Royal College of Art
Site Navigation
Designer lamps on ceiling
wd1 wd2 wd3 wd4

click to view image

Work & City Research Lab

How can designers make living and working in our cities more inclusive and sustainable?

The Work & City Research Lab investigates changing patterns of working and urban life at a number of scales - from the architectural master plan to the human interaction with spaces and systems. We are focused less on designing artefacts and place-making than on developing practical tools and frameworks that help us understand the changing city and the workplaces within it.

Current research questions

  • How can the city be more inclusive of the needs of all its citizens, including older and low-income communities, and how can investment in city infrastructure (such as lighting) be more evenly distributed?
  • How can physical workplaces exploit digital advances in technology to stimulate innovation and be more adaptable to human need?
  • How can communities be connected in new ways via digital public space and other interactive media opportunities?
  • How can urban workspaces and public spaces become more sustainable?
  • The city as office and the office as city: what are the current developments in urban wealth creation?