Two week building project for architecture students

Since 2008, Roland Karthaus has been teaching architecture at the University of East London. Each year he guides, new postgraduate students to work in groups for 2 weeks to design, present and build temporary, meanwhile or permanent structures for real clients on tight budgets.

The projects require ingenuity, professionalism, improvisation and the ability to work under pressure in groups The results are always surprising and inspiring and the process is valuable and rewarding. In most cases, students quickly learn that materials don’t always perform as they anticipate and so the projects usually involve intense design iteration to achieve the client brief.

UEL live projects has delivered more than a hundred buildings for a range of clients, including local authorities, community groups, charities and schools. Projects range from ‘pop-up’ installations with a lifespan of less than 24 hours, through meanwhile projects designed for about 5 years, through to sculptural concrete landscape pieces that will outlast most buildings.

Partners: Newham Council, Clapham Manor Primary School, The Limes community project, Architects E17, St James St Big Local, Waltham Forest Council, Greenleaf Primary School, The Soul Project, Article 25