New Standards will identify and confront some of the barriers to architecture, its education and practice, and consider how these can be overcome to embrace wider forms of creativity. Each event in the series will address the idea of comfort to challenge the idea of ‘standards’ as a bare minimum or one-size-fits-all approach. Together, we will question how we might better provide comfort in all its nuanced forms.
For the fourth event in the New Standards series, Kathryn Timmins (GLA) and Ellie Cosgrave (Publica) will discuss how our cities and spaces can be better designed to consider the needs of those who identify as women rather than always requiring them to adapt to spaces designed for men. They will reflect on this through research developed for the Mayor of London around the safety of women, girls and gender diverse people. They will be joined in conversation by AA graduate Thomas Faulkner whose diploma project worked with survivors of domestic abuse to transform architecture from a complicit weapon into a safe space. He will discuss this process as well as how he is continuing this work through his current practice.
The conversation will take place around a communal table to facilitate an open and comfortable discussion between the presenters and attendees. Free food and drink will be available throughout the evening.
KATHRYN TIMMINS (she/her) is Principle Project Officer for Regeneration at the Greater London Authority (GLA). She manages Mayoral funded strategic regeneration projects that support inclusive city growth and leads urban research agendas with a focus on the public realm.
DR ELLIE COSGRAVE (she/her) is the Director of Publica’s Community Interest Company and Research. She is an expert on issues surrounding inclusive urbanisation and, as an engineer, interdisciplinary researcher, dancer, and trained systems thinker, she is motivated by how scientific endeavour, artistic practice, and policy innovation can combine to create a healthier and fairer society, particularly with respect to gender and just climate transitions.
THOMAS FAULKNER (he/him) is an architectural translator and researcher with an interest in the role of the architect as mediator and the cyclical dialogue that the tool of the interview has with design. He graduated from the AA with Honours and has continued to work with survivors of domestic abuse to re-position architecture from a tool of harm into a space that can better enable recovery.
This event will have British Sign Language interpretation. Ramps will be in place to enable access to the AA buildings. A quiet room will be available. In order to enable those still vulnerable to Covid-19 to safely attend the event, we encourage everyone attending to wear masks where possible. Please do not attend if you feel unwell and are experiencing any symptoms. The room will be well-ventilated and have areas of distanced seating.
Please get in touch to let us know of any additional access requirements that you might have and how we can best accommodate these. If you are unable to attend physically but would like to participate in the event remotely please email [email protected]
The New Standards event series is organised by the AA Public Programme team with special thanks to Jordan Whitewood-Neal for the conversation, collaboration and guidance.
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