Mr Austin Williams
Faculties, deparments and locations
- Kingston School of Art
- Department of Architecture and Landscape
- School of Arts
Course Leader
- Email:
- [email protected]
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.
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
Domains
- Williams, Austin. Chapter: "China's Eco Dreams and Green Reality" in Zhang, Fagshu and Wu, Fulong (eds) China's urban environmental governance, Edward Elgar, 2023 forthcoming
- Williams, A. (2022) Urban Fringe. In Quazi, Z. (ed) Urbanism(s) at Borders, SpringerLink. August 2022.
- Williams, A. Series Editor, Five Critical Essays
- Architectural Education, 2021
- The Crit, February 2023
- Williams, Austin. (2022) "Growth and the Appropriation of Nature. Left-wing Misanthropy, the Rise of Authoritarianism, and the Pro-Capitalist character of Environmental Discourse" in Lange, Elena Louisa and Joshua Depaolis-Pickett (eds.) (2022) The Conformist Rebellion: Marxist Responses to the Contemporary Left. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (Maryland, US).
- Williams, A. "Environment & Freedom", Letter on Liberty, Academy of Ideas, February 2021
- Williams, A. (2022) "The Emerging City: Malawi and China". In Powell, M. (ed) The Climate City, Wiley.
- Williams, A. (2020) Urban transformation and mobility in Chinese society. In Chen, Chia-Lin et al. Handbook on Transport and Urban Transformation in China. Handbooks of Research on Contemporary China Series. Edward Elgar, March 2020.
- Williams, A. (2019) What is Chinese Architecture?. In Lee, R. (ed), Robin Lee Architecture.
- Williams, A. (2019) Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, HKIUD Journal of Urban Design,
- Williams, A. (2019) Around The World in 80 Minutes. Contributions to tomorrow's mobility, In 80 Minuten um die Welt: Beiträge zur Zukunft der Mobilität, Novo (Germany)
- Williams, A. (2018) Fresh Soil: architectural modernism in China, LEAP magazine [pp18-23
- Williams, A. (2018), Cities of the Future. In The Big Conversation 2019, BDP. pp6-13 (https://issuu.com/bdp_com/docs/bdp_2018_the_big_conversation/ Accessed 20 August 2019)
- Williams, A. (2019), New Chinese architects: Twenty women building the future, New York/London. Thames & Hudson
- Williams, A. (2018), Eco-cities: Understanding Chinese environmentalism. In Hudson, A, Chinese Urban Transformation: A Tale of Six Cities, London. RIBA Publishing
- Williams, A. (2017), China's urban revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities", London. Bloomsbury Academic
- Williams, A. (2017), (ed). Style (in defence of…), Machine Books
- Williams, A. (2017), Beyond pragmatism: The pedagogy of the impressed. In Hayes D, Beyond MacDonaldization, London. Pearson. pp115-129
- Williams, A. (2014), Baiziwan Middle School by Wang Yun, Machine Books, 2014
- Williams, A. and Dounas, T. (2012), eds Masterplanning the Future: Modernism – East, West & Across the World, TRG Publications, ISBN 978-1-903094-01-3
- Williams, A. (2012), Don't de-carbonise, defenestrate. In One hundred great ideas for higher education, Academic Questions, 100th Issue, Volume 25, Issue 4, Winter 2012, ISSN: 0895-4852;
- Williams, A. (2012), ed., The Architectural Review, London. Emap, September 2012
- Williams, A. (2012), What is a City? In Littlefield, D. ed, Special Issue: London (Re)generation, AD, Volume 82, Issue 1, January/February 2012, pp66-68
- Williams, A. (2012), Fashionable Dilemmas. In Tseelon, E. ed., Critical Studies in Fashion & Beauty, Vol 2, Issue 1, Leeds, Intellect Books
- Williams, A. (2011) citation, "Who's Who in Research: Visual Arts", Bristol/Chicago, Intellect Ltd,
- Williams, A. (2011), ed., The lure of the city: from slums to suburbs, London, Pluto Press.
