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University Teacher in Architecture
Live Projects Coordinator
Deputy Director of MArch Collaborative Practice
+44 114 222 0356
He/him
I am an ARB-registered Architect with a wide range of practice experience in the UK and abroad. Prior to joining the SSoA, I have held Senior Architect and Associate positions at a number of small practices and worked in multi-disciplinary teams on larger projects.
I have also taught Architecture at various levels in a number of Schools of Architecture in the UK and internationally – and carried out industry-based research projects for national bodies in my specialist field of community-led housing and self-build projects.
I love to travel and to learn on the go - and I have a deep-seated passion for the exchange of knowledge and experience. My most rewarding life experiences have come from travelling and collaboration - both within and outside of the UK. I learn best by doing – and this heavily influences my teaching practice.
At the SSoA, I lead the Live Projects programme across both years of the MArch Architecture course and the MA Architectural Design course. I also co-direct the Collaborative Practice route to the MArch qualification – and I am involved in the teaching of environment and technology at both Undergraduate and MArch level.
I am also an accredited Community Led Housing Adviser working with enabling hubs in London and the West Midlands.
Technology teaching
Critical Material Appraisal, ongoing
Critical Material Appraisal, ongoing
Sam worked with the Students for Climate Action group at the Sheffield School of Architecture to curate and share a set of resources produced by MArch in Architecture students as part of their ARC554 module, Environment & Technology 1. The work is titled the "Critical Material Appraisal" (CMA) and asks students to work in groups to develop a body of design research relating to the material, technical and environmental themes emerging from their design studio work. The brief for the assignment asks students to develop a resource for use by their studio and, if relevant, by the wider MArch cohort, School of Architecture or external partners and collaborators. The work ranges from in-depth worked examples and critique of embodied carbon calculations, to original research into the production of construction materials using waste or byproducts of bio-remediation, as well as the exploration of the vernacular way of building in particular places around the world. The exhibition aims to make the products of tis research available and accessible to other students and to cultivate reflection on the emerging body of knowledge generated by students in the School.BESCA CMA ArchiveExhibition, Online resource, Climate Emergency, Material Cultures, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Live projects
Live Projects Instagram, ongoing
Live Projects Instagram, ongoing
Sam curates the @ssoa_liveprojects Instagram account, which documents the projects completed as part of each years' Live Projects Programme. The account complements the www.liveprojects.org web archive and offers a two-way channel of communication with potential clients and collaborators, scholars and prospective students.Event, EDI, Participation, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Community Led Homes
Accredited Advisor, ongoing
Accredited Advisor, ongoing
Sam is an accredited Community-Led Housing Advisor, having earned accreditation through demonstrable project experience and training provided by Community-Led Homes and the Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH).https://www.communityledhomes.org.uk/Consultancy, EDI, Participation, Sam Brown
Architects Climate Action Network
ACAN Education Working Group, ongoing
ACAN Education Working Group, ongoing
Sam volunteers with the Architects Climate Action Network (ACAN), participating in its working group on Education.Event, Climate Emergency, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Professional organisation
AECB - ongoing
AECB - ongoing
Member of the Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB), attending annual conference, contributing to discussion groups and participating in continuing professional development.https://aecb.net/Membership, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
AdvancedHE teaching award
Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence, August 2025
Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence, August 2025
The AdvanceHE Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) is a national award that recognises and rewards collaborative work that has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning and highlights the key role of teamwork in UK higher education. The winning teams demonstrate innovative approaches to collaborative teaching that have transformed student experiences and outcomes.The winning ELSSA (Engaged Learning at Sheffield School of Architecture) team comprises staff and students who have made substantial contributions to 'live' pedagogy over the last 10 years at Sheffield School of Architecture; Carolyn Butterworth (Team Leader), Leo Care (Deputy Team Leader), Sam Brown, Emre Akbil, Maša Šorn, Tom Moore, Claire Tymon and Rowan Mackay.ELSSA at the University of Sheffield transforms architecture education through engaged learning. Students collaborate with communities on real projects, building vital skills in leadership, communication, and problem-solving. This comprehensive programme of curricular and extra-curricular ‘Liveness’ creates confident, socially conscious architects, impacting both professional practice and global higher education.AdvanceHE Announcement, Sheffield University Announcement (requires Staff login)Accreditation, Event, Inclusivity, Participation, Pedagogy, Carolyn Butterworth, Emre Akbil, Leo Care and Sam Brown
“ELSSA has made a profound impact on the education culture at our University. We are immensely proud of the impact our students, staff and graduates have on their communities and professions; ELSSA typifies this commitment to civic engagement and is a beacon initiative for our university."
