Talks & exhibitions
Alison Brooks Architects at UKREiiF 2025
20.05.2025, Leeds, UK
We are pleased to share highlights from an engaging and productive few days at the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds last week.
We are pleased to share highlights from an engaging and productive few days at the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds last week.
The event brought together leaders from across the built environment sector to discuss key issues shaping the future of development and infrastructure in the UK.
Highlights include a thought-provoking panel session hosted by The Earls Court Development Company, which explored strategies for sustainable growth and highlighted innovative approaches to long-term urban regeneration in the west London district within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
British Land also delivered a compelling update on the evolving vision for Canada Water in southeast London, showcasing progress and ambition for one of the capital’s most significant regeneration projects which was started in the 1980s.
A key session featuring the Oxford-Cambridge Supercluster Board offered an inspiring dialogue on the future of the Oxford-Cambridge Corridor. Chaired by Jane Hutchins, Director of Cambridge Science Park, the discussion emphasized a critical message: that the combination of funding, talent, and infrastructure forms the foundation of a robust development ecosystem – one that positions the UK as a global innovation leader and ensures nationwide regional benefits.
Another engaging feature was the high-energy speed pitch session with council leaders from across West London. Each leader passionately presented their borough’s unique strengths – from advanced manufacturing and research capacity to vital residential and transport infrastructure.
Beyond the sessions, the week provided valuable opportunities to reconnect with long-standing partners, forge new relationships, and share a collective sense of optimism with peers from across the UK industry.
A special thank-you to Civic Engineers for hosting a generous, and delicious, paella-themed closing party, a fitting end to a memorable week.
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Alison Brooks Architects at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025
21.05.2025, London, UK
Michael Mueller, our Director, delivered a presentation at the EH Smith Design Centre in London for CDW 2025.
Michael Mueller, our Director, delivered a presentation at the EH Smith Design Centre in London for CDW 2025.
His presentation, ‘Place and Materials’, explored the practice’s ethos, highlighting two of our recent projects – Rubicon in Eddington, northwest Cambridge, and Cadence in King’s Cross – as case studies demonstrating the studio’s collaboration with EH Smith and our shared commitment to beautiful and enduring materials.
The Rubicon project features a distinctive hand-glazed brick produced by Klinker Covadonga, while Cadence – a mixed-use residential development that defines the northern edge of the Stirling Prize-shortlisted King’s Cross masterplan – is characterised by its richly detailed orange brick, evocative of the materiality of the nearby St Pancras landmark.
Hosted in partnership with EH Smith, the event was held as part of London’s leading design festival, Clerkenwell Design Week, with the support of Architecture Today.
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Alison Brooks Architects Participates in South Korean Exhibition
20.05.2025, Seoul, South Korea
Alison Brooks Architects was invited by the Korean Institute of Female Architects (KIFA) to participate in the International Exchange Exhibition for Women Architects 2025 held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.[more..]
Alison Brooks Architects was invited by the Korean Institute of Female Architects (KIFA) to participate in the International Exchange Exhibition for Women Architects 2025 held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.The event titled, “Arch of Inclusion, Architecture Bridging Worlds” (포용의 아치, 세상을 잇는 건축), celebrated architecture’s enlightened role in promoting diversity, equal opportunity and sustainability – bringing together women architects from across the globe for a six-day event encouraging deeper reflection.
As the inaugural presentation of our work in South Korea, we were honoured to stand alongside peers such as 2020 Pritzker Prize laureates Yvonne Farrell & Shelley McNamara (Grafton Architects), 2025 RIBA Royal Gold Medallist Kazuyo Sejima (SANAA), and Astrid Feiber (UNStudio).
As Yong Ho-Seong, First Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aptly stated, “Architecture is not simply the composition of physical space, but a cultural art that designs people’s lives.’’
This was a meaningful and grounding experience – also the first international women’s architecture exhibition in South Korea in 15 years – which was made possible by KIFA and generously supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Links to articles: Naver and eKoreaNews.
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Alison Brooks Provides Bold Ideas for UK Housing – Architecture Today Webinar
23.04.2025, Online
Next Wednesday, join a live webinar with Alison Brooks and an expert panel for a discussion addressing the UK’s most pressing housing challenges today.
Next Wednesday, join a live webinar with Alison Brooks and an expert panel for a discussion addressing the UK’s most pressing housing challenges today.
As the affordability crisis collides with the urgent need for sustainable, equitable design. Be a part of the live conversation shaping what comes next.
Is modular construction the answer to delivering high-quality, affordable homes faster? How can architects enable community-led housing projects that prioritise local needs and foster social cohesion? What lessons can be drawn from recent case studies in balancing sustainability, affordability, and architectural integrity?
