Mrs Maria Kramer
Maria Kramer graduated from the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL in 1999 in addition to obtaining a masters there in 2011. Previously she has studied architecture at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and art at UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara).
Maria worked for Coop Himmelb(l)au and Hopkins&Partners before co-managing the architecture office Leit-werk ltd as a partner and director for more than ten years, after which she set up her own studio Room 102 ltd in 2011. Maria was project architect and manager for a number of competition-winning projects, including the redevelopment of St John’s Square in Blackpool, the airport developments at Bangalore and Gaza International Airport and a public art sculpture in the city centre of Didcot. She has been selected to the Open 100 of Artangel, for the proposal ‘My home is not my castle’, laying open for public scrutiny the dire compromises of new suburban housing in the UK, coining the term ‘ruins of the newly built’.
Maria has given upskilling seminars to local councils and their regeneration teams financed by the GLA with regards to the process of briefing, designing and constructing building projects based on RIBA work stages. This included understanding risks and opportunities of different building contracts holistically as well as their pros and cons and basics for tendering and managing quality control throughout the project stages.
Maria is researching various approaches to community housing and hubs and focuses on bridging the gap between research and practice, via co-creation and integrating high and low technology.
Championing the research value of Live Design Projects as a way of engagement, exploring change and promoting immersive and new ways to generate knowledge.
Live projects provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between spatial, political, financial and social factors in connection with our lived urban experience. Our innovative approach uses Live Design Projects as a way to understand issues and ask questions. Reaching outside the academic environment widens access beyond the usual boundaries and encourages broad knowledge exchange. Through investigating and developing spatial, social and economic processes, around the principles of accessibility, usership and localism, we are enhancing cooperative and economic sustainability.
Maria is focusing on developing innovative sustainable manufacturing methods based on modular systems and how these can be applied within active community and enterprise hubs.
How can creative consultation influence the design process exploration of new approaches, with comparative analysis.; social value assessment in relation to current practice; Partnering with councils, industry, CIC and a wide range of stakeholders for professional knowledge exchange and wider applied research;
Assessment of integrative, re-deployable systems including as part of meanwhile projects; testing and evaluating new ways of collaborative working with stakeholders;