formal launch of ‘Urban Equity’, an Open Access online resource, followed by refreshments and networking.

Please book tickets here.

Programme

14.00 Welcome: Prof. Harry Charrington, Head, School of Architecture + Cities

14.10 Introduction – ‘Cultural Infrastructure’: Lucy Bambury (School EDI Student Champion) and Samir Pandya (School EDI Lead)

14.30 Panel 1 Short TalksPractitioner Perspectives (Chair: Alastair Blyth, Assistant Head of School)

14:30 Shaun Ihejetoh (Director, West Port Architects): V&A Africa Fashion – Equity in Design

14.45 Mei-Yee Man Oram (Associate Director, Arup): Designing inclusive spaces

15.00 Jas Bhalla (Principal, Jas Bhalla Architects): From the ground up – delivering transformative renewal across London’s high streets

15.15 Respondent – Prof. Pippa Catterall (School of Humanities)

15.20 Panel Discussion

15.45 Q&A

16.00 BREAK

16.15 Panel 2 Short Talks: Student Perspectives (Chair: Lucy Bambury)

16.15 Nishika Diyabalanage (MA Interior Architecture): The New Women of Oxford Street

16.30 Dawn Rahman (Active Travel Academy PhD student): Mad or Magnificent? Mothers who cycle with their children

16.45 Riane Oukili (MArch/RIBA Part 2):  The Archaeological Garden: Towards a decolonial archaeology

17.00 Respondent – (Wilfred Achille, RIBA Part 3 Co-Course Leader)

17.05 Panel Discussion

17.30 Q&A

18.00 Concluding comments, and formal launch of ‘Urban Equity’ (Open Access EDI online resource)

18.30 Refreshments and networking

Fire Experience Day – Fire Service College, Moreton-in-Marsh

On May 22, 2023 a group of staff and students from four courses within the School of Architecture + Cities, University of Westminster attended a Fire Experience Training Day hosted by the Fire Service Training College. The day was sponsored by Axa Insurance, Fire Protection Association (FPA) and School of Architecture + Cities, UoW. The experience and information gathered was particularly useful with regard to the new Building Safety Bill and the developing RIBA/ARB criteria on Design for Fire and Life Safety.

Staff attending:

  • Scott Batty
  • Paolo Zaide
  • Wilfred Achille
  • Adam Thwaites
  • Stefania Boccaletti

Students from, BA Architecture: Umi Sakai-Stoute, Rowan Isles, Oscar Chainey, Eric Turner

Students from, MA Architecture: Galina Dimova, Ramzi Ramzi, Simon McLanaghan

Students from BSc Architecture + Environmental Design: Anastasia Suzdaltseva Kazakova, Elspeth Prowse, Michelle Lai, Sara Stabiglieri

Students from Architectural Technology: Pascal Golda, Amjad Butt, Velina Drakalieva, T’Sean Blake