Urbis Interview: Ravensbourne's Architecture and IDEAs lookbook URBIS 2016 GRADUATE BOOK | Page 4

Preface
Urbis Inter view
I am often asked what is our
ethos, as design schools
these days seem not to have
an ethos. They often have a
mission though, but that’s a
very different thing.
Ethos, the first of Aristotles
“means of persuasion” is an
appeal to ethics, and it is a
means of convincing someone
of the character or credibility of
the persuader.
For the majority of the worlds
inhabitants ethos is a luxury, a
not even hoped for mediator in
the creation of inhabited space,
as constructed or adapted
environments, to them, this
is a necessity for living and
thriving,a human right.
Article 25. of the UN
declaration of human rights
(1) Everyone has the right to
a standard of living adequate
for the health and well-being
of himself and of his family,
including food, clothing,
housing and medical care and
necessary social services, and
the right to security in the event
of unemployment, sickness,
disability, widowhood, old age
or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his
control.
(2) Education shall be directed
to the full development of the
human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for
human rights and fundamental
freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and
friendship among all nations,

2

racial or religious groups, and
shall further the activities of
the United Nations for the
maintenance of peace.
An ethos underpins process,
aims, and the nature of how
possibilities are seen or
envisaged, the journey, the end
goal, so - the characteristic
spirit of a culture, era, or
community as manifested in
its beliefs and aspirations.
We believe that the design
and creation of environments
is of benefit to society as a
fundamental act, skill and
endeavour.
Our spirit embraces polyculture
as being of tangible benefit
to society. We aspire to
understand the ways in which
the world functions and will
function as well as the reasons
it presents itself in the manner
that it does.
We will strive to leverage
opportunity, resilience and
choice in the real world through
a series of experiments, as
that is all that they can be, in
what we believe is a laboratory
of ideas. The vehicles used
to achieve this is through
what might philosophically
be called Logos, not the type
worn on ones clothing but the
last of Aristotles “means of
persuasion” an appeal to logic,
and is a way of persuading an
audience by reason.
We design interiors and
architecture that serves a
purpose and with industry
define new prototypes for
the commercial world and
new solutions to the problems
of social interaction and
accommodation.
We investigate need, by

considering that which
exists and in what contexts.
We facilitate a laboratory
of questions about the
inhabited world and its future
manifestation. We use a wide
range of research techniques
to chart the nature of cultural
change, the imperatives of
commerce and the need for
community and social benefit.
This year has been filled
with travel, investigation, live
projects and the development
of new courses at both MA
and BA level. Uniquely we
have worked together on the
co-creation and redefining
of the degrees, which has
brought industry and student
colleagues together, to
exchange views on the future
of these discipline, whilst the
nomadic studio has brought a
closer collaboration between
year groups and a tangible
wish to experiment with the
prototypes and uses to which
we put existing and proposed
built form.
A stimulating range of
competitions have been used
to add weft to the warp of the
courses direction and a focus
for the work here which last
year saw graduates working on
3 continents, all eager to make
a difference.
None of this can be achieved
without Pathos the last of the
Aristotelian trio, the activation
of emotion, whether it be
that need to inspire, seek a
new path for oneself, to help
others, to dazzle and shock, to
prove a point, or in the simple
aspiration to contributing to
making the world a better
place.
Layton Reid
- Associate Dean