Joining her on the expert-led panel is Richard Williams Senior Architect Development Manager, Velux; Joanna Yarrow Chief Impact Officer, Human Nature; Iain Durrant, Business Development Director, FabSpeed; Jon Broome, Designer, Self-builder, Enabler, and Anurag Verma, Chair, Rural Urban Synthesis Society; Associate Director, Latitude Architects.
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RIBA Journal Sustainable Design Webinar featuring Michael Mueller
25.03.2025, Online
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 9:00-11:30, please tune in to a RIBA Journal webinar featuring Michael Mueller, Alison Brooks Architects Director, and Alexis Butterfield, Partner, New Settlements at Pollard Thomas Edwards, as they discuss our latest Net-Zero green masterplan Knights Park at Eddington.
On Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at 9:00-11:30, please tune in to a RIBA Journal webinar featuring Michael Mueller, Alison Brooks Architects Director, and Alexis Butterfield, Partner, New Settlements at Pollard Thomas Edwards, as they discuss our latest Net-Zero green masterplan Knights Park at Eddington.
Other speakers include Dr Marcella Ucci, Professor in Healthy and Sustainable Buildings, Deputy Director for Academic Operations, IEDE, The Bartlett School of Environment, Energy and Resources (BSEER), UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE) and Steve Wallis, Associate Director at dRMM.
This webinar will be chaired by Jan-Carlos Kucharek, Deputy Editor, RIBAJ. Knights Park is also shortlisted for this year’s RIBA East award.
Sign up for the webinar on Eventbrite.
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Monograph Launch at Architectural Association (AA) Bookshop in London
5.03.2025, London, UK
We marked World Book Day with the launch of our new practice monograph at the Architectural Association Bookshop, London.
We marked World Book Day with the launch of our new practice monograph at the Architectural Association Bookshop, London.
It was a fitting moment to to commemorate this milestone for the volume, Alison Brooks Architects: Architecture 2004–2024, with our practice collaborators, contributors and members of the UK’s oldest private school of architecture at 33 Bedford Square.
Published by TC Cuadernos, this dual English-Spanish edition (TC 163) captures two decades of our work. The monograph features:
+ An introduction by Ricardo Meri de la Maza: ‘On the Essence of Alison Brooks’ Architecture’
+ A conversation between Jose Maria de Lapuerta and Alison Brooks
+ 16 built works completed in the past 20 years, extensively documented with descriptive texts, photographs, drawings
‘The work of Alison Brooks Architects fuses an endlessly inventive architectural imagination with profound sensitivity to the diverse cultural and natural histories that form each project’s provenance. This ethos underpins the extraordinary array of nuanced and joyful works illustrated in this book, collectively described by Brooks as experimental archetypes.’
Thank you to all who attended and purchased a copy of our monograph.
The monograph is available to purchase here.
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Alison Brooks Delivers Two Canadian Lectures at McGill and TMU
11.02.2025, Montreal, Toronto, Canada
Alison Brooks recently participated in a roadshow for architectural discourse at the prestigious McGill and Toronto Metropolitan Universities, as part of her ‘An Architecture of Kindred Spirits’ lecture series.
Alison Brooks recently participated in a roadshow for architectural discourse at the prestigious McGill and Toronto Metropolitan Universities, as part of her ‘An Architecture of Kindred Spirits’ lecture series.
In it, she explores how her practice embeds memory, material culture, and the concept of journey in works that help strengthen communities.
Brooks presented the annual Sheila Baillie Lecture in Architecture at McGill University’s Peter Guo-Hua Fu School of Architecture in Montreal on February 11th.
Following her Montreal engagement, Brooks continued her tour with a lecture series at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science on the 13th of February. In addition to her academic engagements, Brooks was the guest of honour at the BEAT Dinner Series in Toronto. Building Equality in Architecture Toronto (BEAT) is a Toronto-based volunteer-run organization seeking to creating opportunities for community-building, advocacy, networking, and mentorship within the built environment.
Brooks’ ‘An Architecture of Kindred Spirits’ series, premiered in London, United Kingdom, in 2024, presented by the Architecture Foundation x the Barbican. The series continues to reach audiences in Canada and beyond, emphasising lessons from her personal narrative underscoring her commitment and establishing her reputation as one of the most individual voices in architecture.
McGill poster by Atelier Pastille Rose
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Alison Brooks Keynote, Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks with Oli Stratford of Disegno
7.02.2025, Stockholm, Sweden
Alison Brooks delivered a keynote at the Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks in Sweden on 6th February, moderated by Oli Stratford, Editor-in-Chief at Disegno.
