Dr Amy Butt - School of Architecture

Amy Brookes

Email:
a.v.brookes@reading.ac.uk
Phone:
ext 3953
Job title:
Lecturer in Architecture

Responsibilities:

School Director of Diversity and Inclusion
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. 76–83
Butt, A. (2015) 'Control Towers: Life and Limitations in The World Inside', Low-Res: Architectural theory, Politics and Criticism, Pilot Issue 'High-Rise', pp. 134–144
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