Gem Barton

Gem Barton is a senior academic at the Royal College of Art's School of Architecture, where she leads the superFUTURES research unit focusing on speculative spatial design. Her interdisciplinary work bridges queer theory, feminist pedagogy, and futures studies through platforms like the Office for Speculative Spatial Design (O-SSD) and Experimental Realism.

Research explores futures of gender/identity, relationships/interactions, and pleasure/entertainment through spatial practice. Barton's pedagogical innovations develop futures literacy and queer spatial frameworks, recognized through multiple honors including the National Teaching Fellowship.

Award distinctions:

• Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE (2023)
• Royal Society of Arts Fellowship (2020)
• UoB 'Woman of Impact' (2018)

Publications include internationally distributed works on creative careers and speculative design practice.