Students from Westminster’s School of Architecture and Cities have worked with Places for London - the TfL Property Company and muf architecture/art LLP to help design a new public space outside Baker Street Underground station, an area that users of the University’s Marylebone Campus pass through daily.
As part of the vision, around 20 students participated in a two-week workshop with architect company muf architecture/art LLP to generate fresh ideas to transform the public space and better meet local needs. The workshops explored how to unlock the full potential of the area and ensure it serves both the community and commuters effectively.
The project brought together students from a range disciplines taught in the School of Architecture and Cities, including undergraduate students studying Architecture BA Honours, Interior Architecture BA Honours, Architecture and Environmental Design BSc Honours, and Urban Planning and Design BA Honours courses, as well as postgraduate students from the University’s Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA pt II), Urban Design MA and Transport Planning MSc programmes.
The Westminster team were divided into four cross-disciplinary groups: Green and Blue, Culture, Play and Multigenerational Users. For the first session each team mapped the site and explored various factors such as who uses it, where they are going, where they came from and the ecological conditions. In the next stage, they constructed their visions for the space using collage models and photography to bring their ideas to life.
Carla Canestro, final-year Interior Architecture BA Honours student, said: “I have really enjoyed working with Muf and one of the most helpful things I have learned through their workshops is a quick modelling technique that allows you to ‘stage’ a space using cheap, simple materials. This way of model-making allows you to quickly create visualisations of what a space might feel like which is a very powerful design tool.”
Dilay Bakici, second-year Architecture BA Honours student, added: “It was an invaluable experience to collaborate with both professionals and fellow students, contributing to the transformation of a familiar space into a more functional and engaging environment. Working across disciplines provided valuable insight into the interdisciplinary nature of the field, particularly in understanding how different specialisations intersect and inform one another in practice.”
Daniel Quinton-Navarro from Places for London said: “This is an opportunity to inform their designs for a new gateway to Marylebone by transforming the public realm outside Baker Street. Places for London has a history for engaging young people to inform their designs, but this is one of the first times it has happened for an existing asset and the quality of the ideas has been brilliant from such an array of students.”
Katherine Clarke from muf architecture/art LLP added: “As stakeholders with an everyday intimate knowledge of the complexity of how the site is shared between multiple constituents, each group brought both the expertise of their discipline and a design ambition borne out of lived experience. Ideas were collectively and boldly resolved in provocative and visually captivating concept designs.”
As the project continues, the Westminster students will soon host a workshop with St Marylebone CE School to gather further local insights.
Dr Ro Spankie, Assistant Head of the School of Architecture and Cities, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our students to be part of the design team developing the public realm around Baker Street, and for the students to work in cross-disciplinary groups - architects, interiors, planners and transport specialists each bringing their own skills to the table.
“A special thank you to Sarah Ackland and Katherine Clarke from muf architecture/art LLP for expertly guiding the sessions.”
This initiative directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about the School of Architecture and Cities at the University of Westminster.
