Timothy Brittain-Catlin joins Historic England’s Advisory Committee

Timothy Brittain-Catlin has been appointed to Historic England’s national advisory committee. This group advises the heritage and conservation body on policy matters and casework (excluding London) where they are novel, contentious or set a precedent; it plays a key role in supporting Historic England with the intellectual, informed, balanced, long-term tools required to maintain public confidence, sometimes working on decisions which are part of a story several hundred years old. The committee is chaired by the distinguished archeologist Professor Michael Fulford CBE.

CREAte members have long-standing connections with Historic England and its predecessor English Heritage, with both Dr Brittain-Catlin and Professor Gerry Adler contributing monographs to the British C20 Architects monograph series. Dr Brittain-Catlin wrote Historic England’s Introduction to Historic Assets: 19th and 20th Century Convents and Monasteries (2016), which acts both as an authoritative statement of the heritage value of these important buildings and also as a primer for the general reader.

The appointment is made by Duncan Wilson, the chief executive of Historic England, and follows a competitive selection process.

KSA Student Exhibition ‘Visions for Chatham Docks’

Kent School of Architecture are delighted to present this public exhibition of selected Stage 3 student work from the BA (Hons) Architecture course during 2017/18. The three design projects were all linked and based at Chatham Historic Dockyard on the river Medway in Kent; a site of significant historical interest and of conservation merit. This exhibition presents selected proposals designed to transition the past into the future. KSA worked closely with the Dockyard Trust, Medway Council and the University of Kent Medway throughout the year.

The Autumn term project ‘Urban Intervention’ has two components: The first, to design a masterplan developing a future vision for the site through making proposals for new-build insertions, changes of use to existing buildings, and landscaping. The second, an ‘Adapt and Extend’ project to re-design one of three pre-selected buildings into a ‘multi-generational care facility’ including a nursery and accommodation for the elderly.

The Spring term project ‘Architectural Design’ asks students to design a new-build multi-use building on a site of their choice within their masterplan. The project was entitled “One World Workshop’ and had a programme of rentable, bookable, and flexible spaces.

This exhibition, curated jointly by Kent School of Architecture tutors Chloe Street Tarbatt, Maria Araya and Henry Sparks, publicly showcases a snapshot of these projects. We hope it will serve to increase the awareness and impact of our activities at KSA within and beyond the confines of the university, sparking curiosity and debate with the general public.

The Preview for the exhibition will be held on Friday 13 July at the Chatham Historic Dockyard Visitor Centre from 15.30 – 17.30, with the opening presentation at 16.00. The exhibition will remain open to the public 10.00 – 18.00 daily until 26 July.

Stage 2 student to take part in Critical Concrete Summer School

Stage 2 student from the BA (Hons) Architecture course, Jake Obichere, has been awarded a place at Critical Concrete’s Summer School in Porto, Portugal for three weeks commencing on the 30th July 2018. Jake will be participating in, “The Practice and Theory of Sustainable & Social Architecture”.

“I will be joined with students from various parts of the world, architects, the community, social workers, designers and engineers to design and refurbish a social type housing for a family in the neighbourhood. My interests in architecture are in the sustainable and social aspects of design, and the integration of traditional and modern techniques to creatively shape places.

To a certain extent, my previous credentials have been evidence of my growth in the field of architecture and has encouraged me to participate in this summer school. This year, I was the winner of Gravett Award, a prestigious competition sponsored by CPRE, Kent’s Historic Buildings Committee. In the previous academic year, I was awarded a prize for the Best Design Sketchbook in Stage 2 by HMY Architects, and following on from this, I was given the opportunity to engage in valuable work experience with Corstorphine + Wright Architects, who were the main sponsors of the KSA End of Year Show 2018. Overall, the summer school will enable me to learn a different aspect of architecture, and share the skills that I will gain, including knowledge and techniques, with others,” states Jake Obichere, Stage 2.

For further information about the Summer School, please see here: https://criticalconcrete.com/summer-camp/programme

Architectural photography

Passages – Architectural Photography exhibition

On Thursday, 14th June, Kent School of Architecture Architectural Visualisation masters students will be opening an exhibition of their photographic work.  Passages showcases (and celebrates) a selection of the best work from the MA Architectural Visualisation module, AR846: Architectural Photography.

This work will be displayed for the duration of the summer in the Keynes Atrium.  The exhibition will have a small opening reception today at 5pm, everyone is welcome.

MArch Unit 5 exhibition at York’s Festival of Ideas

MArch Unit 5 students will be presenting their innovative visions for the city of York at the York Festival of Ideas. The brief given for the exhibition was to; Design for Galactic Life on Earth: How can architectural intervention be used to initiate change? Each student has come up with their own proposal and these can be found on the York Festival of Ideas website.

There will also be talks from speakers including;

  • Alison Brooks, Alison Brooks Architects
  • Clare Wright, Wright & Wright Architects
  • Bob Allies, Allies and Morrison
  • Timothy Ireland , Kent School of Architecture
  • Sir Malcolm Grant, University of York

The festival is taking place on Sunday 17th June from 12pm to 6pm, admission is free and there is no need to book in advance.

The image below forms part of Stephanie Elward’s scheme – Reading Rooms for Rowntree’s Library for Precious Books.

Timothy Brittain-Catlin at the London Festival of Architecture

As part of this year’s London Architecture Festival, Timothy Brittain-Catlin will join a panel discussion entitled ‘Where do Houses Live’ on identity in housing organised by award-winning architects Proctor & Matthews. The discussion takes place on Wednesday 13th June at an exhibition of projects by the practice that will be open from 11th-15th June at 184-192 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ, a short walk from London Bridge Station. KSA students and staff are warmly invited to visit the exhibition, which will be open from 10.00-17.00 all through the week.

