Image of Dr Jonathan Orlek

Dr Jonathan Orlek

Liverpool School of Art and Design

Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies

I am an architectural researcher and practitioner, often working at the intersections of art, architecture, and ethnography. My research interests include artist-led organisations and spaces, critical spatial practice, embedded research methods, housing, and collective urban practices.

My edited book, Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces (2024) explores the role of artist-led organisations within the provision of housing. With a wide range of contributions—and expanding out of my embedded research and practice with East Street Arts—the book suggests future trajectories for living together creatively. It is an extension of a collaborative PhD between University of Huddersfield and East Street Arts (2021). Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces was accompanied by the exhibition No Going Back (2024, co-curated with Karen Watson) which investigated the role of art and artists in the city and civic practice, through the lens of East Street Arts’ archive. It is the most comprehensive exploration of East Street Arts’ archive to date.

I am currently a researcher on several interdisciplinary projects exploring care and high streets. This includes Caring—with Cities and Sonic Acts of Noticing.

I am a director of Studio Polpo, a social enterprise architecture collective based in Sheffield. With Studio Polpo I have undertaken several projects investigating high streets, shared living and social space. I was a designer for The High Street of Exchanges, an immersive installation for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, curated by Unscene Architecture. This project combined design and research to explore the future of the British High Street. I have also initiated experimental sleepover performances and undertaken co-housing design workshops. I have worked on commissions for The Hepworth (Wakefield), The Tetley (Leeds), Bloc Projects (Sheffield), and Mostyn Gallery (Llandudno), which playfully explore connections between art, architecture and participation.

Academic appointments

Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Liverpool John Moores University, 2023 - present
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Caring—with Cities Project, Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, 2021 - 2022
Lecturer in Architecture, Sheffield Hallam University, 2019 - 2023
Associate Lecturer for MA Urban Design, Sheffield School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, 2016 - 2019

Journal article

Orlek J, Burke S, McKinlay J, Sharples V, Thompson J. 2024. Becoming Part of the Architecture: Embedded Artistic Research Sluice Magazine, Vernacular :20-29 Publisher Url Public Url

Orlek J, McAndrew C, Cerulli C, Ferreri M, Cavada M, Ratcliffe E. 2023. For a relational understanding of care in critical urban action lo Squaderno, :43-48 Publisher Url Public Url

Klasto C, Orlek J. 2021. Open Letter as reparative interior: expanding, making, participating Idea Journal, 18 :223-236 Publisher Url Public Url

Quinn K, Orlek J, Cornish B. 2020. Writing Alone Together: Making Sense of Lockdown Through Hundreds The Sociological Review Magazine, DOI Publisher Url Public Url

Orlek J. 2020. Commoning Artist-led Housing Sluice Magazine, Publisher Url Public Url

Orlek J, Cerulli C, Parsons M. 2016. Prototyping Shared Living: Collective Residential Experiments BDC (Bollettino Del Centro Calza Bini), 16 :251-264 Publisher Url

Books (authored)

Orlek J, Cannon J, Rendell J, Watson K, Jefferis K, Lloyd-Wilson , Devlin J, Coombes L, Mary and Jiem , Sophie + Kerri , Liebig S, Connolly J, Upmeyer J, Cleary D, Holliss F, Mark L. 2024. Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces Orlek J. East Street Arts. United Kingdom 978-1-906470-18-0 Publisher Url

Report

Orlek J. 2023. Artist-Led Housing: Summary and Recommendations Report. Presented to Arts Council North Public Url

Ferreri M, McAndrew C, Cerulli C, Ratcliffe E, Cavada M, Orlek J. 2022. Caring—with Cities: Project Report Author Url

Chapters

Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2023. Sonic Acts of Noticing Mao Y, van Dijck N, Smith R. Forest, City, Body, Flow. Landscapes of Care DPR Barcelona Publisher Url

Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2023. Field Trip: Sonic Acts of Noticing x Landscape Lab Field Trip :12-12 Foundation Press 9781999953591 Publisher Url

Orlek J, Chan JJ, Wong S. 2022. When galleries aren’t just containers Bloc Projects , Chan JJ. Blowing Water, Critical Care Bloc Projects

Jones H, McKenna N, Delaney McNulty R, Nickols P, Orlek J, Wolfe B. 2021. Planning and Designing Decent Homes and Liveable Places for All in West Yorkshire Wilson A. AMPlify West Yorkshire: An Alternative Manifesto Process :9-12 Same Skies. Huddersfield

Bruno A, Aun de Azevedo Nascimento E, Milic P, Orlek J, Théréné M, Thielemans F, Tilman A, Van Ngoc H. 2018. Médecins du Monde Collective health Berger M, Moritz B, Carlier L, Ranzato M. Designing urban inclusion Université Catholique de Louvain/ Université Libre de Bruxelles

Orlek J. 2018. Between Utility and Uselessness Space, Place, Action . Huddersfield, Temporary Contemporary

Orlek J. 2017. Sharing the domestic through "residential performance" Cairns G, Artopoulos G, Day K. From Conflict to Inclusion in Housing: Interaction of Communities, Residents and Activists :180-198 UCL Press. London 978-1-78735-034-2 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url

