Researchers in the ARA area investigate the ways in which we inhabit space, and how this is shaped by social, technological and cultural spatial factors. Areas of work include: critical approaches to spatial challenges around spatial displacement; smart cities and inclusion; and the role of placemaking and ICTs in the Global South and building design and technologies for low-impact living in Europe and south Asia. The research typically takes a cross-disciplinary approach to address these topics, and is characterised by engagement with the wider civic and cultural contexts of architecture. Consequently the research is also characterized by collaborations with a diverse range of industry and third sector organisations in UK and internationally.

Staff have successfully published a number of major monographs in the last five years. The work in the smart cities field has also delivered outcomes at policy level through invited evidence to policy makers such as UK Greater London Authority (GLA), European Innovation Partnership (EIP) – AGRI, UK Department of Work and Pensions and Brazilian Ministry as well as to senior management at BT Openreach. National research collaborations include outputs and research partnerships on funded projects with UCL, University of Edinburgh, Cardiff University, University of Durham and Oxford Brookes University.