Dr Jonathan Orlek
Liverpool School of Art and Design
Faculty of Arts Professional and Social Studies
Email: J.L.Orlek@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 6323
Studio Polpo
Artist-Led Housing
ORCID
I am an architectural researcher and practitioner, often working at the intersections of art, architecture, and ethnography. My research interests include artist-led organisations and spaces, critical spatial practice, embedded research methods, housing, and collective urban practices.
My edited book, Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces (2024) explores the role of artist-led organisations within the provision of housing. With a wide range of contributions—and expanding out of my embedded research and practice with East Street Arts—the book suggests future trajectories for living together creatively. It is an extension of a collaborative PhD between University of Huddersfield and East Street Arts (2021). Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces was accompanied by the exhibition No Going Back (2024, co-curated with Karen Watson) which investigated the role of art and artists in the city and civic practice, through the lens of East Street Arts’ archive. It is the most comprehensive exploration of East Street Arts’ archive to date.
I am currently a researcher on several interdisciplinary projects exploring care and high streets. This includes Caring—with Cities and Sonic Acts of Noticing.
I am a director of Studio Polpo, a social enterprise architecture collective based in Sheffield. With Studio Polpo I have undertaken several projects investigating high streets, shared living and social space. I was a designer for The High Street of Exchanges, an immersive installation for the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021, curated by Unscene Architecture. This project combined design and research to explore the future of the British High Street. I have also initiated experimental sleepover performances and undertaken co-housing design workshops. I have worked on commissions for The Hepworth (Wakefield), The Tetley (Leeds), Bloc Projects (Sheffield), and Mostyn Gallery (Llandudno), which playfully explore connections between art, architecture and participation.
I warmly welcome enquiries from students considering a PhD related to my research areas.
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Liverpool John Moores University, 2023 - present
Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Caring—with Cities Project, Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, 2021 - 2022
Lecturer in Architecture, Sheffield Hallam University, 2019 - 2023
Associate Lecturer for MA Urban Design, Sheffield School of Architecture, University of Sheffield, 2016 - 2019
Journal article
Quinn K, Cornish B, Orlek J. 2025. Between co and solo writing: experimenting with constraint, composition, and community through writing 100s Culture and Organization, :1-17 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Orlek J, Burke S, McKinlay J, Sharples V, Thompson J. 2024. Becoming Part of the Architecture: Embedded Artistic Research Sluice Magazine, Vernacular :20-29 Publisher Url Public Url
Orlek J, McAndrew C, Cerulli C, Ferreri M, Cavada M, Ratcliffe E. 2023. For a relational understanding of care in critical urban action lo Squaderno, :43-48 Publisher Url Public Url
Klasto C, Orlek J. 2021. Open Letter as reparative interior: expanding, making, participating Idea Journal, 18 :223-236 Publisher Url Public Url
Quinn K, Orlek J, Cornish B. 2020. Writing Alone Together: Making Sense of Lockdown Through Hundreds The Sociological Review Magazine, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Orlek J. 2020. Commoning Artist-led Housing Sluice Magazine, Publisher Url Public Url
Orlek J, Cerulli C, Parsons M. 2016. Prototyping Shared Living: Collective Residential Experiments BDC (Bollettino Del Centro Calza Bini), 16 :251-264 Publisher Url
Books (authored)
Orlek J, Cannon J, Rendell J, Watson K, Jefferis K, Lloyd-Wilson , Devlin J, Coombes L, Mary and Jiem , Sophie + Kerri , Liebig S, Connolly J, Upmeyer J, Cleary D, Holliss F, Mark L. 2024. Artist-Led Housing: Histories, Residencies, Spaces Orlek J. East Street Arts. United Kingdom 978-1-906470-18-0 Publisher Url
Report
Orlek J. 2023. Artist-Led Housing: Summary and Recommendations Report. Presented to Arts Council North Public Url
Ferreri M, McAndrew C, Cerulli C, Ratcliffe E, Cavada M, Orlek J. 2022. Caring—with Cities: Project Report Author Url
Chapters
Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2023. Sonic Acts of Noticing Mao Y, van Dijck N, Smith R. Forest, City, Body, Flow. Landscapes of Care DPR Barcelona Publisher Url
Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2023. Field Trip: Sonic Acts of Noticing x Landscape Lab Field Trip :12-12 Foundation Press 9781999953591 Publisher Url
Orlek J, Chan JJ, Wong S. 2022. When galleries aren’t just containers Bloc Projects , Chan JJ. Blowing Water, Critical Care Bloc Projects
Jones H, McKenna N, Delaney McNulty R, Nickols P, Orlek J, Wolfe B. 2021. Planning and Designing Decent Homes and Liveable Places for All in West Yorkshire Wilson A. AMPlify West Yorkshire: An Alternative Manifesto Process :9-12 Same Skies. Huddersfield
Bruno A, Aun de Azevedo Nascimento E, Milic P, Orlek J, Théréné M, Thielemans F, Tilman A, Van Ngoc H. 2018. Médecins du Monde Collective health Berger M, Moritz B, Carlier L, Ranzato M. Designing urban inclusion Université Catholique de Louvain/ Université Libre de Bruxelles
Orlek J. 2018. Between Utility and Uselessness Space, Place, Action . Huddersfield, Temporary Contemporary
Orlek J. 2017. Sharing the domestic through "residential performance" Cairns G, Artopoulos G, Day K. From Conflict to Inclusion in Housing: Interaction of Communities, Residents and Activists :180-198 UCL Press. London 978-1-78735-034-2 Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Orlek J. 2017. An archaeology of a contemporary construction Gavin H, Kaasa A. Uncommon building Spirit Duplicator. London 978-0-907426-49-3
Internet publication
Orlek J, Udall J, Dobson J. 2022. High Streets Network Publisher Url
Orlek J, Jefferis K. 2022. Artist-Led Housing: Montez Press Radio Publisher Url
Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Acts of Noticing: Future Architecture Rooms Publisher Url
Orlek J, Baker R. 2021. Unreal Estates: 17.11.2021 Publisher Url
Orlek J. 2020. The Common Good (In a Time of Pandemic): Sluice Digital Encounters Publisher Url
Software/Code
Udall J, Orlek J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Acts of Noticing Publisher Url
Conference publication
Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2021. Sonic Environments AAD Sessions Publisher Url
Orlek J, Udall J, De Little A. 2021. Landscapes of Care: Transdisciplinary Session Future Architecture Creative Exchange Publisher Url
Orlek J. 2020. "In House” Research: Reflections on Moving In and Out of Artist-led Housing What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About The Artist-Led Publisher Url
Orlek J. 2019. Artist talk Episode 1: Tomorrow is Our Permanent Address Publisher Url
Books (edited)
2018. Multivoices: A Script by Researchers Orlek J. Spirit Duplicator. London 9780907426349
High street exchange(s): essays, ideas and artworks on the future of the high street Orlek J, Udall J, Dobson J, Machin T. Sheffield Hallam University
Other
Orlek J. 2017. Degree show review: Sheffield School of Architecture Architects’ Journal,
Exhibition
Orlek J, Udall J, Machin T. The High Street of Exchanges, Studio Polpo: The Venice Architecture Biennale at Sheffield Hallam University Publisher Url
Orlek J, Cerulli C, Udall J, Wakeford Holder A, Parsons M. The High Street of Exchanges, British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture 2021 Publisher Url
Orlek J. Moving In and Out, or Staying in Bed, Convention House, East Street Arts, Leeds
Orlek J, Vodicka G. P.S. A Postscript Before Concluding, From Brooklyn Works to Brooklynism, Kelham Island Museum, Sheffield Publisher Url
Orlek J, Cannon J. The Future of Artist-Led Housing Publisher Url
Orlek J, Watson K. No Going Back Publisher Url
Highlighted activities
External collaboration:
https://caringwith.city/, The British Academy; Beyond Inhabitation Lab, DiST Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Sheffield Hallam University; The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL; University of Surrey; Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University, Caring—with Cities Project: Dr Mara Ferreri (PI); Prof Cristina Cerulli; Dr Claire McAndrew; Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe; Dr Marianna Cavada. 2021
Other Professional Activity:
Plant: Embedded Research Network. Plant is a network to support embedded research within art, architectural and civic organisations. We investigate the creative spaces, objects, and practices surrounding, and produced through, embedded research projects. https://plant-er.net/. 2021
Industrial connections:
Studio Polpo, Director, http://studiopolpo.com/.
