Mr Ian Standen BSc, BARCH, RIBA

Senior lecturer for BSc Architecture programme

Joint Programme Director for Architecture

Admissions tutor

An architect with over 25 years' experience in architectural practice and in higher education. Former Associate Director at the Welsh School of Architecture Project Office involved in the academic provision in practice within research and teaching undertaking projects providing live test beds for research derived ideas.

Royal Institute of British Architects

2016- Present University of Wales Trinity St David

BSc Architecture

2012- 2016 University of South Wales (PT)

BA Interior Design 

2006-2007 University of the West of England 

BA Architecture and Planning 

BA Architectural Technology

2003- 2006 University of Glamorgan 

BA Interior Design 

BSc Architectural Technology  

BSc Architectural  Heritage and Conservation 

1995-2002 Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University 

BSc Architectural Studies 

BArch Architectural Studies  

MSc Environmental Design of Buildings  

CPD student seminars (Transferable skills seminars - industry link to provide product and manufacturer information)

I have been working in academia for the past 20 years both in full time and part time capacity and in that time I have been engaged in both teaching and research, bringing architectural practice into the core of the teaching curricula of BSc, BArch and MSc programmes. I have been fortunate to be able to base my teaching on live projects and have promoted the use of evidence based and research led teaching methods. In my post at Glamorgan University I developed project based working in the Architectural and Interior Design Schemes bringing in practice and its application to the teaching curriculum. I have a particular interest and have undertaken research in Design pedagogy and the creation of an accessible curriculum in Design using current learning and teaching methods; experiential and project based learning, specialist ‘surgeries’, evidence based learning, PDP, blended learning etc. At the University of Glamorgan I developed the practices of E-learning in Architectural Schemes by the use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and have initiated good practice for similar E-learning practice in the Design Division.  

Throughout my academic career I have been involved in curriculum development, managing changes to course structure to keep up with outside pressures such as Professional validations, and allowing innovation and provision of an efficient, accessible and viable curricula which provides graduates with specific and transferable skills for the workplace. I conducted a ‘Critical Review’ of architectural awards at the University of Glamorgan and the writing and revalidation of two schemes within the Design Division. As such I have extensive experience of Quality Assurance mechanisms, professional accreditation and exercises such as institutional Quality Progress Reviews and external validation.  I have also participated in the co-ordination of modular processes between degree schemes, including smoothing of student assessment loading for architectural studies, student feedback and module sequencing. 

My knowledge of Higher Education has grown from the management role that I held in Cardiff University. I have continued to recognise the importance of the ‘big picture’ at a national and institutional level as well as that within the department or school. As its own cost centre I had to manage the financial framework of the Project Office which required a knowledge of short and long term financial management (including HE projected activity and allocation models, FEC, student fee income, external income) and cost effectiveness in the work and use of resources that we undertook.  I was also admissions tutor for the Architectural awards at the University of Glamorgan. In that time I increased student numbers, understanding the importance of tightening procedures in an increasingly competitive marketplace, the importance of a marketing strategy and particularly relevant to the University’s student profile, widening access initiatives. I instigated and ran a project engaging First Campus under the then National Assembly of Wales’ initiative, ‘Reaching Higher, Reaching Wider’, involving local primary school children. As important to recruitment has been retention of current students. Better engagement with and recognition of student feedback has been core to the development of teaching methods and the scheme of study.  

Outside of teaching I have made a major contribution to the development and fund generating aspects of innovation and engagement activities as well as collaborating on the Universities strategic Joint Infrastructure Funding bids which resulted in Cardiff University gaining significant funds for capital works such as the Biosciences building in Cathays Park run by Professor Martin Evans. Within the Project Office I was involved in the development of spin off ‘companies’ using innovative research facilities such as the artificial sky and wind tunnel and providing a link between HE and the private sector. I feel that my breadth of experience in these areas gives me the skills to provide academic leadership and guidance in line with the Faculty’s research strategy. At the University of the West of England my role involved direct teaching on Architecture and Planning, Architectural Technology and Design courses including dissertation supervision, studio, and tutorial guidance to students’ learning, research and other forms of scholarly activity. Module leadership curriculum development, educational management and administration.  Participation in the quality assurance procedures, income generating activities, and representing the institution on or to appropriate external bodies. Continuing professional development and contribution to Inter-professional projects in the Faculty. I am committed to continuing professional development and actively keep up to date with training and seminars relating to practice, teaching & learning and research; as a registered architect and corporate member of the RIBA a growing CPD portfolio is a condition of membership. This is vital to stay in touch with changes in the profession and to provide an understanding of innovative teaching methods and the development of pedagogical research. I am actively involved in research in the areas of sustainability and would be keen to embed this and other high profile research areas within the Faculty’s research, innovation and teaching strategies.

Within my portfolio as a sole practitioner is the design and construction of a sustainable house at Llethr in association with Adam Sharr, mid Wales for a private client, which was short listed for an RIBA regional award in 2006. This project was entered for the National Eisteddfod Awards and Grand Designs Awards run by Channel 4. An article about the house was published in Touchstone October 2007, produced by the Royal Society of Architects in Wales. 

