Most recently Mike has co-authored a book chapter entitled 'Landscapes of Variance: Working the Gap between Design and Nature' as part of the recently published 'Revising Green Infrastructure: Concepts Between Nature and Design', available from leading academic publisher Taylor and Francis.
Originally conceived as part of the 'Land Art Generator Initiative' competition submission in 2012, and later presented at 'Designing Nature as Infrastructure' conference at the Technical University of Munich the same year, the chapter explores the gaps between design and interventions in the landscape, in doing so opening up the latent potential of a site, in this case the Fresh Kills landfill site in New York. The chapter examines the work of artists and designers through their engagement with site, most recently through its reinvention as a public park.
Mike also exhibited work at the Royal Academy Summer Show in 2013, illustrations for which also appear in the book.
The essay sees the culmination of an extended period of academic and practice based research across disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, art and public policy, and has reached multiple audiences.
Research interests and expertise
Research interests are structured around four key areas:
- Modernist urban structures
- Archive city
- Post-capitalism and spatial agency
- Emergent processes and practices
Teaching specialisms
MArch Dissertation student themes cross over with my own agenda and include studies on the abandonment of city form, and governance of urban space.
Architectural and urban theory and history, design studio.
Pre-RIBA Validation visiting advisor, Leeds School of Architecture, Leeds Metropolitan University, November 2011.
Visiting external advisor for programme reapprovals in architecture, product and interior design, Canterbury School of Architecture, UCA, March 2012.
Member of ARB, 2003—current.
Committee member of Birmingham and Five Counties Architectural Association (BFCAA), 2011- current.
Research interests are structured around four key areas:
- Modernist Urban Structures
- Archive City
- Post-capitalism and spatial agency
- Emergent processes and practices
The vehicles for these areas are summarised here, with research interests cross referenced in brackets after the title:
A. JISC ArchitectUS (2, 4) project in collaboration with EDS, Birmingham City University and Birmingham School of the Built Environment. The project seeks to scope, select, digitise and create on-line Open Educational Resources (OERs) from original material for some of the UK’s most well-known, and lesser known, twentieth and twenty-first century architectural works. It will also draw upon artefacts held within the archives of the Birmingham and Five Counties Architectural Association (BFCAA) to highlight the national and international importance of regional practices and projects.
B. AAH Session proposal (1, 2) for AAH conference 2013 (tbc), with Stuart Whipps, Birmingham School of Art. The proposed title the ‘Art of Exchange’ seeks to explore the boundaries and commonalities between artistic and spatial practices, with a particular focus on complementary and divergent cross-disciplinary practices of the 20th and 21st century. This will draw upon work undertaken in recording and accessing the Madin archive in Birmingham Central Library.
C. Carrot City exhibition (3) and symposium (April 2012) in collaboration with Birmingham School of the Built Environment and Carrot City curators, featuring student work as a result of the ‘Guerrilla Ecology’ CO.LAB project September – December 2011.
D. Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) (3) international competition (ongoing) in collaboration with Ed Wall, Project Studio and Greg Keeffe, Director of Research, Queens University, Belfast.
E. Timing 2010, Biennale of Landscape Urbanism (3), in collaboration with Ed Wall, Project Studio. The 'Roaming Forest'explored new ways of creating public space using a dynamic process between the planned structures of the municipality and the self-organizing nature of individuals and the community.
F. FABLAB Birmingham (3,4) in collaboration with Alessandro Columbano, Birmingham School of Architecture and Steve Harding, RIES. This project seeks to re-examine the transition into and out of higher education by providing a flexible co-working and digital workshop space for local schools and colleges, current students of the School of Architecture programmes, young graduates with ambitions of self initiated practice, and the wider creative and professional network of the city/region. Project funding currently being explored via 'A-Fund' provided by Accord Housing Association, developed by 00 Architects.
G. RDPM Conference June 2010 (4), paper delivered at conference in collaboration with Alessandro Columbano, Birmingham School of Architecture, entitled 'The RP Architectural Model'. Published in conference proceedings December 2010.
H. NRG (New town Research Group) (ongoing) (1,2,3,4), a 'research by design' project tied into MArch design studio unit 'Plastic' in collaboration with Jing Lu, Black Country Atelier. The project is concerned with revisiting new towns with particular reference to regional examples, aligning educational and research agendas in advancing proposals for future urban models that build on the utopian ideals of the new town programme.
I. Sebilj 2009 (3,4). Feasibility report for the design and fabrication of a relocatable 'Sebilj', a reinterpretation of a traditional Bosnian monument for the Bosnian Community Centre in Birmingham, 2009.
J. Polyark 2009-10 (4). Year 3 architecture students were engaged in a strategic partnership with students from Strathclyde University in advancing design proposals for host city sites. Culiminated in presentation of schemes at Polyark symposium January 2011 at P3 Ambika, Westminster University.
K. SCALA/SCEME Conference 2012 (3), with Kevin Singh, Head of School of Architecture. Delivery of introductory presentation entitled 'RRRR: Retrofit//Refurb//Reuse//Reduce' which explores the motivations and drivers behind the recent paradigm shift in the construction and property industry brought about by a challenging economic climate, whereby 'new' has been superseded by 'adaptive reuse' as the default position.
Book chapter: 'Landscapes of Variance: Working the Gap between Design and Nature' as part of the recently published 'Revising Green Infrastructure: Concepts Between Nature and Design', available from leading academic publisher Taylor and Francis.
Selected conference papers and talks
Dring, M. (2012) Talk at Carrot City Symposium, 2 May as part of Carrot City exhibition. Focus on CO.LAB 'Guerrilla Ecology' student project.
Dring, M. and Singh, K. (2012)'RRRR: Retrofit//Refurb//Reuse//Reduce', SCALA/SCEME Conference.
Dring, M. (2011) Polyark symposium January at P3 Ambika, Westminster University, presentation of academic process and student schemes alongside 7 other schools of architecture.
Dring, M. and Columbano, A. (2010) 'The RP Architectural Model', RDPM Conference.
