Senior Lecturer and Additional Needs Coordinator

Background

Blanche studied foundation art in London, then ran the Covent Garden Communtiy Association for two years, which gave an understanding of the importance of genuine community ownership of the decisions made about their built environment. After cutting her teeth fighting local planning battles with Westminster and Camden borough councils, Blanche left to study architecture at the Mackintosh School of Architecture/Glasgow School of Art and then the Ecole Speciale d'Architecture, Paris (1990-1997).

After a traumatic architectural education, she moved to Berlin to work for architects Fuhlbrugge Doyle (1997-99) learning more environmentally aware processes for design. She moved to CAT in 1999, resulting in massive culture shock, to work for two years as a builder on the radical bookshop and information centre, learning structural rammed earth, sheep's wool and cellulose fibre insulation and larch timber framing. During the build, she set up an environmental design and construction consultancy and facilitated a number of private and community buildings locally.

In 2001 she started as a lecturer on the MSc Architecture: AEES and has been working as a senior lecturer, tutor, thesis supervisor and additional needs co-ordinator until present. In 2007, Blanche, together with other members of the student and staff body, founded the spin-off training charity RESET www.reset-development.org which supports the application of natural systems thinking to design of the built environment, through training, advocacy research and facilitation.

Blanche lives in London and works in Mid Wales and elsewhere in her areas of particular interest: the importance of biodiversity and habitat restoration, ecosystem services in design and our dependence on nature for a healthy built environment, communication and collaboration particularly intradisciplinary working, enabling people to access useful theoretical and practical skills, community design and build.

Qualifications

Foundation Art
B. Arch (Hons): Mackintosh School of Architecture/Glasgow University
Dipl. Arch: Ecole Speciale d'Architecture, Paris, and Mackintosh School of Architecture/Glasgow University
Member: AECB, the Sustainable Building Charity
Trustee and Founding Director of RESET, the charity working for the ecological adaptation of the built environment through natural systems thinking

Teaching Activities

Lecturer
Seminar tutor
Thesis supervision
Additional Needs co-ordinator, supporting students within the full range of educational needs
Practical: Ecosystem Services for Design and Climate Change Adaptation
Special module practicals: Straw Bale Construction (Environmentally Responsive Materials Module); World Cafe as a Communications Tool

Research Interests

The Integrated Habitats Design Competition: originator and co-ordinator www.ihdc.org.uk
'A Future of the World in 100 Objects': originator and co-coordinator www.futureoftheworld.org
Ecosystem services for low carbon, healthy design of the built environment
Education and learning required to supply the 'green skills' gap
Intradisciplinary teamworking and collaboration in commercial sectors
Climate change adaptation in the UK

Publications

Cameron, B. (2010) 'Integrating Habitats for Good Design' Sustain Magazine
Cameron, B. (2010) 'A Brief for Spitalfields City Farm' The Glass-House Community Led Design
Cameron, B. (2010) Session Chair: 'International developments in green roof construction', World Green Roof Congress 2010, London
Cameron, B. and Kerrane, A. (2010) 'Eco Neighbourhoods' Green Building Magazine
Cameron, B. (2009) 'Community: Building: Community' presentation to 'Convergence on Zero' Conference, Washington 2009
Cameron, B and Wolfe Murray, M with Trace, S., (2008) 'The Impact of Peak Oil on International Development' The All Party Parliamentary Committee on Peak Oil and Gas, with RESET and Practical Action UK