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,
When a Building Speaks
Reflections on architectural writing, publisher feedback, and who architecture has forgotten I recently received feedback from a publisher on a manuscript I have been developing around adaptive reuse, memory, conflict, climate, and the relationship between buildings and people. Part of the feedback read: “These are intriguing and poetic… I wasn’t entirely convinced by the opening sections where the buildings speak. It is certainly odd, but intriguing and well written… I like
Returning Is Not the Same as Going Home
Reflections on the World Cities Report 2026, displacement, and the phenomenology of home The recently published World Cities Report 2026: The Global Housing Crisis, Pathways to Action offers a stark assessment of the state of global housing. According to UN-Habitat, as many as 3.4 billion people worldwide now live without secure, safe, or adequate housing. The report describes a world shaped by spiralling housing costs, displacement, informal urbanisation, climate vulnerabili
The Minefield Beneath Memory
Why Cultural Heritage Recovery Must Confront the Reality of Explosive Violence Translations: Arabic / Ukrainian Across modern conflicts, cultural heritage has become increasingly recognised as central to identity, recovery, and peacebuilding. Destroyed museums, damaged religious buildings, shattered neighbourhoods, erased archives, ruined cemeteries, and scarred public spaces are no longer understood simply as architectural losses. They are increasingly recognised as attacks
