Rosa Whiteley is a designer, writer and researcher.
Her practice explores the intersection of architecture, food systems, critical ecology and atmospheric politics, often relating to a specific site or resource. Drawing on her background in architectural design, Rosa is an Assistant Lecturer at the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins. Since 2021, she has been Director of Material Research at CLIMAVORE CIC and between 2021-25 she was lead researcher and project manager at Cooking Sections. Earlier this year, Rosa co-founded TUFF – a design and research group based in London. She was a 2025 Research Fellow at Onassis AiR in Athens and took part in the Groundwork Gallery Fluid Earth residency in Kings Lynn.
Rosa’s residency at the Design Museum will investigate the infrastructural properties of chalk – a sedimentary mineral-based rock that stores and filters freshwater. Chalk aquifers supply millions of people across southern England and sustain rare chalk streams, yet they are increasingly threatened by excessive consumption, pollution and human intervention. Through fieldwork, community engagement and material experimentation, Rosa will explore the future of the UK’s chalkland landscapes. Her research will cover the impact of privatised infrastructures, water transfer projects and replenishment schemes whilst exploring hydrological designs for retaining water amid growing scarcity – addressing urgent questions around resource management and climate adaption.
