Elantha Evans


Following my graduation from Bath University, as a young architect I mainly worked with Richard Rogers Partnership (most notably on Madrid-Barajas Airport) with Tim Ronalds Architects (on Hackney Empire Theatre) and with Evans & Shalev Architects (on a range of projects). These experiences reinforced the importance of nurturing a clear design ethic and intention, whilst holding the overall vision strong and following it through in the detail and making. My belief in pursuing a rich, non-specialised approach to architecture practice continued in my role as one of the founding partners of Serrano Evans Partnership, where our work included architecture, interior and object design. We balanced large scale architectural concept design with furniture making and site-specific performances and installations.


As an architect, educator and PhD candidate, my ongoing research makes connections between design processes, pedagogical practices, and learning environments. I am committed to applying rigorous but experimental and exploratory, participatory, action-oriented research methods rooted in strong theoretical understandings whilst grounded in lived experiences. ‘Architecture, Education and the Empathic Imagination’ is the working title of my PhD and is a descriptive umbrella which also covers two recent ‘students-as-co-creator’ projects; ‘Imaginative Empathy: towards inclusive pedagogies’ and ‘Architecture Design Studios: re-framing with the empathic imagination in mind’. 

http://blogstage.westminster.ac.uk/inclusion/imaginative-empathy/

http://blogstage.westminster.ac.uk/inclusion/empathic-imagination-reframing-the-design-studio/

My recent book ‘Dialogues & Dreams: DS(2)01 2015-18’ was published in 2020 and reflects upon the work of DS(2)01, a second-year undergraduate studio in the BA Architecture (Hons). I believe that publishing a ‘studio-as-book’ from a non-degree-awarding year is significant in declaring and demonstrating that much can be gained in the interstitial year between arrival and graduation.

2020 - BOOK ‘Dialogues & Dreams: DS(2)01 2015-18

Evans, E. Evans, E. (ed.) 2020. Dialogues & Dreams: DS(2)01 2015-18. London Lightning Source http://www.studioasbook.org/portfolio/ds201-dialogues-and-dreams/


  • Architectural Humanities

In brief

Research areas

architecture, education, inclusion, empathic imagination

Skills / expertise

architecture design studios, course structures, participatory action research