Lahbib El Moumni, ETH Zürich

Re-Writing History

Sharing Silent Archives

Marco Veneri, Kingston School of Art

Curating Urban Futures

Urban Farming and Meanwhile Tactics in the Context of Urban Regeneration Strategies

Lahbib El Moumni graduated in 2014 from Ecole d’Architecture Casablanca (EAC); he then worked at OMA-Rem Koolhaas before getting back to his hometown to open his practice and teach at EAC. His interest in Modern Moroccan architecture started when he co-founded MAMMA (Mémoire des Architectes Moderns Marocains) in 2016, an association that highlights the modern heritage of Morocco between 1950 and 1980. He joined the Institute for History and Theory of Architecture at ETH Zürich in 2022 to start his research project on the postcolonial urban design of Africa between 1956 and 1975.

Lahbib’s doctoral research project “Building the Afropolis: Urban design as worldmaking in postcolonial Morocco and Senegal” focuses on trajectories of urban design in both countries. African independent nations delved into a revolutionary project of nation-building that can only be possible through worldmaking. In this context, this research project explores how independent Morocco and Senegal used urban design in their worldmaking project by tackling, on the one hand, pressing issues such as the need for infrastructure, facilities, and housing and, on the other hand, by educating local expertise in different fields.

Marco Veneri obtained his postgraduate master's degree from the Housing and Urbanism programme at the Architectural Association (2018) and has worked in Rome and London after his degree in building engineering and architecture at Rome's University of Tor Vergata (2015). In London he worked at S333 Architecture and Urbanism and as a site-based architect and design coordinator. Marco has been teaching communication and experimentation in landscape design at Greenwich University and at the Architectural Association. He is the co-founder of OFF-POF where his research and practice focus on urban transformations through participatory action, curatorial projects and inclusive & ecological approaches to urban and landscape design, and planning.

Marco’s doctoral project uses scenario planning and participatory action research methodologies to examine the challenges and opportunities of ‘meanwhile scenarios' in urban redevelopment projects. Drawing on London based case studies and participatory research in Madrid Nuevo Norte (MNN), supported by the CDA partner Distrito Castellana Norte (DCN), he investigates urban farming as a participatory research methodology and means of exploring four main themes: (1) Time as a strategic dimension in designing public spaces, (2) Combining temporary interventions and tactical urbanism with long-term strategic approaches, (3) The interplay of societal actors over extended intervals of "meanwhile" scenarios, (4) Stimulating social engagement and sustainable culture of participation.