AA in Habitation

Architectural Association launches AA in Habitation, a three-month residency within the Heal’s Building on London’s Tottenham Court Road. 

The Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture is proud to present AA in Habitation, a new residency within the former Habitat showrooms in the Heal’s Building on Tottenham Court Road, a short walk from the AA’s permanent home on nearby Bedford Square. The residency will operate as an event space which will play host to a series of dynamic exhibitions, juries, workshops and activities, realising an ambitious programme across two floors. AA in Habitation aims to showcase the academic work of students across all levels of the school and to share the broad cultural agenda of the AA comprised of talks, lectures, symposia and publications with a wider audience.

Until June 2022, AA in Habitation will present a continual programme of events and performances, many of which are open to the public by appointment. For a full and expanding listing of events taking place at AA in Habitation over the coming weeks, read more on the AA website.

Momentum of Light—an exhibition by Iwan Baan and Francis Kéré
Until Saturday, June 11, 2022, AA in Habitation will host Momentum of Light, an exhibition which explores the interplay between natural sunlight, vernacular architecture and everyday life in the West African nation of Burkina Faso. The show presents a series of images captured by Dutch photographer Iwan Baan during his travels with Burkinabè architect Francis Kéré through Burkina Faso in March 2020, during which they visited communal compounds in Gando and Pouni, the main mosque in Bobo-Dioulasso and the decorated houses of Tiébélé. Baan’s photographs capture the stark qualities of light in sub-Saharan Africa and how it passes through traditional Burkinabe building typologies, shaping daily routines and ways of life. The images collectively articulate a sensitive study of light, space, place and use whilst emphasising the complex and reciprocal relationships between people, architecture and environmental conditions. Presented as part of the AA in Habitation residency at Heal’s, Momentum of Light frames the importance of environment in our experience of space. Learning from the innovative forms and variety of textures across the structures and spaces in question, as well as the tectonic qualities of sunlight, this set of photographs encourages us to design light and its effects on space as part of the architectural experience. The exhibition is open to the public by appointment; read more and book here.

About the Heal’s building
The legendary Heal’s building was acquired by creative real estate developer General Projects and global investment firm KKR in 2021. With its rich heritage and iconic status, their focus is on preserving, restoring and reinventing the landmark building—breathing new life into the creative cornerstone of Tottenham Court Road. “The Architectural Association’s residency at Heal’s is a small but powerful example of how we want to rekindle this collection of buildings to make space for pioneering thinkers and businesses” said Ben Cross, General Projects. “Working in partnership with the AA is not only a gesture to afford them an opportunity to showcase their thought-provoking public programme, but it is also the first step in creating a more cultural and publicly accessible destination for everyone - right in the heart of London’s creative fabric.”

About the AA
The Architectural Association (AA) is the oldest independent school of architecture in the UK. The school was founded in 1847 as a student-centred collective that aspired to radically transform architectural education. Quite unlike any other institution operating today, the school offers a broad range of flexible, self-directed programmes, courses and curricula that empower students and staff to challenge the accepted methods within contemporary architectural education and professional practice. The school offers a Foundation Award in Architecture, a BA(Hons) and MArch (and AA Diploma) throughout its five-year course within the Experimental and Diploma Programmes, and nine Taught Postgraduate Programmes leading to MA, MSc, PG MArch, MFA and MPhil awards as well as the PhD Programme.

General contact information
Architectural Association School of Architecture
36 Bedford Square
London WC1B 3ES

For more information on Momentum of Light including press photographs, please contact: publicprogramme@aaschool.ac.uk

For more information on AA in Habitation, please contact communications@aaschool.ac.uk

The press release is available to download at this link.