Spatial Morphology Group (SMoG)

SMoG is concerned with how spatial form affords and structures the use of the built environment on the scale of both buildings and cities. Our work is positioned within the field of urban and building morphology, but focuses on strands of enquiry that put earlier approaches into more rigorous analytical frameworks with the aim to develop a solid theory on the built environment across scales. Through this, spatial form can be tied to human movement and co-presence, which in turn opens for explorations of far broader social and economic themes, like social segregation and economic concentrations in cities. Further, by shifting the focus to other non-human agents, like birds or bees, the studies of spatial form open up for explorations of a broader range of ecological themes, such as biodiversity and ecosystem services. We offer practice new theoretical foundations, evidence and tools to tackle global societal challenges related to climate change, urban inequalities and human health through the design and transformation of the built environment. With the above and by linking research to education, we aim to empower architects and planners to perform their art of designing the cities of the future with the precision required.