Mr Austin Williams
Contact
- Email: austin.williams@kingston.ac.uk
- Location: Kingston School of Art, Knights Park
- Faculty: Kingston School of Art
- School: School of Arts
- Department: Department of Architecture and Landscape
About
Austin Rhys Williams is course leader/senior lecturer, PG Dip Professional Practice in Architecture at Kingston School of Art; and honorary research fellow at XJTLU University in China.
I am the director of the Future Cities Project, and have written for a range of publications; from the Times Literary Supplement to Top Gear; from the London Property Review to The Economist. I have recently published "Five Critical Essays on Architectural Education".
My latest books are "China's Urban Revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities" (Bloomsbury, 2017) and "New Chinese Architecture: Twenty Women Building the Future" (Thames & Hudson, 2019). My previous books include: "Enemies of Progress", "The Future of Community" and "The Lure of the City". I co-founded the mantownhuman manifesto (featured in Penguin Classics "100 Artists' Manifestos") and I run the Bookshop Barnies (interviews with contemporary non-fiction authors) as well as hosting the Professional Practice Podcasts.
Academic responsibilities
Course Leader
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons)
- Dip Arch
- RIBA Part III
- Member, Association of Professional Studies Advisers
- Honorary Research Fellow, XJTLU university, Suzhou, China
- Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Gallery of work
Professional Practice Podcasts
Professional Practice Podcasts are a series of interviews with leading expert commentators on Architecture and the practice of Architecture, hosted by Austin Williams
New Chinese Architecture: Twenty Women Building the Future (Thames and Hudson, 2019)
celebration of 20 of China s latest generation features detailed profiles of each architect, exploring their routes to success, their inspirations and the challenges posed for those working and designing in this richly diverse and rapidly evolving region. Each profile is followed by a selection of recent works, including everything from small-scale conceptual plans to country houses, schools, offices and large-scale city development projects.
China's Urban Revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities (Bloomsbury, 2017)
"Journalist, scholar, and travel writer, Williams tells a fascinating story about China's pursuit of economic growth and environmental protection, urbanization schemes and new socialist countryside initiatives, urban modernization programs and rural heritage policies, which can only be described as contradictory, incongruous, and conflicting yet daunting in their nature, driven by high-minded seriousness, a pragmatic spirit, and unalloyed ambition", Sustainability: the Journal of Record
Style: In defence of...
Georg Lukacs described the style of a piece of work as the attempt to reproduce one's view of the world within it. Looked at in this way style ceases to be a formalistic category but rather, "it is the specific form of a specific content." This series is about the content and context of style.
The Lure of the City: From Slums to Suburbs, (Pluto, 2014)
"This book opens a debate as it allows the readers to reconsider their own prejudices and preferences". Will Alsop, OBE, architect. "Timely, lucid and provocative". Tim Marlow. "Williams, an outspoken and unorthodox academic. (This book) makes for a provocative and very readable book on a subject more usually written about in the grim language of sociologists, technocrats and non-governmental organisations". Edwin Heathcote, Financial Times
The Future of Community: Reports of a Death Greatly Exaggerated (Pluto, 2008)
"The Future of Community is a much-needed challenge to the complacent and flabby orthodoxies currently dominating the debate. It asks all the right questions: What are communities? What's so great about them? How do they really thrive? What are the unintended consequences of well-intentioned but misguided attempts to bind society more closely? By asking these questions and often suggesting compelling answers, this book will lift the communities debate to another level", Julian Baggini
The Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainability (Societas, 2008)
"A much needed diagnosis of the bleak anti-human pathology sometimes described as environmentalism", Dominic Lawson, The Independent. "Austin Williams has a gift for lobbing well-directed grenades", Philippe Legrain, author 'Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them',
mantownhuman: manifesto towards a new humanism
Launched on the 70th anniversary of Andre Breton and Leon Trotsky's ‘Manifesto: Towards a Free Revolutionary Art' this manifesto takes inspiration from the radical, avant-gardism of the past, but has a clear eye focussed firmly on the future. It is will no doubt irritate, challenge and polarise opinion and is intended to draw out anyone with a sense of anger at the state of contemporary architecture. In an era of uncritical non-debate, we urge you to form your own opinion on the state of architecture today and its remedy. "This manifesto is the big reminder not to be scared of being scared or being scary… I loved reading it." Thomas Heatherwick
Letters on Liberty: Greens, the new neo-colonialists
The contemporary environmentalist obsession with reducing or halting development is a bigger threat to society than climate change. As humanists, he says, we need to reformulate the idea that all meaningful production requires the appropriation of nature. A Green desire to clamp down on production, population and any human impact on the planet is a middle-class political fantasy that keeps the poorest in developing nations poor. Holding down people's aspirations for economic, social and national autonomy is the hallmark of modern day, sustainable, neo-colonialism.
Style: In defence of...
Georg Lukacs described the style of a piece of work as the attempt to reproduce one's view of the world within it. Looked at in this way style ceases to be a formalistic category but rather, "it is the specific form of a specific content." This series is about the content and context of style.
Five Critical Essays on Architectural Education
This pamphlet is a critical intervention into architectural education. Specifically referencing the uk, its critique is applicable more broadly. It is the first salvo in what we hope will be an open and challenging conversation.
Videos of my work
Bookshop Barnie with Laura Dodsworth
Laura Dodsworth best-selling exploration of the pandemic is primarily a book about fear. Fear of a virus. Fear of death. Fear of losing our jobs, our democracy, our human connections, our health and our minds.
Bookshop Barnie with Laura Dodsworth
Laura Dodsworth best-selling exploration of the pandemic is primarily a book about fear. Fear of a virus. Fear of death. Fear of losing our jobs, our democracy, our human connections, our health and our minds.
BOOKSHOP BARNIE with Paul Embery
Paul Embery discusses his book
Bookshop Barnie with Michael Shellenberger
The National Review says that
Bookshop Barnie with Joel Kotkin
Joel Kotkin, interviewed from California, argues that a new, more hierarchical society is emerging: one that resembles that of Medieval times.
Bookshop Barnie with Tom Heap
Tom Heap is the presenter of BBC Radio 4's 'Costing the Earth, which claims to be a roadmap to global action on climate chang
Bookshop Barnie with Xing Ruan
This book takes a sideways look at the politics, culture and history of China and explore the similarities and differences between the
Bookshop Barnie with Robert Tombs
In this short book, Tombs shows that the decision to leave the EU is historically explicable - though not made historically inevitable - by Britain's very different historical experience, especially in the twentieth century, and because of our more extensive and deeper ties outside Europe.
The City After Lockdown
Cities are gradually coming back to life after the pandemic, with more people returning to work, commercial premises opening up, and parks and urban spaces becoming lively again. But will it ever be the same as before?
Edge Town/Che Feng
Shortlisted for the 'People on the Move Award' this research documentary explores the urban fringe of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, China.
Kingston School of Art Part 3 Professional Practice
Kingston School of Art's Part 3 course welcomes applicants...