Bartlett Alumni Release Latest Annual Issue of Urbanogram

Urbanogram Journal of the Built Environment, a project initiated by a cohort of seven alumni from The Bartlett School of Architecture, has published its latest edition, focusing on the theme of 'Dis-Ruptive Horizons'. This topic highlights the ongoing disruptions in urban environments caused by the collective activities of human development that are altering the earth’s equilibrium, resulting in an environmental crisis and other associated phenomena such as rapid migration, violent conflicts, resource scarcity and biodiversity loss.

The journal, which brings together architectural theorists and architects worldwide, routinely publishes articles about historic urban environments in contemporary contexts. In this issue, eleven articles from young architectural designers, theorists and artists from diverse cultural backgrounds present unique insights into the disruptive march of human development in urban environments across the globe.

'Dis-Ruptive Horizons' focuses on four key areas directly related to our anthropogenic condition: Trauma, Infrastructure, Technology and Housing. These articles delve into how conflicting and disruptive forces manifest in the built environment and how they have shaped our material and immaterial world in the past and present — as well as their potential impact in the future.

The ambition of this issue is to highlight a pluralistic approach to the anthropogenic condition that we all are part of. At a time when it is critical to conceptualise new, inclusive, brave, nonconformist and indeed ‘disruptive horizons’, the writers, architects and architectural theorists of this issue are meeting these new challenges with an open mindset and a creative approach.

First published in 2021, Urbanogram has always aimed to explore the tension between urbanism and an increasingly globalised world, where cities and urban landscapes epitomise cultural diversity in countless ways. This edition continues that tradition, assembling academic texts and creative works by authors rooted in their cultures and interested in a comprehensive perspective on their respective everyday urban environments.

The editorial team is comprised of nine alumni: Cassandra Osterman, Fanny Ciufo, Lavenya Parthasarathy, Lei Jiao, Longhua Gu, Neha Fatima, Sophie Schrattenecker and Kleovoulos Aristarchou, who all studied Architecture & Historic Urban Environments MA, and Stefan Gruber who studied Architectural History MA.

““Human action has always been driven by a strong power of imagination. While this ingenuity has led to countless masterpieces it has also unfortunately led to some unforeseen disruptive consequences. This duality of power that human impact possesses puts forward an imperative question: Where do we place the fine line between imagination and insolence within this field of tension on the horizon?” 

– Editorial team, extract from Issue 3

More information

• Read the latest edition at Urbanogram's website
• Visit Urbanogram’s Issuu page
• Visit Urbanogram's website
• Visit Urbanogram's Instagram page

Image: Cover image of Urbanogram Issue 3, 'Dis-Ruptive Horizons'