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Applications are open for September 2026 entry to the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London

Academic Programmes:

Foundation Programme
BA (Hons) in Architecture Intermediate Programme (RIBA Part 1)
Master in Architecture Diploma Programme (ARB Masters/RIBA Part 2)
Graduate Certificate in Architecture (AA Transfer) Programme

- Early Application Deadline Friday 21 November 2025*
- Late Application Deadline Friday 6 March 2026

Architecture and Urbanism (DRL) MArch
Conservation and Reuse MA/PGDip
Design and Make MSc/MArch
Emergent Technologies and Design MSc/MArch
History and Critical Thinking in Architecture MA
Housing and Urbanism MA/MArch
Spatial Performance and Design (AAIS) MA/MFA
Sustainable Environmental Design MSc/MArch
Architecture and Urban Design (Projective Cities) Taught MPhil
PhD Programme MPhil/PhD

- Early Application Deadline Friday 23 January 2026*
- Late Application Deadline Friday 6 March 2026

Apply by the early application deadline to be eligible to apply for AA scholarships and bursaries.

The AA is committed to supporting the most talented students from around the world to ensure that they are afforded the opportunity to study at the school. We provide a large number of scholarships and bursaries to students with one in five students receiving financial support.

About the AA: The Architectural Association (AA) is the oldest school of architecture in the UK. It was founded in 1847 as a student-centred collective that aspired to radically transform architectural education. Since then, it has fostered an environment that encourages students to speculate without limitations, take risks with confidence and cultivate individual, ambitious research that shapes the future of the discipline.

The AA prepares students to speak up and shape the future of our profession by offering a broad range of flexible, self-directed programmes that empower students and staff to challenge conventions within contemporary architectural education and professional practice.

Follow the link in our bio for more information on how to apply.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Javier Castanon, an architect and educator who profoundly shaped the intellectual life of the AA for five decades and, most recently, was Head of Environmental and Technical Studies (ETS) at the school from 2010 to 2025.

Javier graduated from the AA Diploma School in 1976 and went on to contribute to all parts of the AA curriculum, teaching design in Intermediate 4 and Diploma 4 as well as History and Theory Studies in the 1980s, and joining the Technical Studies team in 2000. He also led the London-based practice Castanon Associates, which he founded in 1978. Javier’s ability to connect theoretical questions to design practice made him a unique teacher and a formidable support to his colleagues. As Head of ETS, he sought to shape a new generation of young architects who understood the link between environmental justice and social justice.

Javier was always more than a tutor – he was a treasured friend and mentor to generations of students and staff, and the greatest champion of the AA School. We will miss him, will never forget him, and are better for having had him in our lives.

The AA is delighted to support the 2026 cycle of The World Around Young Climate Prize @theworldaround as the programme’s first exclusive Academic Partner. The Young Climate Prize is an accelerator that gathers, mentors and amplifies the next generation of leaders as they work to effect tangible change. As Academic Partner, the AA will be supporting the 2026 Prize Cohort of young people with access to the our library and digital resources as well as mentorship from tutors and staff at the school.

Applications for The World Around Young Climate Prize are now open for young climate leaders worldwide. This unique mentorship and academy is tailored for designers, creators, innovators and activists under 25 years of age who live and work on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported 50 young people from 35 countries, working on solutions ranging from waste management and alternative fuel sources to material innovation and even birdwatching. If you or someone in your network is working on a climate-focused project, apply by 30 June at www.youngclimateprize.org

Eligibility: Young climate leaders aged 13–25 with a self-initiated, climate-focused project

Award: mentorship, training, trip to NY

Learn more and apply: www.youngclimateprize.org

Free to enter, deadline 30 June

Images: 1, photo by Andrea Villareal Rodriguez; 2, Natasha Tanjutco, photo by Ivan Torres; 3, Owen Chiou, photo by Paula Waszczuk; all courtesy The World Around.

