Cristina Cerulli

Professor Cristina Cerulli is a full-time faculty member at the University of Reading, holding the position of Professor of Architecture within the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture. She leads the Urban Living Research Group and is an associate member of the Walker Institute and part of the Reading Latin America and the Caribbean research network.

• PhD in Architecture, University of Sheffield (2004)
• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Sheffield (2008)
• Laurea in Architettura, University of Florence (1998)
• Italian Architect’s Licence (Esame di Stato), University of Florence (1999)
• MSc in Computer Aided Building Design, University of Strathclyde (1997)

Her research centers on ethical and regenerative practices in architecture, with a strong emphasis on community-led urban development, collective processes in cities, and the role of architectural pedagogy in advancing social equity. She investigates how architecture can support care-based urban action and facilitate transitions toward more equal societies. Her work spans housing, public space, heritage, and funding models for grassroots development.

The recent publications reflect a trajectory from digital design processes to socially engaged urban research. Her work increasingly focuses on care, relationality, and regeneration in urban contexts, especially through community infrastructure like the high street. Themes of participation, sustainability, and ethical design are consistent across her scholarship.

She has received the RIBA President’s Award for Outstanding Practice-located Research (2012) and has contributed to major exhibitions, including the British Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2021.

Cristina supervises multiple doctoral students, both as primary/secondary supervisor and external co-supervisor, across institutions such as the University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, and TU Berlin. She has secured competitive research grants from EPSRC, AHRC, British Academy, EU, and UK Department of Health. Her teaching includes leading core MArch modules in design, research methods, and professional resilience.

She co-founded Studio Polpo, a research-led social enterprise in architecture, and is actively involved with the Sheffield Community Land Trust and City Space Architecture as a senior advisor on public space.