Alternative Architecture Practice Series
The Alternative Architecture Practice Seminar Series, hosted by UG10, invites you to explore the diverse and innovative landscape of architecture beyond traditional norms. Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, the unit will host a series of three talks each term culminating in a seminar and workshop during The Bartlett Summer Show.
Led by students and supported by staff, the Alternative Architecture Practice project brings together Year 2 and Year 3 Architecture BSc students to discover the groundbreaking work of architects from the global majority. This initiative aims to amplify the voices and talents of often underrepresented practitioners, inspiring students with their visionary approaches and establishing them as role models for the next generation of architects.
UG10’s core mission is to broaden the architectural curriculum by incorporating global majority perspectives, drawing inspiration from diverse environments, architects, pedagogies, cultural and social phenomena, and applying these insights to design solutions for London.
The Architecture BSc unit, UG10, is co-led by Neba Sere and Pedro Gil.
Join us as we redefine the boundaries of architecture and embrace the transformative power of alternative practices
This event is first come, first served with limited capacity.
Seminar 1: Multiverse: Imagining Futures
This seminar brings together UG10 students and internationally renowned architecture practitioners to explore the role of design practice in creating alternative visions for the world.
In a rapidly changing world grappling with pressing social, environmental, and political issues, architecture must adapt and expand to address societal needs effectively. This seminar delves into how artists, designers, and practitioners are utilizing their practice to drive positive change.
Award-winning architect Olalekan Jeyifous joins us from New York City to share his insights and experiences, offering a unique perspective on the intersection of architecture, social responsibility, and innovation.
UG10 students will also share their work, showcasing their explorations of alternative worldviews through the lens of decolonization and decarbonization. They are currently at the initial stages of their project journeys, defining the themes and concepts that will shape their alternative multiverses, drawing inspiration from their research on Mexico.
This seminar should be stimulating a discussions about the future of architecture and its potential to shape a more sustainable, equitable, and just world.
15:00 – Arrival & Networking
16:00 – Student introduction to UG10 & project sharing
17:00 – Olalekan Talk Online
18:00 – End
Speaker Biographies
UG10 Students: Across the year the students of UG10 have been developing their own practice through design. This year the case study based in the country of Mexico, exploring ways to decarbonise and decolonise Western architectural practices.
Olalekan Jeyifous received a BArch from Cornell University and is a Brooklyn-based artist whose work re-imagines social spaces that examine the relationships between architecture, community, and the environment. He has exhibited at esteemed venues including the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Vitra Design Museum, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, and the Museum of Modern Art, where his artwork is featured in the permanent collection of the Department of Architecture and Design.
In addition to an extensive exhibition history, Olalekan has spent over a decade creating large-scale installations for a variety of public spaces and was co-commissioned to design a monument for congresswoman Shirley Chisholm as part of the City of New York’s «She Built NYC» initiative.
Olalekan has garnered numerous awards, including the notable Silver Lion at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale. Additionally, he is a recipient of the 2021 Fellowship by the United States Artists and has been a Wilder Green Fellow at the MacDowell Colony and completed artist residencies at the Bellagio Center, supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Drawing Center’s Open Sessions program.
