What do we, the urbanists of BK, miss from our hometowns? Do those absences, mediated by the exodus that has brought us to Deft, inform our work? After asking some questions to my first-year colleagues at the MSc in Urbanism, it was soon evident how, after the necessary and much deserved mention of food and friends, a whole variety of nostalgias and memories unfolded. The following is a brief overview of them, and the role they play in what we do.

There is an underlying relationship between politics and the practice of architecture. Politics influences culture, economics, trade, ideals, business and current affairs, and each of these in turn has an effect on proposed design solutions. One of the most dramatic political events in Europe in the last decade is Brexit, the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The analysis of what Brexit means for British Architecture is still in its infancy but is a conversation necessary in order to forecast the changes in the industry over the next decade.

Worldwide, there are more than 50 million refugees. Despite the temporary architecture of most refugee camps, most refugees are forced to 'live' there for years. When taking into account the mass populations which inhabit these camps - some have reached a population of 150,000 people - one might even speak of an urban form. So, the question of this article arises: "When does a space of 'exodus', a mass departure or refuge, become a destination?"