Andre Viljoen

Andre Viljoen’s research has grown out of an interest in the design of sustainable architecture.

Current research focuses on the relationship between landscape and buildings, with a particular interest in environmentally productive landscapes. Much of this work bridges the gap between environmental thinking and current urban design debates. As a development of research into the design of low energy buildings, Viljoen began to investigate the environmental impact of cities. He identifed the non renewable energy consumption associated with the remote production and transport of food into cities, as a significant contributor to green house gas emissions. This led to research exploring the environmental case that can be made for the integration of productive landscape, in particular urban agriculture, into urban environments and the design implications arising from this.

The publication, in 2005 of the book, Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes CPULs: The urban agriculture design book for sustainable cities (Architectural Press), edited by Andre Viljoen, consolidated  a body of research initiated and undertaken by Andre  Viljoen and colleague Katrin Bohn in the nineties. This book along with parallel research provided a platform for extending investigations into sustainable urban design. The book has been exhibited in Tate Modern’s turbine hall as part of the 2007 'Global Cities' exhibition and in the same year was short listed for the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) President’s Awards for Research, in the ‘Outstanding University-located research’ category.

Since the publication of CPULs invitations to participate in international exhibitions, for example by the Netherlands Architecture Institute (Maastricht 2007), Triangle Arts Trust/British Council (Havana 2006), Lighthouse/British Council (Brighton 2005) have provided the opportunity to disseminate and undertake new research into the design implications and representation of the CPUL concept.

During 2007 Bohn & Viljoen acted as advisors to an Urban Farming project undertaken in Middlesbrough as part of the Design Council led initiative DOTT07 (Designs of the Time). Based in North East England, DOTT07, explored what life in a sustainable region could be like – and how design could help achieve this. The project enabled communities and individuals in North East England to collaborate with designers in real-life situations, and the Middlesbrough Urban Farming project won two awards, The journal, People’s Voice Award and the Creative Community Award. As a consequence of their contribution to the urban farming project Bohn & Viljoen were commissioned by Middlesbrough’s regeneration department to prepare an 'opportunity map' proposing how the CPUL concept could be developed within Middlesbrough which formed part of the DOTT 07 festival exhibition (October 2007, Baltic Square Newcastle).

Bohn & Viljoen’s research investigates the qualitative and quantifiable aspects of the CPUL concept, and as such includes cross disciplinary working. As researchers Bohn & Viljoen, each work on distinct pieces of research, which collectively extend the field of knowledge with respect to sustainable urban design. As a result Bohn & Viljoen have collaborated with a number of UK and international institutions and organisations, for example the Henry Double Day Research Association, University of Manchester School of Planning, the Dutch NGO Resource Centre for Urban Agriculture (RUAF). In Cuba VIljoen has conducted primary research into Urban Agriculture with the collaboration of: The Instituto Superior Politécnico José Antonio Echeverría (Havana's School of Architecture is located here); The University of Cienfuegos (Faculty of Agronomy), The Fundacion Antonio Núñez Jiménez (Cultural/Environmental Foundation).

Within the design research project titled 'Utilitarian Dreams', which explores ways of representing and recording urban landscapes Bohn & Viljoen have worked with the Cuban curator Yuneikys Villalonga, and emerging Cuban artists, Fidel Garcia, Pavel Acosta and Alenjandaro Gonzalez. In 2004  Viljoen initiated collaboration with the British Artist Tom Phillips RA which has included undertaking field research in Cuba, and the development of joint and individual works for exhibition in the UK and Cuba. Resulting output by Tom Phillips is in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana.

A second strand of research explores the use of live projects within design education, in the context of teaching and learning strategies and widening participation/community engagement.