Bodies Beyond Representation

LoBa is a design and research duo set up by Thomas Kerr Bell and Nanchalee Waite after graduating from the MA Architecture programme at the Royal College of Art, London in 2025. During our time at the RCA we studied and practiced as architects, filmmakers and educators, the intersection of which is crucial to our practice. We worked on a number of successful projects together during our two years at the RCA and have continued working together since graduating.

We are a research-led duo grounded in process and site-based methods and largely employ moving image image as an analytical tool when prompting reflection on often imperceptible relations. Our practice emerged through research into environmental toxicity and contested ecologies where we found traditional architectural representation struggled to communicate the conditions. Working with moving image allowed us to engage with space as something dynamic and constantly unfolding. Since then film has become the foundation of our practice as a mean to think, research and construct alternative forms of spatial knowledge.

Thomas Kerr Bell is an architectural designer, filmmaker and educator. His practice combines architectural design with experimental filmmaking to question how space is documented, perceived and occupied. This year he has been leading workshops in secondary schools in London working alongside POoR Collective to highlight architecture as a possible career path for young adults.

Nanchalee Waite is an architectural designer whose practice explores the relationship between materials, environments and human wellbeing. She approaches architecture as both a way of thinking and a narrative practice, using storytelling to shape meaningful spatial experiences across different scales and mediums. Driven by curiosity and interdisciplinary collaboration, her work seeks to create thoughtful, layered designs that encourage engagement, reflection and a deeper understanding of the spaces we inhabit.