91猎奇

We use cookies on this website to improve the experience we provide. By continuing to use our site you agree to this, or visit our cookie policy to manage your settings.
Saved courses
Search website

Research Informed Teaching

Research-informed teaching is central to the ethos of the Urban Cultures research cluster, where research activity enhances learning across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels. The cluster actively connects research with teaching through听CoLab听live projects, studio-based learning, and participation in design competitions, allowing students to engage with real-world urban challenges informed by current research. Through these platforms, students apply theoretical knowledge to practical contexts, working on issues such as urban regeneration, sustainability, cultural identity, health and wellbeing, and inclusive design.听

CoLab听projects听in particular create听opportunities for collaboration with external partners, enabling students to gain experience of live briefs and community engagement, while design competitions further encourage innovation, experimentation, and professional skills development.听This integrated approach creates a vibrant learning environment where research, teaching, and practice inform one another. By embedding research within live projects and studio culture, the Urban Cultures research cluster supports the development of critical thinking, creativity, and professional readiness, preparing students at all levels to respond to complex urban challenges.听

Example 1:听Urban Oasis: the arena of urban life听

Urban Cultures 3

Research installation鈥�exhibited鈥痑t the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023 within the international鈥痚vent鈥�淪tudents as Researchers鈥�, organised by New York Institute of Technology.鈥�听

Urban Oasis鈥痠s a research-led installation鈥�exhibited鈥痑t the Venice Architecture Biennale 2023,鈥痮ne of the world鈥檚 most prestigious international cultural exhibitions, attracting鈥痬ore than 500,000 visitors annually. The project was presented within the collateral event鈥�鈥淪tudents as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education鈥�,鈥痮rganised by New York Institute of Technology and featuring contributions from more than twenty universities worldwide.鈥�听

Led by鈥疍r鈥痀azid鈥疜hemri, the project brought together research, design, and pedagogy through the participation of undergraduate architecture students from 91猎奇.鈥疷nder the leadership of Dr Yazid鈥疜hemri, students Harvey Farren and Eduard-Dumitru Popescu鈥痺orked on鈥痶he concept of鈥�Urban Oasis, an artefact exploring how public space can stimulate vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable urban life. The听installation draws on research into everyday spatial practices and the concept of鈥�El Houma鈥痠n Algiers, proposing a framework for reactivating public spaces as arenas of social interaction, wellbeing, and ecological resilience.鈥�听

The artefact鈥�symbolically represents鈥痶he interconnected 鈥渟timulators鈥� of urban life鈥攑lay, safety, social interaction, environmental comfort, and biodiversity,鈥痠llustrated through a circular spatial composition emphasising unity and symbiosis. As Artistic Director of the project,鈥疍r Yazid鈥疜hemri鈥痵upervised the research and fabrication process and presented the work at an international symposium at the Biennale, positioning the research within global debates on the future of public space and participatory urban design.鈥�听

Dissemination and media coverage:听

La Biennale di Venezia (2023)听Students as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education 鈥� Collateral Events, Biennale听Architettura听2023. Available at:听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听听

Venezia News (2023)听Students as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education. Available at:听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听

My Art Guides (2023)听Students as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education. Available at:听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听听

Melis, A. (2023)听Students as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education听[LinkedIn post]. Available at:听听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听听

Students as Researchers Exhibition (2023)听Students as Researchers: Creative Practice and University Education听[Instagram post]. Available at:听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听听

Example 2:听听Sensory Architecture and Design听听听

Computer generated image of architectural plan

Drawn from her research in soundscapes and听smellscapes, Dr Jieling Xiao integrates multi-sensory design approaches into studio teaching and live workshops, encouraging students to explore architecture through sensory experience as well as visual form. Her teaching adopts a human-centred and research-informed approach, where students engage with sound, smell, and atmosphere as critical design parameters.听

