Victoria Paterson Burke
Victoria Paterson Burke is a Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture & Design within the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at Birmingham City University. An experienced interior designer and educator, her work brings together professional practice, design education, curriculum development and industry collaboration.
Victoria graduated from Birmingham City University in 2005 and went on to build extensive professional experience across workplace, healthcare, hospitality, leisure, education and residential interiors. She has taught Interior Architecture and Design at BCU since 2015 across undergraduate and postgraduate levels and was previously Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for BDes 3D Design at the University of Wolverhampton.
Her current academic practice focuses on creative and practice-based pedagogy, curriculum development and strengthening the relationship between design education and professional practice. She is particularly interested in live projects, external briefs and industry-led learning that give students experience of real design contexts and professional expectations. Her work in curriculum development explores how design education can respond to the changing needs of students, industry and the wider profession.
A key strand of Victoria’s work is developing meaningful connections between students and industry. She established Industry Expedition, an intensive programme combining studio activity, fieldwork, site visits, guest speakers and professional engagement. She continues to develop relationships with design practices, manufacturers and industry partners to create opportunities for students to engage directly with contemporary practice.
More recently, she has led and supported collaborative projects including the BBC X Milliken Collaborative Project, bringing Interior Architecture and Design students together with BBC Birmingham and Milliken through a live design brief and direct engagement with industry professionals.
Victoria is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and represents Birmingham City University within Interior Educators, contributing to activities that connect students, educators and the wider interiors profession. She welcomes opportunities for industry and education collaboration, live projects, knowledge exchange and curriculum development.