Reem Charif obtained a degree in Architecture from the Architectural Association, School of architecture (AA dip RIBA II), after which she completed an Msc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental African Studied (SOAS).   She has worked for international NGOs such as UNICEG and IPPF and is a co-founder of If-[untitled] architects and Febrik studios. She has taught at the Architectural Association, London Metropolitan University and currently at Chelsea college of Art and Design.

She obtained a PGcert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in 2007.

Reem is a senior lecturer running unit z with Greg Sheng in the first year of the 5 year architecture programme at UEL.

Reem’s ongoing research and design project, Play Space (commenced 2003) works in UNRWA refugee camps in Beirut, Tripoli and Amman. It looks at the way children transform the limited camp spaces with their patterns and practices of play; but equally the way in which specific spatial environment prompt the invention of new games and therefore different play spaces. The project – within its aim of thinking small but consistent – re-interpreted the playground from a contained activity within a designated area into play pockets of camouflaged topography integrated into the urban context, thus creating social and dynamic spaces of possibilities. These spaces become ‘potential of a playground as the locus of a truly public, neighbourhood generating place’ (Lefaivre; 2007, pp 25).

Reem presented a paper on creative critical thinking at the cltad international conference in 2008; Challenging the curriculum, exploring the discipline boundaries in art, design and media.

• Architecture

• Design

Febrik exhibited at the 4th international Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (September 2009) and presented at Future Prefect, engage/enquire International Conference 2009 and at Iniva in 2010. Febrik also took part in the March Meeting in Dubai as part of the Sharja Biennale in February 2010. Febrik’s Edge of Play public design project is currently on site in Talbiyeh Refugee Camp in Amman, Jordan as a part of UNRWA’s camp improvement project.

Reem presented a paper on creative critical thinking at the cltad international conference in 2008; Challenging the curriculum, exploring the discipline boundaries in art, design and media.

Reem’s ongoing research and design project, Play Space (commenced 2003) works in UNRWA refugee camps in Beirut, Tripoli and Amman. It looks at the way children transform the limited camp spaces with their patterns and practices of play; but equally the way in which specific spatial environment prompt the invention of new games and therefore different play spaces. The project – within its aim of thinking small but consistent – re-interpreted the playground from a contained activity within a designated area into play pockets of camouflaged topography integrated into the urban context, thus creating social and dynamic spaces of possibilities. These spaces become ‘potential of a playground as the locus of a truly public, neighbourhood generating place’ (Lefaivre; 2007, pp 25).