When Does a Project Become a Place?
Breaking the Ground Ceramony in Singapore 2013 Development, heritage, regeneration and peacebuilding projects are remarkably good at celebrating completion. Buildings are restored. Parks are inaugurated. Museums reopen. Community centres welcome their first visitors. Reports are submitted, donors acknowledged and photographs taken. The language of success is well rehearsed because, in many respects, it is measurable. Budgets are balanced, milestones achieved and contractual o
Thank You, Urban Realm
I am delighted to thank Urban Realm for publishing my article, Rebuilding Without Erasing, which they boldly retitled Ghost Buildings. It is a real honour to feature in one of Scotland's leading publications covering architecture, design and the built environment. The article explores a question that architecture rarely asks: what should we do with buildings that have been used for violence? We are familiar with rebuilding homes, restoring infrastructure and repairing heritag
In a World Soaked in Hateful Narrative
In a world soaked in hateful narrative, ten conversations reminded me of something quietly extraordinary: the enduring wonder of people. What began as a series of profiles celebrating cultural heritage became something much larger. These were not simply stories about buildings, landscapes or collections. They were stories about curiosity, kindness, resilience and the quiet acts of encouragement that shape our lives. At a time when public conversation can feel dominated by div
Teaching the Next Custodians
Antwerp Workshop Most of us think of buildings as things we own, rent, manage, occupy, or occasionally repair. Rarely do we think of ourselves as their custodians. Yet every building we inherit has already passed through countless hands. Builders, occupants, owners, caretakers, neighbours, designers, and communities have all left traces behind. We arrive in the middle of a story, not at its beginning. The challenge facing future generations is not simply how to build new thin
The Spaces Between
Most people rarely think about thresholds. We notice rooms. We notice buildings. We notice destinations. But some of the most important experiences in our lives happen in the spaces between them. The doorway we pause beneath during the rain. The corridor where an unexpected conversation begins. The stair where we catch a glimpse of another part of a building and become curious. The entrance to a school, a workplace, a theatre, a hospital, a church, a home. These moments are s
People • Place • Memory • Change
Over the years, my work has taken me into a remarkably diverse range of environments. I have worked with architects, heritage practitioners, educators, community leaders, peacebuilders, public servants, artists, emergency responders, researchers and business leaders. I have spent time in universities, government institutions, cultural organisations, post-conflict cities, coastal villages, boardrooms, construction sites and communities navigating profound social change. At fir
Growing Old in Displacement
What Ukraine's elderly remind us about home, dignity and recovery With thanks to Elena Rogers for introducing me to this important initiative and drawing my attention to one of the least discussed dimensions of displacement in Ukraine. When we think about displacement during war, our minds often turn to families fleeing bombardment, children crossing borders, or young people whose futures have been interrupted by conflict. Far less often do we think about growing old in displ
The Homes That Still Exist in Memory
Reflections on Georgia's displaced communities, cultural heritage and the meaning of home With thanks to Manana Tevzadze, whose work preserving the cultural heritage of Georgia's displaced communities inspired this article When we think about displacement, we often imagine the moment people leave. We picture families fleeing conflict, carrying what possessions they can. We think about borders crossed, temporary shelters established, and humanitarian assistance delivered. News
Marjane Satrapi and the Humanity Behind the Headlines
A friend from the BBC gave me a copy of Persepolis shortly before I began my Master's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of St Andrews. I remember being immediately captivated. As someone trained in design and architecture, the stark black-and-white illustrations drew me in, but it was the humanity of the story that stayed with me. Today, as Iran once again risks being reduced to headlines, strategic calculations and military analysis, I find myself return
From Houses to Homes: Reflections on Ukraine's CO-HATY Project
image from https://metalab.space/project/co-haty/ (Ukrainian Translation / Український переклад) Last year, I had the privilege of spending time in Ukraine. Like many visitors, I was struck not only by the destruction caused by war but by something else: the extraordinary resilience of the people I met. That resilience has stayed with me. It is perhaps one reason why I was immediately drawn to the CO-HATY project when it was recently brought to my attention by Knut Hoeller,
