THE WESTMINSTER ARCHITECTURE SOCIETY expanded its horizons this year, and aimed itself at strengthening its relationship with students and other universities. This year also brought about one of the biggest teams yet, with a growing interest from students in all disciplines to join the society.
The idea of peer learning and discussion became an early focus in the first semester, and a debate series was launched. Our aim was to focus on current issues, with our opening theme being the idea of Social Housing and the Stirling Prize. Climate Change and Diversity in Architecture became the themes of our following debates. These debates presented opportunities to have informal discussions with tutors from different departments as well as students. Thanks to Will McLean, Jane Tankard, Richa Mukhia and Wilfred Achille for supporting the event.
Our interest in diversity also led to a student discussion with Richa Mukhia and how students feel about the issue of the Attainment Gap. The impact of the debates led to many more discussions between students about the important topics which affect the architectural world.
The previous years have had the Megacrit as the main event in the academic year. However this year the society expanded and joined forces with other London universities to form the London Architecture Schools Collective (LASC). The LASC committee proposed that all the universities in London could come together and host one Megacrit in a unified act. LASC partnered with the Architecture Foundation to organise the first Megacrit organised by multiple universities at the Oxo Tower Wharf on the Southbank. The theme this year focused on the Climate Emergency and how this will affect London’s built environment. This led to the planning of a second Megacrit at City Hall, where the GLA would be present and students could discuss ideas with those who have the power to make changes. LASC has also organised online peer-review sessions between different universities, allowing students in isolation to still get valuable feedback on their projects during challenging times. Thanks to Rosie Gibbs-Stevenson for bringing our societies together.
The society held celebrations in the usual style to mark the end of the semester and bring the department together to celebrate with our biggest Christmas party yet. We also worked with students who ventured on their own endeavours such as MArch student Hamza Shaikh and his multi-modality project. Other projects the society has been involved in include co-ordinating the development of the Architecture Student journal with the help of Nick Beech. Notable professionals in practice also forged relationships with the society this year, creating the opportunity for more lectures in the future. Society members also formed relationships with the Architects Union through Kirti Durelle, and had discussions about workload and mental health which benefitted the lives of the students.
Finally, we would like to thank all those who helped the society in its adventures this year and those who continue to strive for the voice of the students. A final thanks to Harry Charrington, who continues to support the society even in the most challenging of times. We hope that the society expands further still and continues to be successful in its aspirations!