The Martin Centre Research Seminar Series

The Martin Centre Research Seminar Series is one of the longest running in the field with the current series being the 52nd annual series. The seminar series is hosted and supported by the Martin Centre for Architectural and Urban Studies; the research arm of the Department of Architecture.

The seminars are informal in format. It begins with a 45-minute talk from the invited speaker, followed by 15-minutes of questions and answers. The seminars are typically well-attended by both staff and students of the Department, as well as members from the wider University and Cambridge community. The seminars are video recorded and subject to the speaker’s approval may be released to either University members only or the general public.

Theme

The theme for the 52nd series is ‘Living/Building’. The building of architecture is often seen as a tectonic, material process - inanimate matter collected together to form fixed space. While 'life' might be seen as the contents of architecture, existing in and around it, the architecture itself can also be seen as 'alive'. Buildings breathe, consume, grow, shrink, decay, age, mature and undergo many other processes we associate with life.

Our goal for this seminar series is to draw together diverse voices from aesthetics, archaeology, heritage, material science, performance architecture and other disciplines to explore these ideas within our contemporary context of the climate emergency and the many other challenges we currently face as a society.

Michaelmas term convenors:

Natcha Ruamsanitwong nr468@cam .ac.uk
Sam Aitkenhead sa952@cam.ac.uk
Di Zhao dz332@cam.ac.uk
Charlotte Smith ces203@cam.ac.uk

Time and Location:

The Martin Centre Research Seminars are now operating in a hybrid mode.

The seminars take place in Scroope Terrace “Lecture Room 1” AND online via Zoom.

The seminar starts at 1.30pm UK time.

COVID-19 Precautions

Our venue, Lecture Room 1, has a reduced capacity of 35.
No food or drinks in the rooms
You are not obliged to wear face masks but it is very much encouraged
We will keep the doors/windows open throughout the event to ensure good ventilation to keep everyone safe. Please be advised to bring warm clothes. Extra layers are strongly advised as the room gets cold very quickly.

Key Dates:

27 October - Patrick Bellew - Anthills to Labyrinths
3 November - Michael Heinrich - Architectural Aesthetics, Psychology and Human Needs
10 November - Remi Hadad - The Neolithic refrain: Architecture and rhythms at the dawn of sedentism
17 November - Darshil Shah and Summer Islam - Science and practice-informed design with local plant-based materials
24 November - Shu Chang-Xue - The relations of things: A critic around architecture
2 December - Marc Koehler - TBC