Benjamin Giles’ Post

I am always asked about really good, innovative postgrad programs that span design, planning, regenerative and transition thinking, so I thought I'd plug this great postmaster program at DELTALAB - Centar za urbanu tranziciju, arhitekturu i urbanizam, which is still open for applications. I have been a little bit (minimally) involved in this Urban Studies program, which is not to be confused with the Urban Studies at Melbourne Centre for Cities. The speciality of this specific program is that it is not directly attached to an architecture and planning school. It is, rather, run by DeltaLab, which is directly under the auspices of Sveučilište u Rijeci / University of Rijeka, and operates somewhat similarly to Strelka: research, intensive teaching programs, publications, exhibitions. Having looked under the hood of its programs, and enjoyed exploring some of the research output (DeltaLab presented at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2021), I think the biggest strength of this program is its immense interdisciplinarity that comes from not being beholden to an architecture or planning curriculum. The inputs, rather, come from strategic planning (EU level), construction, speculative architecture. But also the specific environment of a multicultural Mediterranean port being rapidly turned into a logistical hotspot for both energy and global consumer goods. (This is not necessarily a great situation on the ground, as a small city might be eaten up by transport infrastructure, in a kind of free-for-all that is, I think, quite specific for the postcolonial periphery.) So there is a kind of mega-infrastructure-meets-speculative-thinking situation going on, which is very fruitful for anyone wanting to think big and outside of the box. It also offers some fantastic opportunities to really get involved in action research, and participate in grassroots community resistance at a pinch point of global capitalism. Since Strelka has closed, I have felt the absence of a particular kind of spatial thinking from the periphery - there is a freedom there. I see DeltaLab, and particularly this program, as offering something quite ambitious in that direction. I believe the current program is themed Waterworld Futures - and applications close on 1 October. More on DeltaLab's Insta: https://lnkd.in/dvJ_BWbc

#MAUCA_Modules As the climate crisis accelerates, architects must rethink the environmental impact of buildings. The "Architecture in a Climate Emergency" module in the MSc Architecture, Urbanism and Climate Action (MAUCA) equips students with advanced knowledge of #climatechange and its relationship to the built environment. Throughout the twelve-week module, students will explore climate science, resource depletion, and the life cycle performance of buildings. They will engage with current debates on #sustainability and apply their learning to real-world challenges, both in Ireland and globally. By the end, students will be able to design with #energyconsumption, #carbonintensity, and in-use performance in mind, contributing to a sustainable future for architecture. Learn more about the programme and its modules at: https://lnkd.in/g93waB32 University College Dublin UCD EngArch #MSc_Architecture_Urbanism_and_Climate_Action #sustainablearchitecture #urbanism #climateaction

North Dakota State University architecture student Sydney Seamands completed her master’s degree thesis recently on understanding how to save declining rural communities in the state of North Dakota. The thesis focused on five core areas: child care availability, community and cultural amenities, developing of thriving downtowns, access to single and multi-family homes and access to quality educational opportunities. Seamands looked at five communities across the state before zeroing in on Velva as having the most potential for implementing a simple rural revitalization strategy. Ganapathy Mahalingam, NDSU architecture professor and the thesis advisor for Seamands, said the aim was to develop a revitalization strategy not for just one community like Velva but one that can be utilized in several North Dakota communities seeking development templates. https://lnkd.in/gi5ReGez #architecture #revitalization #thesis #strategy

How our colleague Jana Perkovic sees DELTALAB - Centar za urbanu tranziciju, arhitekturu i urbanizam and Urban Studies. 📢 📢 Thanks for this words! 📢 📢 It's a long way in front of us in our existent context to set up and sustain institution which is different and ambitious. Our thematic focus for next two years called 🌊 WATERWORLD FUTURES 🌊 refers to scenarios where the world becomes increasingly dominated by WATER due to the rising impacts of climate change, particularly sea-level rise, flooding, and the inundation of coastal areas. 

