ArCCAT Climate Action Week + Technical Studies Lecture Series: “Environmental Design Sourcebook” Book Launch + Panel Discussion with Pete Silver and Will McLean | Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 18:30, Room M416, Marylebone Campus + Online

Posted on October 24, 2021October 24, 2021 by Mirna Pedalo

When: Thursday 28th October 6.30pm, M416

Where: M416, School of Architecture and Cities, University of Westminster, 35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS + Online:

A new social and ecological prerogative demands appropriate material choices, a re-invention of construction and evolving building programmes that looks at lifecycle, embodied energy and energy use.

To coincide with the university Sustainability Month and the recent publication of Environmental Design Sourcebook: Innovative Ideas for a Sustainable Built Environment (RIBA Publishing, 2021), the Authors, Dr Will McLean and Pete Silver will host a book launch and panel discussion.

The discussion will feature contributors from the publication including industry collaborators, and University of Westminster staff and student researchers: Kirsten Haggart (Waugh Thistleton architects), Rosa Schiano-Phan (UoW), Guy Sinclair (UoW) and Urna Sodnamjamts (Hût Architecture).

This panel discussion about design for climate change is the first of a planned series exploring knowledge transfer networks and partnerships with industry. These discussions are hosted by the University of Westminster (on and off-site) and are supported by Dr Stephanie Lasalle from the Research and Knowledge Exchange Office.

https://technicalstudies.tumblr.com/

For details contact: Will McLean

w.f.mclean@wmin.ac.uk

ArCCAT Climate Action Week – Monday 25th to Friday 29th of October

Posted on October 18, 2021October 19, 2021 by Mirna Pedalo

The Architecture and Cities Climate Action Taskforce (ArCCAT) has developed an exciting, slightly-longer-than-a-week programme of events between October 18th and October 28th to support the University’s Sustainability Month, a lead-in to COP 26 in Glasgow at the beginning of November.

Go here for further details of the University’s programme: here: https://www.westminster.ac.uk/about-us/our-university/vision-mission-and-values/sustainability-month.

The ArCCAT programme is as follows:

Monday 18 October 18.30 – 19.30

Cartographies of the Monsoon Exhibition Opening

Venue: Gallery Café, 309 Regents Street, W1B 2HW

Lindsay Bremner in conversation with Tom Corby, Associate Dean of Research, Central St Martins.

This exhibition will show a selection of the maps produced by John Cook for Monsoon Assemblages, a research project in the School of Architecture and Cities at the University of Westminster funded by the European Research Council between 2016-2021. The project drew on the environmental humanities, the natural sciences and the spatial disciplines to develop an understanding of the entanglements of the monsoon in everyday life, politics and planning in Chennai, Delhi, Dhaka and Yangon, four of South Asia’s rapidly growing cities. The maps were mechanisms through which the project team constructed understandings of the materiality of the monsoon and the many mechanisms that drive it.

Monday 25 October 12.30 – 14.30

What about ‘the other half’ of the ‘UN sustainability goals’?

Venue: Studio

UoW students-as-co-creators project team 2021: Dana Al Khammach, Elantha Evans, Rebecca Kelly, James Mason and Lavinia Peninno.

Join us for a curated, interactive and enjoyable 15-20 min session anytime between 12.30-14.30 on Monday 25th October 2021. This is about what YOU think we can do together, and is part of a wider project about architecture, empathy and the empathic imagination. Come along! And sign up here for more info on the project and future collaborations.

Offered as part of ‘Sustainable Disclosures’ // Expanding architecture education to better nurture people, places and practices for sustainable, inclusive futures (http://eepurl.com/hFy9q1).

Monday 25 October 13.00

Launch of Design Competition for a material reuse station for the studios

Venue: Studio

Doiny Kypraiou, Stefania Bocoletti, Paolo Zaide and Tabatha Mills.

For both students and architectural designers, the physical model is a manifestation of ideas. The act of physical model-making is central to architectural education and our studios. It presents the opportunity to test, explore, speculate, compose and further the design process. How can you as students begin to challenge wasteful practice? Can we make our studio practice more circular?

Five teams of 4 L5 students each, drawn from each of the undergraduate degrees (Interiors, Architecture, AED, Technology) will participate in this design challenge for a week.

Monday 25 October 16.00 – 17.00

The King’s Cross journey to carbon neutrality

Venue: Robin Evans Room (M416) and online; book at Eventbrite: https://www. eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-kings-cross-journey-to-carbon-neutrality-tickets-183433162527

Organiser and Moderator: Johannes Novy

Speaker: Stephen Kellett, Sustainability Manager, Ardent Services LLP

Discussant: Roudaina Alkhani

The King’s Cross Estate is one of Europe’s most significant regeneration projects – this talk will highlight the key decisions made from the projects inception through to the design of its buildings and the management in operation that have enabled it to achieve carbon neutrality, on its journey to net zero carbon.