Alison Brooks delivered a keynote at the Stockholm Furniture Fair Talks in Sweden on 6th February, moderated by Oli Stratford, Editor-in-Chief at Disegno.
Her talk explored architectural practice as a form of cultural research, discussing how architecture can engage sensitively with place, community, and landscape – while expanding how our built environment reveals more about ourselves, our cities, and social values.
Titled ‘The Construction of Research’, the talk was highlighted by Charlotte Ryberg, creative director and founder of the ENTIÈRE newsletter, who praised Brooks’ emphasis on, “the importance and possibilities of using extensive research to understand place, people, and origin of material – making work more relevant, authentic, and opening new dialogues around authorship.”
Check out the event here.
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Architecture on Stage: Alison Brooks by the Architecture Foundation and Barbican Centre
17.09.2025, London, UK
Alison Brooks’ lecture and book signing event: (An Architecture of) Kindred Spirits, took place on the 17th of September.
Alison Brooks’ lecture and book signing event: (An Architecture of) Kindred Spirits, took place on the 17th of September.
Part of the Architecture on Stage series presented by the Architecture Foundation and Barbican Centre, Alison traced the foundations of her practice through projects such as Windward House, Cohen Quad and Cadence, the final piece of the King’s Cross regeneration.
She drew on her early influences from Europe after arriving in London in 1988, which embedded a sense of memory, material culture and a deeply human experience of place throughout her later works. Concluding the evening was a delightful conversation led by chair, Jamie Fobert, sparked by questions on the inclusion of indigenous voices in Canadian projects, advocating for female founders and architects in a challenging industry, and more.
Signed copies of the practice’s first monograph by TC Cuadernos were also available on the night.
Discover where to find the monograph here.
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Alison Brooks Opens ‘Back to the Future’ forum, Oslo Urban Week
24.09.2024, Oslo, Norway
Alison Brooks opened the packed three-day ‘Back to the Future’ forum at Oslo Urban Week with a conversation alongside Andreas Magnusson, activist for youth in the built environment, and Peter Butenschøn, renowned architect, urban planner, and writer.
Alison Brooks opened the packed three-day ‘Back to the Future’ forum at Oslo Urban Week with a conversation alongside Andreas Magnusson, activist for youth in the built environment, and Peter Butenschøn, renowned architect, urban planner, and writer.
Her keynote, ‘Making Future Heritage: Context is Everything,’ explored how diversity, civicness, locality, memory, and context are interpreted within the built environment – through the lens of projects such as Ely Court and Unity Place (both part of Brent Council’s twenty-year South Kilburn Regeneration Masterplan), Rubicon and Cadence.
Held in Oslo’s historic Kvadraturen district – celebrating its 400th anniversary this year – Oslo Urban Week focused on shaping future built environments through sustainability and contextual sensitivity. The event took place on 24 September at Telegrafen, Oslo, where Rasmus Reinvang and Maren Bjerkeng joined the discussion, seeking solutions for more resilient cities.
Photography by Maria Brox, OMA. Check out the event here.
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Open House Festival 2024 Tour of South Kilburn
14.09.2024, London, UK
Join us on Saturday, September 14th, for a guided walk through 20 years of the South Kilburn Regeneration Masterplan in North West London, led by the team at Alison Brooks Architects.
Join us on Saturday, September 14th, for a guided walk through 20 years of the South Kilburn Regeneration Masterplan in North West London, led by the team at Alison Brooks Architects.
As part of this year’s Open House Festival, drop in and delve into Brent Council’s ambitious 20-year regeneration efforts. Discover the evolution of our ethos for Ely Court, Kilburn Quarter and Unity Place. Trace the development of 19th century typologies such as Terraces, Flatiron Block, Link Block, Mews House, Mansion Block and Mansard roofs, while reflecting on the lessons learned and the ongoing conversation around affordable housing in London.
Open House Festival is a London-wide festival that opens up and celebrates the city’s architecture, special sites and neighbourhoods, with open days and events taking place across all 33 London boroughs.
Sign up for the tour here: https://programme.openhouse.org.uk/listings/10231
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Listen to Office Talk UK E11, with Dave Sharpe and Alison Brooks
10.07.2024, Online
1. The challenges of participating in design competitions, and how the need to produce so much more and satisfy stringent criteria compared to the early days, creates barriers for emerging practices.
2. The important role competitions play in their business, and how they think strategically about selecting the right competitions to invest time and resources in.
3. The challenges she faced establishing her practice as a Canadian in the UK, and how she was able to develop new client relationships without relying on an existing network.
4. Why Alison believes higher education projects offer some of the best opportunities for architects, because the clients are highly motivated to be at the forefront of design, technology and sustainability.