Excited to share my new edX Verified Certificate for "Rethink the City: New Approaches to Global and Local Urban Challenges", an Architecture and Urban Planning course by TU Delft. This programme explored critical issues in the Global South, focusing on Spatial Justice, innovative Housing Provision, and Sustainable Urban Transitions. We critically examined applying the 'just city' framework to areas with extreme inequality, evaluated community-led housing initiatives, and discussed balancing environmental sustainability with social justice. The course provided valuable analytical tools and fresh perspectives on urban environments in developing countries, blending architectural and planning approaches. These insights have been also instrumental in my Master's thesis on Spatial Justice in Latin America, enhancing my understanding of the region's complex challenges. #UrbanPlanning #Architecture #SpatialJustice #Housing #SustainableUrbanTransitions #GlobalSouth #ContinuingEducation

Happily sharing that I have completed my MSc in Architecture and the Sustainable Environment at the University of Kent, achieving distinction! This journey has been an enriching experience, allowing me to delve into a series of rigorous academic exercises layered in two stages. In Stage 1, I was able to learn fascinating insights about historic buildings and past environmental technologies, principles of environmental design, and building performance #modelling and #monitoring. This phase was winded up with a creative academic exercise, applying these insights to design a sustainable habitat using recycled container units. It was also an exciting opportunity to engage with diverse practices in architectural environment, from researching 19th-century stove heating in churches in the #UK to reporting on #buildingphysics in Medellín’s Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano | EDU '#BreathingBuilding' (thanks Salmaan Craig & EDU for the insights), and modelling indoor environmental conditions using DesignBuilder Software. In Stage 2, I completed my dissertation as part of the Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnerships with the School of Computing, the School of Architecture, Design and Planning, and Baxall Construction. My research evaluated the indoor environmental performance of the #BREEAM Excellent St. Andrew's Medical Centre in #TunbridgeWells by analysing data from the extensive sensor network secure-accessed via the Intelligent Building Monitoring System (#IBMS), all after an in-depth study of relevant topics across the literature. Special attention was given to #thermalcomfort, Indoor Air Quality (#IAQ), and their impact on occupant's health, as well as implications for future #energyuse. Thanks to my lecturers, Professor Henrik Schoenefeldt, Dr. Richard Watkins, Dr. Giridharan Renganathan, and Ivan del Renzio, for their guidance at different times across #MASE. Special thanks to Professor Marialena Nikolopoulou who meritoriously advised me on my dissertation being a source of great inspiration. Thankfully, the journey was powered by Chevening Awards! #architecture #sustainablearchitecture #unikent #canterbury #csbe #chevening40 #mycheveningjourney #sustainability #environmentaldesign #postoccupancyevaluation

My dissertation research inquiry looks at vacant urban spaces as opportunities for undoing historically infused urban sprawl principles. I take on railway line inefficient space as an entry point to form taxi rank space as a code to socio-psychologically help the spatially vulnerable homeless people. My interest stems from the cellular potential of creation. I’ve loved building blocks from a young age and I have channeled my research inquiry into using cellular models of housing potential to rehabilitate transport precincts into neighbourhoods. I’m looking forward to iterative design insertions into site. #architecture #socialarchitecture #urbanfabric #humanagentdesign

Urban design has as many definitions as there are people defining it. But what I know is that: - It operates across scales—from 1 millimeter to 1 mile. It lies at the intersection of architecture and planning, with infrastructure, and landscape; - Is balancing the physical and digital, in other words tangible and virtual; - Is based on top-down strategies with bottom-up initiatives. From rule-based frameworks to community-led development, from economic restructuring to urban ecology. Do you want high resolution version of this poster? Let me know in the comments or dm. Is there anything missing, let me know and we add it! Want to know more? Have a look here: Urbanitarian

Late post, but here it is! Thrilled to share that I had the privilege of presenting my research paper titled “Eco Urbanism: Fostering Ecological Coexistence in Climate Responsive Cities” at the International Seminar on “Architecture for Masses: Climate Change and Resilience in Architecture (CCRA)”hosted by the Department of Architecture, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in July 2024. With the advancements in civilization, the gap between man and nature has widened. The paper emphasizes that our long-term survival on this planet is closely tied to the survival of other species, which coexist with us in shared ecosystems. Since nature is the best architect and several species are found which are tropically similar to humans leading a smarter and a more symmetrically ecological life, how advancements can be made to cater climate change through establishing resilient architecture when the humans evolve as species letting the other such species to co-exist and share resources, is what the paper focusses on. I am especially grateful to Prof. Pooja Lalit Kumar and Prof. Himanshu Sanghani for their invaluable guidance and support as co-authors throughout this journey. Looking forward to more opportunities to explore the transformative role of architecture in addressing global challenges!

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