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Part of Sylvia's practice is increasingly focused on becoming a designer of public and collaborative spaces as well as acting as a social innovator-architect. She is additionally recognised as an arts researcher and architectural advocate for the built environment. Sylvia recently spoke at the British Council’s ‘Absorbing Modernity’ Venice Biennale round table in Northern Ireland and at the Glasgow Lighthouse ‘Recasting Modernism seminar’ on the topic of how the arts can be a platform from which to chronicle and reflect on regional Modernism.
Sylvia has also contributed articles for AAI:Building Material, Photography &the Artist's Book, and Banff New Media Institute Dialogues, among other publications. She exhibits internationally and her public artworks have been reviewed in journals, such as Canadian Architect, Architecture Today, RIBA, and AJ, to name a few. |
ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS
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LATVIA - WALL MURALS
2016-18 The artist is working with urban planners to transform the exterior walls of a number of civic buildings in Azipute to form a 3km continuous photographic-like panorama. The mural illustrates one of the most significant regional crops, apples, and through its production and launch the artwork is assisting in supporting further community regeneration, local food production, and national / international tourism. 
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CANADA
House design innovation | artist's book
The artist has been collaborating with former East Kilbride New Town artist, J.Keith Donnelly, from 2008 to present to examine how to create new housing capital to act as both artworks and livable spaces. The City of Richmond (BC, Canada) commissioned an ‘Art House’ report and supporting artwork (2014) for its municipal collections. Consideration is given to Sylvia's concept of artful living and was recorded in the City of Richmond minutes (2013) as a possible plan to adopt for the area's future residential planning.
House design innovation | artist's book
The artist has been collaborating with former East Kilbride New Town artist, J.Keith Donnelly, from 2008 to present to examine how to create new housing capital to act as both artworks and livable spaces. The City of Richmond (BC, Canada) commissioned an ‘Art House’ report and supporting artwork (2014) for its municipal collections. Consideration is given to Sylvia's concept of artful living and was recorded in the City of Richmond minutes (2013) as a possible plan to adopt for the area's future residential planning.
CANADA - SCOTLAND - USA - ROMANIA
Housing plans
2008 - present
Sylvia has been working in tandem with Scottish artist-sculptor, J.Keith Donnelly to complete the development & delivery of proof-of-concept housing plans. The project has received support from the City of Richmond, BC, Canada, the University of Iasi, Romania, as well as initial consultative support from Reiach and Hall, Scotland, and the Acconci Studios, NYC.
Housing plans
2008 - present
Sylvia has been working in tandem with Scottish artist-sculptor, J.Keith Donnelly to complete the development & delivery of proof-of-concept housing plans. The project has received support from the City of Richmond, BC, Canada, the University of Iasi, Romania, as well as initial consultative support from Reiach and Hall, Scotland, and the Acconci Studios, NYC.
Gold Medal Housing award, 2013
International innovation Expo 2013, Macu
International innovation Expo 2013, Macu
NYC: Acconci Studios (working with Vito Acconci and his in-house architectural team)
IRELAND
2010-11
Sylvia led the proposal for the development of a large-scale camera obscura art-dwelling to be built as part of a national reconciliation program between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This programme was part of a larger scheme Sylvia won through EU Peace III funds, which also included the delivery of a series of artist mentoring classes for artists in Counties Cavan, Monaghan, and Fermanagh.
2010-11
Sylvia led the proposal for the development of a large-scale camera obscura art-dwelling to be built as part of a national reconciliation program between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This programme was part of a larger scheme Sylvia won through EU Peace III funds, which also included the delivery of a series of artist mentoring classes for artists in Counties Cavan, Monaghan, and Fermanagh.
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CANADA - PHOTO MURAL
Sylvia was invited to work with City Engineers to design a sculptural façade to be incorporated as part of a water pump station complex at No. 4 Road. She created four architectural-sculptural proposals with full fabrication and manufacturing costings for the City to review. Through design consultations with the City, the brief was extended to allow the artist time to develop a series of aluminum photo wall murals. This working strategy of photo-screening onto metal has now been adopted as a delivery format for other amenity sites owned by the City of Richmond. |
The No. 4 Road Drainage Pump Station won the Public Works Association of British Columbia (PWABC) 2011 Project of the Year award. The award acknowledges both the design of the building and the public artwork that was installed. Project also won Best Public Works Project for the Province of British ACEC Award of Excellence, Canada (April 2012)
LONDON, UK
Child Graddon Lewis Architects & designers
Sylvia acted as a Visual Arts Consultant in regard to developing alternative ways to improve user/pedestrian experiences of small to mid sized shopping centre public amenities. Part of the project work focused on how to integrate and add value to so called and perceived ‘dead-zone’ spaces in shopping centres, which can include corridors and closed storefronts. Her project work considered how development and regeneration cannot be seen as an end, but through long-term planning 'added value' through ‘mixed use’ can create a sense of place, and build/enhance visitor social values as a place in which to live, work, invest and/or visit.