5. The value of developing an ability to write as a way to articulate your ideas as an architect, and why Alison often finds herself spending more time writing than designing.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts:
Office Talk UK, Marketing for Architecture
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Alison Brooks and Rasmus Astrup of SLA: Transforming Urban Landscapes
4.07.2024, London, UK
Alison Brooks and Rasmus Astrup of SLA teamed up for a keynote presentation at the Festival of Place in Boxpark Wembley.
Alison Brooks and Rasmus Astrup of SLA teamed up for a keynote presentation at the Festival of Place in Boxpark Wembley.
The duo showcased three innovative Toronto projects that reimagine the city’s post-industrial waterfront and brutalist legacies.
Their presentation, centred around the theme “Transforming Urban Landscapes,” highlighted the integration of natural elements into the regeneration of Toronto in Canada. Christine Murray, Editor-in-Chief and Director of The Developer and Festival of Place, chaired the double-act.
Alison Brooks and Rasmus Astrup showcased three innovative Toronto projects that reimagine the city’s post-industrial waterfront and brutalist legacies:
- Waterfront Toronto – A bold vision for sustainable urban development featuring an ensemble of mid- and high-rise buildings stitched together by a community forest.
- Bissell Building, University of Toronto – A revitalization of the Brutalist Claude T. Bissell Building, home to the Faculty of Information in downtown Toronto.
- David Crombie Park – A revitalization of a historic 1970s landscape designed to meet the needs of the local urban community.
Their keynote emphasized sustainability, community, and the seamless blend of architecture with natural surroundings, offering valuable insights into the future of urban design and the potential for nature to reshape our cities.
You can watch their conversation here.
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Alison Brooks and Carlos Chauca Galicia Lead Workshop for Master of Advanced Studies in Collective Housing
3.06.2024, Madrid, Spain
This June, Alison Brooks alongside Carlos Chauca Galicia, led a studio in the Master of Advanced Studies in Collective Housing – a collaborative postgraduate program for qualified architects offered by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and ETH Zürich.
This June, Alison Brooks alongside Carlos Chauca Galicia, led a studio in the Master of Advanced Studies in Collective Housing – a collaborative postgraduate program for qualified architects offered by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and ETH Zürich.
This program focuses on housing, city, and energy studies, combining practice-oriented design synthesis with integrated disciplines and theoretical issues of dwelling and housing.
In Praise of Shadows: Towers of Madrid Nuevo Norte
In the workshop, the task is to re-imagine the residential tower so that it is liveable, generous, and welcoming of shade and darkness and attuned to the climate of Madrid. The seven tower schemes will evolve the qualities of the city’s finest ‘street architecture’ to find new form and expression, giving darkness and light equal consideration.
Using the text “In Praise of Shadows” by Japanese writer Junichiro Tanizaki, the workshop also addressed the increasing reliance on tower typologies in urban development to fund economic models in Europe’s metropolitan centres. High-density residential developments reflect the costs associated with land purchase, decontamination, infrastructure installation, and the funding of social, economic, cultural, and ecological infrastructure in new neighbourhoods. Tall buildings are thus a prerequisite for new metropolitan neighbourhoods. This principle is evident in the planned regeneration of Madrid Nuevo Norte, where the central urban gesture – a new park over the rail lands – is lined with tall buildings.
Site:
The Madrid Nuevo Norte project, also known as the Chamartín project, aims to transform the northern part of Madrid into a modern, sustainable, and connected district. Covering approximately 2.3 million square meters (3.3 million including the railway tracks), it stands as one of the largest urban regeneration initiatives in Europe.
The development encompasses a new financial district along with extensive residential, commercial, and green areas. It will feature 1 million square meters of residential space, including 10,500 new housing units, 20% of which will be affordable. Additionally, there will be 1.6 million square meters of office space and 400,000 square meters dedicated to green spaces and parks.
MCH Students:
Anwar Abbassi, Kailey Akins, Derrick Christensen, Thomas Christensen, Edgardo Cruz, Viktoriia Denisova, Jose Eduardo Delgado, Julio Ferré, Pedro Gaxiola, Rafailia Mandi, Eduardo Maldonado, Karla Madrigal, Diego Martínez, Ximena Real, Elizaveta Nikolskaia, Ayush Patel, Betul Sahin, Kunal Sonawane, Sofia de Luca, Milagros Ucha, Antoine Voruz, Mariam Yasser.
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Alison Brooks to speak at OAA Conference in Niagara Falls Quayside
23.05.2024, Ontario, Canada
Alison Brooks will be speaking at the Ontario Association of Architects Conference on Thursday the 23rd of May. Her speech is entitled: “Social Equity and Future Heritage: Housing as Civic Building.”