Orlek J. 2017. An archaeology of a contemporary construction Gavin H, Kaasa A. Uncommon building Spirit Duplicator. London 978-0-907426-49-3

Internet publication

Orlek J, Udall J, Dobson J. 2022. High Streets Network Publisher Url

Orlek J, Jefferis K. 2022. Artist-Led Housing: Montez Press Radio Publisher Url

Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Acts of Noticing: Future Architecture Rooms Publisher Url

Orlek J, Baker R. 2021. Unreal Estates: 17.11.2021 Publisher Url

Orlek J. 2020. The Common Good (In a Time of Pandemic): Sluice Digital Encounters Publisher Url

Software/Code

Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Acts of Noticing Publisher Url

Conference publication

Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Environments AAD Sessions Publisher Url

Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2021. Landscapes of Care: Transdisciplinary Session Future Architecture Creative Exchange Publisher Url

Orlek J. 2020. "In House” Research: Reflections on Moving In and Out of Artist-led Housing What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About The Artist-Led Publisher Url

Orlek J. 2019. Artist talk Episode 1: Tomorrow is Our Permanent Address Publisher Url

Books (edited)

2018. Multivoices: A Script by Researchers Orlek J. Spirit Duplicator. London 9780907426349

High street exchange(s): essays, ideas and artworks on the future of the high street Orlek J, Udall J, Dobson J, Machin T. Sheffield Hallam University

Other

Orlek J. 2017. Degree show review: Sheffield School of Architecture Architects’ Journal,

Exhibition

Orlek J, Udall J, Machin T. The High Street of Exchanges, Studio Polpo: The Venice Architecture Biennale at Sheffield Hallam University Publisher Url

Orlek J, Cerulli C, Udall J, Wakeford Holder A, Parsons M. The High Street of Exchanges, British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 Publisher Url

Orlek J. Moving In and Out, or Staying in Bed, Convention House, East Street Arts, Leeds

Orlek J, Vodicka G. P.S. A Postscript Before Concluding, From Brooklyn Works to Brooklynism, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield Publisher Url

Orlek J, Cannon J. The Future of Artist-Led Housing Publisher Url

Orlek J, Watson K. No Going Back Publisher Url

Highlighted activities

External collaboration:

https://caringwith.city/, The British Academy; Beyond Inhabitation Lab, DiST Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Sheffield Hallam University; The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL; University of Surrey; Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University, Caring—with Cities Project: Dr Mara Ferreri (PI); Prof Cristina Cerulli; Dr Claire McAndrew; Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe; Dr Marianna Cavada. 2021

http://sonicactsofnoticing.org/, Sheffield Hallam University, Julia Udall and Alex De Little. 2020

Other Professional Activity:

Plant: Embedded Research Network. Plant is a network to support embedded research within art, architectural and civic organisations. We investigate the creative spaces, objects, and practices surrounding, and produced through, embedded research projects. https://plant-er.net/. 2021

Industrial connections:

Studio Polpo, Director, http://studiopolpo.com/.

Professional activities

Media Coverage:

Corridor8 - Review of No Going Back exhibition by Benjamin Barra 2024

Interviewed about my research on artist-led housing for ASSET ARREST podcast. Made by Laura Yuile in collaboration with The London Cultural Diversity Lab at City, University of London. The London Cultural Diversity Lab is one of five cross-Europe “laboratories” that form the Creative Impact Research Centre Europe (CIRCE). Throughout 2023, the five labs are exploring the multiple challenges and opportunities facing the European creative economy in the midst of an unfolding polycrisis. 2023

British Council, UK at the Venice Biennale, Explore the exhibition room ‘High Street of Exchanges’ by Studio Polpo 2021

e-flux Announcements: 21 Visions for Eco-social Renewal 2021

RIBA Journal, Studio Polpo Practice Profile: How Studio Polpo treats architecture as a community service 2021

Conference organisation:

Architectural Humanities Research Association: Situated Ecologies of Care, Session Lead, 'Sticking with the dance, caring over time', with Dr Claire McAndrew, Prof Cristina Cerulli, Dr Mara Ferreri, https://ahra2023.org/sticking-with-the-dance-caring-over-time/. 2023

Architectural Humanities Research Association PhD Symposium: Researching (in) the City: Embeddedness, Relations + Collaborations, Co-organiser. 2021

Multi-voices in Research: Co-Interpreting Art and Architecture, Organiser. 2017

Other invited event:

Politics and Design: Climate Action, Liverpool School Of Art & Design, Talk and panel discussion facilitated by Sana Iqbal and Pete Thomas exploring design’s power to influence political narratives towards a just green transition. Other speakers included: Steve Connor (Co-founder of Creative Concern), Jenny Porter (Visual Artist and Director for Metal Liverpool), Abdi Suleiman (Political Affairs Manager for Friends of the Earth), Scott Starrett (Founder and Principal of Tandem NYC). 2023