Dave Forrest, Deputy Vice-President for Education, The University of Sheffield“ELSSA has made a profound impact on the education culture at our University. We are immensely proud of the impact our students, staff and graduates have on their communities and professions; ELSSA typifies this commitment to civic engagement and is a beacon initiative for our university."
Designing for the Climate Emergency
Reflection on use as a studio teaching tool, 2024 - ongoing
Reflection on use as a studio teaching tool, 2024 - ongoing
In support of the recent publication by Aidan Hoggard and others titled "Designing for the Climate Emergency", Sam Brown and Rachel Harris have organised sessions with design studio teaching staff at the Sheffield School of Architecture intended to introduce the book to key staff and support its use in studio. The sessions included an overview of the book's structure and content and an invitation to feedback on the experience of using it directly with students, to be compiled into a reflective piece at the end of the academic year. The feedback will be provided to the authors and publishers to inform further editions of the book. A concurrent strand of work aims to promote the use of the book with students so that design studio work explicitly addresses the challenges of the climate emergency in a manageable way aligned with students' progression through the undergraduate and post-graduate courses.Journal Article, Climate Emergency, Pedagogy, Sam Brown, Rachel Harris
Technica Conference
Teaching Technology in Architecture Conference, May 2024
Teaching Technology in Architecture Conference, May 2024
Technology Leads from UK Arch Schools participated in a full day event, exploring ways to advance teaching and research of technologies subject.ARC207 is under development and a presentation at the conference will inform how embodied carbon can be better incorporated and represented within the module.A full set of conference slides is available from the E+T team.Event, EDI, Building Performance, Pedagogy, Jennifer Kerr, Sam Brown, Yun Wu and Pierangelo Scravaglieri
(p)ersonalised (VE)ntilation and shading (D)esign for residential elderly (Ca)re environment
pVEDCa, 2024
pVEDCa, 2024
Ongoing collaboration with academic colleagues, students and a "live" client to simultaneously develop analysis and proposals for a case study sheltered housing project located in Sheffield, together with teaching materials based on the work for use in a variety of academic modules.Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Pedagogy, Sam Brown, Dan Jary
Sustainable Architecture Studies collaboration
Dobbin Hill, 2024
Dobbin Hill, 2024
Ongoing collaboration with students from the University of Sheffield School of Architecture's MSc in Sustainable Architecture Studies (MSc SAS) programme to explore strategies for the thermal-comfort focuses retrofit of a typical, solid-walled semi-detached family home in Sheffield.The work will inform physical adaptations to the property to be carried out in the near future. The work will be documented and building performance analysis will be carried out before, during and after the works.Built Project, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Sam Brown
Technology teaching
Gando School Buildings by Francis Kéré, 29th March 2023
Gando School Buildings by Francis Kéré, 29th March 2023
Sam prepared an in-depth case study on the school buildings built at Gando in Burkina Faso, initiated and designed by the Burkinabé architect, Francis Kéré. The case study was used as the basis of new teaching content in the MArch in Architecture module, ARC554 - Environment & Technology 1, in support of efforts to include content situated in climate contexts other than western Europe within a diversified offering to students. Presentation, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Material Cultures, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Technology teaching
The work of Prism Facades: terracotta curtain walling system at Blue+William in Sydney, 8th March 2023
The work of Prism Facades: terracotta curtain walling system at Blue+William in Sydney, 8th March 2023
