LEADERSHIP
Founding Chair // Queer Educators in Architecture Network QuEAN (est 2022)
Founder // O-SSD // Office for Speculative Spatial Design (est 2021)
Founder-Director // Experimental Realism (est 2020)
Co-Founding editor // EDGEcondition.net (2013-4)
Awards / Fellowships
Senior Fellow AdvanceHE (2023)
Royal Society of the Arts (2020)
International Federation of Teaching Fellows (2022)
National Teaching Fellowship (2019)
Excellence in facilitating & Empowering Learning (2017)
External Roles
Resident Futurist, Perkins&Will, London (2024-present)
Lead Academic Advisor, Architecture LGBT+, non-profit, London (2022 - present)
External Examiner, Manchester Metropolitan University: MA/MFA Interior Design (2024-28)
External Examiner, UCL Goldsmiths: MA Design: Expanded Practice (2023-27)
External Examiner, University of Plymouth: BA (Hons) Interior Design (2020-23)
Board Member, RIBA Journal of Architecture (2020-)
Chief Examiner, School of Design at Glasgow School of Art (2016-21)
External Examiner, BA (Hons) Interior Design programme at the Glasgow School of Art, and BA (Hons) Interior Design, Singapore Institute of technology, Singapore (2016-21)
Editorial Board Member of Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture (2018-)
Academic Experience
Royal College of Art, Senior Tutor (research), MA Interior Design (2022-)
University of Brighton, Course Leader, MA Interior Design (2021-22)
University of Brighton, Course Leader, BA (Hons) Interior Architecture (2015 –21)
The Open University, Associate Lecturer, Design Thinking (2011-12)
University of Salford, Associate Lecturer, MA Urban Design (2010-11)
DeMontford University, Associate Lecturer, BA (Hons) Architecture, (2010)
Manchester School of Architecture, Associate Lecturer, BA (Hons) Interior Design (2010-11)
Manchester School of Architecture, Associate Lecturer, BA(Hons) Architecture (2007-10)
University of Nottingham, Associate Lecturer, BA(Hons) Architecture (2006-07)
University of Nottingham, Teaching Assistant, BA(Hons) Architecture (2005-06)
Qualifications >
DipArch, RIBA Part II, University of Nottingham (2004-06)
BArch, RIBA Part I, University of Nottingham (2000-03)
Research, Publications & scholarly activity
2025
KEYNOTE: aae conference (July 2025)
‘Design x Policy’ at Waltham Place, Berkshire UK (May 2025)
KEYNOTE: ‘Queer x Futures‘ at Future Days Festival, Lisbon (May 2025)
CIBSE & Arup panel @FutureBuild, Excel London (March 2025)
Imagination First - Workforce Futures Workshop, University of Wisconsin-Madison (Feb 2025)
‘Here, Queer & Everywhere’ exhibition (Judge & Curator) LGBT+ HIstory Month at RIBA Library (Feb 2025)
2024
MARDDialogues: DIMENSIONS OF PLACE, with Julia Lohmann for Central St. Martins (Dec 2024) watch here
Keynote: superFUTURES x govt, Global Megatrends Launch, Defra HQ, Bristol (Nov 2024)
‘Queering the body of Architectural Education', AHRA conference, Norwich University (Nov 2024).
‘Emerging Professions’ workshop, School of Design, Manchester Met University (Oct 2024).
‘Spatial Storytelling’ lecture and workshop, BA Strategic Design and Management, The New School, Parsons Paris (Oct 2024)
Masterclass: ‘Spatialising Futures’ Domus Academy, Milan (Sept 2024)
Talk: As Yet Untitled, Global Design Forum, Victoria & Albert, London (Sept 2024)
Barton, G. Shaw, S. ‘superFUTURES: POWER. PLEASURE. PRIVILEGE’, ANTICIPATION conference, Lancaster University (Sep2024).
Barton, G. ‘Pedagogy: Queer / Futures / Architecture’, ANTICIPATION conference, Lancaster University (Sept 2024).
Lecture: ‘Spatialising Futures’ Universal Design Studio, London (July 2024)
Jury member, Next Generation Foresight Practitioners, SOIF (July-Aug 2024)
Barton, G. ‘(Speculative) Futures for Higher Education’, AMPS Conference, Focus on Pedagogy Series, San Francisco (June 2024).
Barton, G. Parris, J. Emeke, C. ‘Queer(ing) Design’, Design Research Society, Northeastern (June 2024).
