Flora Samuel

Author of Why Architects Matter (2018)
University of Reading, London

Keynote Speaker

Biography

Flora Samuel is the first RIBA Vice President for Research, a twice nationally elected member of RIBA Council and Professor of Architecture in the Built Environment at the new School of Architecture at the University of Reading. Before this she was the first female Head of School at the University of Sheffield. Because of her frustrations at the way in which architects have been marginalised from the production of the built environment, she has over the last ten years focused her attention the way in which Architects evidence and communicate their value. Her book Why Architects Matter (2018) is the result of over £500K of research council funding to investigate this issue. She is passionate about supporting the development of research in practice  – in 2016 she set up the Research Practice Leads, a group of over 30 practices that meets quarterly  to advance the cause of research of architectural research. Their current focus is on the development of a Social Value Toolkit for Architects to demonstrate the wellbeing value of buildings. She also leads the Place strand within the UK Collaborative Housing Evidence Centre (CACHE).