Alison Brooks will be speaking at the Ontario Association of Architects Conference on Thursday the 23rd of May. Her speech is entitled: “Social Equity and Future Heritage: Housing as Civic Building.”
Urban housing frames the space of our civic commons. It gives both form and identity to our streets and neighborhoods, and, at the same time, “home” provides the physical and cognitive framework through which we experience the world. Housing architecture therefore embodies a critically important relationship between the individual and the collective, the household and society. In the context of the biodiversity crisis, urban housing as civic infrastructure must also play a significant role in transforming the relationship of architecture to nature. The way we conceive, design, and construct housing must start to serve nature, not only humans.
For 25 years, Alison Brooks Architects London has made housing design a pillar of our practice: to restore its civic role as a generous, resilient frame for public and private life. We see housing as mixed-use places for productivity and work, and as places of resilience and adaptability over time. In this talk, Alison Brooks will outline the urban design policies, frameworks, and quality standards that support inclusive and resilient housing in the United Kingdom, and her context-inspired design strategies that have underpinned her work in the U.K. and internationally.
Pictured, The Western Curve, our practice’s tallest building to date—a 69-storey tower and education space at Waterfront Toronto is designed to re-establish local ecologies in Toronto’s emerging Dream & Great Gulf Quayside masterplan.
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Alison Brooks Delivered Closing Keynote at AIBC Conference 2024
24.04.2025, Vancouver, Canada
British-Canadian architect Alison Brooks delivered the closing keynote on April 24, 2024, at the AIBC (Architectural Institute of British Columbia) Conference, held in-person at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
British-Canadian architect Alison Brooks delivered the closing keynote on April 24, 2024, at the AIBC (Architectural Institute of British Columbia) Conference, held in-person at the Vancouver Convention Centre West.
In her keynote, “Context is Everything,” Alison Brooks, founder of Alison Brooks Architects in London, explored themes such as civicness as a condition of reciprocity, the creation of future contexts, infrastructure for the arts, embracing new global narratives, and identity and inclusion.
Her talk closed the AIBC Conference 2024 in Vancouver, which featured nearly 30 sessions over two days. The conference theme, “Act,” highlighted the pivotal role of architects in the built environment, exploring technical actions, the art and science of architecture, and the impact of architectural professionals on their communities.
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Alison Brooks at The Interior Design Show Toronto 2024
18.01.2024
Join Alison Brooks next Thursday, January 18th, as she delivers the keynote speech for the Interior Design Show (IDS) Toronto 2024. In conversation with Deezen’s US Editor, Ben Dreith, Alison will discuss her inspirations, her career journey and the future of the studio.
Join Alison Brooks next Thursday, January 18th, as she delivers the keynote speech for the Interior Design Show (IDS) Toronto 2024. In conversation with Deezen’s US Editor, Ben Dreith, Alison will discuss her inspirations, her career journey and the future of the studio.
Get your tickets here.
When: Jan. 18, 2024 – 12:00 to 1:00pm
Where: Cosentino Main Stage, Metro Toronto Convention Centre North Building, 255 Front St W, Toronto
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Alison Brooks at Toronto International Architectural Roundtable
Alison Brooks will be in Toronto this November for The Buildings Show Toronto International Architectural Roundtable, where she will discuss Design Solutions for the Housing Crisis with Alfonso Femia, Janna Levitt and Ouri Scott. Co-sponsored by the Ontario Association of Architects and moderated by architectural critic Adele Weder, she will outline the challenges presented by the housing crisis both internationally and in Canada. The conversation will explore strategies to tackle these challenges across design and policy.
Alison Brooks will be in Toronto this November for The Buildings Show Toronto International Architectural Roundtable, where she will discuss Design Solutions for the Housing Crisis with Alfonso Femia, Janna Levitt and Ouri Scott. Co-sponsored by the Ontario Association of Architects and moderated by architectural critic Adele Weder, she will outline the challenges presented by the housing crisis both internationally and in Canada. The conversation will explore strategies to tackle these challenges across design and policy.
At ABA, our dedication to inclusive city-building is grounded in the belief of housing as civic building. Working with private and public sector clients and local communities to deliver affordable, sustainable, and diverse neighbourhoods, we strive to foster equitable opportunities for both urban and rural societies. Get your tickets here.
When: Nov. 29, 2023 – 9:00 to 10:30am
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building, 222 Bremner Blvd, Toronto
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The Architects Series – A documentary on Alison Brooks Architects
Presented by THE PLAN magazine for Iris Ceramica Group, the 31st instalment of the series will be premiered on Thursday September 14 at the Iris Ceramica Gallery in Clerkenwell, London.