The AA is delighted to support the 2026 cycle of The World Around Young Climate Prize @theworldaround as the programme’s first exclusive Academic Partner. The Young Climate Prize is an accelerator that gathers, mentors and amplifies the next generation of leaders as they work to effect tangible change. As Academic Partner, the AA will be supporting the 2026 Prize Cohort of young people with access to the our library and digital resources as well as mentorship from tutors and staff at the school.

Applications for The World Around Young Climate Prize are now open for young climate leaders worldwide. This unique mentorship and academy is tailored for designers, creators, innovators and activists under 25 years of age who live and work on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported 50 young people from 35 countries, working on solutions ranging from waste management and alternative fuel sources to material innovation and even birdwatching. If you or someone in your network is working on a climate-focused project, apply by 30 June at www.youngclimateprize.org

Eligibility: Young climate leaders aged 13–25 with a self-initiated, climate-focused project

Award: mentorship, training, trip to NY

Learn more and apply: www.youngclimateprize.org

Free to enter, deadline 30 June

Images: 1, photo by Andrea Villareal Rodriguez; 2, Natasha Tanjutco, photo by Ivan Torres; 3, Owen Chiou, photo by Paula Waszczuk; all courtesy The World Around.

The AA is delighted to support the 2026 cycle of The World Around Young Climate Prize @theworldaround as the programme’s first exclusive Academic Partner. The Young Climate Prize is an accelerator that gathers, mentors and amplifies the next generation of leaders as they work to effect tangible change. As Academic Partner, the AA will be supporting the 2026 Prize Cohort of young people with access to the our library and digital resources as well as mentorship from tutors and staff at the school.

Applications for The World Around Young Climate Prize are now open for young climate leaders worldwide. This unique mentorship and academy is tailored for designers, creators, innovators and activists under 25 years of age who live and work on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Since its launch in 2022, the programme has supported 50 young people from 35 countries, working on solutions ranging from waste management and alternative fuel sources to material innovation and even birdwatching. If you or someone in your network is working on a climate-focused project, apply by 30 June at www.youngclimateprize.org

Eligibility: Young climate leaders aged 13–25 with a self-initiated, climate-focused project

Award: mentorship, training, trip to NY

Learn more and apply: www.youngclimateprize.org

Free to enter, deadline 30 June

Images: 1, photo by Andrea Villareal Rodriguez; 2, Natasha Tanjutco, photo by Ivan Torres; 3, Owen Chiou, photo by Paula Waszczuk; all courtesy The World Around.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

The Synesthetic Interface: Sensorium of Migratory Reconnection

Project by Gregorian Tanto, Diploma 22 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Gregorian:

This project explores migration through the lens of synesthesia and multisensory immersion, proposing architecture as a vessel for collective memory and social reintegration.

Set in the Azores and addressing return migration from North America, it responds to dislocation and cultural estrangement not through passive memorials, but through sensorially active spaces. Rather than privileging the visual, the design foregrounds the body as interface: feeling, remembering, and generating spatial meaning through thermal, haptic, acoustic, visual, and olfactory stimuli. Drawing from synesthesia and hyper-hapticity, the work questions how architecture can restore agency and identity by awakening dormant sensory channels.

Three sensory pavilions cantered around language, taste, and collective memory prototype this approach. Designed as soft, thermally responsive environments, they foster emotional reconnection, co-creation, and community belonging. Through tactile walls, scent-based learning, and responsive materials, the project proposes a sensorial remapping of the island: a field of lived intensities overlaid on a landscape marked by absence and return. Immersion becomes not spectacle but care, a tool for empathy, reconnection, and transformation.

To see more work from AA students, visit the Projects Review 2025 website.

Join us in the AA Lecture Hall on Thursday 30 April, 6.30pm for ‘Follow Me to Pie Land’ by the artist Andrew Holmes. The talk will be a chance to hear Andrew discuss his current exhibition, ROAD WORK, and hear a recorded version of the song Stack o’ Bricks, performed by his band Alabama Chrome and played for the first time. ROAD WORK brings together 16 large-scale prints from a series of 1,000 polaroid photographs taken in 1980s Los Angeles. The exhibition, on display at 1 Montague Street, closes on Saturday 2 May.

