A
Associate Professor
Head of Programme
Institute of Architecture and Space
Nicholas Thomas Lee
My research explores housing as a field of study, with a particular focus on the spatial design of our homes. Through architectural ethnography, my work examines what has shaped the domestic interior, and how the form of our homes affects how we live? I investigate how novel forms of housing can better serve our needs, while reducing their ecological impact, through design-based research methods.
DWELLSCAPES
I am fascinated in reimagining the domestic interior as an inhabitable landscape, a Dwellscape, and exploring through design-based research experiments alternative visions for the home that better suit the needs of individuals, communities, and the planet
As a founding member of the Cluster for Housing Research, my research interests are centred around housing, and the domestic interior. My current themes of interest include the morphology of the domestic interior, sufficiency, and emerging forms of co-housing. I primarily work with design experiments as an active part of my research method (Research by Design, Practice-based Research), whereby architectural installations, and exhibitions are central to both knowledge production, and dissemination.
Domestic Morphology
The Domestic Morphology project explores the spatial design of the domestic interior. What has shaped the form of our homes, and how does the spatial design of our housing affect how we live? I am particularly interested in the potential of inhabitable threshold spaces within the home, as well as polyvalent places that can support a wide variety of domestic practices.
We must remember that the purpose of housing is first and foremost to accommodate the domestic practices of its human occupants, while enriching their everyday lives.
It is easy to forget that humans also had to go through a process of domestication, and that the architecture of our homes has a marked effect on our behaviour and wellbeing.
Towards Sufficient Dwelling
With a focus on exploring more sustainable housing practices, The Sufficient Dwelling project unfolds the concept of Sufficiency into three holistically connected domains: Spatial Sufficiency, Material Sufficiency & Social Sufficiency. The research project asks, How can we dwell better with less? The project was initiated with a research trip to Switzerland, involving interviews with architects working with sufficiency and housing, as well as studio and site visits. The current phase of the project involves developing a series of conceptual houses that explore the notion of sufficiency, in the form of large-scale physical models. The research project is a collaboration between Nicholas Thomas Lee, and Lin Kappel (Panum & Kappel).
It is important that we consider the quality of our domestic spaces (m3), rather than the absolute dimensions (m2) in themselves.
When one hears words like sufficiency and micro homes, there is often an idea that one is losing something. It is about finding the balance between efficiency, and sufficiency, where small acts of generosity can be introduced into our domestic spaces that can enrich our daily lives.