Presented by THE PLAN magazine for Iris Ceramica Group, the 31st instalment of the series will be premiered on Thursday September 14 at the Iris Ceramica Gallery in Clerkenwell, London.
Join us in the premiere of The Architects Series – A documentary on Alison Brooks Architects. Presented by The Plan magazine for Iris Ceramica Group.
Earlier this year, we welcomed the cameras of The Plan into our studios in Kentish Town for the filming. The documentary includes interviews with Alison Brooks along with our team, presenting the ideas and thoughts behind our day-to-day practice and key architectural projects.
The documentary will be screened at the Iris Ceramica Group Gallery in Clerkwenwell, followed by a live lecture by Alison Brooks. Assistants will be able to ask questions, moderated by Hana Nihill – Architecture Awards Manager at the Royal Academy of Arts.
The event will also be live-streamed.
Date: September 14, 2023, 18h
Location: ICG Gallery, 61-67 Old Street, London EC1V 9HW
Entry: Free, registration needed
Programme:
18:00h Welcome and screening of the documentary
18:30h Context is Everything, lecture by Alison Brooks
19:15h Q&A led by Hana Nihill
19:45h Refreshments
Register for in-person and online event here
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Cornell AAP, ‘(An)Other University – A Place in Common’
Alison Brooks was honoured to teach at Cornell AAP this spring as Gensler Visiting Critic supported by AAP co-tutor Hanna Tulis. The studio ‘(An)Other University – A Place in Common’ investigated the nature of university as a civic institution and carrier of culture.
Alison Brooks was honoured to teach at Cornell AAP this spring as Gensler Visiting Critic supported by AAP co-tutor Hanna Tulis. The studio ‘(An)Other University – A Place in Common’ investigated the nature of university as a civic institution and carrier of culture.
Its starting point was history and etymology of University, a compound word that, from the Latin, might translate as ‘seeking truth, together’.
In response to perceived and actual conditions of exclusion, universities are being asked to deliver a more holistic civic mission beyond their boundaries to create a wider ecosystem of social value and community benefit. The studio asked these questions: How can architecture operate between the campus, the city and its public to offer a Third Space or Commons? How can it act as a platform for participatory cultural discourse, in which all citizens can contribute to the accumulation and transmission of knowledge?
The project was sited in Montreal, an island city renowned for its multi-cultural character, its urban ‘mountain’, many universities, and brutal winters. Many of its residents, in particular its Kanien’kéha Nation and other indigenous communities, feel excluded from its landscapes of learning, both phenomenologically and physically.
The Studio was asked to re-imagine the ways in which the university’s traditional spaces – Library, Lecture Hall, Refectory, Auditorium – could become a more inclusive, composite architecture, re-casting the campus boundary as an inter-cultural place of assembly, social service and knowledge creation. Not only Library, but also Living Archive, Cooking and Recording Studios; not only Auditorium, but Agora, Maker Spaces, Talking Circles and Medicinal Gardens; spaces supporting more diverse forms of knowledge creation.
The studio’s comprehensive architectural projects emerged from a series of contextual investigations: a Typological Manual of Learning Institutions followed by the Imaginary Ideal: an intimate learning space in the idiom of magical realism. Group research included production of a Montreal Atlas encompassing infrastructure, rituals, institutions, food and ecologies and on-site experience of Montreal in winter. Within a critical conceptual framework each student produced a comprehensive architectural proposal synthesising cultural programme, spatial organisation, structural principles and material, using locally sourced structural timber, clay and stone.
Arch 4101 Students: Madeline Esquivel, Abdulrazaq Alkhaled, Marina Bernardi Peschard, Jun Oh Koo, Binghua Lei, Jiawei Wu, Jocelyn Pang, Khushboo Vyas, Njillan Sarre, Zachary Sherrod, Steven Liu, Francheska Reed
Special thanks to studio contributors & guest lecturers: Louis-Thomas Kelly, Margaret Carney, Stephan Chevalier & Sergio Morales, CCA-Canadian Centre for Architecture, Nicole Ives
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Home Ground @ABA for the London Festival of Architecture 2023
This June, the office welcomed visitors to experience our Home Ground installation. After being exhibited at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale ‘How will we live together?’ and then travelling to Germany in 2022 for the Biennale Meets Roma exhibition, our installation finally found a home at our studio in Kentish Town.
This June, the office welcomed visitors to experience our Home Ground installation. After being exhibited at the 2021 Venice Architecture Biennale ‘How will we live together?’ and then travelling to Germany in 2022 for the Biennale Meets Roma exhibition, our installation finally found a home at our studio in Kentish Town.
