CRUNCH: Agents for Participation

Agents for Participation explores the inseparable junction of the ecological and the collective which requires agents and mediators operating in proximity for and within the dissolution of the individual into its environment and society. This panel discussion welcomes practitioners in the fields of architecture and design who find alternative blurry paths in the production of architecture. Traversing the often isolated educational, professional, and business realms, our speakers work horizontally and therefore adapt their versatile methods to every singular project, constructing not only architecture but new bonds in an ever-evolving context. 

This event will be a discussion between Amica Dall (Assemble), Carles Baiges Camprubí (Lacol), and Jan Kattein (Jan Kattein Architects), chaired by Dr Claire McAndrew, The Bartlett School of Architecture. 

This event is part of the inaugural CRUNCH Series at The Bartlett School of Architecture, replacing the International Lecture Series. Please note this event is first-come, first-served and is limited capacity. 

Speaker Biographies

Amica Dall is an interdisciplinary practitioner focused on the intersections of architectural practice and issues of climate and social justice, including children in cities. She is a founding member of Assemble, where she delivered more than 15 major projects between 2010 and 2020, during which time Assemble won the Turner Prize and the UN Prize for Sustainable Architecture. Her work as a writer and filmmaker has been broadcast on the BBC, exhibited at the Venice Biennale, and published in E-Flux. Amica currently teaches on the Situated Practice MA at The Bartlett School of Architecture. 

Jan Kattein is a London-based author, lecturer and practitioner who worked in social housing before pursuing a brief career in theatre design. In 2004, he established his own studio, Jan Kattein Architects. Jan Kattein Architects is recognised internationally as one of the leading placemaking and participatory design practices with award-winning projects that are celebrated for their spatial- and civic accomplishments. Jan’s PhD thesis, The Architecture Chronicle: Diary of an Architectural Practice, was published by Routledge. His forthcoming book, Londoners Making London, will be published in April 2024. 

Carles Baiges Camprubí is an architect from ETSAB-UPC whose work explores citizen participation in architecture and urban planning. He has a master's degree in Urban Sociology from Universiteit van Amsterdam and is one of the founding members of the cooperative of architects, Lacol. Lacol has received several recognitions, including winning the Emerging Architecture Award of the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Awards 2022, and has been selected in the biennials of architecture in Venice (2016, 2021), Buenos Aires (2017). and San Sebastián (2019). La Borda has also been awarded at the European Responsible Housing Awards and the World Habitat Award. 

Claire McAndrew is a Senior Research Fellow in Public Engagement at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. She works within architectures and practices of care, focusing on new frameworks for participation. Claire’s work draws upon contemporary theory, research and debate around architecture, technology, community and public engagement in the production of the built environment. Her writing and practice consider the use of co-creation methodologies to shift social practices and inform public policy. 

More information

Image: Angel Yard, Jan Kattein Architects