Monday 25 October 17.30 – 18.30

Opening of the ArCCAT Sustainable Design + Research Exhibition

Launch of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Campaign

Venue: Marylebone Learning Platform

Speaker: Peter Bonfield

Curators: Lindsay Bremner, Grace Lancto, François Girardin and David Scott, with the assistance of Chris Meloy and John Whitmore.

An exhibition of staff and student work from the School of Architecture and Cities supporting sustainability goals accompanied by the launch of a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Campaign by the Fabrication Lab and the University’s Estates team.

Tuesday 26^th October, 18.00 – 20.00

Practicing Sustainability: from Portfolio to Practitioner

Venue: Robin Evans Room (M416) and online | to book tickets please go to Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/practicing-sustainability-from-portfolio-to-practitioner-tickets-191649176847

Organiser and Moderator: Harry Charrington

Speakers: Chris Morgan; John Gilbert Architects, Glasgow; Gordon O’Connor-Read; Rural Urban Synthesis Society and Laing O’Rourke.

How do you take the ideas and commitment of your student portfolio into architectural practice? How can you build a career that reinforces your ideals and aims, rather than compromises them? These two talks, by architects at very different stages of their careers will illustrate ‘how they do sustainable practice’, and the challenges and success they have had in addressing the concerns they had as students through their built projects.

Thursday 28^th October, 18.00 – 20.00

Environmental Design Sourcebook Book Launch and Panel Discussion

Venue: Room M416 and available on https://technicalstudies.tumblr.com/

Organisers: Will McLean and Pete Silver

To coincide with Climate Action Week and the recent publication of Environmental Design Sourcebook: Innovative Ideas for a Sustainable Built Environment (RIBA Publish- ing, 2021), the authors Will McLean and Pete Silver will host a book launch and panel discussion. The discussion will feature contributors from the publication including industry collaborators, and University of Westminster staff and student researchers: Kirsten Haggart (Waugh Thistleton), Rosa Schiano-Phan, Guy Sinclair, Urangua Sodnamjamts, Pete Silver and Will McLean.

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

PLAYweek: Westminster Construction Society Educational Trip to BRE Innovation Park

Posted on February 13, 2018February 13, 2018 by Mirna Pedalo

Fri 16 February 2018 11:00-17:00

BRE Innovation Park

Launched in 2005, the Park at BRE’s headquarters in Garston, Watford, continues to set the standard for BRE’s Innovation Parks across the world. The Park started life as a small-scale demonstration of modern-methods-of-construction (MMC) and quickly developed in a facility rich in innovation.

The Innovation Parks feature full-scale demonstration buildings that have been developed by industry partners. These buildings display innovative design, materials and technologies which combine to address the development challenges facing regions across the world.

Travel Details

Date of Visit: 16 February 2018

Coach pick up at 11am – 11:30 am in front of Madame Tussauds

Journey time – approx. 1 hour 30 min

Arrive at BRE around 12:30 – 1:00pm

Audio Tour commences around: 1.30pm (lasting approx. 90min)

Coach to leave between 3.30-4:00 back to Marylebone Campus.

25 students, 5 members of staff, £5 each.

Students log in to buy tickets: https://www.uwsu.com/ents/event/197/

Organised by Scott Batty, Will McLean, Hussain Tawanaee

PLAYweek Event: John Spittle – Wiehag “Engineered Timber” – Friday 16th February, 1pm, Robin Evans Room M416

Posted on February 9, 2018 by Mirna Pedalo

PLAYweek Event

Talk by John Spittle – Wiehag

Title: Engineered Timber

When: Friday 16th February, 1pm

Where: Room M416

Wiehag is a family-owned company in its fifth generation, with 160 years of experience in manufactured, timber products. John has worked in the offsite industry for over 30 years, the last five of which have been with Wiehag. John has been involved in some of the largest timber engineering projects ever carried out in the UK, and has experience in all forms of timber engineering.

In 1999, Wiehag opened Europe’s largest plant for glued laminated timber construction in Altheim Austria, in whose forests a cubic meter of wood grows every second. It is estimated that one third of the annual growth of Austrian wood would already suffice to build all buildings with this material.