BINA Summer Film School: If These Walls Could Talk, House of the Press / Cultural Centre of Belgrade, Serbia, From 17 to 26 September 2021, BINA hosted a ten-day film school. As part of this year’s Future Architecture Platform program, collectively entitled “Landscapes of Care”, the BINA Summer Film School “If These Walls Could Talk”, was focused on the Press Centre building (1958) https://futurearchitecturerooms.org/film-architecture-bina-belgrade. 2021

DIY Cultures Summer School, Mansions of the Future, Lincoln, In August 2018, Mansions of the Future hosted the DIY Summer School, part of Kathrin Böhm’s Culture is a Verb commission, exploring ideas of commoning, co-working, co-making and co-using. The Summer School was co-curated and delivered / facilitated by Tom James, an artist and writer with a longstanding history of creating DIY projects that try to change the way people think about the structures, places and ideas around them https://mansionsofthefuture.org/events/diy-summer-school/. 2018

Conference presentation:

Libraries as architecture of mutuality, care and civic action, Architecture Librarians' Group (ARCLIB) Annual Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, Oral presentation. 2023

Entangled Acts: Caring—With the Situated Practitioner, EURA 2023 The European City: The practice of resilience in the face of an uncertain future, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Oral presentation. 2023

EASA Commons Workshop, EASA Commoning Workshop 2: Derelict Building Atlas, Sheffield, Workshop. 2022

Artist-Led Housing and Embedded Research, Lines of Flight Seminar, Sheffield School of Architecture (via zoom), Oral presentation. 2022

Studio Polpo, Radical Practice Symposium, Royal College of Art (online), Oral presentation. 2021

Panel Discussion with Future Architecture Platform Fellows, Driving the Human: 21 Visions for Eco-social Renewal, Radialsystem, Berlin, Panel Discussion. 2021

Artist-Led Housing, Live/ Work/ Where? New Models for Artists, Flax Arts Belfast (online), Oral presentation. 2021

Studio Polpo Housing and Artist-Led Housing, EASA England National Gathering, Foodhall, Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2020

Artists in residence: re-imagining spaces for artist-led practice in the city, CKC 2019: Rethinking, Resisting and Reimagining the Creative City Conference, Watershed, Bristol, Oral presentation. 2019

Architecture in Action, UMA 10 Year Anniversary Roundtable, Umeå School of Architecture, Sweden, Roundtable. 2019

How do gardens/green spaces contribute to well-being and making better city spaces?, Modern Nature: Symposium, The Hepworth Wakefield in partnership with the University of Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2019

Artist-Led Housing, Housing for Artists: Crisis Point or Vanity Project?, East Street Arts, Leeds, Oral presentation. 2018

New Public Design, Festival of the Mind: National Food Service, Foodhall, Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2018

Multivoices, British Association for Japanese Studies Conference 2018, University of Sheffield, Workshop. 2018

Multivoices for the Antiuniversity Now festival, Antiuniversity Now, Sheffield Print Club, Roundtable. 2018

Artist-Led Housing: Mapping the boundaries of Life and Work, ROTOR: Culture Community Creativity, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, Oral presentation. 2018

A Collaborative Excavation of an Artist Live/Work Project, Rethinking Research: Disrupting and Challenging Research Practices, Centre for Research Capability and Development at Coventry University, Poster presentation. 2018

A day on Resilience, a-n Assembly, East Street Arts, Leeds, Workshop. 2017

(Un)common Building: Collective Excavation of Fictional Structure, Writing Cities, Theatrum Mundi and the University of Sheffield, Roundtable. 2016

Bubbles, foam and co-fragilities: the philosophical and architectural possibilities of living together in a world of 10bn, Festival of 10 Billion, Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield, Panel Discussion. 2016

Developing a Critical Praxis: Inhabitation as Performance in the OPERA Project, Architectural Humanities Research Association: This Thing Called Theory, Leeds Beckett University, Oral presentation. 2015

Performing Home, Home and Art: Creating, Performing and Researching Home, Museum of the Home, London, Oral presentation. 2015

Residential Performance as Architectural Research, Housing—A Critical Perspective, Architecture_MPS, Liverpool University and Liverpool John Moores University, Oral presentation. 2015

External collaboration:

https://caringwith.city/, The British Academy; Beyond Inhabitation Lab, DiST Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Sheffield Hallam University; The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL; University of Surrey; Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University, Caring—with Cities Project: Dr Mara Ferreri (PI); Prof Cristina Cerulli; Dr Claire McAndrew; Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe; Dr Marianna Cavada. 2021

http://sonicactsofnoticing.org/, Sheffield Hallam University, Julia Udall and Alex De Little. 2020

https://highstreets.network/, Sheffield Hallam University, High Streets Research Network.

Fellowships:

Future Architecture Platform Fellowship, Future Architecture Platform. 2021

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, AdvanceHE.

Other Professional Activity:

Plant: Embedded Research Network. Plant is a network to support embedded research within art, architectural and civic organisations. We investigate the creative spaces, objects, and practices surrounding, and produced through, embedded research projects. https://plant-er.net/. 2021

Member, Architectural Humanities Research Association.

Industrial connections:

Studio Polpo, Director, http://studiopolpo.com/.

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