Helen Iball

Academic Lead for Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies and M.Arch Course Co-Leader

Email:: helen.iball@bcu.ac.uk

Helen is an intersectional feminist architectural academic creatively teaching feminist spatial practice for over twenty-seven year, where she set up PRAXXIS aiming to stimulate a positive intersectional feminist debate in Schools of Architecture.

Over nearly ten years of PRAXXIS Helen has taught well over 500 feminist projects, collectively and collaboratively built a portable consultation station (the PRAXXIS shed), built a series of gossip spaces at a local senior school, built multiple inclusive playgrounds with key stage one children and designed some feminist architectural wallpaper. Using innovative brief writing, engagement techniques and pedagogical games Helen enjoys building with those who do not normally build and has a wide range of projects demonstrating this approach to teaching and learning

Helen joined the Birmingham School of Architecture in February 2025 teaching across the undergraduate architecture course and acting as the department lead for Teaching Excellence and Student Experience until the recent restructuring of the colleges into new departments. She has recently acted as the Department Academic Lead for Teaching and Learning and has now moved to Academic Lead for PSRB.

She has also worked at:
Liverpool School of Architecture (2024-2025) teaching the Canon of Modern Architectural History through the lenses of only female architects and social justice.

Manchester School of Architecture (2005-2024) as a Reader in Architecture (Education, Pedagogy and Citizenship). As the Architecture Departmental Education Lead she strategically supported the teaching and learning across the department and collaboratively developed four new courses, alongside running the wonderful PRAXXIS studio. She recently led on the rewriting of the BA and M.Arch courses in line with PSRB changes from the RIBA and ARB. She also led on a faculty project to personally support over forty staff to achieve their Senior Fellow status of Advanced HE. Over many years Helen taught across various parts of the MSA leading BA2 (2007-2008), BA1 (2009-2013), coordinated the MSALive cross school live teaching programme (2008-2013), was PG admissions coordinator (2013-2016) and then co-led BA3 for four years until 2020. She co-ran a vertical studio MSA Projects until starting PRAXXIS in 2018.

Kingston School of Architecture and Landscape (1996-2003) as a Senior Researcher and tutor.

Areas of Expertise

Qualifications

Memberships

Teaching

Research

Postgraduate Supervision

Publications

Please note that in 2022 I formally changed my surname back to my birth name therefore some projects, roles and research outputs were undertaken or published in my previous surname.

