Associate Lecturer -Environmental Architecture MA (Studio, 0.15FTE, Fixed term)

Fixed-Term until 31/8/26

The Royal College of Art is the world’s leading postgraduate institution of art and design, offering an extraordinary environment for postgraduate art, design, research and innovation. The School of Architecture brings together a diverse community of critical thinkers and practitioners who challenge the boundaries of the discipline and engage directly with pressing social, environmental, and political issues through architectural education and research.

We are seeking to appoint an Associate Lecturer (0.15 FTE) to contribute to the MA Environmental Architecture programme, with a focus on Research Studio 6: “Saharan Becomings”. This is a unique opportunity for an educator and practitioner whose work addresses the spatial, social, and ecological consequences of climate change, and who brings experience in critical, experimental forms of teaching and research.

Environmental Architecture at the RCA is a design-led, project-based programme that equips students to address global environmental challenges through spatial and speculative design. The programme engages with environmental history, science, and policy, while foregrounding social justice and community engagement in areas affected by environmental transformation.

Research Studio 6 – Saharan Becomings explores the colonial and extractive histories of the Sahara Desert and their impact on the region’s diverse communities and ecologies. The studio employs design research, physical and digital model-making, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to reveal and resist environmental injustice in one of the world’s most geopolitically complex landscapes.

The Role

As Associate Lecturer, you will contribute to the planning and delivery of the Research Studio, supporting students through tutorials, group teaching, and assessment. You will bring an informed understanding of the political, ecological and social dimensions of environmental change, and an ability to guide design work that is rigorous, inclusive, and critically engaged.

You will work closely with the Studio Lead and the Programme team, contributing to a vibrant and collaborative teaching culture that prioritises experimentation, interdisciplinarity and climate justice.

Person Specification

We are looking for candidates with:

• Experience teaching in environmentally focused architecture studios at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
• A Master’s degree in a related field.
• Knowledge of environmental science, history, and policy, with a strong interest in non-Western knowledge systems and the social dimensions of climate change.
• Experience with digital tools for environmental analysis, simulation, and visualisation.
• A collaborative approach and experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• A commitment to inclusive teaching practices and the ability to work effectively with students from diverse backgrounds.
• Familiarity with the thematic focus of Saharan Becomings, and an interest in physical/digital model-making as a critical design tool.

This is a part-time, fixed-term role (0.15 FTE) until 31 August 2026. The role offers the opportunity to work within a dynamic and globally recognised academic institution, and to contribute meaningfully to conversations at the intersection of design, climate, and social justice.

Join Us

If you're passionate about architectural education, we would love to hear from you.

Further details: Information Pack  

The Royal College of Art (RCA)  aims to foster an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all its staff and students and stakeholders are respected.

RCA Benefits available here: https://www.rca.ac.uk/more/work-at-the-rca/staff-benefits/

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