As part of the Pedestrian Space ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ and network in development, we are recording our conversations with incoming collaborators around the world, as well as students interested in pursuing academic internships related to the project.
As part of that, we met with Oliver Barnes, a student currently in the integrated MArch & MEng in Architecture and Engineering at the University of Leeds. His academic interests lie at the intersection of sustainability, bio-inspired design, urban resilience, and innovative approaches to the built environment. He is particularly fascinated by how cities can respond to challenges such as climate adaptation, rising temperatures, and planetary health through interdisciplinary design approaches.
Oliver notes during our chat, “Urban heat sits at the intersection of many issues that I’m personally interested in. Climate resilience, public health, urban design, material performance. I see my background in architecture and engineering as an intersection that can be applied to this. What attracts me to Pedestrian Space and their research into urban heat is that they look at these issues holistically rather than through a single disciplinary lens. And so, having this knowledge of different areas is something that’s really positive because that way you can communicate better, and through communication comes change.”
Oliver joins the ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ Network with an interest in the broader Sustainable Urbanism & Planetary Health initiative at Pedestrian Space as well.
View more about the Pedestrian Space ‘Global URBAN HEAT Media Lab’ project and network below.