Circular Design Lab

CDL is the teaching arm of Centre for Circular Design. This provides a way for the exciting research undertaken by our co-directors, post-doc and PhD researchers to be disseminated to students, UAL staff, wider research community and the public. This creates the space for us to provide knowledge exchange through lecturing, teaching and events.


Contact us at ccd@arts.ac.uk

PhD Study

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A programme of self-directed independent study with the support of an experienced supervisory team.  PhD degrees are doctoral level awards which are the highest level of academic degree. A PhD is awarded following successful completion of a research project and thesis which offers a significant new contribution to knowledge in the chosen subject area.

Short Courses

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We run a one day course via UAL short courses to introduce students to a set of design strategies (The TEN) created by the Textile Environment Design (TED) research group. Using this practical resource tool we guide students through the complex terrain of sustainability and identify workable ideas for systemic change within the textile industry. Students perform design tasks using worksheets, applying each of The TEN strategies to a real textile product in order to redesign and improve it.
This course is essential for anyone studying or working in textiles and fashion textiles. Whether you are a student, practising designer or simply working within the fashion, interior, product or architectural industry. This course will give you the fundamental principles of sustainable design today, whilst showing you where the future is heading.

Book your place on the Design for Sustainability - Fashion and Textiles short course.

CDL Special Interest Group

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This is a PhD lead interest group for post-graduate students from across the six colleges at University of the Arts London (UAL). This brings together anyone interested to discuss, workshop and critique themes of circularity and sustainability through the lens of design practice.

What can I expect from CDL interest group? 

CDL offers students a range of sessions across the academic year. This usually comprises of three sessions each term. These range from a mind-mapping, invited speakers, workshops and visits. All sessions have an element of open-discussion in which we encourage questions, debate and conversation. Other activities such as ‘Circular Surgeries’ provide students with the chance to speak to PhD researchers one on one about the circularity and sustainability issues they are struggling with in their own research projects. 

How can you get involved? 

If you are a post-graduate student (undergraduates are also welcome to attend) at UAL please look at the CDL website to find out about previous session, when our next session will be held and to sign-up to our mailing list to be kept informed of our activities. If you are a student at another institution and would like to be involved (please email us) as we will try and accommodate you in one of our sessions. We aim to be as inclusive as possible. 

Find out more about the group.

Circular Surgeries

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CCD PhD students Cathryn Hall and Laetitia Forst hold bookable one-to-one sessions for students across UAL to come and discuss their ideas around sustainable design.

TABA Events

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There And Back Again: circular economies is our annual symposium created to engage the research community at UAL and beyond around the theme of designing for circular economies. The symposium takes the form of inspirational and thought provoking talks and workshops and concludes with a networking opportunity. 

Find out more below.

TABA Blog

Becky's Masterclass

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Each year Becky offers a an overview of circular design and current research projects at CCD to various design courses at CCW. Her masterclass is comprised of talks, discussion and practical workshops. 

Curriculum Lectures & Workshops

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The team at CCD are well connected to the BA, MA & PGDIP Textiles at Cheslea & other UAL colleges and deliver various lectures and workshops each term.

External Teaching

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In addition to their teaching at UAL, the team at CCD deliver workshops and lectures to other colleges and Universities in the UK and beyond.

Becky has also spent the last five years delivering small sustainability projects in primary schools and has recently been awarded with funding to write up and publish a model around the outcomes.

Materials Libraries

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Material Samples from Mistra Future Fashion

The team at CCD have collated a list of their favourite material libraries -

C.L.A.S.S. (Milan, Italy)

Cradle-2-cradle materials (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Edge (London, UK)

Futures Materials Bank (Maastricht, Netherlands)

Healthy Materials Lab by Parsons New School (New York, USA)

Institute of Making (London, UK)

Materfad (Barcelona, Spain)

Material Angle (Bilbao, Spain)

Material District (Naarden, Netherlands)

Material Driven (London, UK)

Material Lab (London, UK)

Material Order by Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Rhode Island School of Design (New York, USA)

Materials Council (London, UK)

Materio (London, UK)

Materiom (London, UK)

Matter (London, UK)

Mindfull Materials Library by Origin (USA)

Surface Matter (London, UK)

Sustainable Angle (Switzerland)

Techstyle.Solutions (Singapore)

If you are a staff member or student at UAL you can also access a list of resources below through the UAL online library: https://arts.ac.libguides.com/Materials