With thousands of us either working from home, studying from home or simply just bored out of our skulls waiting for all this uncertainty to end, we here at INVOLVED Magazine have composed a list of free podcasts, online lectures, apps and design-related resources for you to utilise during these trying times.
Free and live online lectures, interviews and building tours by The Architecture Foundation 100 Day Studio.
The Architecture Foundation has launched an exciting free online lecture series including live interviews, building tours, panel discussions and quizzes. ‘The 100 Day Studio is a new initiative devised by the Architecture Foundation that adapts their model to our current health crisis’. Head over to the website or visit their Instagram to keep up with the daily doses of intellectual conversations.
Peer Reviews with the London Schools Architecture Collective’s (LSAC) homepage.Part 1 and Part 2 online peer reviews.
Studying at home can be difficult, especially when you can not discuss your work with your peers and tutors face-to-face, so London Schools Architecture Collective (LSAC) has launched a cross-school online peer-review scheme which allows part 1s and part 2s to gain feedback and reviews from other students across London. Reviews take place through video calls and a member of LSAC will present digitally too. If you are struggling with your design projects, click the link.
Academic student support with The Virtual Unit.
The Virtual Unit offers support to students during self-isolation. Each week a group of architects and tutors offer advice through zoom meetings ranging from portfolio preparation, looking for jobs to getting the best out of your design submissions. All you need to do is head over to @mark_itecture‘s twitter for weekly posts and information.
Free online courses at the Open University.
The Open University has made several of their courses free for everyone, from exploring the art of Renaissance Venice to studying the impact of art during the Mexican Revolution and even understanding the origins of graffiti. There are over 100 courses and you can create a free OpenLearn profile to record your progress and achievements while you study. So why not learn something new?
Dash’s homepage.Learn how to Code online with Dash.
The General Assembly is providing a free online course to learn how to code websites. ‘Dash’ will teach you basics on coding and web developments. Click the link and have a go!
TRADA’s free access for students.
Are you an undergraduate or postgraduate struggling with how to draw a timber or wood tectonic and need a precedent? Well, TRADA (Timber Research and Development Association) provides free online academic access to students, with useful detailed examples and timber-related resources. All you need to do is fill in an online form and sign up with your student email. Student access lasts for one year and you can renew once you have continued onto your next academic year.
Ted Talks website.TED Talks.
This might be an obvious one, but TED Talks is full of discussions by speakers who are leaders and experts in their field. With influential videos about graphic design, science, architecture and many more in over 100 languages, there are endless hours of knowledge to binge watch and stock up on. You can download the app, visit the website or subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Architectural Digest & Dezeen Channels on YouTube.
Oh, and speaking of YouTube, fellow interior designers, this might be one for you. The Architectural Digest and Dezeen YouTube Channels are full of insights into homes from the likes of Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, and interviews from Norman Foster and David Chipperfield.
The Noun Project’s website.Free icons at the Noun Project.
Creating an infographic, a visual research page or struggling to explain an idea? Well, try the Noun Project. The Noun Project is a website full of over two million free icons ready to be downloaded and used. The icons are made by creators and illustrators all over the world, the icons can be integrated into your Photoshop, InDesign and even your PowerPoint file.
Flan Studio’s website.Free CAD Blocks on Flan Studio.
‘Flan Studio is an ensemble initiated by Cem Ozan Cetintas and Alpkenan Koska. Its purpose is to generate free-willed content for architects and designers’. The Flan Studio provides free and playful dwg and png cad blocks to elevate your technical drawings. Check them out on their website and once you use their blocks, why not mention them on Instagram too.
ENSCAPE’s free educational licenses.
Completed all your drawings, tectonics and diagrams and need some rendered visuals before submission? Well, Enscape is a plugin software for SketchUp, Rhino, ArchiCad and Revit. The real-time rendering plugin provides free educational licenses for students and lecturers. The license lasts for six months and can be renewed as long as you are in education or teaching in an educational institution. Visit their website to complete their online form.
About Buildings + Cities podcast page.Failed Architecture, 99% Invisible, About Buildings + Cities and Business of Architecture Podcasts.
All on Apple Podcast and Spotify, Failed Architecture, 99% Invisible, About Buildings + Cities and Business of Architecture Podcasts explore architecture, buildings, cities, film, comics, business immersed with personal stories, conversations with professionals in the field and explorations of the world around us. Search all four on either Apple podcast or Spotify.
Building Studies website.Building Studies on Vimeo.
Building Studies created by architectural photographer and filmmaker Jim Stephenson features over 100 inspiring short films exploring different pieces of architecture in the UK. The videos are a combination of interviews with architects such as Kengo Kuma, Francis Kere, Bjarke Ingels and ‘end users with beautiful on location footage’. Click the link.
Desktop Design Academy.
Sam Jacob (director of Sam Jacob Studio) has created the exciting Desktop Design Academy. A design brief is issued at the start of the week through Instagram and Twitter. Each project is aimed for a weeks’ duration, with a fun online ‘show and tell’ review by the Friday of which the brief was given out. This is a chance to share your work, improve your design skills and simply just have fun! Follow the Desktop Design Academy on Instagram and @_SamJacob on twitter for the weekly briefs!
The Negroni Talks online website.The Negroni Talks.
Architects fourth_space brings to you some online unfiltered debates straight to your homes with ‘The Negroni Talks’. Their monthly events are usually based at the bar Ombra in Hackney. However, their next debate on the 21st April called ‘Negroni Talks #21 The Joy of Architecture’ will be brought to you online. They will share the link to participants before the debate starts but in the meantime, here is the link to the free Eventbrite ticket and why not check out their website and YouTube channel too!
Mies. TV website page.Interviews, documentaries and a quarantine live lecture series with Mies. TV.
During this period of self- isolation, Mies. TV is sharing a live architecture online lecture series. In their series, practices from around the world will share their work with the focus being ‘architectural production beyond the building’. Follow them on Instagram and visit their website!
Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival.
Dezeen’s Virtual Design Festival Virtual Design Festival is a platform that will bring the architecture and design world together to celebrate the culture of the design industry. The festival will explore how it can adapt and respond to these extraordinary circumstances. They are hosting online talks, lectures, movies, product launches that will support fairs and festivals around the world that have had to be postponed. Have a look.
Antilia’s homepage.Don’t Try This at Home online exhibition.
Curated the art gallery Antilia, Don’t Try This At Home is an online show brought to you by international artists exploring artistic domesticity within their quarantine space. The artists will turn their domestic spaces into exhibition spaces, merging both artistic research and their personal lives. Check out the website here.
theworldaround’s websiteThe world around and Earth Day 2020.
The World Around is a platform which connects and creates a diverse and global network of the most exciting and creative designers and thinkers with wider industry professionals through high impact educational initiatives. Their website includes an annual conference, online events, interactive workshops, exhibitions and newsletters. For this year’s Earth Day, the website has recently uploaded a few more talks and short films. Check them out here.
Architecture Hacks with Upstairs and Archi Hacks on Youtube.
Learn a new architecture hack every week with the Upstairs and Archi Hacks YouTube Channels. From Architecture Post-Production to Plan + Model axonometric diagrams on photoshop, both channels will leave you learning a new skill every day.