Sam collaborated with the facade designer Troy Donovan of Prism Facades, based in Sydney, Australia, to develop a guest presentation and associated worksheet of teaching resources covering the role of a facade designer in design teams, the innovative approach to digital sketching used by Troy to develop detail design proposals and the application of this in the context of an innovative curtain walling system in use at the Blue+William development in Sydney, designed by Woods Bagot. ARC554 22-23 - Troy Donovan worksheetEvent, Teaching Resource, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Material Cultures, Sam Brown
Technology teaching
Retrofit Fundamentals for Construction Professionals, 8th December 2022
Retrofit Fundamentals for Construction Professionals, 8th December 2022
In response to the increase in student projects and project briefs focusing on Retrofit, Sam participated in a collective training course for design studio teaching staff in the School of Architecture.The session was facilitated by experienced retrofit contractors, People Powered Retrofit, and was designed to help staff understand the fundamental principles of eco-retrofit works, build on existing knowledge and skills, and to get up to date with the latest green building techniques, products, and regulations.Event, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Live projects
Cairo Bike Project, 26th September - 4th November 2022
Cairo Bike Project, 26th September - 4th November 2022
The Cairo Bike Live Project took place in Cairo, Egypt as part of the University of Sheffield School of Architecture's Live Projects Programme 2022-23. It explored the ongoing initiative by the Cairo Governorate and UN-Habitat to establish a bike-sharing scheme within wider efforts to decarbonise the Downtown area of the city. The Live Project was set within a longer-term collaboration between the Architecture Department at the American University in Cairo and the Egyptian office of UN-Habitat, with Egyptian architecture students undertaking analysis of the bike sharing scheme as part of a course in urban design. The Live Project itself invited students from the UK to visit Cairo and collaborate with local students to develop a period of fieldwork designed to understand how the bike scheme's pilot phase is perceived by residents and citizens in order to offer insight and proposals for future phases. The Live Project was funded by the University of Sheffield School of Architecture and made possible by local facilitation in the field by Momen El-Husseiny, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanization at the American University in Cairo.Journal Article, Film, Climate Emergency, Pedagogy, Participation, Sam Brown
Architectural education
RIBA Future of Architectural Education Roundtable, 29th June 2022
RIBA Future of Architectural Education Roundtable, 29th June 2022
Sam was an invited participant in a roundtable discussion organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and titled "The Future of Architectural Education".With the early outcomes emerging from the Architects Registration Board (ARB) consultation on the Initial Education and Training of Architects, the event was designed to inform the RIBA's developing position on the reform of architectural education. The discussion centred on three key topics: (1) Accessibility to the profession; (2) Accessibility to the Register and Routes to Registration; (3) Standards and Competences, Validation and Prescription; and (4) Conduct, Agency and Responsibility.As a key stakeholder in reform of the regulation of the architectural profession, the RIBA is working closely with ARB on many key topics including alternative routes to registration, the stage at which the ARB should accredit qualifications, how students can best get good quality professional practical experience, apprenticeships and funding models.Event, EDI, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Architectural education
ARB CPD Focus Group, 20th June 2022
ARB CPD Focus Group, 20th June 2022
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is developing a scheme for monitoring continuing professional development (CPD) that will encourage architects to maintain and develop their competence to practise. Sam was invited to participate in a focus group designed to develop the detail of ARB's proposed CPD scheme, ahead of a public consultation later in 2022.Event, Pedagogy, Sam Brown
Professional gathering
International Cohousing Summit, 13th - 15th January 2022
International Cohousing Summit, 13th - 15th January 2022
