The Bartlett School of Architecture has announced a new partnership with Iris Ceramica Group, a global leader in high-end ceramic materials for architecture, design and furniture. Running until 2028, the three-year collaboration will support the school’s Just Environments Incubator, which funds research into spatial and climate justice.

Iris Ceramica Group will also contribute to developing the Justice Lexicon, a new online platform that promotes equity-driven language and dialogue in design education and practice. 

Driving innovation and justice through collaboration

Iris Ceramica Group is a leading Italian manufacturer of high-end ceramic surfaces and innovative solutions, pioneering sustainable production with the goal of achieving net zero by 2030. Through the multi-year gift agreement, Iris Ceramica Group will help amplify the school’s mission to lead architectural innovation with social and environmental responsibility at its core. 

It is exciting to collaborate with an industry partner like Iris Ceramica Group, whose priorities and values are so closely aligned with those of the school. Iris Ceramica Group’s pioneering spirit aligns closely with the ethos of experimental pedagogy that has long been the hallmark of The Bartlett School of Architecture. Our mutual commitment to contributing to spatial and climate justice in the built environment constitutes the foundation of this burgeoning partnership.

Amy Kulper, Director of The Bartlett School of Architecture

This partnership with The Bartlett School of Architecture marks a meaningful step in our ongoing commitment to shaping a more equitable and sustainable built environment. At Iris Ceramica Group, we believe that innovation must serve both people and the planet. Collaborating with one of the world’s leading architecture schools allows us to unite scientific research, design culture and responsible manufacturing to promote real, lasting change.

Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group

Supporting global justice-led design research

Launched in 2024, the Just Environments Incubator has already funded a diverse range of staff and student projects including:

  • The Interpreter, a film by Associate Professor Mohamad Hafeda, exploring displacement and borders across the Middle East and the UK.
  • Practicing Care Through Architecture, a workshop and discussion led by Tumpa Fellows and the FAME Collective (Females of Minority Ethnic).
  • Cohabitations, a new interdisciplinary book series and research platform on social and environmental justice, led by Professor Peg Rawes.
  • A film screening and book launch by Associate Professor Janine Francois with British Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong, titled If It Don’t Exist, Build It.
  • Practice Parts Unknown, a knowledge exchange series on architectural pedagogy and practice by Associate Professor Felicity Atekpe and Dr Claire McAndrew.
  • After Extraction, experimental workshops on environmental justice in South Africa led by Associate Professor Mpho Matsipa.

Learn more


Image: Federica Minozzi, CEO of Iris Ceramica Group with Amy Kulper, Jacqui Glass and the Just Environments Cluster – Thomas Aquilina, Janine Francois, Lidia Gasperoni, Mohamad Hafeda and Mpho Matsipa