Nicola Crowson

Nicola Crowson is the Associate Head (Students) of School at Portsmouth School of Architecture, Art & Design, and both an architect and experienced educator known for fostering creativity. Nicola brings to her expertise teaching students the art of effective spatial representation and the power of communicating complex relationships through maps and diagrams. She teaches across the undergraduate and postgraduate courses and is also academic lead for recruitment and outreach. She joined the univeristy in 2007.

She specialises the representation of architecture through the themes of narrative and drawing. She has led, taught and mentored others to teach the foundational drawing module within Portsmouth School of Architecture for 17 years. She loves nothing more than mystifying a subject through drawing live in lectures and believes drawing as a powerful tool for learning. She co-authored and edited Representational Techniques for Architecture (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015).

Nicola’s body of practice-research employs mapping practices both real and imagined as a way of understanding place and informing architectural interventions through drawing. The resultant drawings and maps play with scale and take advantage of the process of drawings and its materials - digital, physical, drawn and stitched. She has been working in collaboration with Tina Wallbridge the work explores how narratives shape spatial understanding, using mapping, modelling, and drawing to unveil layers of meaning of the Island City. Within the wider scope of work sits contains various projects such as ‘The Portsmouth Corset’, ‘Critical cartographies’, ‘Island Cities of Stories', ‘the drawing table’ and the most recent ‘Atlas of Island Cities’.

Nicola Crowson is a co-founder of the master’s in architecture studio "Future Architecture & Time Machines" (part 2/Degree Apprenticeship), where she merges her research interests with studio pedagogy. This innovative studio examines the interplay of architecture with mapping, narrative, and cartography. It encourages students to speculate and push boundaries, emphasizing narrative-driven design by viewing the architect as a physical novelist who weaves together the past, present, and future. Over the past five years, the studio has focused on the global motif of fortification cities, particularly the forts surrounding Portsmouth Harbour. The associated research highlights the transformative potential of mapping in architectural education, emphasizing the dynamic relationships between mapping, storytelling, and spatial understanding. This work has been showcased through various exhibitions and articles.

Nicola has been a key part of the Portsmouth Project Office embedded within the School of Architecture which combines aspects of architectural practice, community engagement and associated research. One of her research areas is live projects and this illustrates her passion for real-world learning. She actively shares best practices locally within the curriculum, regionally by using this knowledge to inform outreach activities and nationally as part of the SEKE and Live Project Forum. Her approach is informed by international exchanges and her research and teaching specialism in drawing, making and narrative. She has extensive teaching in the respective fields. Projects have included- Leading the 'Future Rowner co-design project which aims to enhance resident engagement through codesigned environmental enhancements. Live Projects in the curriculum such as Maggie’s Cancer Centre, Southampton and Sustrans cycle charity and 1: 1 making with the Whitelands Wood Project CIC. She has a keen interest in live projects and their exploration of the pedagogical, innovation and research outcomes that can be generated from them.

Her work continues to inspire students, colleagues, and the broader community, reinforcing the critical role of architects as both designers and storytellers. Always strives to create a supportive and innovative learning and working environment.

• Research Area:  Drawing,representation and drawing techniques.
• Publication: ‘Representational Techniques’ which is due for publication early in 2015 (Bloomsbury Press)
• Practice Orientated research: Work though the Project Office on Live projects real-world learning. Including the 'Future Rowner' co-design project to enhance resident engagement and live projects such as Maggie’s Cancer Centre in Southampton, the Sustrans Cycle Charity, and 1:1 making with the Whitelands Wood Project CIC.  She actively shares best practices at local, regional, and national levels and is particularly interested in how live projects generate pedagogical, innovation, and research outcomes.
• Pedagogic Research:  Senior fellow of the HEA with specific research into ‘Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Informing transition from FE to HE’ and ‘Post Covid Social Learning. Live Projects & Real-world learning.’