KEYNOTE: ‘Extended Realities: spatialising futures’, Monterrey University, Mexico, (May 2024)
Lecture: ‘Queer Theory x Design Innovation’ Ford Design Lab, London (May 2024)
Jury member, Core77 Speculative Design Awards (May 2024)
Peer Review funding applications for Research Development Fund, Royal College of Art (2024 cycle)
Barton, G. Mardell, J. ‘Queer x Time’ Royal College of Art, School of Architecture Research Programme [5k internal funding] (2023-24).
Barton, G. ‘Architecture: Queer in Identity and Action’ in ‘Building Inclusion, A Practical Guide to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Architecture and the Built Environment’ by Marsha Ramroop, Routledge (upcoming 2024).
Podcast Recording: ‘Tending Tomorrow’ a podcast about the future of living well. Future guests will talk about ageing, the good life, uncertain futures, speculative design and fiction, the built environment, well-being, ecology, applied compassion and more (2024).
2023
Barton, G. ‘Don’t get a Job, Make a Job: second edition’ Laurence King Publishing (Sept 2023)
Barton, G. ‘[Spatial] Pedagogic readings of Queer Theory: Experimental Realism and opportunities for teaching and learning in speculative design’ In Queering Architecture: Methods, Practices, Spaces, Pedagogies, Bloomsbury (2023)
Peer Review - DRS24 track: Joyful Complexity: Queering, Intersecting, and Navigating Alternate Futures (2023).
Appointed Senior Fellowship of AdvanceHE (SFHEA) for contributions to design pedagogy; 1) Innovation in design studio teaching – ‘experimental realism’ – embedding speculative design into pedagogy, and 2) Commitment to innovative development and delivery of inclusive pedagogy - formation of a queer spatial pedagogy and Queer Educators in Architecture Network. (2023)
Research Grant Assessment for Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (2023)
‘Other Ways of Being’ research-led design studio live project with the Charleston Trust, home of Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant and their Bloomsbury Group contemporaries (2023)
‘Experimental Realism - pedagogy’ lecture and workshop, Faculty of Design, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India (2023)
‘Experimental Realism - pedagogy’ lecture and workshop, MA Spatial Design, Politecnico di Milano, (2023)
‘Experimental Realism - pedagogy’ lecture and workshop, BA Strategic Design and Management, The New School, Parsons Paris (2023)
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ lecture and workshop, BA and MA Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture (2023).
‘From Later: Crude Hints with Gem Barton’ Podcast recording by the Toronto-based foresight studio, From Later, recording the earliest phases of foresight and speculation (2023).
Regional Jury member, Royal Institute of British Architects, South East (2023).
‘Room’ - international design studio live project with web archive A Series of Rooms and Spanish architects Bonnell & Dorriga. Featuring in STOÀ Journal 07 (2023).
2022
Barton, G (Ed.). ‘Experimental Realism: (design) fictions and futures’. RIBA Publishing (2022).
Future of Metaverse Study, Copenhagen Institute of Future Studies (CIFS) through Office of Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) futures consultancy (2022) [read the report].
QuEAN: Queer Educators in Architecture Network founded, with a founding committee of global international scholars - global research netwrok of queer spatial pedagogies.
‘Experimental Realism, and the privilege of imagination’ Design x Foresight architecture webinar series, Logros Creative, Mexico (2022)
External panel member, MA Interior Design Course Director interviews, Leeds School of Art (2022).
2021
Peer Assessment, National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, AdvanceHE (2021).
External advisor, course validation MA Architecture + Future Living, University of Manchester (2021).
External advisor, course validation BA Interior Design (online), Falmouth University (2021).
Future of Film, Kantar through Office of Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) futures consultancy (2021).
Wireless 2030, Government Office for Science (GO-Science) through Office of Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) futures consultancy (2021) [Read the report].
Collective Futures: policy and context, Royal Society for the Arts through Office of Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) futures consultancy (2021).
Awarded Fellowship of International Federation of National Teaching Fellows (2021-)
Appointed Architecture LGBT+ Lead Academic Advisor UK wide (2021-).
Inclusive Practice Partnership Lead, University of Brighton (2021).
