Helen Iball

Academic Lead for Teaching and Learning; Senior Lecturer in Architecture

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

Helen is an intersectional feminist architectural academic creatively teaching feminist spatial practice for over twenty-seven years, 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 (August 2025) started a new role as the Department Academic Lead for Teaching and Learning in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment.

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 Helen formally changed her surname back to her birth name therefore some projects, roles and research outputs were undertaken or published in her previous surname.

PRESENTATIONS, CONFERENCE PAPERS & JOURNAL ARTICLES

Iball, H. (postponed until Sept 2025 date tbc). Playful Building: building things with those that do not normally build. Children and the Built Environment Symposium at Manchester Metropolitan University Faculty of Education.

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. May 2024. Playful Building: building things with those that do not normally build. Children and the Built Environment Symposium, 9th May 2024 at Manchester Metropolitan University Faculty of Education. (postponed)

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 Northumbria School of Architecture.

Iball, H. April 2023. Me, Myself and I: the feminist internal dialogue (Part 1: PRAXXIS and Practice). Urbanistas North-West 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., 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. 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. And Thoughts on a Feminist School of Architecture. AAE Learning through Practice Conference, Westminster University.

Boys, Jos., Zoe Partington, Stefan White and Helen Aston, 2017. ‘Collaborating with disabled artists to ‘do inclusion differently’ in architectural education’ Architecture Connects AAE Conference, Oxford Brookes University.

H. Aston, V. Jolley and L. Sanderson., 2017. 'Events // A Decade of Student Led Collaborative Projects', AAE Conference 2017: Architecture Connects, Oxford Brookes University.

Aston, H. and Sanderson, L, 2012. 'Atelier[zero] Negotiated Dialogues', The Production of Place, 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., 2001. 'The Business Case for Sustainable Property', Construction Confederation Annual Conference, Construction Confederation, London, March 2001.

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., 2019. ‘PRAXXIS Builds with Stretford’ pavilion at Stretford Grammar School.
Reviewed as 3* 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., 2018. A Great Knowledge Give Away: 100 feminist architectural texts.

Aston, H and PRAXXIS feminist research collective, 2017. Our Ethel Shed.
{A temporary space for collaborative dialogues and conversations.}

Aston, H and PRAXXIS feminist research collective, 2017. Feminist Architectural Wallpaper.

Aston, H. and S. McCusker, 2017. 'Stretford Streetscapes 2017’, Stretford Public Hall.
{Community Engagement and Consultation event.}

Aston, H. and S. McCusker, 2016. 'Stretford Streetscapes 2016', Stretford Mall. {Community Engagement and Consultation event.}

Aston, H. and TASC, 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* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021

Aston, H. and TASC, 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* 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* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021

Aston, H. and Places, 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* as an element of my Pedagogy Portfolio which as a whole portfolio was returned for the REF2021

Aston, H. and Places, 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* 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, 2013. {‘When a shed is not a shed but a wall to a community arts allotment’.
{'Tatton Allotment' at the Tatton RHS summer show for 2013, including a participative allotment poetry wall. The Tatton Art School Allotment achieved a highly commended RHS award.}

Aston, H., 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, 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 2012.}

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.

PEDAGOGY PORTFOLIO

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* as my Pedagogy Portfolio and returned for the REF2021

REPORTS

Aston, H., Hammond, M., and Stefan White., 2014, 2015 and 2016. 'Manchester Compendium of Spatial Inclusion'.

Iball, H., 2003. 'Sustainability in the curriculum' for CEBE/RIBA
{I was a key member of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on 'sustainability and architectural education' funded by the Centre for Education in the Built Environment (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.}

Iball, H. and Dr Sarah Sayce., 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 WIP 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.}

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.}

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

Aston, H., and Places (now TASC), 2015. Living Here Living There exhibition, Cube Gallery, Manchester, 2015.

Aston, H., and Places (now TASC), 2014. Den City exhibition, Cube Gallery, Manchester, 2014.

Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White, January 2011. Sharing the City: MSA_P exhibition, CUBE Gallery, Manchester.

Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White, June 2011. Sharing the City: MSA_P pop-up shop, Trafford Centre.

Aston, H. and Dr Stefan White, June 2010. MSA_P exhibition, Noise LAB gallery, Manchester.

Coordinated and curated annual end of year shows for BA1, BA2, the MSA_P and PRAXXIS ateliers (2006 – 2024).

MArch Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2024 – Manchester School of Architecture
BA3 Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2024 – Manchester School of Architecture
MArch Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2023 – Manchester School of Architecture
BA3 Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2023 – Manchester School of Architecture
MArch Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2022 – Manchester School of Architecture
BA3 Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2022 – Manchester School of Architecture
MArch Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2021 – Manchester School of Architecture
BA3 Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2021 – Manchester School of Architecture
MArch Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2020 – Manchester School of Architecture
BA3 Atelier: PRAXXIS – MSA 2020 – Manchester School of Architecture

Coordinated and curated the end of Events Programme exhibitions at the EASA HQ, Manchester and CUBE Gallery (2007 – 2012).

MSA-P exhibition and Valuing Older People Network consultation event at the CUBE gallery, 2008.

Iball, H., 1998. 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.

Iball, H., 1998. 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.

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)

2015Travellers Playground in Blackpool (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 with 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, 1999 – 2000 £48,000 (PI)

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)