Iball, H., J Dutton, C Morphet, L Navarro and K Watt. September 2026. Pracademic Positionality in Feminist Research. Round table discussion at the Royal Geographical Society Annual Conference.
Iball, H. May 2026. PRAXXIS and some Feminist Pedagogies. Keynote speaker at RIBA Gender Inequity in Architecture.
Iball, H. Playful Building: building things with those that do not normally build. Children and the Built Environment Symposium at Manchester Metropolitan University Faculty of Education. (postponed until Sept 2025 date tbc)
Iball, H. March 2025. Yet more F WORDS. Me, Myself and I, and few things for you! Oh yes and some PRAXXIS too. Internation Women’s Day celebration at De Montfort School of Architecture, Leicester.
Iball, H. July 2024. What is so personal about these political conversations? PRAXXIS and our Feminisms Conversations as a personal and political vertical learning space. Women And Planning: from Theory to Practice Conference, 1st and 2nd July 2024 at Leeds Beckett University.
Iball, H. February 2024. There is nothing more Personal than the PRAXXIS political. Feminisms Conversations and more… Gender Equity in Built Environment Professions: Practice, Policy, and Research Conference, 15-16 February 2024, at University College Dublin.
Iball, H. August 2023. Me, Myself and I: the feminist internal dialogue (Part 2: Practice then PRAXXIS) debate and discussions with ROOF CO-living a social enterprise co-housing project in Turkey.
Iball, H. July 2023. Feminist Architectural Pedagogies as part of the Empowered Bodies: Politics and Spaces through Feminist Perspectives Symposium series at Northumbria School of Architecture.
Iball, H. April 2023. Me, Myself and I: the feminist internal dialogue (Part 1: PRAXXIS and Practice). Urbanistas Northwest A chat with PRAXXIS.
Iball, H., Carma Masson and Sarah Renshaw. September 2022. The F WORD: what the f*** is PRAXXIS? Pecha Kucha Manchester event.
Iball, H. June 2021. Reclaim Holloway debate and discussions at the London Festival of Architecture: A Women's Building for London (online).
Iball, H. April 2021. Feminisms Conversations: feminist way of exploring vertical dialogues across the intersectional issues of class, race, sexual orientation, age, disability and gender. ACTION. Feminisms and the spatialization of resistances, Lisbon 21/4/2021 - 23/4/202.
Iball, H and S. Renshaw. January 2021 ‘All these things PRAXXIS // a conversation’. Invited speakers at the Urbanistas Northwest SHE Build #2 series of online talks.
Iball, H. ‘These Feminist Things: community engagement, capability modelling, compassion and inclusivity…’ November 2020. Invited speaker at Baby Week CM2020 Conference.
Aston, H. March 2020. The F Word: a celebration of a feminist inclusive approaches. Women in Planning North-West International Women’s Day Symposium, Manchester.
Aston, H. November 2019. PRAXXIS: an inclusive approach. Presentation and invited panel member at the Design Manchester Conference Inclusive Cities, Mayfield Station Manchester.
Aston, H. November 2019. High Street as Host. Conference presentation and panel member at the ESRC Festival of Social Science, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Aston, H and Emily Crompton. July 2019. PRAXXIS: Always Personal, Always Political. A triptych of posters at the European Association of Architectural Educators Annual Conference 2019, Antwerp.
Aston, H and Emily Crompton. June 2019. PRAXXIS: A Feminist Design Atelier. Conference paper at the Fielding Architecture: Feminist Practices for a Decolonised Pedagogy at Brighton School of Architecture, Brighton University.
Aston, H. April 2019. Panel member of the Debate on ‘Archi-culture’: Exploring (innovations in) contemporary studio culture. ‘Thoughts on a Feminist School of Architecture’. AAE Learning through Practice Conference, Westminster University.
Aston, H. February 2019. ‘Our Feminist School of Architecture.’ The Equal Architect Symposium organised by Missing in Architecture collective at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow.
Boys, Jos., Zoe Partington, Stefan White and Helen Aston, September 2017. ‘Collaborating with disabled artists to ‘do inclusion differently’ in architectural education’ Architecture Connects AAE Conference, Oxford Brookes University.
https://www.academia.edu/116194692/Architecture_Connects
Aston, H., Victoria Jolley and Laura Sanderson., September 2017. 'Events // A Decade of Student Led Collaborative Projects', AAE Conference 2017: Architecture Connects, Oxford Brookes University.
https://www.academia.edu/116194692/Architecture_Connects
Aston, H. and Sanderson, L, September 2012. 'Atelier[zero] Negotiated Dialogues', The Production of Place Conference, University of East London School of Architecture.
Iball, H., 2002. 'Future Sustainability Teaching and Learning', Sustainability and Architectural Education Conference, Royal Institute of British Architects, the paper was published on the CEBE conference website.
Iball, H., 2002. 'Red, Amber, Green: 75 Years of Communicating Sustainability'. Paper presented at the Sustainable Urban Design Conference, Kingston University.
Iball, H., 2001. 'From Green Fingers to Green Goddess'. Paper presented at the 'British Interwar Suburbs' Dorich House Symposium, on the relationship between the household and gardening manuals of the interwar period and the growth of makeover gardening programmes.
Iball, H., March 2001. 'The Business Case for Sustainable Property', Construction Confederation Annual Conference, Construction Confederation, London.
Iball, H., 2001. 'Why green is the new pink or why architects wear black'. CUDE 2001 Conference, Cardiff University School of Architecture and published on the CEBE conference website.
Iball, H., 2000. 'Reacting to the Ground Force'. CUDE 2000 Conference, Sheffield University.