‘Follow Me to Pie Land’
AA Lecture Hall
Thursday 30 April, 6.30–8pm
RSVP on Eventbrite, link in bio

‘I don’t like to be lectured. I like to be told stories and to listen to songs. I like Texas country, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard. I like repetition.’
– Andrew Holmes

‘Can you play an E ninth chord?’
‘Yes, of course’, came the reply.
‘But can you play an E ninth chord all night?’
– Extract from an interview by James Brown and guitar player Jimmy Nolen

David Greene says Andrew Holmes is a monk, but a monk in a car. He is assembling his equivalent of The Canterbury Tales. He is doing it in the form of images and messages. The messages are song lyrics, themselves the equivalents of Polaroids, brief snatches of glimpsed graphics on the sides of trailers, advertising on the car radio, the voice giving directions on Google Maps, announcements over the PA and overheard conversations in truck stops.

Take the 405, Follow me to Pie Land,
Ripon, take the five, Travel Stop Colony Road,
Take the shade, Get out damn slowly,
Put on straw Stetson, no breeze, ninety degrees,
South West Motor Freight, Tri State Motor Transit,
Refrigerated, World Wide Moving Arrowhead,
Any comments please call, Young Blood Truck Lines Scheduled,
Great Dane Bama Pies, Wanted Moving Systems.
– Extract from Stack o’ Bricks
by Alabama Chrome

Images:
1 Andrew Holmes, Go With Best, 1985
2 Andrew Holmes, Bama Pies, 1985

Join us in the AA Lecture Hall on Thursday 30 April, 6.30pm for ‘Follow Me to Pie Land’ by the artist Andrew Holmes. The talk will be a chance to hear Andrew discuss his current exhibition, ROAD WORK, and hear a recorded version of the song Stack o’ Bricks, performed by his band Alabama Chrome and played for the first time. ROAD WORK brings together 16 large-scale prints from a series of 1,000 polaroid photographs taken in 1980s Los Angeles. The exhibition, on display at 1 Montague Street, closes on Saturday 2 May.

‘Follow Me to Pie Land’
AA Lecture Hall
Thursday 30 April, 6.30–8pm
RSVP on Eventbrite, link in bio

‘I don’t like to be lectured. I like to be told stories and to listen to songs. I like Texas country, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard. I like repetition.’
– Andrew Holmes

‘Can you play an E ninth chord?’
‘Yes, of course’, came the reply.
‘But can you play an E ninth chord all night?’
– Extract from an interview by James Brown and guitar player Jimmy Nolen

David Greene says Andrew Holmes is a monk, but a monk in a car. He is assembling his equivalent of The Canterbury Tales. He is doing it in the form of images and messages. The messages are song lyrics, themselves the equivalents of Polaroids, brief snatches of glimpsed graphics on the sides of trailers, advertising on the car radio, the voice giving directions on Google Maps, announcements over the PA and overheard conversations in truck stops.

Take the 405, Follow me to Pie Land,
Ripon, take the five, Travel Stop Colony Road,
Take the shade, Get out damn slowly,
Put on straw Stetson, no breeze, ninety degrees,
South West Motor Freight, Tri State Motor Transit,
Refrigerated, World Wide Moving Arrowhead,
Any comments please call, Young Blood Truck Lines Scheduled,
Great Dane Bama Pies, Wanted Moving Systems.
– Extract from Stack o’ Bricks
by Alabama Chrome

Images:
1 Andrew Holmes, Go With Best, 1985
2 Andrew Holmes, Bama Pies, 1985

Applications are open for the AA Summer School 2026! This year’s three-week Summer School, Learning from London, takes place 6–24 July. Across six units that explore multiple ‘Londons’, the programme treats architectural education as a radical and inclusive practice, challenging disciplinary boundaries and engaging with the social, political and spatial realities of the city.

The Summer School is aimed at current and prospective architectural students, as well as newcomers to architecture. To find out more and apply, visit the AA website.

Learning from London units:

Unit 1: Microcosm(ic) London with tutors Lindsey Krug, Radu Remus Macovei and Edward Wang. This unit reinterprets Charles Jencks’ seminal Cosmic House as a laboratory for reading London through the architecture of a single building.