Child Graddon Lewis Architects & designers
Sylvia acted as a Visual Arts Consultant in regard to developing alternative ways to improve user/pedestrian experiences of small to mid sized shopping centre public amenities. Part of the project work focused on how to integrate and add value to so called and perceived ‘dead-zone’ spaces in shopping centres, which can include corridors and closed storefronts. Her project work considered how development and regeneration cannot be seen as an end, but through long-term planning 'added value' through ‘mixed use’ can create a sense of place, and build/enhance visitor social values as a place in which to live, work, invest and/or visit.
ARCHITECTURAL ARTICLES
Sylvia has been engaged in writing about architectural planning since the publication of her book, EK Modernism, on the town of East Kilbride in 2006. As of recent, Sylvia has been asked to write peer reviewed articles to exam how social housing can be better considered. She has coined and is campaigning for the adoption of the term 'generous architecture' and 'generous design' to be used as a new metric in the evaluation of future housing development.
Her most recent articles can be read through the following links:
“Rethinking towns and cities: becoming generous” in Reiach and Hall 50 years of Scottish Architecture: The Stravaigers (September 2015) Edited By Neil Gillespie and Laura Kinnaird; pp 9-13 ISBN 978 0 95556148 6 6
"Considering the house as social agent" commissioned essay as part of the Scottish Civic Trust conference event, Housing in Scotland, learning from the past - building for the future (November 2015)
Sylvia has been engaged in writing about architectural planning since the publication of her book, EK Modernism, on the town of East Kilbride in 2006. As of recent, Sylvia has been asked to write peer reviewed articles to exam how social housing can be better considered. She has coined and is campaigning for the adoption of the term 'generous architecture' and 'generous design' to be used as a new metric in the evaluation of future housing development.
Her most recent articles can be read through the following links:
“Rethinking towns and cities: becoming generous” in Reiach and Hall 50 years of Scottish Architecture: The Stravaigers (September 2015) Edited By Neil Gillespie and Laura Kinnaird; pp 9-13 ISBN 978 0 95556148 6 6
"Considering the house as social agent" commissioned essay as part of the Scottish Civic Trust conference event, Housing in Scotland, learning from the past - building for the future (November 2015)
KEY LECTURES
Sylvia was invited by Venice Biennale organisers, The Lighthouse, and exhibition curators-architects, Reiach and Hall, to speak about Scottish New Town legacies as part of a lecture series hosted in Glasgow. See the following video clip to learn more about how the artist defines architectural legacies and successes through planning:
http://www.ads.org.uk/re-casting-modernism-seminar-why-ek-modernism-matters/
Sylvia was invited by Venice Biennale organisers, The Lighthouse, and exhibition curators-architects, Reiach and Hall, to speak about Scottish New Town legacies as part of a lecture series hosted in Glasgow. See the following video clip to learn more about how the artist defines architectural legacies and successes through planning:
http://www.ads.org.uk/re-casting-modernism-seminar-why-ek-modernism-matters/
Sylvia spoke as part of the seminal New New Town planning conference jointly hosted by the Architecture Foundation and UrbanDrift (Switzerland) in London. She addressed how the UN's Millennium goals could act as another metric in terms of how urban planning is considered into the future. Her lecture can be accessed online at http://www.architecturefoundation.org.uk/programme/2008/new-new-town/
EDUCATIONAL DELIVERY
Sylvia worked extensively with the Scottish Civic Trust (a body similar in mandate to the Canadian Centre for Architecture) to assist in the development of national curriculum examining both visual art photography and the built environment. Her work lead to the creation of a set of learning tutorials for young persons from ages 12 to 16, and exhibition at the Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture and Design.
Sylvia worked extensively with the Scottish Civic Trust (a body similar in mandate to the Canadian Centre for Architecture) to assist in the development of national curriculum examining both visual art photography and the built environment. Her work lead to the creation of a set of learning tutorials for young persons from ages 12 to 16, and exhibition at the Lighthouse, Scotland's Centre for Architecture and Design.
UNIVERSITY ACCREDITATION
Sylvia is the founding director of Photographing the Urban: A course in observing and documenting the built environment, a third year studies module offered at the University of Stirling as part of the International Summer Academic programme. She has worked annually over the last decade with various students and public partners throughout Scotland to explore the representation of the built landscape through research and the medium of photography.
Sylvia is the founding director of Photographing the Urban: A course in observing and documenting the built environment, a third year studies module offered at the University of Stirling as part of the International Summer Academic programme. She has worked annually over the last decade with various students and public partners throughout Scotland to explore the representation of the built landscape through research and the medium of photography.
VISUAL ART
Sylvia is equally well known for having developed a number of bodies of work that examine the built environment through the visual arts. These projects include
A Holiday in Glenrothes
Coming to the Table
EK Modernism
Every Bus Stop in Surrey, BC