Cultures of practice

The impact of Class Q permitted development rights on the vernacular of English rural housing

Principal Investigator: Justin Chapman

A range of new permitted development rights were introduced by the coalition government in 2015 in order to simplify conversion of existing agricultural buildings to new uses. The Class Q subsection of these rights enables farm buildings to be converted into residential dwellings. Where existing planning policies rigorously focused on preservation of traditional heritage farm buildings through conversion, the new permitted development rights enabled conversion of much more modern commercially constructed buildings such as steel portal framed buildings.

These new types of building offered a much more flexible building envelope for conversion and consequently broader design opportunities. However, the new permitted development rights, when appropriate conditions are satisfied, do not provide scrutiny of the design of these conversions. There is therefore an amount of design freedom not normally permitted in the full planning process, and an opportunity for a new vernacular formed outside of the normal engagement of architectural design and formal planning permission design evaluation.

This research is at an emerging stage. Through reference to case studies in a tight geographical area in Dorset, the study looks at the changes in vernacular character which are happening through these types of approval, and the mechanisms through which design decisions are being made by the people implementing them, who are not necessarily architects.

Impact

There are few studies that investigate the impact that Class Q Permitted Development Rights have had. Many building projects have been realised as a result of this policy, but there has been limited research into its impact on the design of rural housing, or on the practice of architecture in rural settings. The project could inform the iteration of the relevant planning policy and the development of rural architectural practice.

Thriving on Mars: Advancing Material and Construction Autonomy in Remote Environments

Principal Investigator: Owen Hughes Pearce, Lecturer

Thriving on Mars is an interdisciplinary research project that investigates the principles of sustainable living and construction methodologies in remote and extreme environments. The project seeks to understand and adapt innovative thinking, materials, and construction autonomy found in isolated Arctic communities and leverage these insights to develop suitable habitats for off-world settlements, such as on Mars. A primary focus of the investigation is the potential application of bio-based, inflatable formworks as a feasible construction technique in these challenging contexts.

Impact

The research comprises a comprehensive analysis of material and construction autonomy in remote Arctic communities, identifying innovative strategies for self-sufficiency and resilience. It helps with the development and evaluation of bio-based inflatable formworks as a viable construction method for both Arctic and off-world habitats, and provides a synthesis of lessons learned from Arctic communities, along with recommendations for their application in off-world settlements.

Outputs

Writing Architecture in Modern Italy

Principal Investigator: Dr Daria Ricchi, Senior Lecturer

Writing Architecture in Modern Italy tells the history of an intellectual group connected to the small but influential Italian Einaudi publishing house between the 1930s and the 1950s. It concentrates on a diverse group of individuals, including Bruno Zevi, an architectural historian and politician; Giulio Carlo Argan, an art historian; Italo Calvino, a fiction writer; Giulio Einaudi, a publisher; and Elio Vittorini and Cesare Pavese, both writers and translators.

Linking architectural history and historiography within a broader history of ideas, this research proposes four different methods of writing history, defining historiographical genres, modes, and tones of writing that can be applied to history writing to analyze political and social moments in time. It identifies four writing genres: myths, chronicles, history, and fiction, which became accepted as forms of multiple postmodern historical stories after 1957.

Impact

A contribution to the architectural debate, Writing Architecture in Modern Italy demonstrates how history writing is a form of architecture building. It appeals to those interested in the history of architecture, history of ideas, and architectural education.

Output

Ricchi, D., (2021) Writing Architecture in Modern Italy London: Routledge.

Alternative (Hi)Stories in Architecture; Revealing and Elevating Unheard (Hi)Stories and Alternative Ways of Documenting and Designing Architecture

Principal Investigator: Hannah Durham, Senior Lecturer

Alternative (Hi)Stories in Architecture Looks at the disparities between the cultures and identities of the architectural profession as opposed to the broader population, and how they manifest themselves in important ways, both obvious and insidious. Who enters the profession, and progresses on into positions of power, determines not only who writes our history, but who feels accepted in the profession, who designs our built environments and how inclusive of the wider community they are. This interdisciplinary research project aims to reveal and elevate alternative (hi)stories, as well as more inclusive and diverse ways of designing and documenting our built environment, so as to support wider diversity amongst those who practice, teach architecture and write architecture. The aim is to encourage understanding, reflection and to address critical questions, providing practical steps towards bringing about meaningful change in the make-up of the profession.

Impact

The project will diversify our collective architectural history with new oral history recordings and various writings, ultimately supporting the next generation of built environment professionals to be more diverse. It will also diversify our collective architectural pedagogy by embedding the research into teaching, influencing and supporting students, colleagues and the industry, to ultimately create built environments and other outputs that better meet the needs of local communities.

Outputs

Durham, Hannah, 'Ways of Seeing; Documenting Landscape' in the book 'Active Landscape Photography; Diverse Practices' published in April 2023, edited by Anne C Godfrey.
Durham, Hannah, 'Building Stories; Using Animation and Room Models as Design Tools' in RIBA Journal in August 2022.