teaching & research

Our work goes beyond the design studio. We actively teach at architecture, urbanism and landscape architecture schools and partner with universities on research projects. This connection to education enriches our design process, while allowing us to share our practical experience with the next generation of architects. It’s a collaboration that makes our work stronger and more innovative.

We are always seeking to strengthen and develop our research networks with universities so feel free to get in touch if you want to collaborate.

Past teaching includes taught courses and module development at The University of Greenwich (2015-2024) and Kingston University (2006-2011) for courses on:

  • Landscape Architecture and urbanism, MA, MLA, MSc, (Accredited by the Landscape Institute)

  • Landscape Architecture, BA, (Accredited by the Landscape Institute)

  • Architecture, March (Accredited by the ARB and RIBA)

  • Architecture, BA (Accredited by the ARB and RIBA)

Visiting Critic at: Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), Royal College of Art (RCA), The Bartlett UCL, Nottingham University

Some past research engagements include:

Part 4 Design for life? fire safety and property resilience, London School of Architecture (LSA) 2022

Appointed by the LSA to help develop a design-focused new Part 4 programme, which addressed the Building Safety Act to monitor ongoing competency recently introduced by the ARB and RIBA’s Mandatory Core Competencies for Chartered Membership. Coordinated by Dr. Liam Ross with an advisory panel that consisted of: Paul Bussey (AHMM), Arita Morris (GGW Architects), Paul Hyett (Vickery Hyett), Ian Abbey (Fire Protection Association) and Helena Rivera of A Small Studio. Together we developed new curriculum for the LSA: innovative, modular courses (half a day a week over 4-6 weeks) to be delivered in-person at LSA premises and seek to reclaim the CPD and structured with useful guidance from the advisory panel and made both relevant and real.

Centre for Spatial and Digital Ecologies, University of Greenwich, 2023

This was a project led by Dr Silvio Carta. It was a partnership between the University of Greenwich, Lambeth Borough Council, and A Small Studio funded by the Regional Innovation Fund (RIF). It was a 9-month project designed to create a tool that would enable Local Authorities to measure the success of public engagement activities by evaluating factors such as attendance, diversity, feedback, actionable insights, and long-term impact. It aims to gauge the level of public participation, understand community sentiment, and assess the outcomes of engagement efforts, ultimately enabling the local authority to make informed decisions regarding future engagement strategies and community-driven initiatives.

The Urban Institute, Heriot Watt University, 2018-2019

This was a project led by Professor Harry Smith. It was funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) made available by the British Academy’s Cities and Infrastructure programme. This was a 14 month interdisciplinary project called: ‘Co-production of landslide risk management strategies through development of community-based infrastructure in Latin American cities’. The team was a group of academics and practitioners undertaking research at a community level with practical outcomes.

The Urban Institute, Heriot Watt University, 2016-2018

This was a project led by Professor Harry Smith. It was funded through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) Resilience Foundation Awards made available by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The project was an 18 month research enquiry called: Resilience or resistance? Negotiated mitigation of landslide risks in informal settlements in Medellin. The team was a group of academics and practitioners and planners undertaking research at a practical level with theoretical outcomes.

The University of Edinburgh, 2015-2017

A Newton Fund project led by Dr. Soledad Garcia Ferrari. This was an institutional Link Grant that was awarded for a two-year project to find ways of making Medellín in Colombia a more socially equitable and environmentally sustainable city. It is a knowledge exchange collaboration with partners based in Medellín, called Medellín Urban Innovation (MUI). As a team we were a group of academics, practitioners and planners undertaking research at a practical level with theoretical outcomes.

Kingston University, 2004

Co-founded the Landscape Interface Studio, Kingston University (LIS) in 2004. The research studio engaged with live landscape & urbanism projects in real time. It undertook a 24-month INTERREG project funded by the EU to showcase good practice waterway regeneration schemes across Europe.