In support of my research I enrolled on the MSc in Architecture: Advanced Energy and Environmental Studies in March 2007 at the Centre for Alternative Technology but sadly due to personal family circumstance I was unable to complete the course. However I have continued to embody some of the themes contained in this course within the teaching, research and consultancy work. I am particularly interested in practical solutions for ‘sustainable communities’ and low carbon buildings programme; in particular the path to carbon neutral community buildings advising clients about how to make their buildings more sustainable. This also applies to the sustainable retrofit of existing housing to achieve Co2 reductions by 2024. I feel that there are many opportunities for interdisciplinary working within these themes across faculty including facilities management, valuation, planning, construction technology and design.

In January 2014 I successfully bid and secured funding from Innovate UK and the Welsh government’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for proposals for innovative energy-saving ideas compatible with traditionally constructed heritage buildings, generally pre-1919. Permeable Insulation and Power (PIP) is a new technology that applies cutting edge low powered coated electrical heating to permeable prefabricated lime based internal wall insulation for existing buildings. The PIP feasibility study was a collaborative project involving architectural practice, innovative companies such as Vivus Lime Ltd, Okatech Ltd, Wood Knowledge Wales and 3 higher education institutes BioComposites at Bangor University, Specific at Swansea University and the Faculty of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University. A more detailed description of the project appeared in the book Demystifying Architectural Research 2015 RIBA Publishing by Anne Dye and Flora Samuel. 

I have wide-ranging architectural work experience over the past 30 years working both in practice and within Higher Education. Within each aspect of this discipline I have held senior roles and been involved with people management and the development of the strategic and operational direction of the organisations in which I worked. Whilst at Cardiff University I was the Associate Director of the ‘Project Office’. Within this position I took a leading role in the academic provision of practice within research and teaching by undertaking ‘live ‘projects on a commercial basis within the Welsh School of Architecture. We provided live test beds for research derived ideas informing the design process and building procurement and disseminated ‘architectural knowledge’ to students and other practitioners from a ‘critical’ view of practice and from the results of monitored building use. Throughout this and previous employment I was responsible for interviewing and appointing staff and the supervision and instruction of staff within the respective organisations. Particularly important to working on projects to a successful conclusion, was the ability to work as a team. In my role it was therefore essential to be able to engage with and motivate staff and colleagues as well as managing individual performance and development. Methods of monitoring and motivating staff have centred round a positive appraisal process and involved other tools such as peer review and observation.

Collaboration 

Whilst in practice with Stride Treglown Ltd I was the external examiner for Cardiff Metropolitan University on the FdSc in Sustainable Design and Construction from 2012-2015 as part of a collaborative provision programme  to 4 partner FE colleges across Wales; Coleg Pen y Bont, Coleg Powys, Coleg Llandrillo and Coleg Sir Benfro. 

I also taught a part-time teaching on the Interior Design course at the University of South Wales in Cardiff where my role included delivering the Professional Practice module to 3rd year students as well as contributing to teaching modules and studio based projects for all 3 years of the undergraduate programme.

I was the Sustainability Champion at Stride Treglown’s Cardiff office over a period of 8 years, organising events for the annual Green Week in June which involves a range of sustainable activities including cycle to work, health and wellbeing, waste and food recycling practical lessons and visiting talks, lectures by academics and post graduate students in the field of sustainability. 

In my practice design portfolio is the Energy Safety Research Institute Swansea University completed in 2015 (BIM level 2) which was short-listed for the RICS Awards 2016, Wales in the Design through Innovation category. It was also shortlisted for the BREEAM 2016 Awards in the education category and is one of the first education buildings to achieve BREEAM Outstanding.  

I was also the project associate responsible for developing phase 1 of the masterplan for the University of Wales Trinity St David at SA1, working closely with the Prince’s Foundation on the design of the new FACE  Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, which incorporates plans for the architecture school.

Dye A, Samuel F (2015) – Demystifying Architectural Research – Contributor to Chapter 7 pages 35-39, Permeable Insulation and Power

Standen I, Grainger R (2007) – Earth House: Nurturing a creative response to sustainability issues - a live project. An article on sustainability education for the Civic Trust Wales June 2007

Standen I, Grainger R (2006) – Earth House: Nurturing a creative response to sustainability issues - a live project.  Peer reviewed published conference paper for the Global Built Environment Network at the University of Central Lancashire, in association with the University of Cork, September 2006

Standen I, Grainger R (2006) – Earth House: Nurturing a creative response to sustainability issues - a live project.  Poster for Knowledge Transfer Partnership Conference at the University of Glamorgan March 2006.

Robson-Smith N, Standen I, Jones A, Morgan K (2003) – Proposed Visitor Centre, Caerphilly Castle for CADW; feasibility study strategy; shortlisted for architects appointment.