About me (June 2018)

I’m an Architect working at Space Syntax. I joined in 2006, and became Director in 2017.

I lead our Studio and Digital Works streams of activity. These responsibilities combine the strategic development of methodologies and tools, with their application to design and planning projects. The overarching objective behind these activities is to create better cities for people, through an understanding of the interactions between spatial networks, infrastructure systems, land uses and demographics.

During my time at Space Syntax I’ve delivered projects which address a wide range of urban issues including rapid urban growth, regeneration, resilience, health and security.

Since early 2018 I’ve also been co-chairing the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Tech Committee.

A full CV can be found here.

 

About the blog (December 2011)

In the format of a conversational question and answer session we present a chance to ask D.A.S. founder, contributor and collator, Ed Parham: “what is D.A.S. and what’s it all about?”

So Ed, thank you for your time today. First things first; what is D.A.S?

At the moment I’m not sure exactly what it will be about, or where it will go, so a bit about me might help: I’m an Architect and Urban Designer, I live in London, and I work mainly at the urban scale. On a daily basis I use spatial analysis to help test and develop designs, and I want to explore the use of these techniques in a different way to see how they can be used in generative design processes. I’m also interested in lots of other things which are loosely connected to Architecture and Design, so that’s where the open ended title comes from; Design, Analysis, Space.

Shouldn’t the logical order be Space, Analysis, Design? 

Maybe it should, but I didn’t want to spend too long thinking about the name, that would be sad.

OK so moving on, if you don’t know exactly what it is yet why are you doing it?

I’ve been thinking about using a blog for a while as a kind of virtual sketchbook – something to help develop and test ideas, and somewhere to keep references to things I like or find interesting.

Why not just buy a sketchbook instead – at least that way its private?

I have a pile of sketchbooks in my living room that I’ve bought at various times, always with the same aim that I have some project I’ll do in my own spare time. All of them are empty. I’m hoping that the pressure of web publishing will mean that I actually do something and that it makes me develop and refine things a bit more than if its just for myself.

So that’s it then, both a way of developing and testing ideas, and possibly a new focus for procrastination?

Yes that’s it, but hopefully more of the former and less of the latter.

The last thing I should mention is that all opinions expressed here are my own personal views which may not reflect those of Space Syntax.