Nadia Bertolino

Biography

She joined Northumbria University in 2016, having previously led the MA in Architectural Design at University of Sheffield School of Architecture, and taught at University of Pavia, Tongji University in Shanghai and Polytechnic of Milan. Nadia’s research explores topics concerning community-led practices of spatial production, design activism and the role of self-organised communities to challenge conventional modes of production of space.

Research Interest

My research is underpinned by a deep interest in the linkages between social dynamics and architectural cultures. It focuses on two main strands: - Spatial practice and sense of belonging. This relates closely to the AHRC research project “Place and Belonging”, which investigates how places influence the sense of belonging and the variables (social, spatial, etc.) determining a sense of attachment to specific places. - Design activism and the role of self-organised communities to challenge conventional urban practices. I am particularly interested in exploring the mutual relation between forms of community-led appropriation of unused or underused places and the potential reactivation of cultural and economic cycles at the community level. Since 2012, I have addressed these questions through fieldwork and learning initiatives. These include the research by design workshop “Co-production of culture and spatial regeneration” I taught in July 2015 at the Harbin Institute of Technology and the research-led design studio “After belonging: stories of transitional spaces” I’ve run in 2015-2016, in partnership with the Milan-based artists’ centre MACAO.