"Sam Brown is an architect and coordinates the Live Projects Programme at the University of Sheffield School of Architecture. Together with young professionals participating in the programme, he will talk about their unique collaboration with OpHouse to provide pre-design services for forming groups and developing project briefs, which can otherwise present a barrier for new groups starting out. Originating as a ‘live’ element of an academic programme, the Live Projects Programme has evolved into Live Works, an off-campus project office offering ongoing services to groups as they acquire land and move into the development phase. In focusing on participatory process and continuing community engagement, the model offers a means to support the community-led housing sector in a context of uncertain and short-term government support."Conference presentation on a case study of a Live Project carried out in collaboration with a community-led housing group, OpHouse, and facilitated by a regional community land trust, YorSpace, both based in York. The presentation was delivered jointly by the University of Sheffield School of Architecture’s Live Projects Coordinator, Sam Brown, together with students from the project, Laurie Hampson, Scott McKenzie, Thomas Ruff and Elle Clemens.The aim of the project is to renovate Morrell House, a former care home, into residential space via self-building and related community intervention. The Live Projects team’s role was to help engage the local community and potential residents with the design of the renovated building.The conference contribution was to a session exploring alternative means of initiating or progressing a project when compared to conventional client-professional relationships in housing delivery.SSoA News: OpHouse group at international cohousing summitPresentation, EDI, Pedagogy, Participation, Sam Brown
Cohousing
Nubia Way: a story of black-led self building in Lewisham, July 2021 - July 2022
Nubia Way: a story of black-led self building in Lewisham, July 2021 - July 2022
Sam Brown's contribution to this project was relatively minimal, as part of the background research carried out by the main production team.Nubia Way was built in the 1990s by Fusions Jameen, London's first black housing co-operative in Downham, Lewisham. Constructed using the principles of Walter Segal, self-builders were offered long-term discounted rents in return for building the homes. Through interviews with the original self-builders, historians, architects and economists, this new documentary from the Architecture Foundation celebrates the legacy of Nubia Way and examines self-building as an act of resistance against the housing discrimination faced by Black British Communities.Film, EDI, History and Representation, Participation, Sam Brown
Glass House chats
Connecting students and community-led design projects, 12th November 2021
Connecting students and community-led design projects, 12th November 2021
This edition of Glass-House Chats focused on "Connecting students and community-led design projects". The event sought to explore the increasing practice within built environment degree and qualification courses to link student work with live projects led by local communities. Having some experience of helping to make these connections, and of training and mentoring both the students and the community groups involved, The Glass-House was keen to explore perceptions of other people and organisations in this space. While some of the participants had extensive experience in this space, others were simply curious about it. What emerged was a thoughtful discussion that looked at practice in use, posed questions, and created pause for reflection on approaches and methods in use, and ultimately developed some clear recommendations to those organising them."Thanks again for joining the Chat...and for the really interesting conversation. I am really passionate about this space of live projects and hope that we can collaborate more on this in the future." Sophia de Sousa, Chief Executive at The Glass-HouseEvent, EDI, Participation, Sam Brown
"Thanks again for joining the Chat...and for the really interesting conversation. I am really passionate about this space of live projects and hope that we can collaborate more on this in the future."
- from Sophia de Sousa, Chief Executive at The Glass-House"Thanks again for joining the Chat...and for the really interesting conversation. I am really passionate about this space of live projects and hope that we can collaborate more on this in the future."
