Liam Healy

Liam Healy is a Lecturer in Architecture at the University of Sheffield School of Architecture and Landscape. Previously, he has taught at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Aarhus University, Denmark, and has worked professionally as a designer. His academic career spans design research, teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programs, and professional design practice.

Healy's research interests focus on situated speculative design, prototyping, DIY design, care ethics, the Anthropocene, and design's intersection with actor-network theory and science and technology studies. He is particularly interested in designing and researching through making, experimenting with materials and processes to develop new understandings. His current AHRC-funded research project, 'Co-designing Forests,' explores access, participation, and woodland design with a more-than-human ethic. Additionally, he is involved in an EPSRC Ecological Citizens project called 'Prototyping Multispecies Encounters,' which addresses biodiversity collapse and climate damage in UK nature reserves.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on participatory design, more-than-human approaches, and the intersection of design with ecological and political concerns. The articles reveal a trajectory from European border studies toward ecological design interventions, particularly in woodland and trail contexts. His work bridges academic research with practical design interventions, often employing inventive methods and participatory approaches.

Liam Healy completed his PhD in Design from Goldsmiths, University of London, with a thesis titled 'Designing Unlikely Futures? A/symmetry & A-firmative Speculation in the European Borderscape.' He is a component of the collective Design Unlikely Futures (http://duf.space/) and regularly designs and runs workshops in various institutions. His research is supported by significant funding from AHRC and EPSRC, indicating recognition of his innovative approach to design research.

Healy's work extends beyond traditional academic boundaries through his engagement with DIY design communities, particularly around mountain bike and BMX trail building. His practice incorporates collecting as research method, with collections including 'design for the end of the world,' 'RAL7016 grey buildings,' and 'helium balloons in the wild.' This transdisciplinary approach positions him at the intersection of design practice, academic research, and community engagement.