PRAXIS is a feminist collective and a vertical teaching atelier in the BA3 and the M.Arch at the MSA. We explore and ask questions as to what feminist architecture, landscape architecture and urban design might be now and in the future. By using the lens of intersectional feminism, we challenge our students to explore inequalities and inequities in society and what that may mean for the built environment. We believe that it is important to have a broader, more inclusive understanding of how our identity affects our lives, projects, processes and work. And we want our atelier to be a way of exploring dialogues across the intersectional issues of, race, disability, religion/belief, gender identity, sexual identity, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and class.
Ultimately, PRAXIS is about creating socially equitable projects, which champion marginalised groups or individuals within society, both within the UK, internationally and even beyond.
For the year-long thesis project our MArch2 students use feminist tools as a way of constructing potential project briefs that always respond to the personal and the political. Each individual project explores inclusive understandings of how our identity affects our life and our work. By defining a project from a personal position (an experience or simply a passion) and placing it within a political context, project work often results in the re-definition of systems - a key tenant of feminism. The objective is to alter the existing system for the inclusion of others and primarily create equity for others. The project subjects are vast in their range and inspire the teaching team year in and year out.
It has been important for the students to explore feminist technologies this year by discussing technologies which are collaborative, are gender equitable, or driven by need rather than just technological advances.
Praxis asks our students frequently:
- What kind of Feminist Architect do you want to be?
- How do you want to practice, not where and not for who?
- And what form of practice that might be?
Please check our work out on Instagram @msa.praxis
