Ruth Cuenca

Ruth Cuenca is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Architecture, Oxford Brookes University. She holds professional registrations with COAM (Spanish Board of Architects) and ARB (UK Architects Registration Board), and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her work bridges academic practice and real-world application through Nimba Studio, a research-led architectural practice she co-founded.

• Education: Postgraduate Certificate in Architecture for Development and Disaster Relief (ETSAM, Madrid)

Research Focus: She specializes in architecture as a tool for social and sustainable development, emphasizing participatory design, bamboo-based regeneration strategies, and interdisciplinary community engagement. Her pedagogical research explores social innovation through live projects and hands-on learning.

Professional Contributions: As a registered architect with experience in London and Spain, she has worked on diverse projects and co-organized the international conference Architecture Connects (2017). Her teaching spans live projects, design-and-build initiatives, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Practice: Through Nimba Studio, she focuses on strategic projects using local environmental resources to create sustainable, socially impactful cycles in underprivileged areas, particularly studying bamboo in Colombian regeneration strategies.