- Williams, A. et al (2011), mantownhuman: manifesto towards a new humanism. In Danchev, A. ed. 100 Artists' Manifestos: From the Futurists to the Stuckists, Penguin Classic
- Williams, A. (2010), Corroding the Curriculum: Sustainability v Education. In Sustainability: Special Issue, Academic Questions, NAS, Vol 23, No 1, pp. 70-83
- Williams, A. (2009) Shortcuts: Book 1 – Structure and Fabric, London, NBS Publishing
- Williams, A. (2009) Shortcuts: Book 2 – Sustainability and Practice, London, NBS Publishing
- Williams, A. (2008) Enemies of Progress: The dangers of sustainability, London, Societas:Impact
- Williams, A. et al (2008) eds. The Future of Community: Reports of a Death Greatly Exaggerated, London, Pluto Press.
- Williams, A. et al (2008) Manifesto: Towards a New Humanism
- Williams, A. (1999), ed., Transport in the New Millennium London, TRG Publications
Publications
New Chinese architecture : twenty women building the future
Williams, Austin and Xin, Zhang (2019). London, U.K.:
China's urban revolution : understanding Chinese Eco-cities
Williams, Austin (2017). London, U.K.: (Bloomsbury)
Modernism
Williams, Austin (2015). [Place of publication not identified]: (Machine Books)
(2012). (Transport Research Publications)
Developing an analytical framework for liveable streets in Shanghai
Istrate, Aura-Luciana, Chen, Fei, Kadetz, Paul, Chang, Ying and Williams, Austin Rhys, 2021, URBAN DESIGN International (26), pp 3-20
Extinction Rebellion : the new millenarian cult
Williams, Austin, 2019, Spiked
Book Review of: 'Pen Zen Diaries' by Peter Magyar
Williams, Austin, 2019, Future Cities Project
Williams, Austin, 2019, Architectural Review (244), 1457, pp 148-157
Gensler creates a showcase of sustainable design near Shanghai
Williams, Austin, 2019, Metropolis
Authoritarianism, powered by the Cloud
Williams, Austin, 2018, Spiked
From slaughter to laughter : the renovation of a slaughterhouse in Shanghai by IPPR
Williams, Austin, 2018, Architectural Review (244), 1455, pp 58-65
Yiwu : the Neo-Liberal city
Williams, Austin, 2018, Urban Design, 148, pp 14-15
Revolutionizing construction... post-Brexit
Williams, Austin, 2018, Future Cities Project
Genoa : notes on a disaster
Williams, Austin, 2018, Spiked
Lu Wenyu : the emphasis on craft and precision
Williams, Austin, 2018, The Architectural Review
Labour Live : bread and circuses
Williams, Austin, 2018, Spiked
Yiwu : China's trinket town
Williams, Austin, 2018, Architectural Review (244), 1451, pp 50-51
China's shift from urban development to rural reconstruction
Williams, Austin, 2018, The Architectural Review
No, China isn't going back to Maoism
Williams, Austin, 2017, Spiked
How China transformed its cities from environmental disasters - an what the west can learn
Williams, Austin, 2017, Building Design
REFLEXIVE VERVE
Williams, Austin, 2017, Architectural Review (241), 1444, pp 46 - 52
Tsinghua Architecture School extension in Beijing, China by Li Xiaodong Atelier
Williams, Austin, 2017, The Architectural Review
Back to earth : anti-seismic prototype in Guangming by Edward Ng, Li Wan, Ximan Chi
Williams, Austin, 2017, The Architectural Review (241), 1443, pp 48-53
Cultivating the garden : Museum of Intangible Cultural Heritage by Vector Architects
Williams, Austin, 2017, The Architectural Review (241), 1442, pp 76-83
West can sneer all it wants, China is in the ecological driver's seat
Williams, Austin, 2017, South China Morning Post
Williams, Austin, 2017, The Architectural Review (241), 1440, pp 36-44
Material rebirth. The emotionally charged work of Liu Jiakun celebrates the vitality of 'everydayness'
Williams, Austin, 2017, The Architectural Review (241), 438, pp 50-56
Outrage: 'if memorialisation is everywhere, it becomes mere virtue-signalling'
Williams, Austin, 2016, The Architectural Review (240), 1436, pp 40-42
Humanizing the urban fabric
Williams, Austin, 2016, Nature (537), pp 614-615
