Architecture and Cities brings together research, scholarship, teaching and practice undertaken in the Department of Architecture at the University of Westminster. The Department has an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, for attracting award winning staff and students, and for a wide range of scholarly activities. As contributors to the Faculty of Architecture and the Built environment’s submission to the 2013 Research Excellence Framework, the department’s research was placed in the top 50% of the 45 submissions in Architecture, Built Environment and Planning. 20% of its publications and research effort were deemed to be ‘world leading’ (4*) and 45% ‘internationally excellent (3*). The four case studies of its research impact also scored very highly. This significant endorsement of its research capability will provide the foundation for expanding and enhancing its UK and international profile over the next five years.
Architecture and Cities encourages research through scholarship, design, practice and consultancy. It is organised into five distinct research groups: Architectural History and Theory, Environment and Technology, Expanded Territories, Experimental Practice (EXP), and Representation, Fabrication and Computing. These are loose alignments of academics, research students, designers and practicing architects who undertake joint research initiatives and organise events of common interest. The Architectural History and Theory Group is made up of scholars and research students who conduct historical and theoretical research, consult on heritage matters, host symposia and conferences, write and edit books, journals and journal articles and curate exhibitions. Environment and Technology brings together two overlapping fields of research in the Department - environmental design and practice driven research into the history and on-going technological development of architecture. Expanded Territories brings together the work of a number of scholars critically probing sites and practices previously considered outside the realm of architectural and urbanism, as valid sites for architectural research and speculation. Experimental Practice (EXP) was set up in 2003 to support, document and generate major experimental design projects that have acted or act as laboratories for the architectural profession, including built and un-built design projects, books, exhibitions and other forms of practice. Representation, Fabrication and Computing is a new research group in the Department of Architecture set up in 2015 to explore the nature of drawing and making as tools for research and as the vehicles for creative practice.
Architecture and Cities is represented at ARENA, a new European-wide Architectural Research Network by Kate Heron and Ben Stringer.
Dr Davide Deriu and Dr Josie Kane are both founding members of the European Architectural History Network (EAHN) and on the Editorial Committee of its journal, Architectural Histories.
The Centre for Architecture’s research is organised into five thematic areas or research groups.
- Expanded Territories – Expanded Territories is a loose alignment of researchers, scholars and designers working on architecture in an expanded field
- Experimental Practice – Experimental Practice (EXP) was set up to support and document experimental design projects that act as labs for the architecture profession
- Environment and Technology – Environment and Technology brings together two overlapping fields: environmental design, and technological development of architecture
- Architectural History and Theory – The Architectural History and Theory Group includes scholars engaged in research into architectural history and theory and cultural studies
- Representation, Fabrication and Computing – Representation, Fabrication and Computing is a new research group set to explore the nature of drawing and making as tools for research