Unit 2: The Infraordinary with tutors FORMS OF COMMONS (Chiara Malerba, Margherita Sorgentone and Constanza Zeni). What if architecture began with questions about how we look at things rather than making grand gestures? This unit explores the infraordinary – the overlooked, the habitual, the everyday.

Unit 3: Cry Me a River with tutors Elisabeth Terrisse de Botton and Matthieu Brasebin. This unit takes London as a city shaped by water as its starting point, proposing a critical reading of water infrastructures through observation, mapping and experimentation.

Unit 4: Parade with tutor Alessandro Pasero. This unit explores London as a stage for collective action – marches, celebrations, protests and urban occupations. Through research, design and construction, we will create props and devices and choreograph a parade in the city.

Unit 5: Feasibility with tutors Gonçalo André Pires, Marija Urbaite and João Lourenço dos Santos. This unit begins by considering London through the intersection of its infrastructural rail network and land ownership to examine how infrastructure generates spatial exceptions.

Unit 6: Heatwave with tutors Jacob Höppner and Leo Herrmann. This unit will explore the effects of the climate emergency on the urban fabric of London to develop our own way of designing for the future.

Applications are open for the AA Summer School 2026! This year’s three-week Summer School, Learning from London, takes place 6–24 July. Across six units that explore multiple ‘Londons’, the programme treats architectural education as a radical and inclusive practice, challenging disciplinary boundaries and engaging with the social, political and spatial realities of the city.

The Summer School is aimed at current and prospective architectural students, as well as newcomers to architecture. To find out more and apply, visit the AA website.

Learning from London units:

Unit 1: Microcosm(ic) London with tutors Lindsey Krug, Radu Remus Macovei and Edward Wang. This unit reinterprets Charles Jencks’ seminal Cosmic House as a laboratory for reading London through the architecture of a single building.

Unit 2: The Infraordinary with tutors FORMS OF COMMONS (Chiara Malerba, Margherita Sorgentone and Constanza Zeni). What if architecture began with questions about how we look at things rather than making grand gestures? This unit explores the infraordinary – the overlooked, the habitual, the everyday.

Unit 3: Cry Me a River with tutors Elisabeth Terrisse de Botton and Matthieu Brasebin. This unit takes London as a city shaped by water as its starting point, proposing a critical reading of water infrastructures through observation, mapping and experimentation.

Unit 4: Parade with tutor Alessandro Pasero. This unit explores London as a stage for collective action – marches, celebrations, protests and urban occupations. Through research, design and construction, we will create props and devices and choreograph a parade in the city.

Unit 5: Feasibility with tutors Gonçalo André Pires, Marija Urbaite and João Lourenço dos Santos. This unit begins by considering London through the intersection of its infrastructural rail network and land ownership to examine how infrastructure generates spatial exceptions.

Unit 6: Heatwave with tutors Jacob Höppner and Leo Herrmann. This unit will explore the effects of the climate emergency on the urban fabric of London to develop our own way of designing for the future.

Applications are open for the AA Summer School 2026! This year’s three-week Summer School, Learning from London, takes place 6–24 July. Across six units that explore multiple ‘Londons’, the programme treats architectural education as a radical and inclusive practice, challenging disciplinary boundaries and engaging with the social, political and spatial realities of the city.

The Summer School is aimed at current and prospective architectural students, as well as newcomers to architecture. To find out more and apply, visit the AA website.

Learning from London units:

Unit 1: Microcosm(ic) London with tutors Lindsey Krug, Radu Remus Macovei and Edward Wang. This unit reinterprets Charles Jencks’ seminal Cosmic House as a laboratory for reading London through the architecture of a single building.

Unit 2: The Infraordinary with tutors FORMS OF COMMONS (Chiara Malerba, Margherita Sorgentone and Constanza Zeni). What if architecture began with questions about how we look at things rather than making grand gestures? This unit explores the infraordinary – the overlooked, the habitual, the everyday.

