Ulrike Steven (she/they)
director, Architect (AK NRW, D), Dip Arch
Ulrike Steven is a co-founder and director of what if: projects. Her enthusiasm for developing ideas through experimentation and participatory processes has been focused on improving neglected urban environments. With extensive experience in setting up and delivering projects and strategies across various scales and complexities, Ulrike bridges the roles of community facilitator, architect, and infrastructure designer. Her work ranges from radically improving public spaces for multiple species to increasing transparency in local planning and leading the regeneration of communal cultural and social spaces.
Ulrike approaches design as a process and dialogue involving multiple perspectives. This approach has enabled the delivery of innovative cultural and social programs, such as the Vacant Lot allotment initiative across 21 housing estates in London, and the Livesey Exchange community venue on Old Kent Road. Beginning with small-scale, seed-funded projects, these pilots have evolved into larger, more complex interventions involving local authorities, third-sector partners, and diverse stakeholder groups working together over many years.
Driven by a strong sense of spatial justice and informed by personal experience, Ulrike is passionate about working within the social housing context. She initiated and led the refurbishment of Charterhouse Road Club on the Samuel Lewis Trust Estate in Hackney and the remodelling of sheltered housing estate Hogarth Court in Whitechapel. In 2022 she collaborated with KCA on the urban strategy for the Broadwater Farm Estate.
Enjoying the freedom to experiment, Ulrike and the what if: projects team, along with their collaborators, have begun exploring public spaces through the lens of queer ecology. Perfect Flower is an example of this ongoing work.
Complementing her practice, Ulrike works as an educator and has been the stage 2 leader of the MA architecture course at Central Saint Martins since 2023. She is a seasoned educator and has taught in several institutions, including the University of East London, London Met, and Münster School of Architecture (Germany).
Gareth Morris (he/him)
director, Architect, RIBA, FRSA
Gareth Morris is a co-founder and director of what if: projects. He has worked on a broad range of schemes from small urban interventions and building projects to large scale urban strategies. Through his work at what if: projects he has helped to initiate and develop extensive improvements to the communal, green and transport infrastructure in London.
In recent years his work has focussed on public realm and building programs that support active travel infrastructure. Working in close collaboration with Waltham Forest Highways and council teams projects have delivered radical improvements throughout the borough that re-balance the dominance of the car and achieve safer, greener, less polluted and more climate resilient neighbourhoods. Notable schemes include: Sutherland Road (currently under construction), Coppermill Liveable Neighbourhoods Scheme, Mini Holland Waltham Forest Village schemes, together with cycle parking and EV charging hubs for Walthamstow.
Through our practice we support grassroots organisations in their efforts to effect change on a local level and he has worked together with a range of resident-led groups in helping them realise neighbourhood initiatives including: Lamlash Garden and the Castle Place project in Southwark together with Five Streets and Buxton Road Gardens in Walthamstow.
Driven by a commitment to extending social value to all aspects of our work, Gareth together with the what if: projects team have initiated a series of engagement programs with primary schools that get pupils from diverse backgrounds directly involved with live projects in their built environment. These programs seek to utilise local knowledge from the perspective of young people and the promote a sense of stewardship of public spaces. Recently completed works include Perth Road Nature Garden and Davies Lane School Gateway.
Currently he is working in collaboration with graphic designers, Europa on a range of strategic place-making art initiatives in Walthamstow. The projects are delivered through a co-creation process with diverse groups of local players and organisations. Projects include Sutherland Road Public Art and Coppermill Art initiative.
Gareth has taught architecture in parallel to his practice at several institutions including the University of East London, London Metropolitan School of Art, and currently contributes to the MA at Central Saint Martins. In addition, he provides mentorship via the RIBA student mentoring team. He is a member of Hounslow and Harrow Design review panels.
Irmak Kuzu (she/her)
RIBA part 2
Irmak is an architectural designer, she joined what if: projects in 2023 and her work is spread across a range of public realm improvement schemes in Waltham Forest. She leads on developing engagement programs with schools through key development stages of scheme design.
Irmak graduated from M ARCH at Central Saint Martins in 2023 and her final major project ‘Collective Futures’ was nominated for the MullenLowe NOVA Awards. Her interest in collaborating with young people; designing probs and publications developed during her studies. She completed a placement with MATT+FIONA where she actively contributed to projects aimed at facilitating communication and engagement with young people, empowering them to make positive changes in the world.
In 2020, Irmak gained valuable experience working with Crearc Architectural Studio in Turkey, facilitating project development from site to clients working on office and housing projects.
Alexandros Xenophontos (he/they)
RIBA part 2
Alexandros is an architectural designer, multidisciplinary artist and educator, who joined what if: projects in 2023 and works across a range of public realm schemes.
They completed their M ARCH – Architecture at Central Saint Martins in 2022, where their final major project, ‘Acts of Institutional Technoqueering’ was nominated for the AJ Student prize and the MullenLowe award and was awarded the Spatial Practices Prize. In 2018, Alexandros founded Endrosia: an interdisciplinary collective that works with long-term research projects, zines and publications, while hosting exhibitions and events at a project space in Nicosia. Most recently, Endrosia was part of the Cypriot representation at the 2024 Venice Biennale.
People who have contributed to what if: projects
Cameron Carrington, engagement (2024)
Amadeo Martini, architecture (2018-2024)
Mariam Aslam, architecture (2022-2023)
Mark Freeman, architecture (2019-2021)
Jeanne Berré, urban design (2016)
Elsa Escobedo, urban design (2014-2018)
Yessica Young, urban design (2012-2013)
Liam Morissey, architecture (2008-2018)
Henri T, photography (2023-ongoing)
Alexander Christie, photography (2016-ongoing)
Heidi Rustgaard, choreographer (2005-ongoing)
Project partners, collaborators & clients
Arch+, Berlin
Action OKR
Applied Wayfinding
Balfour Beatty
Bankside Village TMO
C2C
Camden Housing Group
Central Saint Martins
Circle 33 Housing Trust
Carpenters Estate TMO
Creatmosphere
Create
Design for London
DurkanCommonplace
Europa
Family Mosaic
Greater London Authority
Groundwork London
Hackney Homes
Hannover Primary School, London
Hayles TRA
Homes for Islington
h2dance
Include Regeneration Ltd, Liverpool
Network Rail
National Trust
Livesey Exchange Ltd
London Borough of Brent
London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Hackney
London Borough of Havering
London Borough of Haringey
London Borough Newington Youth Empowerment Service Participation Team
London Borough of Southwark
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Festival of Architecture
London Legacy Development Corporation
Love London
Karakusevic Carson Architects
Magnificent Revolution
Make City Berlin
Max Fordham
Meristem
Metal Space, London
National Trust
Network Rail
Newlon Housing Trust
North Kent Local Authority Arts Partnership
Peckham Weeklies
Pempeople
Project Zero
RIBA
Shoreditch Trust, London
Shrinking Cities, Berlin
Slough Borough Council
Southbank Centre
Southern Housing Group
Surrey Arts
Sustain, London
Sustrans
St James Street Big Local
Steer Davies Gleave
Standage
Stockdale
Structure Workshop
Transport for London
Vital OKR
Work Ltd