Louise Cooke

Louise Cooke is a Senior Lecturer in the Archaeology Department at the University of York, specializing in conservation of historic buildings, earthen architecture, and sustainable heritage management. She holds leadership roles including Director of Studies for MA programs in Sustainable Built Heritage and Chair of Board of Studies. Her research focuses on how climate change impacts heritage conservation processes, particularly in earthen structures. She has conducted fieldwork in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the UK, and contributed to projects like the £3.5M HLF-funded Landscape Partnership Scheme.

Education includes MA and PhD research on conservation approaches to earth structures. Professional roles include trustee positions at Earth Building UK & Ireland and the Paul Oliver Vernacular Architecture Library. She serves as an external examiner for Cardiff and Oxford Universities and contributes to editorial boards of heritage journals. Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate modules on global heritage challenges, conservation practices, and sustainable strategies.

Key projects include the Terra Europae initiative on European earthen architecture and collaborations with institutions like CEPT University in India. She actively participates in international conferences and advisory roles, emphasizing decolonizing heritage conservation and integrating traditional knowledge with modern practices.