Unit 3: Cry Me a River with tutors Elisabeth Terrisse de Botton and Matthieu Brasebin. This unit takes London as a city shaped by water as its starting point, proposing a critical reading of water infrastructures through observation, mapping and experimentation.

Unit 4: Parade with tutor Alessandro Pasero. This unit explores London as a stage for collective action – marches, celebrations, protests and urban occupations. Through research, design and construction, we will create props and devices and choreograph a parade in the city.

Unit 5: Feasibility with tutors Gonçalo André Pires, Marija Urbaite and João Lourenço dos Santos. This unit begins by considering London through the intersection of its infrastructural rail network and land ownership to examine how infrastructure generates spatial exceptions.

Unit 6: Heatwave with tutors Jacob Höppner and Leo Herrmann. This unit will explore the effects of the climate emergency on the urban fabric of London to develop our own way of designing for the future.

Applications are open for the AA Summer School 2026! This year’s three-week Summer School, Learning from London, takes place 6–24 July. Across six units that explore multiple ‘Londons’, the programme treats architectural education as a radical and inclusive practice, challenging disciplinary boundaries and engaging with the social, political and spatial realities of the city.

The Summer School is aimed at current and prospective architectural students, as well as newcomers to architecture. To find out more and apply, visit the AA website.

Learning from London units:

Unit 1: Microcosm(ic) London with tutors Lindsey Krug, Radu Remus Macovei and Edward Wang. This unit reinterprets Charles Jencks’ seminal Cosmic House as a laboratory for reading London through the architecture of a single building.

Unit 2: The Infraordinary with tutors FORMS OF COMMONS (Chiara Malerba, Margherita Sorgentone and Constanza Zeni). What if architecture began with questions about how we look at things rather than making grand gestures? This unit explores the infraordinary – the overlooked, the habitual, the everyday.

Unit 3: Cry Me a River with tutors Elisabeth Terrisse de Botton and Matthieu Brasebin. This unit takes London as a city shaped by water as its starting point, proposing a critical reading of water infrastructures through observation, mapping and experimentation.

Unit 4: Parade with tutor Alessandro Pasero. This unit explores London as a stage for collective action – marches, celebrations, protests and urban occupations. Through research, design and construction, we will create props and devices and choreograph a parade in the city.

Unit 5: Feasibility with tutors Gonçalo André Pires, Marija Urbaite and João Lourenço dos Santos. This unit begins by considering London through the intersection of its infrastructural rail network and land ownership to examine how infrastructure generates spatial exceptions.

Unit 6: Heatwave with tutors Jacob Höppner and Leo Herrmann. This unit will explore the effects of the climate emergency on the urban fabric of London to develop our own way of designing for the future.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

On view in Milan: The AA and Alcova present Coalescence

This exhibition brings together AA designers to show new and previously unseen work as part of Milan Design Week, in the Lavanderia on the ground floor of the historic former military hospital. Presented on a central table designed by Nichola Barrington-Leach @n_v_b_l and around the room are 30 objects made using a range of materials and techniques, spanning craft to hyper-technology, from casting, ceramics, metalwork and carpentry, to paper crafts, stone masonry and innovative 3D printing.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Designers:
Andy Wong Studio, armaan_bansal, Assaf Kimmel Studio, Béné Jakel, Digital Craft in Architecture, Daniel Swarilov, Demi Oyeyinka, Electric Architects, Hanna Fastrich, Jaeduk Seo, Julia B Lubner and Jan Stawiarski, Maite Garcia-Lascurain, Martin Lukas Wecke, NVBL, Order Matter, Patch Design, Selin Nisa Açıkel, Serge Douaihy and Marine Zovighian, Studio 2–7, Studio Bergob, studio neuss, Studio Wernacular, Teruyoshi Kaneko, Umberto Bellardi Ricci, Veronika Janovec and Wedge. The courtyard area hosts an installation from the AA Design and Make Programme.

