Architecture - Design - Research
Focused on the points of convergence between space, politics and society.
Founder of Benjamin Wells Studio and Medium - a design and research collective based between London, Copenhagen and Rotterdam.
Architect at Caruso St John Architects. Previously with Adam Khan Architects and Carmody Groarke.
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Design
Master of Architecture from Political Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. The Agonistic City was awarded several international prizes (see below) and exhibited in Copenhagen, Tbilisi, Madrid, Venice and Chengdu. One of fifteen projects across Europe shortlisted for the Fundació Mies van der Rohe YTAA 2018.
Recent and ongoing projects include a large family home in Surrey, UK, a permanent pavilion in Tbilisi, a contribution to the Oslo Architecture Triennale and a brick installation for Roskilde festival in Denmark.
Architect at Caruso St John Architects in London. Previously held positions at Adam Khan Architects and Carmody Groarke - project architect for a Maggie’s Centre in Liverpool that received the Architects Journal Small Projects Award, two RIBA Awards and a Civic Trust Award.
BA (Hons) Architecture from the University of Sheffield with First Class Honours - awarded the Stephen Welsh Prize in Architecture and achieved the highest mark in over 10 years.
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Research
Published research projects include Innovation by Design - five texts written to accompany the Danish pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale (commissioned by curator Natalie Mossin and the Danish Architecture Centre). Research and architectural criticism published in PLAT Journal, Blueprint, MONU, DAC, Hammock, BRACKET, Transient Space Journal, Dezeen, Bauwelt, Arkitekten, Arcspace and Archdaily, amongst others.
Invited scholar with On Cities at the Norman Foster Foundation in Madrid, led by MIT City Science Group. Invited participant at the UN Innovation Lab UNLEASH in Singapore, with other 'talents' from across a range of disciplines and geographies. Designed and built an installation for the International Union of Architects World Congress in Seoul.
Regular critic at institutions including the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and Central Saint Martins in London.
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Awards
WAS Awards - First Prize. The Agonistic City
YTAA Award - Nominated and Shortlisted. The Agonistic City. Exhibited at the 2018 Venice Biennale
Creative Conscience - Jury Winner. The Agonistic City
World Architecture Awards - Jury Winner. The Agonistic City
Social Tectonics competition - 2nd Prize. Ishinomaki Port. Exhibited in Copenhagen and Tokyo
CHART 2018 - Honourable Mention. The Collaboratory
Architects Journal Small Project Award - First Prize (Maggie's Merseyside with Carmody Groarke)
RIBA Award - Regional and Small Project Award (Maggie's Merseyside with Carmody Groarke)
CHART 2016 - Finalist. Veneer of Solidity
Sir John Soane's Museum Monumentality competition - Shortlisted
The Stephen Welsh Prize in Architecture - (Sheffield University) York Cycle Station
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Events
Selected exhibitor - Oslo Architecture Triennale, with project Pre-emptive Transformation. November 2019.
Invited scholar - On Cities at the Norman Foster Foundation with Kent Larsen (MIT) and Norman Foster. Madrid, June 2018.
Invited International Partner - Tbilisi Architecture Biennial, ongoing research project and built installation.
Curator - seminar series on African Architecture and Design, exploring themes of informality, digital connectivity, fashion culture and sustainable consumption. KADK, Spring 2018
Lecture - lectured at the Copenhagen Architecture Festival on Common Forms, a method for designing ‘in common’, as well as a definition for design that activates common space.
Talks - presentations at the Copenhagen Architecture Festival, Danish Association of Architects, the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Sheffield University, the Union of International Architects World Congress in Seoul, UNLEASH at BLOXHUB.
Invited Talent - UN Innovation Lab, UNLEASH. Intensive 8 day innovation process, working towards solutions for more sustainable and inclusive cities. Singapore, June 2018.
Curator and moderator - exhibition and accompanying symposium in Tbilisi, Georgia. May 2017. Moderated panel discussion on the role of architecture and architects in Tbilisi.
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Features
KADK / interview with Dezeen / interview with ICON magazine / matter magazine / Tribune / Epiteszforum / Archdaily / StudArk / YTAA / ArchiStart / Design Tbilisi / Inspireli / Interview with Tbilisi Architecture Network / Interview with Hammock Magazine / World Architects / Future Architecture Platform
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Publications
PLAT 7.0 - Collectivity. Project and essay, The Agonistic City. Published autumn 2018
Innovation by Design. Anthology of 5 essays, commissioned by the curator of the Danish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2018. Published autumn 2018.
MONU - The Great Escape. Published April 2019.
Elemental Architecture review - Blueprint 362. January 2019
The Centre for Conscious Design 2018 Anthology. Autumn 2018.
An Architecture of Degrowth - arcspace.com. February 2018
Constructing Diversity - arcspace.com. April 2018
Powering our Common Future: Urbanism in the Commonwealth. May 2018