Professional activities
Other invited event:
Artist-Led Housing – Sustaining a Creative Rural Life?, Grizedale Arts, 'Soup Talk' at The Farmer's Arms, https://lakedistrictfarmersarms.com/whats-on/jon-orlek-2/. 2025
Politics and Design: Climate Action, Liverpool School Of Art & Design, Talk and panel discussion facilitated by Sana Iqbal and Pete Thomas exploring design’s power to influence political narratives towards a just green transition. Other speakers included: Steve Connor (Co-founder of Creative Concern), Jenny Porter (Visual Artist and Director for Metal Liverpool), Abdi Suleiman (Political Affairs Manager for Friends of the Earth), Scott Starrett (Founder and Principal of Tandem NYC). 2023
BINA Summer Film School: If These Walls Could Talk, House of the Press / Cultural Centre of Belgrade, Serbia, From 17 to 26 September 2021, BINA hosted a ten-day film school. As part of this year’s Future Architecture Platform program, collectively entitled “Landscapes of Care”, the BINA Summer Film School “If These Walls Could Talk”, was focused on the Press Centre building (1958) https://futurearchitecturerooms.org/film-architecture-bina-belgrade. 2021
DIY Cultures Summer School, Mansions of the Future, Lincoln, In August 2018, Mansions of the Future hosted the DIY Summer School, part of Kathrin Böhm’s Culture is a Verb commission, exploring ideas of commoning, co-working, co-making and co-using. The Summer School was co-curated and delivered / facilitated by Tom James, an artist and writer with a longstanding history of creating DIY projects that try to change the way people think about the structures, places and ideas around them https://mansionsofthefuture.org/events/diy-summer-school/. 2018
Media Coverage:
Corridor8 - Review of No Going Back exhibition by Benjamin Barra (opens in a new tab) 2024
e-flux Announcements: 21 Visions for Eco-social Renewal (opens in a new tab) 2021
Research Grants Awarded:
Peak Cymru, Rural Artist-Led Housing, Grant value (£): 2100. 2024
Conference organisation:
Architectural Humanities Research Association: Situated Ecologies of Care, Session Lead, 'Sticking with the dance, caring over time', with Dr Claire McAndrew, Prof Cristina Cerulli, Dr Mara Ferreri, https://ahra2023.org/sticking-with-the-dance-caring-over-time/. 2023
Architectural Humanities Research Association PhD Symposium: Researching (in) the City: Embeddedness, Relations + Collaborations, Co-organiser. 2021
Multi-voices in Research: Co-Interpreting Art and Architecture, Organiser. 2017
Conference presentation:
Libraries as architecture of mutuality, care and civic action, Architecture Librarians' Group (ARCLIB) Annual Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, Oral presentation. 2023
Entangled Acts: Caring—With the Situated Practitioner, EURA 2023 The European City: The practice of resilience in the face of an uncertain future, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Oral presentation. 2023
EASA Commons Workshop, EASA Commoning Workshop 2: Derelict Building Atlas, Sheffield, Workshop. 2022
Artist-Led Housing and Embedded Research, Lines of Flight Seminar, Sheffield School of Architecture (via zoom), Oral presentation. 2022
Studio Polpo, Radical Practice Symposium, Royal College of Art (online), Oral presentation. 2021
Panel Discussion with Future Architecture Platform Fellows, Driving the Human: 21 Visions for Eco-social Renewal, Radialsystem, Berlin, Panel Discussion. 2021
Artist-Led Housing, Live/ Work/ Where? New Models for Artists, Flax Arts Belfast (online), Oral presentation. 2021
Studio Polpo Housing and Artist-Led Housing, EASA England National Gathering, Foodhall, Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2020