As part of the festival, we held an event where Alison Brooks and Associate Ceri Edmunds discussed the role of the Biennale in architectural culture, the ideas behind our installation and the projects it represents.
Alison Brooks and Associate Ceri Edmunds discussed our approach to the installation, the process of making it during Covid-19 times, and the projects it presents. We finalised the evening with a conversation about the role of the Biennale in the making of architectural culture.
One of our initial intentions for the installation was to generate a space for discussion. It brings us much joy to see the exhibition’s continued significance.
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Architects, not Architecture Keynote Speech
Alison Brooks spoke of her Canadian upbringing and architectural inspirations in a unique London event that prohibits speakers from talking about their practice’s work.
Watch the full keynote speech by clicking here.
Alison Brooks spoke of her Canadian upbringing and architectural inspirations in a unique London event that prohibits speakers from talking about their practice’s work.
Watch the full keynote speech by clicking here.
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Reconceptualizing Urban Housing at the Venice Biennale 2023
ABA work is on show at the Palazzo Mora in Venice as part of the Reconceptualizing Urban Housing exhibition. Organized by the ECC and curated by Canadian architect Heather Dubbeldam, the exhibition brings together a group of women-led practices from around the world presenting new housing models that redefine what collective housing can be and how it can support liveability for its inhabitants. The exhibition features our projects Unity Place, London and Quayside, Toronto.
ABA work is on show at the Palazzo Mora in Venice as part of the Reconceptualizing Urban Housing exhibition. Organized by the ECC and curated by Canadian architect Heather Dubbeldam, the exhibition brings together a group of women-led practices from around the world presenting new housing models that redefine what collective housing can be and how it can support liveability for its inhabitants. The exhibition features our projects Unity Place, London and Quayside, Toronto.
Participants:
Alison Brooks Architects, UK
Adengo Architecture, Uganda
Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, Canada
Manuelle Gautrand Architecture, France
Eleena Jamil Architect, Malaysia
Fernanda Canales Arquitectura, Mexico
Studio Gang, USA
Meyer-Grohbruegge, Germany
Mecanoo, Netherlands
The exhibition will be on from May 20 to November 26, 2023 at Palazzo Mora in Venice, Italy.
Visit the exhibition’s website here.
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Madame Architect Interview
This December Alison Brooks was interviewed by Julia Gamolina, the founder of Madame Architect.
This December Alison Brooks was interviewed by Julia Gamolina, the founder of Madame Architect.
“We need more women creating the built environment, creating the cities in which we live. We need to inspire more young girls and women to be the makers of our world.”
To read the full interview, click here.
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IE University Guest Lecture
In November, Alison Brooks travelled to IE university to present her works to graduate students, placing an emphasis on sustainable, context-driven design.
In November, Alison Brooks travelled to IE university to present her works to graduate students, placing an emphasis on sustainable, context-driven design.
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Siza Talks 2022
16.11.2022—18.11.2022, Porto, Portugal
Perspective Forum Venice: A New Age of Wood
Alison Brooks headlined a conference sponsored by AHEC and attended by hundreds of architects and industry professionals this November.
Read about the event here.
Alison Brooks Features at the Monterey Design Conference
Headlining alongside an impressive list of international design talents, Alison Brooks featured as a keynote speaker in Monterey, California for CAIA’s famed Monterey Design Conference.
Headlining alongside an impressive list of international design talents, Alison Brooks featured as a keynote speaker in Monterey, California for CAIA’s famed Monterey Design Conference.
Learn more about the event and speakers by clicking here.
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Opening Keynote Speech ‘Transformations’ Cadence Exeter College Cohen Quad
30.09.2022—2.10.2022, Samsung KX
Alison Brooks spoke for the American Institute of Architects, kicking off a 3-day conference focused on London, King’s Cross and its transformations since the last AIA London Conference in 2014.
Alison Brooks spoke for the American Institute of Architects, kicking off a 3-day conference focused on London, King’s Cross and its transformations since the last AIA London Conference in 2014.
Alison Brooks presented her work with a talk entitled ‘Context in Architecture.’ Cadence, Cohen Quad and the LSE Global Hub design proposal were all covered as case studies.
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Biennale Meets ROMA
3.06.2022—17.11.2022, ROMA KG Campus Burgau, Germany
The ‘Home Ground’ installation will be exhibited at the ROMA KG campus in Burgau, Germany until November.
The ‘Home Ground’ installation will be exhibited at the ROMA KG campus in Burgau, Germany until November.
We are glad to be featured in this exhibition alongside models by Peter Pichler Architecture, Michael Maltzan Architecture, Storia Na Lugar, LOVE Architecture, Kozo Kadowaki, Enlace Arquitectura, Daniel López-Pérez, and Reiser + Umemoto. →
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Alison Brooks Closing Keynote Speaker at Banffsessions
6.05.2022—8.05.2022, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada
Alison Brooks will be the closing keynote speaker at the Alberta Association of Architects’ BanffSessions conference.
