Design Research and Professional Practice Group - Research - Cardiff University

By promoting critical design research and professional practice within architecture we can address some of the grand challenges facing society and the planet.

Our research group brings together experts working in creative practice, practice-based and practice-led design research and research related to the practice of architecture and scholarship within architectural pedagogy and practice.

Together we explore the intersections of academic and professional domains; architectural agency and the shape of the architectural profession; and the shifting landscape of architectural research, education and professional development. By connecting original, rigorous academic research to external communities of practice in the wider construction industry, we influence design change and impact within architecture.

Projects

Oratory of the Partal Palace, Alhambra, Spain

The 2013-2017 restoration of the oratory of the Partal Palace

This research focuses on the innovative outcomes of the latest restoration of the Oratory of the Partal Palace (2013-2017).

Community Gateway

Our Grangetown work delivers opportunities for residents and business partners.

Embodied pedagogies

Embodied pedagogies: introducing ‘otherness’ in architectural education

The research examines the educational and ethical value that embodied pedagogies and pedagogies of alterity hold for architectural education.

Photograph of research posters on display

Euro-Mediterranean Urban Voids Ecology (EMUVE)

A Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship project looking at the existing voids produced by current shrinking cities along the Euro‐Mediterranean coastline.

Practicing engagement: The value of the Architect in Community Asset Transfer

Practicing engagement: the value of an architect in a community asset transfer

The redevelopment of the Grange Pavilion by Grangetown communities, partners and Cardiff University’s Community Gateway.

Sustainability and design quality

The central role of architectural precedent in sustainable architectural design

Promoting critical evolution through an integration of the language of sustainability and design quality.

Meet the team

Lead members

Dr Sam Clark

Reader (Associate Professor) & Director (Recruitment

: +44 29208 70415
: ClarkSD1@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Edmund Green

Senior Lecturer

: +44 29208 75984
: GreenE11@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Yasser Megahed

Academic

: +44 29225 14819
: MegahedY@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Federico Wulff

Reader, Architecture and Urban Design MA AD Course Director

: +44 29208 70307
: WulffF@cardiff.ac.uk

Academic staff

Mrs Caroline Almond

Lecturer

: +44 29208 75149
: AlmondC2@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Brunella Balzano

Senior Lecturer in Structural Design

: +44 29208 76327
: BalzanoB@cardiff.ac.uk

Amalia Banteli

Lecturer, Deputy Director of Recruitment and Admissions

: BanteliA1@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Marga Munar Bauza

Architect-Urbanist
PhD, ARB, FRSA, AoU
Lecturer

: +44 29208 75961
: BauzaMM@cardiff.ac.uk

Laura Brain

Research Associate

: BrainL1@cardiff.ac.uk

Mr Joel Cady

Research Associate

: CadyJ@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Steven Coombs

Director of Undergraduate Teaching

: +44 29208 75972
: CoombsS@cardiff.ac.uk

Mr Michael Corr

Lecturer in Architecture

: +44 29208 70990
: CorrM1@cardiff.ac.uk

Professor Wayne Forster

Professor, Director of Health and Safety

: +44 29208 74389
: ForsterW@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Julie Gwilliam

Dean of Postgraduate Studies College of Physical Sciences & Engineering

: +44 29208 75977
: GwilliamJA@cardiff.ac.uk

Professor Sarah Lupton

Personal Chair

: +44 29208 75966
: Lupton@cardiff.ac.uk

Professor Mhairi McVicar

Professor in Architecture

: +44 29208 74634
: McVicarM@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr James Murray