For details contact Pete Silver/Will McLean – w.f.mclean@westminster.ac.uk
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Human Comfort – One-Day Symposium, Today 27th November 10:00-17:00, M416

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Human Comfort: A one-day symposium on environmental design and architecture

When: Monday 27th November 2017, 10:00-17:00

Where: Marylebone Campus, M416

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

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

The consultants this year are:

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

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

Will McLean – UOW

Andy Whiting – Hut Architecture (Detailing / Materials)

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

Ed Hollis – StructureMode (Structural Engineering)

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

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

Dave Heely – Morph Structures (Structural Engineering)

PLAYWeek returns to Marylebone campus and various locations around the city

Posted on February 2, 2017February 3, 2017 by Mirna Pedalo

Play is our brain’s favourite way of learning. (Diane Ackerman)

Following the success of previous year, PLAYWeek 2 was back in November 2016, with more than ten workshops on offer. The play-dates took place on the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th November, on Marylebone campus and various locations around the city.

Judging by the voting results, students were keen on learning new skills, either through the use of new software and technologies, or through more hands-on approach in the FabLab.

An Introduction to Programming Light and Colour, organised by Richard Difford and Jonathon Hodges, offered an opportunity to explore the creative possibilities of Processing and Ardunio with DMX lighting to design and prototype architectural lighting (cover image). The final product was definitely a crucial component which helped lift the mood of the final exhibition, and brought a party vibe to the end of the PLAYWeek.

Digital Traces workshop organised by Stefania Boccaletti and Roberto Bottazzi was an opportunity to delve into the world of Big Data, machines, algorithms and numbers, where the students themselves were being the subjects of investigation. The information stored on students’ hard drives, primarily images, were used as raw material which was mined and eventually visualised with a help of Grasshopper and ImageJ free software. The aim of this two-day workshop was to give students a light and fun introduction to the issues and opportunities engendered by Big Data, not only through the use of software, but also through discussions and presentations.

For those with a penchant for VR, gaming and non-linear immersive experiences, Shot Disco workshop, lead by Gabby Shawcross and Ross Cairns of the design studio The Workers, was an ideal place to learn more about gaming engine Unity. The students were given a chance to produce their own interactive environment with dance floor, dynamic disco lights, smoke and mirrorballs.

The use of different softwares was crucial in Art Forms in Nature workshop, lead by Harry Paticas and Tom Raymont. Inspired by a publication “Art Forms in Nature” by Ernst Haeckel, participants of this workshop were invited to look for patterns of complex order in natural objects, such as shells, bones and seed-cases. Working with 20 unusual natural artefacts and using a 3D scanning, drawing and modelling tools by the end of the PLAYweek students have produced a shared library of digital models and an exquisite drawing each.

Lara Rettondini, Matt Haycocks, Yota Adilenidou, Sue Phillips, Allan Sylvester and FabLab staff joined together to organise the Design of Display / Display of Design / Play at the V&A workshop where students were given an opportunity to work with the V&A Museum as a client, to address an external agenda and specific client requirements. Workshop started on Wednesday at the V&A Museum where students met Johanna Agerman Ross, the Curator of the 20^th Century and Contemporary Furniture and Product Design and had a chance to engage with the space in which they were to intervene. Thursday and Friday were studio days where the students worked within three groups on different proposals, which were presented on the last day of the workshop. Due to the complexity and size of the project the group aims to carry on working on it as an extracurricular activity over the coming months.

Those who were eager to get their wellies out way before the festival season went for the Earth Building workshop at the EnvLab. Working with rammed earth, by Friday the participants were very proud of their newly built bench.

Quite a spectacular structure was built and dismantled by the participants of Tensegrity workshop, lead by Geoff Morrow, Gavin Weber, Will McLean, Pete Silver and Scott Batty. Previously showcased at Vision London this lightweight pavilion with a tensegrity ring and tensile fabric membrane was assembled and then taken down at the Pod during this two-day workshop.

Maria Kramer offered students an opportunity to develop their own briefs and projects in her Your Project workshop. Experimenting with different shapes, sizes, materials and lighting, participants were encouraged to try out different solutions and options to strengthen their design ideas.

Some of the activities took place off campus, such as Lantern Walk with Harry Charrington, where the students met at the Blackfriar armed with their sketchbooks, and were taken on a “good walk through our city”.

Elly Ward from Ordinary Architecture gave a private tour of the exhibition “Origins: A project by Ordinary Architecture” on show at the Royal Academy. At the Origin Myths one-day workshop participants were encouraged to embrace their own erroneous theories, misunderstood theories, personal mythologies and speculative wild-goose chases to invent new origins of architecture. Their drawings and models were exhibited and presented at the end of the day.

And while the workshops, walks and tours were underway, an alternative vision of the PLAYWeek was being created by the participants of the Drawing PLAYWeek workshop. Lead by Alessandro Ayuso, Mike Guy and Ro Spankie, this group explored how to depict inhabitation in architectural drawings, and celebrate the inventiveness and liveliness of the students and staff’s inhabitation of the building, by ‘populating’ the drawings.