This approach听facilitates听a two-way exchange between research and teaching, where academic inquiry informs pedagogical practice while student experimentation, prototyping, and reflection contribute to the evolution of her research. Through this reciprocal model, students are positioned not only as learners but as active contributors to knowledge production within a design school environment.听Examples of project include the Soundscape Investigation in the Library of Birmingham, the Sensory Devices project听with the Roundhouse Birmingham, the听Expanded Dinning Project with Kaye Winwood, etc.听This has also resulted听a number of听creative dissertation projects at postgraduate levels, including听the 2025听MArch听Best Dissertation Award听project听by Eleanor Owen, titled听How can the sensory experience enhance public architecture for people with visual impairments?听听

Dissemination and media coverage:

Xiao, J., Aletta, F. and Ali-Maclachlan, I., 2022. On the opportunities of the soundscape approach to revitalise acoustics training in undergraduate architectural courses.鈥�Sustainability,鈥�14(4), p.1957.听听听

Dezeen (2021)听91猎奇 Creative Partnership presents student projects. Dezeen School Shows, 21 July. Available at:听听(Accessed: 16 March 2026).听

Xiao, J. and Aletta, F., 2016. A soundscape approach to exploring design strategies for acoustic comfort in modern public libraries: A case study of the Library of Birmingham.鈥�Noise Mapping,鈥�3(1), pp.264-273.听听听

Example 3: Save听Smallbrook, C20 Society and听MArch听Studio听The听Modern Gazetteer听

On 1st听February 2024, Birmingham City Council鈥檚 planning committee voted 7-4 in favour of demolishing听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre (James Roberts, 1962). It was the second time in six months they had made this decision, having been forced to reconsider by a legal challenge from the Save听Smallbrook听campaign group.听听

Conceived as gated city wall that combined disparate sites,听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre was one of the first buildings to line Birmingham鈥檚 Inner Ring Road, forming the spine to an urban ensemble that addressed the changing patterns of life and mobility, and representative of the power of city governance.听

Save听Smallbrook, a coalition of heritage and climate campaigners, have led the call for the adaptive reuse of the building, at the centre of which has been a counter proposal by Dr Michael Dring of听the听Department听Architecture &听the Built Environment.听听

In April 2024, students and staff of听MArch听unit the Modern Gazetteer, together with Intervention Architecture, artist Sean Burns, engineers Webb Yates, and members of the Save听Smallbrook听campaign group, were longlisted for the national听, on the theme of 鈥楻ethinking Home - Adapt & Reuse鈥�.听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre formed the basis of the submission. Students also took听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre as their project site for the year, presented to the public and Kevin McCloud.听听

A documentary on the campaign by Doberman Documentaries was premiered听at听听2024 at the Bethel Welsh Presbyterian Chapel听(James Roberts, 1968) followed by a rallying talk by McCloud on the value and need of the campaign around twentieth century architecture. The campaign group also launched a听听in support of the ongoing judicial review.听and campaign, following an earlier听听related to the听听curated by听Dr Dring.

He presented听a paper entitled 鈥�Mending Wall 鈥� Continuity in the Modernist City: Interpreting听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre, Birmingham鈥� at听听as part of the session 鈥楳onumental modernism: Legacy or waste?鈥�,听extending the reach of this important campaign.

Dissemination and media coverage:

听

  • Khan, S. (2024)听Future听of threatened brutalist building reimagined.听BBC. Available at:听听[Accessed 18.03.2026].听听

  • Spocchia, G. and Dring, M. (2022) Anti-demolition coalition proposes alternative to Corstorphine & Wright鈥檚 Birmingham plans (including illustrations of听counter-proposal听for听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre, Birmingham).听Architects' Journal. Available:

  • Spocchia, G. and Dring, M. (2023) Campaigners make final听plea听as Brutalist Birmingham landmark is tipped for demolition (including illustrations of counterproposal and photographs of campaign events for adaptive reuse of听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre).听Architects' Journal. Available:听

  • Spocchia, G. and Dring, M. (2023) Fate of Birmingham landmark as crucial as M&S Oxford St, say campaigners (including illustrations of counterproposal and photographs of campaign events for adaptive reuse of听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre).听Architects' Journal. Available:听

  • Waite, R. and Dring, M. (2023) Demolition of Brutalist Birmingham landmark narrowly approved (including photographs of campaign events for adaptive reuse of听Smallbrook听Ringway Centre).听Architects' Journal. Available:听听听