Thinkspace
Thinkspace is a new lecture series organised by the Farrell Centre and SPACE Architects to mark 70 years of the practice. It asks how places acquire their character and who gets a say in what they become.
Encompassing the material and environmental through to the professional and cultural, the series broadens our understanding of place and considers how places can support positive change for the communities around them.
Overview
A place is more than a geographical area. It comes from the relationship between buildings, spaces, people, nature, history, memory and identity. The idea of place has been central to UK planning policy for decades, reflecting an ambition to create environments where people feel a sense of connection and belonging. Yet new development does not always achieve this, and existing places and communities can too easily be overlooked.
Thinkspace will bring together practitioners, thinkers and advocates with differing perspectives on how places are designed and experienced.
Carolyn Steel
Thursday 1 October
18.00–19.30
Sarah Wigglesworth
Thursday 15 October
18.00–19.30
Manijeh Verghese
Thursday 22 October
18.00–19.30
George Clarke
Thursday 26 November
18.00–19.30
Chris Williamson
Tuesday 8 December
18.00–19.30
Carolyn Steel
Sitopia: How food can save the world
A lecture by the leading thinker on food and cities as part of the Thinkspace series.
We live in a world shaped by food: a place I call ‘sitopia’ (from Gk. sitos, food + topos, place). Whether or not we see it, food’s influence is everywhere: in our bodies, habits, homes, cities, landscapes, economics, politics and climate. Yet by forgetting to value food, we have created a bad sitopia: climate change, deforestation, soil erosion, water depletion, pollution, mass extinction, pandemics and diet-related disease are just some of the ‘externalities’ of the way we now eat. Our lives are built on the illusion of cheap food, yet so such thing exists. Only by revaluing food and harnessing its power for good can we hope to thrive on our crowded, overheating planet. Although sitopia is not utopia, consciously reshaping our world through food is our most direct route to creating a healthier, fairer and more resilient future.
About the speaker
Carolyn Steel is a leading thinker on food and cities. Her award-winning books Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives (2008) and Sitopia: How Food Can Save the World (2020) have won international acclaim and her concept of ‘sitopia’ (food-place) has gained broad recognition across a range of fields in academia, design, industry and the arts. Since studying architecture at Cambridge University, Carolyn has run design studios and lectured at a number of universities including Cambridge, London Metropolitan, Wageningen and Slow Food (UNISG) in Pollenzo, as well as at the London School of Economics, where she was inaugural Studio Director of the Cities Programme. Carolyn is a non-executive director of Kilburn Nightingale Architects in London and a trustee of the Oxford Food Symposium. She is in worldwide demand as a speaker and her 2009 TEDGlobal talk has received more than one million views.
Photo: © Erroll Jones
Sarah Wigglesworth
A lecture by the leading architect and thinker as part of the Thinkspace series.
About the speaker
Sarah Wigglesworth was the founder and director of her London-based architectural practice from 1994-2024. Acknowledged as a pioneering influence in British Architecture, her practice worked in the public sector and focused on exploring ecological building types, for which it won many awards. For 20 years Sarah was Professor of Architecture at the University of Sheffield where she introduced the PhD by Design and led DWELL, a research project into older people’s housing and neighbourhoods. Sarah is a Director of Part W CIC, working for gender equity in the built environment. She has authored two books and many articles, and is currently writing a memoir.
Photo: © Jim Stephenson
Manijeh Verghese
A lecture as part of the Thinkspace series by the CEO of Open City.
About the speaker
Manijeh Verghese (she/ her) is the CEO of Open City. She is also one of the Mayor of London’s Design Advocates and an External Examiner at The Bartlett, UCL. She is on the Architecture Foundation’s Board of Trustees and The DisOrdinary Architecture Project’s advisory board. She has previously worked at the Architectural Association as Head of Public Engagement; taught design studios and workshops across the UK and internationally; and led curatorial projects including the 2021 British Pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale, and the South Asia Gallery at the Manchester Museum in partnership with the British Museum.
Photo: © Henry Hu
George Clarke
The renowned architect and broadcaster gives a talk as part of the Thinkspace series.
About the speaker
George Clarke is one of Britain’s most recognised architects and television presenters. Through his work on Channel 4 and beyond, he has championed thoughtful design, sustainable living, and the transformation of forgotten spaces into extraordinary homes.
Beyond television and architecture, George is committed to causes that shape society, from the environment and housing to education and youth opportunity. He is an ambassador for many organisations including the National Trust, Shelter, The Woodland Trust, The Foundation of Light. In 2025 he was appointed Chancellor of Northumbria University.
Chris Williamson
A lecture by the current president of the RIBA as part of the Thinkspace series.
About the speaker
Chris Williamson is President of the RIBA from 2025 to 2027. He formed Weston Williamson with Andrew Weston in 1985 after work in New York with Welton Becket and in London with Michael Hopkins. He holds an MSc in Project Management and also gained an MA in Urban Design in 199. He is a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
Photo: © Erroll Jones