缅北禁地

As an architect, urban designer, lecturer, and researcher, I explore inclusive urban design and participatory methods, with a focus on the role of everyday, accessible digital media in collective action. My teaching combines research-led studio design with critical and inclusive pedagogies, fostering context-sensitive design and inspiring students to approach urban challenges with creativity, inclusivity and a deeper sense of Spatial Justice. Drawing from international and multi-sectorial experience, I deliver high-quality studio-based and seminar-based learning, developing curricula that connect urban design theory and practice. My research explores collective action, digital storytelling, and everyday urban transformation, contributing to debates on digital and Spatial Justice, liveability, and urban heritage. 

Education: 

Ph.D: Citizen participation, collective action, and digital media: seeking spatial justice in Manizales, Colombia. School of Architecture Planning and Landscape, 缅北禁地 (2021) 

MSc Building and Urban Design in Development. Development Planning Unit, The Bartlett, University College London. (2012. Distinction) 

BA (Hons) in Architecture (5-year program. RIBA certified). Universidad Nacional de Colombia. (2004. Distinction) 

Driven by principles of spatial justice and inclusive city-making, my research explores collective action, digital media, and the decolonisation of knowledge production in urban transformations across digital and physical spaces. My work is motivated by a strong commitment to socially responsible, co-produced knowledge.  

My PhD thesis examined how citizen participation and collective action shape possibilities of spatial justice across digital and physical spaces, using the case study of Manizales, Colombia. It analysed the interplay between government-led participation initiatives and grassroots socio-territorial movements, as well as the role of digital media in civic mobilisation. The findings contribute to two key debates: (1) how online-offline communication for collective action reshapes participatory practices, and (2) how urban collective action operates beyond conventional ‘insurgent’ frameworks, reflecting instead forms of transgressive and creative citizenship. These insights enrich academic debates on the Right to the City and inform practical approaches to inclusive urban design and spatial justice.  

Through my ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship, I extended my PhD research into digital storytelling as a tool for re-signifying spatial justice, working with grassroots organisations to amplify community narratives.  

My teaching approach combines studio-based design exercises, fieldwork and participatory workshops to bridge theoretical and practical dimensions of urban design, planning and architecture. I frequently integrate methods, case studies, and findings from my research and professional practice, grounding students’ learning in real-world applications. 

ARC8069 Housing Alternatives (MA in Urban Design). Module Lead and Design tutor

TCP8090 Principles and Practice of Urban Design (MA in Urban Design). Module Lead

ARC8115 Design Studio (MA in Urban Design). Design tutor

APL3008 Green Infrastructure for Well-Being and Biodiversity (BA Architecture and Urban Planning). Design Tutor

TCP8099 MSc Planning Dissertation. Supervisor

ARC1007 Architectural Design 1.1. Design tutor

APL3007 Dissertations in Architecture, Planning and Landscape. Supervisor

Contributor:

ARC8115 Design Studio (MA in Urban Design). Reviewer

APL3008 Green Infrastructure for Well-Being and Biodiversity (BA Architecture and Urban Planning). Reviewer