12 Mar Collaborative Practice

We are delighted to have signed up as a partner practice to the University of Sheffield School of Architecture’s Collaborative Practice programme, especially as our own Part II architectural assistant Chris Darby completed the course in 2021.

The Collaborative Practice course appealed to me because it blurred the lines between academia and practice. The programme provided the opportunity to reflect on my experiences in architecture practice, and then apply them to my studies.

The course taught me to be efficient with my time due to balancing work and university. I therefore decided to utilize my hand drawing skills for both development and presentation drawings. For example, this drawing from my thesis project ‘Welcoming Asylum Seekers and Refugees (ASR’s) in Huddersfield’, depicts a vacant colonial piece of architecture that I introduced bold new interventions within and around the existing building to questions how it could be decolonised so ASRs can secure a sense of ownership in a building which currently speaks of power and dominance.

On top of this, the course provides an opportunity to earn while you learn, which is extremely important to increase accessibility and inclusivity in architecture as university fees continue to rise.

The studio has a longstanding relationship with the University of Sheffield – where both Directors originally studied.