O-SSD: Office for Speculative Spatial Design founded for futures research, design and consultancy (2021)
2020
Peer Assessment, National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, AdvanceHE (2021)
Barton, G. ’These cards will change your career’ Laurence King Publishing, (2020)
Peer Review - Convergence The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies (2020)
Peer Review - Architecture + Film Symposium, University of Cincinnati (2020)
Awarded Fellowship of Royal Society of the Arts, FRSA (2020-date)
2019
Barton, G. ‘Near Futurists’ Alliance: experimental realisms in/of design pedagogy’ at IConA - Creativity & Reality Conference, Sapienza Università di Roma (2019).
Awarded National Teaching Fellowship for teaching excellence, NTFS AdvanceHE (2019).
Athena SWAN charter, interim chair of the School of Architecture, University of Brighton (2019).
External advisor, course validation BA Interior Design, Helsinki Design School (2019).
Barton, G. ‘My dad is better than yours’ a ficto-critical short story, MAS CONTEXT 32: CHARACTER (2019).
2018
Peer Review - Interiors: Design/Architecture/Culture Journal (2018>).
‘Future heritage’ - design studio live project with Newhaven Fort and University of Brighton (2018).
Academic Advisor, MA Interior Architecture Research & Design, Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam (2018).
Programme lead, Curriculum Design Review, School of Architecture and Design, University of Brighton (2018).
2017
Programme lead, Periodic Review, BA Interior Architecture, University of Brighton (2018).
‘Ghost’ - live collaboration project with Royal Society Arts and Brighton International Festival (2017).
Barton, G. ‘Academia imitates life: ‘atypical’’ in CHARETTE, Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators, Vol.3 issue 2 (2017)
Barton, G. Harriss, H. ‘Gendered, Non-Gendered, Re-Gendered Tools for Spatial Production’ in ARCHITECTURE AND CULTURE JOURNAL: Styles of Queer Feminist Practices and Objects in Architecture, Vol.5 Issue 3 (2017)
2016
Barton, G. ‘Architecture 2.0’ in The Gendered Profession, RIBA Publishing, (2016). Eds. Harriss, Morrow, Soane, Benedict Brown. (2016)
Barton, G. & Harriss, H. ‘Gendered, non-gendered, re-gendered tools of spatial production’ at AHRA - ARCHITECTURE & FEMINISMS CONFERENCE, KTH Stockholm, (2016)
Barton, G. ‘The Grey Area between Reality and Representation: The Practices of Architects and Filmmakers’ in Filming the City – urban documents, design practices & social criticism through the lens’ Ed. G. Cairns. Intellect books (2016)
Barton, G. Editorship of ‘0 hours contracts - the role and impact of ‘transient’ teachers in architectural education’. Vol. 3 issue 2 Charette, Journal of the Association of Architectural Educators (2016-18).
Barton, G. ‘Don’t get a Job, Make a Job: how to make it as a creative graduate’ Laurence King Publishing (2016).
Barton, G. Editorship ‘Housing, House, Home’ Project Orange Architects practice-based research journal. (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, Bartlett School of Architecture (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, Brighton Digital Festival (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, D&AD NEW BLOOD (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, Young Creative Council (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, Camberwell College of Art (2016).
‘Don’t Get a Job… Make a Job’ Lecture and book signing, Portsmouth School of Architecture (2016).
‘Tomorrow’s Designers’ Lecture and panel discussion, The Design Museum (2016).
‘Inhabitation and Deception’ Lecture, Royal College of Art (2016).
2015
Barton, G. ‘Architecture - Teaching the Future / The Future of Teaching’ at DRS LEARNxDESIGN CONFERENCE, SAIC Chicago, (2015).
Barton, G. ‘Universities are not in the business of producing faster horses’ in Architects Journal, (2015).
2014
Barton, G. ‘Architects & Filmmakers - The Grey Area’ at Architecture Media Politics Society - Mediated City Conference, Ravensbourne University (2014).
‘The Future of Architectural Education’ Lecture and panel discussion, Architecture Foundation (2014).
Barton, G. ‘Movable Feast’ artwork exhibited in ‘To Be Destroyed’ at Museum Contemporary Art Canada, (2014).
2013
Barton, G. ‘Diversify or Die’ – an analysis of the ‘alternative’ In FULCRUM, AA Publishing (2013).
‘Chromophobia’ lecture, Clerkenwell Design Week (2013).
Barton, G. ‘The Name Game’ In BLUEPRINT MAGAZINE, (2013).
2012
Barton, G. ‘SCAN.IT’’ interactive installation exhibited at Tate Britain (2012).