Building Better: The Bartlett Podcast

In this episode of Building Better, we spoke to two people within and outside of The Bartlett  about ‘queering space’: how we can build spaces that suit community needs and what queerness means in the context of design. Our guests were: Xan Xacobo Goetzee-Barral, third year student on the new MSci Architecture programme and an Urban Design Tutor at The Bartlett School of Planning Holly Buckle, London-based Artist and the LGBTIQ+ Outreach Lead at The Outside Project  ‘Queering space’ is a theme that we touched on in our first ever episode of Building Better, when we spoke to Lo Marshall about their research into LGBTQ+ nightlife. Through this discussion we continued that conversation by asking what makes a space safe for LGBTQ+ people and interrogating what it means to bring queerness into a space. For more information and to access the transcript, visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/building-better-bartlett-podcast

In this episode, we explore the role of racism and colonialism in the construction of the built environment and how we can improve.  In October 2022 we have been marking Black History Month at The Bartlett through talks, workshops and our series Black Perspectives in the Built Environment which explores architects, researchers and activists who have shaped – and are shaping – our field.   In this episode of Building Better, we are joined by two guests to discuss the ways that racism and colonialism have influenced people who study, design, create and live in built environments: Omoleye Ojuri, Honorary lecturer at The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University and World Bank Scholar Kudzai Matsvai, architectural activist and founder of the BLAC Collective at the University of Liverpool and the Wedzera Network Through this discussion, we explore the legacy of racism and colonialism in the built environment, conversations about anti-racism, and how we can improve.Content warning: in this episode we are going to discuss racism and colonialism within the built environment and the systemic violence that this has caused toward Black communities around the world.Access transcript

Throughout history, fire has shaped the cities we live in, and the risks of urban fire in a warming climate are ever-increasing. Host Christoph Lindner, Dean of The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, speaks to three guests from within and outside the UCL community to discuss their work with fire:Professor Jose Torero Cullen, Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental, Geomatic and Environmental Engineering and specialist in fire safety engineeringDr Eva Branscome, Associate Professor, Architectural History and Theory, The Bartlett School of Architecture and Mentor at SPID TheatreNaomi Israel, Youth Ambassador for SPID Theatre and co-director of The Burning Tower which explored the impact and response to the Grenfell Tower FireTW: This episode discusses the Grenfell tower fire as well as other fires from across the world and throughout history and has reference to death and injury; however, these will not be discussed in great, explicit detail.Access transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/transcript-space-fire