Photographs by Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio
@piercarloquecchia @dsl__studio

Credits

A project by the AA with the support of AA Director Ingrid Schroder
Conceived and developed by Christopher Pierce @christopher.d.pierce
Curated by Nichola Barrington-Leach and Jingyi Deng
Exhibition design by NVBL Architects
Onsite Coordinator: Yejin Lee @yejin.leeahn
Production Assistants: Tal Friedman, Or Naeh, Mila Unkovich
Press Partner: Sam Talbot
Stones generously supported by Gandolfi Marmi and Palissandro Quarry – Palissandro Classico, Bluette and Brown.

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

“What makes a sacred space sacred?”

Project by Ruihan Reena Shen Intermediate 14 (2024-2025)

Project Description by Ruihan

This project reflects the 20-year journey of nomadic worship across diverse architectural spaces of the London Huaxia Christian Church, a Chinese diasporic evangelical Christian community in London. This includes moving from rented offices to grand traditional churches. A reflection that identified how sacredness emerges not only from physical structures but also from the communal life within them.

By comparing London Huaxia Christian Church with Westminster Cathedral, through the analysis of elements like materiality, spatial function, and circulation, it became apparent that sacredness is as much about human connection as it is about architecture. The design response reflects this insight, proposing a new church space in Brixton’s civic centre—an adaptive structure combining classic architectural elements with a flexible, community-centered design.

The proposal is a multi-floor conceptual structure that mirrors Huaxia’s journey, integrating both architectural and communal themes. It uses steel to create a transparent, functional aesthetic. Moveable units allow for baptisms and choir practices in various locations, responding to the dispersed nature of our congregation.

Ultimately, the design bridges the gap between stability and movement, blending the old with the new. It allows sacredness to unfold wherever the community gathers— emphasizing that architecture forms the body, but community is the soul of sacred space.

#SacredSpace
#ArchitectureAndCommunity
#AdaptiveArchitecture
#SpiritualArchitecture
#ChurchDesign

As part of the AA’s exhibition with Alcova (@alcova.milan), students from the AA’s Design and Make (@aadesignandmake) programme will be exhibiting a modular timber roof structure designed on site at Hooke Park (@hookepark) in Dorset.

The design combines different timber species, integrating natural geometries with engineered components. The timber structure pavilion will be installed outside the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

As part of the AA’s exhibition with Alcova (@alcova.milan), students from the AA’s Design and Make (@aadesignandmake) programme will be exhibiting a modular timber roof structure designed on site at Hooke Park (@hookepark) in Dorset.

The design combines different timber species, integrating natural geometries with engineered components. The timber structure pavilion will be installed outside the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

As part of the AA’s exhibition with Alcova (@alcova.milan), students from the AA’s Design and Make (@aadesignandmake) programme will be exhibiting a modular timber roof structure designed on site at Hooke Park (@hookepark) in Dorset.

The design combines different timber species, integrating natural geometries with engineered components. The timber structure pavilion will be installed outside the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

As part of the AA’s exhibition with Alcova (@alcova.milan), students from the AA’s Design and Make (@aadesignandmake) programme will be exhibiting a modular timber roof structure designed on site at Hooke Park (@hookepark) in Dorset.

The design combines different timber species, integrating natural geometries with engineered components. The timber structure pavilion will be installed outside the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

As part of the AA’s exhibition with Alcova (@alcova.milan), students from the AA’s Design and Make (@aadesignandmake) programme will be exhibiting a modular timber roof structure designed on site at Hooke Park (@hookepark) in Dorset.

The design combines different timber species, integrating natural geometries with engineered components. The timber structure pavilion will be installed outside the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

Join us on Tuesday 21 April, 6.30pm in the AA Lecture Hall for a talk by Walter J Hood considering the challenges and possibilities of America’s postcolonial landscape.

The lecture will interrogate the American narrative of community 'underdevelopment,' centring minority communities where the accumulation of cultural and economic capital has been deliberately constrained. It will reframe underdevelopment not as cultural absence, but as the result of racism, structural disinvestment, housing discrimination and inequitable policies that continue to shape the American landscape.

Through the lens of Hood Design Studio’s cultural practice, and in collaboration with arts institutions, nonprofit organisations and local agencies, the work reveals stories embedded in place, stories of erasure, resilience and persistence. These layered narratives illuminate both the challenges and possibilities of America’s postcolonial landscape. The studio’s tripartite practice – community lifeways, the everyday and mundane, and commemoration – serves as a framework for uncovering lost community memories, physical palimpsests and practices, transforming them into new patterns and opportunities for ritual and development.

