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Amy Butt

amy-butt portrait

Co-leads the development and delivery of BSc Architecture stage 1 design studio and the teaching of visualization and communication.

Areas of interest

  • Education design
  • Widening participation in architecture
  • Public engagement and interdisciplinary working
  • The utopian imaginary and intent in architecture
  • Narrative communication of and in architectural design
  • Architecture in science fiction literature and film.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD in Architecture by Published Works, University of Westminster, 2023
  • PGDip in Professional Practice in Architecture (RIBA/ARB part 3) University of Westminster
  • PGDip Architecture (RIBA/ARB part 2) University of Westminster
  • BSc Architectural Studies (RIBA/ARM part 1) Cardiff University
  • RIBA Chartered Architect

Professional bodies/affiliations

  • Co-founder of Involve Architecture Collective
  • Active member of the Imaginaries of the Future Network, London Science Fiction Research Community, the British Science Fiction Association and the Utopian Studies Society

Selected publications

  • Butt A., (2021) “The Present as Past: Science Fiction and the Museum”, Open Library of Humanities 7(1)

  • Butt A. (2021) ‘Crowding the Stoop’: Climbing the Mega-Structures of Science Fiction. In: Beattie M., Kakalis C., Ozga-Lawn M. (eds) Mountains and Megastructures. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore

  • Butt A. (2019) Studies in Arts and Humanities, 05: 01, pp. 5 – 23 Special Issue: Utopian Acts

  • Butt, A. (2018) 'Endless forms, vistas and hues': Why Architects Should Read Science Fiction, ARQ Architectural Research Quarterly

  • Butt, A. and Roberts, D. (2018) 'Narrative Arcs' in Regeneration Songs: Sounds of Investment and Loss from East London. Eds. Duman, A., Hancox, D., James, M., and Minton, A.

  • Butt, A. (2018) 'City limits: Boundary Conditions and the Building-Cities of Science Fiction', open Library of the Humanities - Special Issue Series: 'Imaginaries of the Future'

  • Butt, A. (2018) 'Vicarious Vertigo: The emotional experience of height in the science fiction city'. Emotion, Space and Society - Special Issue 'Vertigo in the City'

  • Butt, A. (2016) 'Between the Image and the Building: An Architectural Tour of High-Rise', Critical Quarterly, Volume 58, Issue 1, April 2016, pp. 7683

  • Butt, A. (2015) 'Control Towers: Life and Limitations in The World Inside', Low-Res: Architectural theory, Politics and Criticism, Pilot Issue 'High-Rise', pp. 134144

  • Butt, A. and Knox-Williams, C. (2015) 'The Possibility of Failure: Chasing Utopia', Alter Periodical, Spring 2015, Volume 2

Career path

Amy sees architecture as a social art, the practice of which should embody and support progressive social development. She has a strong belief in the importance of consultation, participation and narrative communication to widen participation in architecture, and create spaces which engage and inspire all users of the built environment.

 

In her work as an Architect she specialised in higher and further education design, with a focus on client consultation and student engagement. She worked for several UK practices before moving to BPR Architects where she was an associate director for six years. Over that time, she was the project architect responsible for design and delivery of £36m worth of education projects ranging from small refurbishments and fit out projects to a new £18m Science and Technology building for Middlesex University.

 

Alongside her work in practice, she co-founded Involve Architecture Collective, which specialises in small scale installations and workshops which aim to broaden participation in architecture. They have worked with public institutions including Tate Britain, RIBA, Open City, the V&A Museum and the Horniman Museum as well as school and youth groups.

 

Before coming to ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø she led second and third year undergraduate design studios at the University of Brighton and second year, third year and MArch design studios at Newcastle University where she was nominated for a Teaching Excellence Award. These studios all focused on the importance of social engagement in design and explored the role of narrative in architecture, informed by her research into science fiction.

Publications

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