ARTEFACTS + BUILT PROJECTS

Aston, H., July 2019. ‘PRAXXIS Builds with Stretford’ pavilion at Stretford Grammar School.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. and iballastonarchitecture, 2019. A self-build micro house in Appledore, North Devon.
Aston, H., March 2018. A Great Knowledge Give Away: 100 feminist architectural texts. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Aston, H. March 2018. An intervention to provoke discussions on what a feminist school of architecture may be/should be/could be… Manchester Metropolitan University.
Aston, H and PRAXXIS feminist research collective, August 2017. Our Ethel Shed.
A temporary space for collaborative dialogues and conversations. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Aston, H and PRAXXIS feminist research collective, 2017. Feminist Architectural Wallpaper. Manchester Metropolitan University.
Aston, H. and S. McCusker, October 2017. 'Stretford Streetscapes 2017, Community Engagement and Consultation event, Stretford Public Hall.
Aston, H. and S. McCusker, October 2016. 'Stretford Streetscapes 2016, Community Engagement and Consultation event, Stretford Mall.
Aston, H. and TASC, June/July 2016. 'St Mary's Primary School, Phase 2', Manchester.
Further development of the outdoor spaces with and for the children at key stage 1, St Mary's Primary School, Moss Side Manchester.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. and TASC, June/July 2015. 'St Mary's Primary School, Phase 1', Manchester.
Development of the outdoor spaces with and for the children at key stage 1, St Mary's Primary School, Moss Side Manchester.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. and Stefan White, 2015. 'Blackpool Travellers Playground', Blackpool.
A playground for a traveller community in Blackpool - the playground was co-designed alongside the children. It was developed and constructed with students Maddi Mooney and Matt Shanley.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. and Places, June/July 2014. 'Den City', A collaborative project with Places (now TASC). Designing and building dens in All Saints Park with year 4 and 5 children from various schools in Manchester, Trafford and Salford.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. and Places, June/July 2014. 'Living Here Living There'. {Workshops in collaboration with Places and Webster Primary School, Moss Side year four children explored model making, drawing and photography to propose new and exciting areas for the City of Manchester.
Reviewed as 3*/4* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021
Aston, H. plus other Manchester School of Art staff, July 2013. {‘When a shed is not a shed but a wall to a community arts allotment’.
'Tatton Allotment' at the Tatton RHS summer show including a participative allotment poetry wall. The Tatton Art School Allotment achieved a highly commended RHS award.
Aston, H., January 2013. Installation Hope and Promise. A celebratory installation in the entrance atrium of the new academy building for St. Ambrose Barlow Secondary School, Salford.
Aston, H., Laura Sanderson and Professor Tom Jefferies, January to September 2012. 'Atelier[zero]', Manchester. A collaborative project between the MSA, Office for Subversive Architecture, curator Jane Anderson and Ecole Speciale, Paris. Designing and building a collection of art huts in Piccadilly Basin, Manchester for the Cultural Olympiad Project.
Aston, H., and iballastonarchitecture, 2012. 5th Urmston Scout Group new Head Quarters Building.
Aston, H., White, S. Manchester City Council, 2011. 'Sharing the city: Generations Together', Manchester.
Aston, H., White, S. 'Sharing the City Pop-Up Shop', Trafford Centre, Manchester, 2011.

JOURNAL ARTICLES, BOOK CHAPTERS + REF PEDAGOGY PORTFOLIO

Iball, H. Chapter in Feminist Pedagogies (working title) “What is so personal about these political conversations? PRAXXIS and the Feminisms Conversations as a personal and political vertical learning space.” edited by Sumita Singha. London: Routledge, 2025.
Aston, H., Crompton, E., Renshaw, R., Timmins, K 2020 'PRAXXIS: Always Personal, Always Political, Always Pedagogical', Journal of Architectural Education, 74 (2). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10464883.2020.1790938
Returned for the REF2021 reviewed as 3*/4*
Aston, H. Can community engaged research in architectural education influence citizenship?
A research portfolio presenting the role of community engaged research in architectural education based at Manchester School of Architecture undertaken throughout my fifteen years teaching at the MSA.
https://www.msa.ac.uk/media/msaacuk/documents/research/portfolios/Aston-Helen--Community-Engaged-Research.pdf
Reviewed as 3*/4* as my Pedagogy Portfolio and returned for the REF2021
Farmer, J., 1999 (2nd edition). ‘Green Shift: changing attitudes in architecture to the natural world’.
(I jointly researched and prepared additional chapters for the second edition of the book Green Shift published by the Architectural Press.)