Lecturer

: MurrayJ11@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Dimitra Ntzani

Senior Lecturer in History and Theory of Architecture

: +44 29225 10193
: NtzaniD@cardiff.ac.uk

Sarah O'Dwyer

MSc Lecturer

: +44 29225 14789
: ODwyerS@cardiff.ac.uk

Dr Hiral Patel

Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Director of Engagement

: +44 29208 70643
: PatelH18@cardiff.ac.uk

Professor Andrew Roberts

Professor, Deputy Head of School

: +44 29208 74602
: RobertsAS@cardiff.ac.uk

Daniel Talkes

Lecturer in Design and Construction

: +44 29225 14824
: TalkesD1@cardiff.ac.uk

Juan Usubillaga Narvaez

Teaching Associate in Urban Design and Planning

: +44 29225 10943
: UsubillagaNarvaezJ1@cardiff.ac.uk

Postgraduate students

Nadine Al-Bqour

Graduate Tutor

: Al-BqourNM@cardiff.ac.uk

Dania Hasan Al-Harasis

Research student

: Al-HarasisD@cardiff.ac.uk

Mrs Salwa Albarssi

Graduate Tutor

: AlbarssiSS@cardiff.ac.uk

Mr Abdulrahman Aljhadali

Research student

: AljhadaliAA@cardiff.ac.uk

Ms Najwa Awwadh J Almalki

Research student

: AlmalkiN2@cardiff.ac.uk

Mr Jamie Brewster

Research student

: BrewsterJV@cardiff.ac.uk

Miss Hester Buck Buck

Research student

: BuckHM@cardiff.ac.uk

Mr Yijun Chen

Graduate Tutor

: ChenY160@cardiff.ac.uk

Muhammad Heru Arie Edytia

Research student

: EdytiaMH@cardiff.ac.uk

Kamal Haddad

Graduate Tutor

: HaddadKS@cardiff.ac.uk

Rawan Jafar

Research assistant

: JafarR@cardiff.ac.uk

Menatalla Kasem

Research Student/Graduate Tutor

: KasemMG@cardiff.ac.uk

Mrs Ruba Kendassa

Research student

: KendassaR@cardiff.ac.uk

Miss Reem Okasha

Graduate Tutor

: OkashaRO@cardiff.ac.uk

Valeska Pack

Research student

: PackVE1@cardiff.ac.uk

Aathira Peedikaparambil Somasundaran

Research Student/Graduate Tutor

: PeedikaparambilSomasundaranA@cardiff.ac.uk

Mrs Lizzie Wynn

Research student

: WynnL@cardiff.ac.uk

Publications

Green, E. and Lannon, S. 2024. Homes of today for tomorrow: Decarbonising Welsh housing between 2020 and 2050. Stage 4: Retrofit in practice. Technical Report.
Patel, H. 2023. Developing new concepts for university spaces using design-research approach. In: Kohlert, C. ed. Human(e) Education: Helping People to Healthy Educational Institutions. ‎Springer Vieweg. , pp.391-400. (10.1007/978-3-658-39863-7_20)
Kasem, M. , Clark, S. and Sakellariou, D. 2023. Designing for disabled people: exploring inclusive design in architectural education. Charrette 9 (1), pp.255-270.
Ntzani, D. and Banteli, A. 2023. Strange encounters: Creativity as a state of alterity in the early stages of design learning. Charrette 9 (1), pp.77-96.
McVicar, M. , Soleman, M. and Nekeb, S. 2023. Community consultation for quality of life in Wales. Project Report.[Online].Cardiff: Quality of Life FoundationAvailable athttps://www.qolf.org/wp-content/uploads/CCQOL_Wales-National-Report-compressed.pdf.
Clark, S. 2022. Inside retirement housing: Designing, developing and sustaining later lifestyles. Bristol: Policy Press.
Clark, S. 2022. Being in-between: a multi-sited ethnography of retirement housing. In: Mason, A. and Sharr, A. eds. Creative Practice Inquiry in Architecture. Routledge. , pp.88-99.
Megahed, Y. 2022. Storying Practiceopolis. In: Mason, A. and Sharr, A. eds. Creative Practice Inquiry in Architecture. London: Routledge. , pp.52-63. (10.4324/9781003174295-9)
Patel, H. 2022. The co-evolution of pedagogy and learning spaces for a better student experience. Earley, UK: SUMS ConsultingAvailable athttps://sums.org.uk/app/uploads/2022/02/SUMS-Briefing-Paper-The-Co-Evolution-of-Pedagogy-and-Learning-Spaces-February-2022.pdf.
