Khensani Klerk

Khensani Jurczok-de Klerk is an architectural researcher and designer from Johannesburg. She centres practicing intersectionality through research and design by questioning and imagining how narratives of the built environment can be more sustainable through ethically social practices.

She is founder of Matri-Archi(tecture) collective based between South Africa and Switzerland, and host of the podcast KONTEXT.

She teaches at the chair of Affective Architectures at the ETH Zürich, where she co-coordinates the Department of the Ongoing platform.

Her independent research and practice focuses on typologies of safe space with aims at reducing Gender-based violence in cities as well as learning from everyday spatial practices.

She received a Bachelors in Architecture and a Bachelors of City Planning (Hons) from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) as well as a MPhil in Architecture and Urban Design (RIBA II) from the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom).

Through her multidisciplinary approach, Khensani finds educational value in spatial, written and auditory explorations. On the odd occasion she appears as ‘Khe’ , where she explores emotive presences embedded in spatial conditions through spoken word projects.

She is fluent in English; and speaks Xitsonga, Afrikaans and German (CEFR B2).

Education

• Bachelor of City Planning Honours University of Cape Town (2017 — 2018)
• Mobility researcher ETH Zurich (2017 — 2018)
• Bachelor of Architectural Studies University of Cape Town (2014 — 2017)

Companies

• Educator and researcher at the Chair of Affective Architectures ETH Zürich (2021)
• Research and Development Collaborator studio 8FOLD (2021)
• Founder Matri-Archi(tecture) (2017)
• Editor Scroope: The Cambridge Architecture Journal (2019 — 2020)
• Executive Director Youth In Property Association (2016 — 2020)
• Junior Architectural Designer & Planner Local Studio (Pty)Ltd. (2018 — 2019)
• Tutor at Unit 11: Graduate School of Architecture University of Johannesburg (2019 — 2019)
• Intern and Researcher Urban-Think Tank (2017 — 2018)
• Teaching Assistant University of Cape Town (2017 — 2017)