The event will conclude with a conversation between Walter J Hood @hooddesignstudio and Nana Biamah-Ofosu @biamah.ofosu

The publication ‘The African Ancestors Garden: History and Memory at the International African American Museum’ will be available to purchase following the talk.

Joy and Pain – Audacious Acts in Underdeveloped Landscapes: Walter J Hood
Tuesday 21 April, 6.30–8pm
AA Lecture Hall
Free to attend, register on Eventbrite (link in bio)

Photo by Toni Smailagic, courtesy Hood Design Studio

Join us on Tuesday 21 April, 6.30pm in the AA Lecture Hall for a talk by Walter J Hood considering the challenges and possibilities of America’s postcolonial landscape.

The lecture will interrogate the American narrative of community 'underdevelopment,' centring minority communities where the accumulation of cultural and economic capital has been deliberately constrained. It will reframe underdevelopment not as cultural absence, but as the result of racism, structural disinvestment, housing discrimination and inequitable policies that continue to shape the American landscape.

Through the lens of Hood Design Studio’s cultural practice, and in collaboration with arts institutions, nonprofit organisations and local agencies, the work reveals stories embedded in place, stories of erasure, resilience and persistence. These layered narratives illuminate both the challenges and possibilities of America’s postcolonial landscape. The studio’s tripartite practice – community lifeways, the everyday and mundane, and commemoration – serves as a framework for uncovering lost community memories, physical palimpsests and practices, transforming them into new patterns and opportunities for ritual and development.

The event will conclude with a conversation between Walter J Hood @hooddesignstudio and Nana Biamah-Ofosu @biamah.ofosu

The publication ‘The African Ancestors Garden: History and Memory at the International African American Museum’ will be available to purchase following the talk.

Joy and Pain – Audacious Acts in Underdeveloped Landscapes: Walter J Hood
Tuesday 21 April, 6.30–8pm
AA Lecture Hall
Free to attend, register on Eventbrite (link in bio)

Photo by Toni Smailagic, courtesy Hood Design Studio

‘Coalescence’, the AA’s pop-up exhibition with Alcova Milan (@alcova.milan) opens next week as part of Milan Design Festival. Objects by AA alumni will be on display in the Lavanderia at the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Works on display include: a meter box reimagined as a walnut cabinet by Demi Oyeyinka (@demi_oyey), Moebius pendant in stainless steel by Umberto Bellardi Ricci (@butrome) and Assaf Kimmel (@assaf.kimmel)’s Archipelago Table.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

‘Coalescence’, the AA’s pop-up exhibition with Alcova Milan (@alcova.milan) opens next week as part of Milan Design Festival. Objects by AA alumni will be on display in the Lavanderia at the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Works on display include: a meter box reimagined as a walnut cabinet by Demi Oyeyinka (@demi_oyey), Moebius pendant in stainless steel by Umberto Bellardi Ricci (@butrome) and Assaf Kimmel (@assaf.kimmel)’s Archipelago Table.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

‘Coalescence’, the AA’s pop-up exhibition with Alcova Milan (@alcova.milan) opens next week as part of Milan Design Festival. Objects by AA alumni will be on display in the Lavanderia at the Centro Ospedaliero Militare di Baggio, a former military hospital complex.

Works on display include: a meter box reimagined as a walnut cabinet by Demi Oyeyinka (@demi_oyey), Moebius pendant in stainless steel by Umberto Bellardi Ricci (@butrome) and Assaf Kimmel (@assaf.kimmel)’s Archipelago Table.

Coalescence
20–26 April 2026, 11am–7pm (CEST)
Lavanderia Space L3 (Ground Floor), Centro Ospedaliero Militare, Via Giovanni Labus 10, 20147 Milan, Italy

A peek at setup of the @AADRL final jury earlier in Term 2. To explore more, visit our new website at aaschool.ac.uk