Serious Play
The exploration of play, as an active form of engagement at the intersection between an individual and his or her social and physical surroundings, is a central driver in my work, in teaching, research and practice and will be the focus of my talk. Thinking of play is crucial as an attitude towards architecture that is serious and light-hearted, empathetic and intensely social.

My work takes the concept of play and applies it to the design of spaces for people, and as a result it is focused on the use and experience of architecture and on the user as active participant. Striving for playful methodologies, through playful built works and installations and through the documentation of existing structures, contexts and experiences, I bring interaction to the fore of my investigations both in creative practice and teaching.

Bio
Julia Jamrozik graduated from the University of Toronto with Majors in Architectural Studies and Art History and holds an M. Arch. from the University of British Columbia. She has worked at Herzog & de Meuron in Basel and taught at the ETH in Zurich. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo and has a multidisciplinary creative practice with Coryn Kempster (www.ck-jj.com). Their work was recognized in 2018 with the League Prize by the Architectural League of New York.