REPORTS

Aston, H., Hammond, M., and Stefan White., 2014, 2015 and 2016. 'Manchester Compendium of Spatial Inclusion'.
Iball, H., May 2003. 'Sustainability in the curriculum' for the Centre for Education in the Built Environment (CEBE) and the RIBA
I was a key member of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on 'sustainability and architectural education' funded by the CEBE. The research project investigated the learning and teaching of sustainability across the curriculum within architectural education in the UK, with the aim of embracing social, economic and environmental aspects of design. This report fed into the larger review of 'sustainability and architectural education' in light of introducing sustainability into the new RIBA/ARB criteria at that time.
https://www.academia.edu/20478949/Report_of_the_Sustainability_Special_Interest_Group_Architectural_Education_on_behalf_of_the_Centre_for_Education_in_the_Built_Environment
Iball, H. and Dr Sarah Sayce., March 2001. 'The Business Case for Sustainable Property', Construction Confederation.
Funded by the Construction Confederation, the DETR and the DTI, the project combined the architectural knowledge of the School of Architecture & Landscape, and the valuation expertise of the School of Surveying, in collaboration with Drivers Jonas Property Consultants. Both the executive summary and final report were submitted to the Construction Confederation Conference in March 2001 and a summary paper was also presented to the Sustainable Visions working party in July 2000.
Iball, H. and Judi Farren Bradley., 1999. Developer's Guide to Green Buildings.
Research consultancy project for Michael Hopkins Architects exploring incentives for their client developers to build environmentally considered speculative housing, mixed use and office developments.
Iball, H., Laurie Bradley and Bill Dunster., 1999-2000. BedZED housing scheme.
I project managed the live research, development and design consultation in association with the Peabody Trust, Bill Dunster Architects, and the Bio-Regional Development Group. The research offered guidelines and design proposals for eco-kitchens through minimisation of energy and using locally sourced materials, proposed a business plan for car-pools, and explored ways of minimising energy consumption through researched ventilation strategies.
Iball, H. and Dr Bryan Gauld., 1999. ‘Sustainable use of coppice timber in England report and conference paper.’
Research support and preparation of paper at the International Conference on the Development of Wood Science and Forestry. 'Coppiced timber in England and its application as an architectural material'. Alongside the paper we tested a series of prototype sweet chestnut and grass bike sheds built with BA year 2 students throughout a Sustainable Environments technologies elective.
Iball, H., 1998. 'Project House 2000', Wates Built Homes.
As part of the Wates Built Homes research and development programme, key issues relating to the concept of the 'sustainable home' were explored. Areas covered were grey, green, location, technology, and consumer issues. I also wrote the competition brief in response to the research undertaken called 'Living Sites' inviting architects, landscape architects, designers, product designers and students to reassess the standard view of housing. In collaboration with Sue-Ann Lee report on 'Green Issues: nature, nurture and house building'. In collaboration with Judi Farren-Bradley report on 'Grey Issues: the demographic & socio-cultural challenges for housing for 2000 and beyond'. In collaboration with Claire Frankl report on 'Location Issues: Location Location Location’.
‘Exploration of Small Projects in Architectural Practices’, 1998
Interview based research and analysis with Judi Farren Bradley, investigating the process of small projects within small, medium and large architectural practices.
Iball, H., and Judi Farren-Bradley, 1998. Preparation of material for the Stansfield Smith Review of Architectural Education.
Report on the subject areas of Part III, professional practice and CPD, funded by the RIBA
Sustainable Architecture archive and database, 1997 – 2003.
Research into the definition of sustainable and green architecture: an information resource for staff and students at Kingston School of Architecture and Landscape, within the Green Audit Research Group, the Sustainable Design Research Group.

EXHIBITIONS

July 2015 Aston, H., and Places (now TASC). Living Here Living There exhibition, Cube Gallery, Manchester.
July 2014 Aston, H., and Places (now TASC) Den City exhibition, Cube Gallery, Manchester.
January 2011 Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White. Sharing the City: MSA_P exhibition, CUBE Gallery, Manchester.
January 2011 Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White. Sharing the City: MSA_P pop-up shop, Trafford Centre.
June 2010 Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White. MSA_P exhibition, Noise LAB gallery, Manchester.
January 2008 MSA-P exhibition and Valuing Older People Network consultation event at the CUBE gallery.
2007 – 2012 Coordinated and curated the end of Events Programme exhibitions at the EASA HQ, Manchester and CUBE Gallery.
2006 – 2024 Coordinated and curated annual end of year shows for BA1, BA2, the MSA_P and PRAXXIS ateliers
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2024/march/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2024/ba/studio3/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2023/march/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2023/ba/studio3/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2022/march/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2022/ba/studio3/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2021/pg/march/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2021/ba/year3/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2020/masters/march/praxxis/
https://www.msa.ac.uk/2020/ba/year3/praxxis/
October 1998 Iball, H. Living Sites. Curator and organiser of the 'Living Sites' exhibition. Initially held at the Imagination Gallery, London This was a small curated exhibition of prize winners and short-listed entries of the PH2000 at the Knights Park Gallery, Kingston University Faculty of Design.
June 1998 Iball, H. Postcards from Whitby, RIBA HQ, Portland Place. Curator and organiser of work by first year architecture students from Kingston School of Architecture & Landscape at the RIBA Student Gallery, London.
CONFERENCE/SYMPOSIUM ORGANISATION
2020 'How Women Build?' (sadly, it did not go ahead due to Covid)
https://www.msa.ac.uk/howwomenbuild/
2002 – 2003 Designing for Sustainability Symposium series
I organised the first annual 'Designing for Sustainability' symposium series: speakers include Visiting Professor in Sustainable Design, Stuart Walker, Dominic Cole, and Dorothy Mackenzie. Companies and organisations such as Body Shop International, Interface Europe and WRAP also contributed. The series received external sponsorship from the Royal Society of Arst, the Design Council, the Design Research Society and the Ecological Design Association.

