CRUNCH: A Concrete Crisis

By the end of August 2023 parents woke up to a yet one more challenge in the already under-resourced educational system in the UK. Framed as ‘schoolgate’, ‘crumble-risk concrete crisis’, or simply ‘concrete crisis’, 150 schools built with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete are at risk of structural collapse. The number of schools affected could grow up to six hundred or even one thousand according to different reports.  

In the midst of accusations between the minister of education and councils, here we turn our attention to the history, technology, and practices architecture. What does this concrete crisis tells us about our built environment and our practice? What does it say of our historical appreciation of concrete and of the pace of innovations in sustainable forms of construction? What has happened to school building in the UK and what does this say about their essential role in the built environment and society? Does this make it a larger crisis? What is the role of architects in this crisis and what are the steps towards its resolution? As the crisis of the Grenfell Tower triggered a re-evaluation of architectural training in safety, is this meant to cause any revision of our training? 

Join us to discuss these and other questions with speakers including Professor Adrian Forty, The Bartlett School of Architecture, Dr Ruth Lang, RCA, Elaine Toogood, Concrete Centre and Catherine Croft, Director of the 20th Century Society.

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

Eva Branscome, Professor of Architecture and Cultural Heritage, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

Eva Branscome works at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL from which she also received her PhD. Originally trained as an interior architect, Eva’s research and teaching have two main strands: the first engages with links between built heritage and cultural practices in contemporary Western cities, whether expressed through cultural institutions or counterculture and street art; the second is in the 19th- and 20th-century architectural history of Central Europe, focusing upon Austria and other regions in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Eva has published extensively – including Hans Hollein and Postmodernism (Routledge, 2018), the first major monograph on that architect-artist.   

Dr Catherine Croft, Director 20th Century Society

Catherine has been Director of the 20th Century Society since 2002 and is Editor of the C20 magazine. Prior to C20 Society she worked for English Heritage as a buildings inspector in London and the Midlands. Author of a book on Concrete Architecture, Catherine writes on contemporary as well as historic buildings, lectures internationally and teaches a course on concrete for conservation professionals at West Dean College.

Adrian Forty, Emeritus Professor of the History of Architecture, The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL

Adrian Forty is an Emeritus Professor of the History of Architecture at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL. He is also the former Programme Director of the master's programme in Architectural History.

His main interest is in architecture's role in societies and cultural contexts. His research includes work on the design of consumer goods; on language and architecture; and on architecture, collective memory, and forgetting. More recently he has focused on the history, aesthetics, and cultural significance of concrete as a construction material.

Dr Ruth Lang, Senior Tutor (Research), RCA

Ruth is an architect, writer and curator, whose research explores alternative strategies and positions which can be adopted in pursuit of the practice of architecture. As unit leader for Radical Practice, Ruth supports students in establishing their intentions as practitioners beyond the parameters of their academic experience, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to realise their work within the contemporary architectural context.

Elaine Toogood, Director, Architecture and Sustainable Design, Concrete Centre

Elaine provides architectural advice and technical guidance primarily related to the specification, design and use of concrete for sustainable construction. She is joint chair for the UK concrete industry’s circular economy task group, and special advisor to UK Concrete. Elaine has over 25 years experience as a qualified architect, mostly within private practice.

More information

Image: Adobe