Community projects
Continuity of Community Projects, 4th October 2021
Continuity of Community Projects, 4th October 2021
I was invited to make a presentation on "Group Dynamics" to an event focusing on "Continuity in Community Projects", drawing on my experience of coordinating the Live Projects Programme. The event was designed to facilitate knowledge exchange between participants and PGR students at the University of Sheffield School of Architecture.Presentation, EDI, Participation, Sam Brown, Carolyn Butterworth
Sam Brown - Certificate of Attendance Masterclass Net Zero.pdfKnowledge sharing
Getting to Net Zero: Masterclass, 14th July 2021
Getting to Net Zero: Masterclass, 14th July 2021
The increased focus on the Climate Emergency has led to a stream of declarations to achieve Net Zero. But what does that actually mean to the built environment? Do we really know how to design and deliver a true net-zero building? This masterclass was undertaken collectively by design studio teaching staff, module leaders and programme leaders in the undergraduate and MArch programmes at the University of Sheffield School of Architecture as a way to enhance our teaching practice.The event explored the issues around net zero, providing practical illustrations of what it takes to achieve both net-zero operational energy and net-zero embodied energy and highlighting what can be done at design stage to achieve the biggest impact.Event, Climate Emergency, Pedagogy, Building Performance, Sam Brown, Simon Baker
Keynote presentation
CoHoHui Collective Housing Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 22nd June 2021
CoHoHui Collective Housing Conference, Wellington, New Zealand, 22nd June 2021
Sam Brown from the University of Sheffield School of Architecture and Cany Ash from Ash Sakula Architects were international guests and Keynote Speakers for CoHoHui 2021 - the Collective Housing Conference organised by the Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. The keynote presentation focused on sharing experience of working in community-led housing in the UK and developing the web-based resource "Motivating Collective Custom Build", itself a research project developed collaboratively between the University of Sheffield School of Architecture, Ash Sakula Architects and Design For Homes, funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council.The presentations were subsequently discussed in a recorded, reflective format with Mark Southcombe, Associate Professor at the Victoria University Wellington School of Architecture.Presentation, Participation, Sam Brown, Simon Baker
"The event was a great success... Sincere thanks for your presentations which were really on point and more than we could have hoped for."
- from Mark Southcombe, conference organiser and Associate Professor, School of Architecture (Te Kura Waihanga), at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand."The event was a great success... Sincere thanks for your presentations which were really on point and more than we could have hoped for."
Case Study 04 - Woodland Community Hall at Hill Holt Wood - Worksheet 21-22.pdfTechnology teaching
Woodland Community Hall at Hill Holt Wood, 7th December 2020
Woodland Community Hall at Hill Holt Wood, 7th December 2020
Sam prepared an in-depth case study on the Woodland Community Hall at Hill Holt Wood, an ancient woodland located on the border of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire in the UK. The hall is constructed of rammed earth and native UK timber used "in the round" and has been the recipient of a number of awards in recognition of the innovative means of construction and process of design. The work involved extensive original interviews with a wide range of people involved in the building's construction and use. The case study was used as the basis of new teaching content in the MArch in Architecture module, ARC554 - Environment & Technology 1, in support of efforts to include content on low impact construction techniques within a diversified offering to students. Presentation, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Material Cultures, Pedagogy, Participation, Sam Brown
Student exhibition
SSoA Catalogue 2020, June 2020
SSoA Catalogue 2020, June 2020
Working closely with colleagues Luis Hernan and Ralph Mackinder and a small team of paid students, Sam developed the University of Sheffield School of Architecture’s end-of-year catalogue and online exhibition content in 2020, an innovative response to the challenges imposed by the COVID pandemic and associated restrictions on public gatherings. This required the development of an innovative online platform to take the place of the traditional physical end-of-year exhibition, as well as the integration of documents such as the catalogue with that platform.Responding to this challenge also offered the opportunity to develop a method for documenting and disseminating the activity of the School that was not wholly (and only) aligned with the cycle of the validated courses and as such, more inclusive of post-graduate taught and post-graduate research activity.Exhibition, Catalogue, Digital Learning, Participation, Sam Brown
Project archive
SYHAxSSoA Project Stack, 2019 - 2024
SYHAxSSoA Project Stack, 2019 - 2024
Welcome to the SSOAxSHYA Project Stack Archive!The School of Architecture at the University of Sheffield and South Yorkshire Housing Association have been working together on a number of collaborative projects since 2019. We call this the SYHAxSSoA Project Stack. This archive collects and celebrates all the fantastic work created so far from across the School, including the Y2 Housing Project, PG Live Projects, MArch Dissertations and SAS Case Studies.The archive is organised in 3 themes:
- New Homes: To meet the housing crisis and to meet demand, SYHA have to build new social housing. Through the project stack, SSOA and SYHA are exploring how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and other sustainable techniques can be used to deliver fantastic new homes with excellent environmental credentials.
- Futureproof Homes: Making our homes ready for the future is a multi-faceted problem, with the two main issues being the climate crisis and an ageing population.
- Living Together: Living Together healthily and happily at all scales, from neighborhood level down to communal facilities, is an increasingly important area of study and development.
