معرفی
Sarah Ann Dowding is a Senior Research Fellow at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, and an architectural historian at the Survey of London. She trained as an architect at the Glasgow School of Art and the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna, and earned her PhD in Architectural History from the University of Westminster. Previously, she was Lecturer in the History and Theory of Architecture at the University of Westminster.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Architectural History, University of Westminster (2016)
- Postgraduate Diploma, University of Westminster (2010)
- Bachelor of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art (2007)
Research Interests
Sarah focuses on the long-term transformation of cities, using microhistories to examine how trade, migration, and social forces shape urban form and architecture. Her current research centres on Bermondsey and Rotherhithe, particularly twentieth-century social housing. She explores lesser-known evidence to broaden architectural history’s narratives, including studies of a sixteenth-century mercantile block and a mid-twentieth-century hostel for colonial seamen in the East End. She is also interested in the historiography of the discipline itself.
Recent Research Themes
Across her publications, Sarah investigates intersections of global trade, migration, and urban space in London. Her work traces how historic buildings and districts—from The Erber to Whitechapel’s streets—reflect shifting economic and cultural currents. Digital methodologies and collaborative storytelling feature prominently, exemplified by her leadership of the ‘An Oral History of Architectural Historians’ project (2019–2022).
Teaching & Engagement
She leads a module on the Bartlett’s MA in Architecture and Historic Urban Environments and has taught at NYU London, the University of Sapienza in Rome, and for the Attingham Trust’s ‘Twentieth-Century London House’ day.
Affiliations
- Affiliate member, UCL Migration Research Unit
- Affiliate member, UCL Centre for Early Modern Exchanges
- Participant, Global Urban History Project