In addition to Stephen Proctor and Andrew Matthews, the participants in the discussion are Louise Wyman, Head of Strategy, Homes England, and Susie Stirling, Head of Placemaking and Housing, The Scottish Government. Further details including information on booking for the discussion can be found at https://www.proctorandmatthews.com/news/lfa-2018-where-do-houses-live.

Proctor & Matthews, one of the most highly regarded architectural practices designing housing in Britain, have been friends and supporters of KSA for many years and have offered post-Part 1 and 2 experience to several of our graduates.

Also as part of the Festival, Dr Brittain-Catlin, the publications chairman of the Twentieth Century Society, will on Thursday 14th June join the launch of the latest book in the Society’s series of monographs on British architects: Arup Associates, by Kenneth Powell.

APM Student Profile: Pinda Atwal

Helping others succeed is something that greatly interests me. Architecture lends itself to a very social environment where the studio culture allows everyone to help one another. Academic Peer Mentoring has allowed me to engage with students from different year groups and share my knowledge of what I have learnt within my degree. Arranging weekly discussions is something that is vital to track my mentees progress, however I am always willing to help whether I am in the studio or having to arrange a time and a place for discussion.

Mentoring has helped me understand that it is possible to learn from students of all years and to keep seeking knowledge. Since completing the extracurricular module Student Mentoring at University I have been able to understand the requirements of mentoring and put them to practice with my mentee. Topics addressed range from equality and diversity, learning styles to even the characteristics required from a mentor.

Overall the peer mentoring scheme and module have helped me understand and experience situations that can also be applied to future careers and real life situations outside of university.

By Pinda Atwal
Stage 3, BA (Hons) Architecture

MA Architectural Visualisation students exhibit in Greece

The MA Architectural Visualisation course’s ‘Architectural Photography’ module taught us the fundamental principles of photographic creation and processing. Through this module, we were able to attain a comprehensive knowledge of light, exposure and color, and their application in architectural photography. The result is that we are now able to choose a photographic composition that maintains a balance of all the key parameters.

As part of the MA Architectural Visualisation programme, we had the opportunity to participate in the WEDO exhibition in the Athens School of Fine Arts with a selection of our digital and analogue photographs. WEDO team presents the collective art project GIVING, based on an idea of Panagiotis Siagreece and Athanasios Bathas, organized and curated by Maira Stefou and with the participation of 218 artists. The project was presented as a parallel event of the Platforms Project, at the Former Libary of the Athens School of Fine Arts, Piraeus 256, 17-20 May 2018.

CONCEPT: The universe is a unified unit consisting of the same material, governed by common rules and communicating energetically and dynamically. The lack of awareness of this treaty by man has led him to social individualism and psychic isolation. The philosophy of “I” instead of “we” invalidates the possibility of individual happiness that can only be achieved through the happiness of the whole of which the individual is an integral part. In an effort to comment on the above, we artists-individuals are united in a group, creating a collective unified work that we offer to the public, as a deposit of time (10 days) and as a product of this deposit, wanting to symbolically contribute in the union of the whole, reacting to the social and cultural collapse, catalyzing the classical elitist relationship between the artist and spectator and abolishing the restrictive economic transaction. Coexistence and co creation implies an action with artistic diversity and with the integration of identity as a difference (personal, style, name-anonymity, age) in a context of a shared aim, elements that are not common practice in group art events.

PROJECT: Each artist participates with 10 artworks 25cm x 25cm that have been attached to 25cm x 25cm styrofoam cubes, forming a single installation. Each cube includes works of different artists. During the project’s exhibition, a sum of money will be collected from those who receive works and from the public, which will be offered to the Center for the Training and Rehabilitation of the Blind.

By Rafaella Siagkri, MA Architectural Visualisation student

APM Student Profile: Giorgia Golzio

I am both a mentor and mentee, thus experiencing both sides to the Academic Peer Mentoring (APM) programme. I did not have a mentor in first year, however, I had heard a lot of positives about having one. This is what motivated me to become a mentor myself, as I knew how beneficial it could be for mentees, especially first year students who are completely new to the course. My experience as a mentee this year has also been extremely useful, so I would obviously want to be able to help someone else in the same way.

Mentor meetings are mainly a great opportunity to discuss anything you were not sure of or did not mention during design tutorials. Receiving multiple opinions is fundamental in Architecture as it offers you different angles in solving a design problem, and in turn broadening your creative mind. Mentors are different to design tutors as they share the struggle of the same or similar projects, meaning mentors have more of an insight into the demands of the course due to this prior first-hand experience. They also know the tutors much better than younger years and exactly what they are looking for in your designs.

I mentor four students in first year and I meet with them once a week for about an hour to discuss anything they need guidance with. An example of this could be how to develop floor plans or concepts. It is always interesting to see what ideas people in the year below you will come up with for the same projects you once did before as it opens your mind to ways of thinking that are different to your own, further improving the skill to be able to tackle design problems in multiple ways. Being a mentor is therefore great exercise for your own mind as you are constantly practicing and even developing your architectural skills.

The mentoring programme is also a great social opportunity. A feature that I love about the Kent School of Architecture is that the years all tend to mix and, as a result, I have made many friendships that I would not have anticipated if it were not for the environment at the school. The social aspect of APM also means you can work with people from the other years and exchange ideas or simply find inspiration out of conversations! This is so motivating as you are always surrounded by ideas bouncing back and forth, making the whole experience of the course much more engaging as you can bond with others about interests you share, in this case Architecture.

Whether you are a mentor or a mentee you can always benefit from APM, as it enhances your creative and social skills, both essential in the world of architecture for not only in terms of studies but also in the workplace itself.

By Giorgia Golzio
Stage 2, BA (Hons) Architecture