GRANTS + FUNDING

2019 Paul Mellon Centre Event Support Grant for the Conference ‘How Women Build?’ £2900 (PI)
2019 Women’s History Network Conference Grant ‘How Women Build?’ £500 (Co-I)
2019 MSARC £2500 plus matched funding of £2500 from Stretford Grammar School for Stretford Builds... a series of gossip pavilions at Stretford Grammar School (Project Leader)
2016 Arts Council and St Mary's Primary School for St Mary's Phase 2 playground build £20K plus £5K match funding (Project Co-Leader in collaboration with TASC)
2015 Arts Council for St Mary's Phase 1 playground build £50K (Project Co-Leader in collaboration with TASC)
2015 Travellers Playground in Blackpool £25K (Project Co-Leader in collaboration with Stefan White)
2014 Arts Council and Primary Schools matched funding from all schools involved for Den City and Living Here Living There exhibitions, builds and participative workshops £15K plus £10K matched (Project Co-Leader in collaboration with TASC)
2013 St Ambrose Barlow Installation Hope and Promise £1000 (Project Leader)
2012 Arts Council and Ideas Foundation matched for Atelier Zero £125K and £2K (Project Co-Leader in collaboration with Laura Sanderson, Professor Tom Jefferies and Office for Subversive Architecture)
2003 'Sustainability in the curriculum' for CEBE/RIBA £50,000 (Co-I)
2002 Biffa Awards with Professor Anne Chick at Kingston University. The research project investigated the obstacles to UK architects and designers specifying recycled products and materials £200,000 (Co-I)
2001 'The Business Case for Sustainable Property', Construction Confederation £20,000 (Co-I)
2000 – 2003 Designing for Sustainability Research Group business and sponsorship £20,000 (Co-I)
1999 Developer's Guide to Green Buildings £5,000 (PI)
1999 – 2000 BedZED housing scheme research £48,000 (PI) with Bill Dunster Architects
1999 Sustainable use of coppice timber in England report and conference paper,1999 £5,000 (PI)
1998 'Project House 2000', Wates Built Homes £20,000 (PI)
1998 Exploration of Small Projects in Architectural Practices £5,000 (PI)

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES + CONTRIBUTIONS

2025 QAA Committee Member for the new for Architecture Subject Benchmark
2025 Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain Colvin Prize Judge alongside Sarah Akigbogun, Dr Kate Jordan, Professor Adam Sharr and Dr Matthew Wells.
2023 to present Journal paper reviewer for Charrette, Architecture and Culture, and Journal of Architecture.
2023 to 2024 PLACED Ambassador
2023 RIBA Silver Medal Judge alongside Mina Hasman (Chair), Shawn Adams, Nana Biamah-Ofosu, David Hills and Albert Williamson-Taylor.
2023 to present Member of the National RIBA Education and Learning Committee.
In 2023 after a long competitive process, I was honoured to join the newly re-formed RIBA Education and Learning committee alongside Sumita Singha (Chair), Jenny Russell, Della Freeth, Jane Tankard, Jonathan Manning, Justin Nicholls, Maryam Al-Irhayim, Nadia Mounajjed, Nenpin Dimka and Viginia Rammou.
2022 – 2023 Women in Architecture Mentor
2020 – 2023 Member of the RIBA Northwest EDI Committee.
2018 Awarded RIBA Ethel Day Award in July 2018.
After many years of inspiring students who then go onto practice an inclusive design approach, I was proud to be selected by my peers around the UK and previous graduates for this inaugural award which celebrated 130 influential Women in Architecture from around the world.
2014 – 2016 The Architecture School for Children (TASC)
Outside of my teaching roles I was directly involved with The Architecture School for Children (TASC), involving building a number of inclusive school playgrounds, co-running participative design and creative workshops with Key Stage 1&2 school children from twelve schools in the boroughs of Manchester, Trafford and Salford. The particular highlight for me was the development of a long-term business plan exploring various funding streams for TASC including long-term investment from One Manchester.
1998 – 2004 Trustee and advisor to Designature, a small sustainability action by design group.
1996 – 1998 RIBA/ARB Joint Validation Graduate Panel Member.
I attended the visiting boards for Canterbury (now University for the Creative Arts), Portsmouth and North London (now London Metropolitan) Schools of Architecture.