Ava Fatah gen. Schieck

Dr. Ava Fatah gen. Schieck is a Professor of Media Architecture and Urban Digital Interaction at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), where she has been affiliated since 2001. She teaches in the MSc Architectural Computation program, focusing on embodied interactions and urban digital experiences.

Education:

• ATQ03 - Recognised by the HEA as a Fellow (UCL, 2008)
• Certificate in Learning and Teaching (UCL, 2007)
• Master of Science (UCL, 2001)

Her research explores the intersection of architecture, digital media, and urban spaces. Key themes include:

• Mediated spatial experiences in museums and public environments
• Embodied interactions through dance, movement, and performative design
• Urban screens and community-centered digital installations
• Smart city critiques focusing on marginalized communities
• Pervasive computing's impact on social dynamics

Her publication corpus (149+ outputs) predominantly addresses media architecture, HCI, museum technology, and sensory interactions, with recent work emphasizing olfactory interfaces, pandemic urbanism, and heritage digitization.

Awards & Honors:

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA, 2023)

Projects & Grants: As Principal Investigator for the EPSRC-funded 'Screens in the Wild', she examines networked urban screens for community engagement. She previously led the 'SCREAM' project (UrbanBuzz program) and contributed to EPSRC's 'Urban Design and Pervasive Systems'. She reviews grants for EPSRC, UKRI, SNSF, and other international bodies.

She directs research through UCL's Space Research Group and VR Centre for the Built Environment, collaborating globally. As program chair for the Media Architecture Biennale (2012-2020), she fosters interdisciplinary dialogue across architecture, HCI, and interaction design.