Megahed, Y. 2022. Is the mosque a male-dedicated building?! A Critical View on Women Praying Space in Contemporary Mosque Design. In: The Mosque: a Cross-cultural Building. Kuwait City: Abdullatif al fozan award for mosque architecture, college of architecture | Kuwait university. , pp.499-517.
Green, E. 2021. Homes for future generations. Seven short essays: in search of better homes and places. Project Report.Cardiff University
Wulff, F. 2021. The restoration of the Oratory of the Partal Palace in the Alhambra of Granada, Grand Prix Europa Nostra 2019. Built Heritage 5 7. (10.1186/s43238-021-00026-w)
Megahed, Y. 2021. On normative architecture. Notes on the domination of the technical-rational mode of thinking on mainstream architectural production: a historical highlight. Materia Arquitectura 19 , pp.98-103.
Balzano, B. et al. 2021. Enhanced concrete crack closure with hybrid shape memory polymer tendons. Engineering Structures 226 111330. (10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111330)
Gwilliam, J. and O'Dwyer, S. 2021. Delivering sustainable design excellence: the potential role of holistic building performance evaluation. Architectural Science Review 64 (1-2), pp.47-55. (10.1080/00038628.2020.1825319)
Wulff Barreiro, F. and Brito Gonzalez, O. 2020. The production of intercultural urban landscapes, a multi‑scalar approach: the case of Ballarò, Palermo. URBAN DESIGN International 25 (3), pp.250-265. (10.1057/s41289-020-00126-6)
McVicar, M. 2020. 'Engender the confidence to demand better?: the value of architects in community asset transfers. Architectural Design 90 (4), pp.46-51. (10.1002/ad.2589)
Megahed, Y. 2020. Practiceopolis: Stories from the architectural profession. London: Routledge. (10.4324/9780367853341)
Green, E. et al. 2020. Decarbonising the Welsh housing stock: from practice to policy. Buildings and Cities 1 (1), pp.277-292. (10.5334/bc.19)
Patel, H. and Green, S. D. 2020. Beyond the performance gap: reclaiming building appraisal through archival research. Building Research and Information 48 (5), pp.469-484. (10.1080/09613218.2019.1672517)
Wulff, F. , Lecardane, R. and Lascala, P. 2020. Designing intercultural space. A multi-scalar approach in the Albergheria neighbourhood in Palermo. Agathón 7 (10.19229/2464-9309/792020)
McVicar, M. 2020. Gathering-in-action: the activation of a civic space. Architecture and Culture 8 (3-4), pp.468-483. (10.1080/20507828.2020.1798164)
Wulff, F. 2020. The restoration of the Oratory of the Partal Palace and the House of Astasio de Bracamonte in the Alhambra of Granada, Spain. Project Report.Cardiff: Cardiff University
McVicar, M. 2019. Precision in architecture: Certainty, ambiguity and deviation. Abingdon and New York: Routledge. (10.4324/9781315222639)
Forster, W. 2019. RIGHTSIZING - Slim down and start up housing - new build. Project Report.
Clark, S. 2019. Tweaking retirement-living: Introducing design thinking & coffee bars to shared lounges. In: Rodgers, P. A. ed. Design Research for Change. Lancaster University. , pp.59-77.
Forster, W. 2019. RESPITE - Residential housing for special needs care. [Physical output (new building)]

Next steps

Research that matters

Our research makes a difference to people’s lives as we work across disciplines to tackle major challenges facing society, the economy and our environment.

Postgraduate research

Our research degrees give the opportunity to investigate a specific topic in depth among field-leading researchers.

Our research impact

Our research case studies highlight some of the areas where we deliver positive research impact.