Frozen music: Erik Satie house in Beijing by Atelier Fronti
Williams, Austin, 2016, The Architectural Review (240), 1433, pp 82-86
Seashore Chapel by Vector Architects : 'Each elevation has been designed for aesthetic drama'
Williams, Austin, 2016, Architectural Review
Shenzhen's Biennale regurgitates Central Party concerns in a festival of restraint
Williams, Austin, 2016, Architectrural Review
Up the 632m Shanghai Tower by Gensler, second tallest in the world
Williams, Austin, 2015, Architectural Review
China
Williams, Austin, 2015, The Architectural Review (238), 1425, pp 46-53
Reputations: Wang Shu
Williams, Austin, 2015, The Architectural Review (238), 1425, pp 104-105
'This is no Chinese copycat'
Williams, Austin, 2015, The Architectural Review (238), 1425, pp 56-65
Steps ahead
Williams, Austin, 2015, The Architectural Review (238), 1424, pp 70-75
Reputations : Shigeru Ban (1957- )
Williams, Austin, 2015, Architectural Review (237), 1418, pp 118-119
Learning Hub in Singapore by Thomas Heatherwick
Williams, Austin, 2015, Architectural Review
Micro Organism : Hutong infill in Beijing, China, by Standard Architecture
Williams, Austin, 2015, Architectural Review (237), 1417, pp 36-45
Chemical Plant Offices in Huai'an City, China by Alvaro Siza
Williams, Austin, 2015, Architectural Review
Concrete umbrella
Williams, Austin, 2014, The Architectural Review (236), 1414, pp 60-63
Edge town / Che Fang
Williams, Austin (2023). In: Zaman, Quazi Mahtab, (eds.) and Hall, Greg G., (eds.), Border urbanism : transdisciplinary perspectives. Cham, Switzerland: SpringerLink, pp 477-485
The emerging city
Williams, Austin (2022). In: Powell, Martin, (ed.), The climate city. Chichester, U.K.:, pp 57-71
Mobility and the Chinese dream
Williams, Austin (2020). In: Chen, Chia-Lin, (eds.), Pan, Haixiao, (eds.), Sheng, Qing, (eds.) and Wang, James Jixian, (eds.), Handbook on transport and urban transformation in China. Edward Elgar
Cities of the future
Williams, Austin (2018). In: Booth, John, (eds.), Davies, Martin, (eds.), Harding, Chris, (eds.), Jenkins, Marc, (eds.), McAtarsney, Julianne, (eds.) and Moorhouse, Helen, (eds.), BDP : The big conversation. BDP, pp 6-13
Beyond pragmatism: the pedagogy of the impressed
Williams, Austin (2017). In: Hayes, Dennis, (ed.), Beyond McDonaldization: visions of higher education. Abingdon, U.K.: Routledge, pp 115-129
Understanding "sustainability" and attitudes of students to the concept of "sustainable development" in China and the UK
Williams, Austin (2017). In: Issa, Tomayess, (eds.), Isaias, Pedro, (eds.) and Issa, Theodora, (eds.), Sustainability, green IT and education strategies in the twenty-first century. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, pp 77-102
Gallery of work
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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
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New Chinese Architecture: Twenty Women Building the Future (Thames and Hudson, 2019)
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China's Urban Revolution: Understanding Chinese Eco-cities (Bloomsbury, 2017)
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The Enemies of Progress: The Dangers of Sustainability (Societas, 2008)
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The Lure of the City: From Slums to Suburbs, (Pluto, 2014)
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The Future of Community: Reports of a Death Greatly Exaggerated (Pluto, 2008)
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mantownhuman: manifesto towards a new humanism
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Letters on Liberty: Greens, the new neo-colonialists
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Style: In defence of...
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Style: In defence of...
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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.
