Personal profile
Biography
Guido Robazza is an architect passionate about cities. He is Reader / Associate Professor in Urban Studies and Architecture at the Portsmouth School of Architecture, where he leads the MArch Course and coordinates the Project Office, a practice-based research and educational environment that promotes urban and architectural collective practices of civic engagement. Guido teaches urban planning, architectural design, and architectural representation. He recently set up the post-graduate Master unit Open Cities Lab: Design for emergent urban territories. Guido is an active researcher. His practice-based doctoral thesis explored Temporary Urban Practices in the contemporary city, and he has recently been a co-investigator in the Interreg project ‘Plasticity: Resourcing Plastics from the City’, and in the Global Challenges Research Project ‘Building Resilient Coastal Communities’.
Prior to his current position, Guido worked as researcher at LSE Cities - Urban Age, where he contributed to a range of research projects on urbanization processes and their socio-economic implications. Among other projects, he coordinated the ‘Cities and Energy’ research as well as lead the data section of the publication ‘Living in the Endless City’.
Guido has organised international conferences, and participated as guest speaker in several ones, publishing on urban subjects including mobility, environmental sustainability and temporary urbanism. He was awarded prizes in international competitions of architecture, urban design, and info-graphic data-visualization. He has been visiting lecturer at the New York University (NYU), Istituto di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV), Ca Foscari Venezia, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and Beijing Jiaotong University (BJU).
As a practicing architect, Guido co-founded and directed NoWall Architecture, a practice based in London and Bogotá, designing projects for both the private and public sectors, including urban regeneration projects, public spaces, parks and mixed-use buildings. He has extensive international experience: he participated as design consultant to the RiverCity Gothenburg Vision (Sweden), acted as advisor for the planning department of Bogota’ DC (Colombia), supervised the construction of a slum upgrading project in Asuncion (Paraguay), and cooperated with an ONG in a post-earthquake capacity building project in Kathmandu (Nepal).
His work was exhibited at the 10th Venice Architecture Biennale ‘Cities, Architecture, Society’ (2006) and he has recently curated the project ‘DataFrames: A journey Through Global Data’ exhibited in the Italian Pavilion at the 17th Venice Architecture Biennale ‘How Will We Live Together’ (2021).
Guido holds a specialization in housing from the Institute of Cooperation in Habitat (Madrid – 2008), studied at the Polytechnic School of Architecture of Madrid and at the University of Architecture of Venice, where he was awarded his Master degree in 2004.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
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SDG 14 Life Below Water
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
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SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Public life on stage: Temporary urbanism as a platform for cultural expression: Temporary Urbanism as a Platform for Cultural Expression
Robazza, G., 16 Oct 2025, Design for Performative Arts Spaces: Historical Evolution, Cultural Context, and Future Opportunities. Melis, A. & Pelle, M. (eds.). Springer Cham, p. 167-176 10 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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Reimagining informality: Lessons from Naples on growth, adaptability, and the value of incompleteness in urban planning
Simioli, M. & Robazza, G., 7 Feb 2025, The Dusk of Design: Exploring Multidisciplinary Approaches and Evolutionary Biology in Architecture. Lara-Hernandez, J. A., Melis, A., Boarin, P. & Besen, P. (eds.). 1st ed. Springer, (Integrated Science; vol. 34).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
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A fragmented world: mapping the global extent of Anthropogenic Landscape Fragmentation
Romanillos, G., Robazza, G. & Lovato, F., 30 Jan 2024, In: Journal of Maps. 20, 1, 13 p., 2307539.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile134 Downloads (Pure) -
Temporary urbanism as a catalyst for social resilience: insights from an urban living lab practice-based research
Robazza, G., Priego-Hernandez, J., Caputo, S. & Melis, A., 23 May 2024, In: Buildings. 14, 6, 22 p., 1513.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile112 Downloads (Pure) -
Temporary Matters: Urbanistica tattica, co-creazione e inclusione sociale
Robazza, G., 1 Jun 2023, Roma: Edizioni Kappa. 129 p.Translated title of the contribution :Temporary Matters: Tactical Urbanism, Co-creation, and Social Inclusion Research output: Book/Report › Book
Thesis
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Temporary Urbanism: Innovative Tactics for the Co-Production of Social Resilience
Robazza, G. (Author), Lieberman, O. R. (Supervisor), Melis, A. (Supervisor) & Zambelli, A. (Supervisor), 11 Jul 2022Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
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Empowering youth to lead the (re-)development of recreational spaces: Examining the impact on wellbeing and psychosocial development
Middleton, T. (PI), Miller-Dicks, M. (CoI), Stebbings, J. (CoI), Fasulo, A. (Team Member), Wagstaff, C. (Team Member), Lopez, B. (Team Member), Robazza, G. (Team Member) & Sabine, A. (Team Member)
2/10/23 → 31/08/26
Project: Research
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Puppet Psychogeographies: play as a participatory approach to urban futures
Woodyer, T. (CoI), Smith, M. (PI) & Robazza, G. (CoI)
10/12/18 → …
Project: Research
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Co-Creation of Temporary Interventions in Public Space as a Tactic to Build Community Resilience
Robazza, G. (PI), Smith, M. (CoI), Leddy-Owen, C. (CoI), Priego, J. (CoI), Scherer, L. (CoI), Bennett, J. (Team Member), Melis, A. (Team Member) & Caputo, S. (CoI)
1/02/15 → …
Project: Research
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The Whiteland's Wood Project
Crowson, N. (Team Member) & Robazza, G. (Team Member)
7/06/22 → 11/06/22
Project: Innovation
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Activities
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AMPS. Liveable Cities 2025
Robazza, G. (Presented paper) & Ghaziani, R. (Participant)
16 Jul 2025 → 18 Jul 2025Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Invited speaker at the Thornton Education Trust - Learning Connections Webinar
Robazza, G. (Speaker)
28 Apr 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Association of Architectural Educators (AAE) Project Offices Forum 2024
Andrews, M. (Organiser), Crowson, N. (Organiser) & Robazza, G. (Organiser)
10 Sept 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Southern Architectures in Practice Day 1
Madumo, L. (Presented paper), Robazza, G. (Presented paper), Di Raimo, A. (Presented paper) & Pedrabissi, D. (Presented paper)
20 Jun 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
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ViaLibera! Participatory Construction Workshop
Robazza, G. (Organiser) & Ghaziani, R. (Organiser)
4 Mar 2024 → 8 Mar 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Prizes
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Arts Council National Lottery Project Grant
Robazza, G. (Recipient), 1 Jun 2019
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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DCQE "Decolonising the Curriculum" competition
Smith, M. (Recipient) & Robazza, G. (Recipient), 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Decolonising the Curriculum Competition
Robazza, G. (Recipient), Smith, M. (Recipient) & Priego Hernandez, J. (Recipient), 6 May 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Inspire Future Generations Awards 2025 - Best of University
Robazza, G. (Recipient), Smith, M. (Recipient), Leddy-Owen, C. (Recipient), Scherer, L. (Recipient) & Ghaziani, R. (Recipient), 15 Jan 2026
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Press/Media
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Finalist at the 2025 INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS Award of Thornton Education Trust, in the category "Best of University"
19/11/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Expert comment
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The Chatterbox Pavilon
26/09/19 → 11/10/19
2 items of Media coverage, 1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Research cited
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The Sound Garden
30/06/17 → 22/01/18
3 items of Media coverage, 5 Media contributions
Press/Media: Research cited