Alison Brooks will be the closing keynote speaker at the Alberta Association of Architects’ BanffSessions conference.
The theme of the conference is ‘ADAPTATIONS’. Brooks’ presentation will focus on context, authenticity, generosity, civicness and beauty.
Visit the conference homepage here.
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Alison Brooks to speak at The Good Business Festival
23.03.2022 11:10–12:00, Met Cathedral Crypt, Liverpool
Join Alison Brooks in conversation with Osama Bhutta and Ayesha Hazarika, as part of The Good Business Festival. Titled House Nation, the panel discussion will delve into the challenges and opportunities of post-lockdown living: how can designers and urban planners rethink housing design and placemaking? →
Join Alison Brooks in conversation with Osama Bhutta and Ayesha Hazarika, as part of The Good Business Festival. Titled House Nation, the panel discussion will delve into the challenges and opportunities of post-lockdown living: how can designers and urban planners rethink housing design and placemaking? →
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Cultural Formations
18.02.2022—7.04.2022, Clare Hall, Cambridge
Building Stories | The Awards Talks
15.02.2022 13:00–14:00
Join Alison Brooks and Amin Taha as they discuss the unique story behind House on the Hill, recipient of the RIBA House of the Year 2021. Register here →
Alison Brooks to speak at CTU Prague, Faculty of Architecture
6.12.2021 17:00–18:30
Join Alison Brooks for her ‘Re-Invent’ lecture, as part of CTU Prague, Faculty of Architecture’s November Talks series. The presentation will be livestreamed on CTU’s YouTube page.
Join Alison Brooks for her ‘Re-Invent’ lecture, as part of CTU Prague, Faculty of Architecture’s November Talks series. The presentation will be livestreamed on CTU’s YouTube page.
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Alison Brooks to speak at ‘Re-Evaluation’ Conference
19.10.2021 10:25–11:00
Join Alison Brooks for her ‘Home Ground – Exploring the Civic Role of Housing’ lecture, as part of the ‘Re-Evaluation’ Conference.
Join Alison Brooks for her ‘Home Ground – Exploring the Civic Role of Housing’ lecture, as part of the ‘Re-Evaluation’ Conference.
A collaboration between the International Academy of Architecture (IAA) and the Italian Pavilion at the 17th International Venice Architecture Exhibition, the digital event is set to offer an open exchange of visions and proposals towards a more communal future. Watch it here →
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Education Estates Conference 2021
12.10.2021 14:00–15:00, Manchester Central
Alison Brooks and Professor Sir Richard Trainor, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, will present the Cohen Quad at the Education Estates Conference 2021. Register here →
Alison Brooks and Professor Sir Richard Trainor, Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, will present the Cohen Quad at the Education Estates Conference 2021. Register here →
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Alison Brooks to speak at the Kosovo Architecture Festival 2021
17.09.2021 18:00–20:00, Pristina, Kosovo
As part of this year’s edition of the Kosovo Arch Fest, Alison Brooks will be giving a keynote lecture at the ICK – Innovation Centre Kosovo.
As part of this year’s edition of the Kosovo Arch Fest, Alison Brooks will be giving a keynote lecture at the ICK – Innovation Centre Kosovo.
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Accelerate 2021 | Open City’s Programme
Alison Brooks Architects is delighted to be supporting Accelerate on a journey towards a more diverse, open and inclusive industry.
Alison Brooks Architects is delighted to be supporting Accelerate on a journey towards a more diverse, open and inclusive industry.
Providing 30 sixth form students from across London with a series of skills workshops in a university environment, Open City’s Accelerate Programme offers one-to-one mentoring at an architecture practice, as well as in-depth bespoke guidance on university applications. As part of the Mentor Partners, we look forward to inviting the students to cultivate a critical questioning of the built environment. Learn more about the programme →
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Your Brent Magazine | Durham & Gloucester Court
Spring 2021’s edition of ‘Your Brent’ magazine features an article with some new residents of ABA’s Durham & Gloucester Court, part of the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration.
Spring 2021’s edition of ‘Your Brent’ magazine features an article with some new residents of ABA’s Durham & Gloucester Court, part of the South Kilburn Estate Regeneration.
When asked whether they still supported the award-winning regeneration of the estate at the residents’ ballot, the community overwhelmingly backed the council’s plans to continue rebuilding the neighbourhood – with 84% voting yes. We are honoured to be part of this journey and contribute to a real sense of place and belonging. Explore the story →
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