Place, Culture and Identity
Group Leader(s): Professor Aylin Orbasli
Contact: aorbasli@brookes.ac.uk
About us
Space and architecture are shaped by the culture and the identities of communities as much as those communities are shaped by their perception and use of space and architecture.
Members of the group investigate this dynamic dialectical relationship from different disciplinary perspectives, including (interior) architecture, anthropology, urban conservation and history.
Focusing on different types and notions of place in various parts of the world and contexts, the aim of the Place, Culture and Identity group is to contribute to a better theoretical understanding of both the nature of the process of place-making and the way it relates to aspects of culture, identity, aesthetics, memory, tradition, representation and architectural practice. While focused on theory, much of this research is grounded in practice and the communities that it serves.
Part of
Related courses
- Architecture (MPhil / PhD / PhD by Practice / PhD by Published Work / Research Degree involving Creative Work)
- Digital Craft in Architecture (MA)
Research impact
The research of the group makes a significant academic impact in a range of fields and disciplines, including architecture, vernacular architecture studies, urban conservation and regeneration, heritage studies, conservation and adaptive re-uses, architectural and urban history, biodiversity and food production within the built environment. Group members are actively engaged in the dissemination of their research outcomes to wider audiences via exhibitions, social media platforms and open access databases. Some research is specifically embedded in communities of interest through processes of engagement, empowerment, co-creation and knowledge transfer.
Leadership
Professor Aylin Orbasli
Professor of Architectural and Urban Heritage
Projects
Research and projects in the field of anthropology of architecture set out to provide an understanding of the social and cultural importance of architecture, as well as of the characteristics of an anthropological approach to its study. Special emphasis is placed on the study of vernacular architecture around the world.
Research being undertaken under this theme investigates the relationship between people and places from a variety of historical perspectives, focusing on the work of individual scholars as well as particular places and time periods, and their influences on theory.
Research being undertaken in the urban conservation and regeneration field includes a range of projects on the conservation, adaptation, regeneration and management of the historic built environment in its multiple forms and communities. This theme also takes a more in-depth look at biodiversity and food production within the built environment, particularly from a physical and mental well-being perspective.
Research in this area covers investigations into the various cultures of architecture and its attendant spaces. These range from investigations into public infrastructure (with a focus on courthouses as a particular case study), as well the cultural spaces of the education and practice of architects.