Artists in residence: re-imagining spaces for artist-led practice in the city, CKC 2019: Rethinking, Resisting and Reimagining the Creative City Conference, Watershed, Bristol, Oral presentation. 2019
Architecture in Action, UMA 10 Year Anniversary Roundtable, Umeå School of Architecture, Sweden, Roundtable. 2019
How do gardens/green spaces contribute to well-being and making better city spaces?, Modern Nature: Symposium, The Hepworth Wakefield in partnership with the University of Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2019
Artist-Led Housing, Housing for Artists: Crisis Point or Vanity Project?, East Street Arts, Leeds, Oral presentation. 2018
New Public Design, Festival of the Mind: National Food Service, Foodhall, Sheffield, Oral presentation. 2018
Multivoices, British Association for Japanese Studies Conference 2018, University of Sheffield, Workshop. 2018
Multivoices for the Antiuniversity Now festival, Antiuniversity Now, Sheffield Print Club, Roundtable. 2018
Artist-Led Housing: Mapping the boundaries of Life and Work, ROTOR: Culture Community Creativity, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, Oral presentation. 2018
A Collaborative Excavation of an Artist Live/Work Project, Rethinking Research: Disrupting and Challenging Research Practices, Centre for Research Capability and Development at Coventry University, Poster presentation. 2018
A day on Resilience, a-n Assembly, East Street Arts, Leeds, Workshop. 2017
(Un)common Building: Collective Excavation of Fictional Structure, Writing Cities, Theatrum Mundi and the University of Sheffield, Roundtable. 2016
Bubbles, foam and co-fragilities: the philosophical and architectural possibilities of living together in a world of 10bn, Festival of 10 Billion, Humanities Research Institute, University of Sheffield, Panel Discussion. 2016
Developing a Critical Praxis: Inhabitation as Performance in the OPERA Project, Architectural Humanities Research Association: This Thing Called Theory, Leeds Beckett University, Oral presentation. 2015
Performing Home, Home and Art: Creating, Performing and Researching Home, Museum of the Home, London, Oral presentation. 2015
Residential Performance as Architectural Research, Housing—A Critical Perspective, Architecture_MPS, Liverpool University and Liverpool John Moores University, Oral presentation. 2015
External collaboration:
https://caringwith.city/, The British Academy; Beyond Inhabitation Lab, DiST Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, Italy; Sheffield Hallam University; The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL; University of Surrey; Imagination Lancaster, Lancaster University, Caring—with Cities Project: Dr Mara Ferreri (PI); Prof Cristina Cerulli; Dr Claire McAndrew; Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe; Dr Marianna Cavada. 2021
http://sonicactsofnoticing.org/, Sheffield Hallam University, Julia Udall and Alex De Little. 2020
https://highstreets.network/, Sheffield Hallam University, High Streets Research Network.
Fellowships:
Future Architecture Platform Fellowship, Future Architecture Platform. 2021
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, AdvanceHE.
Other Professional Activity:
Plant: Embedded Research Network. Plant is a network to support embedded research within art, architectural and civic organisations. We investigate the creative spaces, objects, and practices surrounding, and produced through, embedded research projects. https://plant-er.net/. 2021
Member, Architectural Humanities Research Association.
Member, The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network.
Industrial connections:
Studio Polpo, Director, http://studiopolpo.com/.