My Research

 

For over 20 years I have led research projects looking at the interaction of people with their built and natural environments, with a view to improving the physical, social and economic sustainability of those environments. Most, but not all of this work has been concerned with housing and the home environment.

 

Until recently this research has been carried out whilst employed in the post-1994 university sector. As Head of Research in Architecture and Built Environment at RGU in Aberdeen I led its growth from virtually nothing to being, for a while at least, a respected force in the world of people-environment studies. The recent success in the Research Assessment Exercise, which I led and authored for RGU, demonstrates how far I developed the field.

 

If you’ve ever worked for one of the new universities you’ll know that a research career has to be pursued in the evenings and at weekends, not as a core and essential activity. To succeed, funding opportunities have to be pursued often irrespective of ethical considerations. Therefore, having achieved a degree of financial independence, I’m now pursuing my research agenda as an independent consultant.

 

I’m interested in research of all kinds which...

* Pushes back the boundaries in our understanding of sustainability in relation to resource issues and climate change

* Addresses the relationship between design processes and the people who will use the products of design

* Improves the relationship between people and their built and natural environments

* In a world with an ageing demographic profile, improves the environments and hence the lives of people with disabilities

I am getting involved in seeking research funding, carrying out research and developing publications consistent with these themes

 

Here are a few highlights from my CV to date

 

* Member of EPSRC College and a variety of EPSRC and other panels

* Projects worth in excess of £1 million funded by the European Commission, EPSRC, DTI, AHRC, The Scottish Executive, Communities Scotland, Department of Health, NHS Grampian, Local Authorities and others.

* Author of upwards of 100 papers.

* Worked with a wide range of industrial and stakeholder collaborators.