"At SYHA, we've got over 6,000 homes and we need to make sure that they're going to be fit for the future" [working with SSOA] "challenges us to think in different ways about them and builds on our knowledge...to influence our policy and what we do in development going forward."
-South Yorkshire Housing Association"At SYHA, we've got over 6,000 homes and we need to make sure that they're going to be fit for the future" [working with SSOA] "challenges us to think in different ways about them and builds on our knowledge...to influence our policy and what we do in development going forward."
Low-energy construction
Creek Cabin, 2017 - 2020
Creek Cabin, 2017 - 2020
Creek Cabin is an innovative low-energy, flood-resilient replacement dwelling in a protected wetland location of internationally-recognised importance. Working with Jon Broome Architects and MAP Architecture, Sam led the delivery of the building in close collaboration with client, contractor and various specialists required to realise such an ambitious design.The house features a pair of 'floating' green roofs set above the main body of the building with clerestory glazing concealing a lightweight steel frame. A super-insulated envelope of engineered timber cassettes filled with woodfibre and clad in kebony encloses the upper floor, whilst the ground floor accommodation is housed within flood-resilient masonry construction on a raft foundation. The project has been designed to passivhaus principles with a mechanical ventilation and heat-recovery system and relies on wood-pellet fueled biomass boiler for heating energy and a bore hole for water supply.Built Project, Climate Emergency, Building Performance, Sam Brown
Grand Designs Magazine _ Walters Way_Selected Pages.pdfRetrofit and refurbishment
Walters Way, September 2016 - March 2019
Walters Way, September 2016 - March 2019
Walters Way is the sensitive refurbishment of an original "Segal House" originally built as part of an innovative housing scheme run by Lewisham council in the 1980s. The refurbishment works are extensive and include a single-storey wrap-around extension, improved insulation and glazing, a renewed rainscreen and a modern spatial reconfiguration to suit a growing family. The work was carried out by the clients themselves, working with other trades and contractors where necessary. The design work was carried out by Sam Brown, working initially with Jon Broome Architects and latterly with MAP Architecture.Press Article, Built Project, Climate Emergency, Material Cultures, Building Performance, Sam Brown
Ash, C., Birkbeck, D., Brown, S., Cerulli, C. and Stevenson, F. (2013) - Motivating Collective Custom Build_full report.pdfCohousing development
Motivating Collective Custom Build, 2013 - 2014
Motivating Collective Custom Build, 2013 - 2014
Sam was seconded to Ash Sakula Architects as part of a project that tested methods by which academic institutions could collaborate with industry partners. The project focused on in-depth research into the delivery of custom build housing in the UK. Sam collaborated with Ash Sakula Architects and housing industry social enterprise, Design For Homes, on the production of a short film and website that collected, curated and introduced information about collective forms of self-provided housing and argued the case for greater support for this type of development.The project attracted significant media interest and was launched in the UK Parliament in 2014. The project was set within the Home Improvements research project funded by the Arts & Humanities Research (AHRC) and led by Prof. Flora Samuel. Motivating Collective Custom Build was led by Prof. Fionn Stevenson as Primary Investigator and Dr Cristina Cerulli as Co-Investigator.Event, Film, Website, Participation, Sam Brown
CollectiveCustomBuild_inWeb (trimmed).wmvCohousing development
Rural Urban Synthesis Society, 2009 - 2023
Rural Urban Synthesis Society, 2009 - 2023
The Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS) is a Community Land Trust (CLT) based in Lewisham, south-east London, with the aim of creating sustainable community-led neighbourhoods with affordable housing. Sam worked closely with the organisation to establish itself, raise funding, find a site for its first project, assemble a design team, run a co-design process, gain planning permission and start on site with its first, ambitious scheme of 36 homes at Church Grove in Ladywell, offering self-build opportunities for local people. The works are due to complete in May 2023.Case Study: The Rural Urban Synthesis SocietyBuilt Project, Participation, Material Cultures, Building Performance, Placemaking, Sam Brown
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