Dr. Irit Katz

Biography

Irit Katz is an Associate Professor in Architecture and Urban Studies at the University of Cambridge's Department of Architecture and a Fellow of Christ’s College. Her work focuses on built environments shaped by extreme conditions, with particular emphasis on spaces of displacement, conflict, spatial injustice, and environmental changes. Drawing from her experience as a practicing architect, she employs a variety of methods including spatial ethnography and participatory visual methods. Her research spans both historic and contemporary contexts, analyzing forms of human settlement and habitation in urban, rural, camp, and other environments influenced by political negotiations and cultural transformations. Katz has published extensively, including her monograph 'Common Camp: Architecture Power Resistance Israel-Palestine' (2022) which examines the role of camps in the Israel-Palestine context. She co-edited 'Camps Revisited' (2018) discussing multifaceted spatial forms in geopolitical contexts. Additionally, she is a co-founder of UNFOLD, a group focused on decolonising architecture. Katz holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Cambridge and has a background in cultural studies and architecture from institutions in Israel. In her career, she has also worked on significant architectural projects in Tel Aviv and London.

Research Interests

Courses