Kevin joined as Head of Manchester School of Architecture in September 2020. He is currently also a Visiting Professor at The Belfast School of Architecture at Ulster University.
He is a Chartered Architect with a career in higher education that spans over 30 years which includes leading BA Interiors and M.Arch courses, as well as almost 10 years at the Head of Birmingham School of Architecture and Design. His was conferred as a Professor in 2013 under the categories of Learning and Teaching and Academic Leadership and was also awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2015, which led to a spell as a Visiting Professor at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
He is a very active member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) having been a long-standing member of the Education Committee, a term on RIBA National Council, tutor for RIBA Studio, as well as numerous roles at RIBA West Midlands. He also have extensive experience as a Chair of RIBA Visiting Boards both in the UK and Internationally, is a member of SCOSA Council and was previously on the Commonwealth Association of Architects executive committee. He is currently an External Examiner for the M.Arch course at the Mackintosh School of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, and also for the BA programme at London Metropolitan University.
He was previously an External Examiner at The Bartlett University College London, University of Nottingham, London South Bank, Sheffield Hallam, and University of Salford. He has also worked with a number of Schools as a critical friend either in preparation for RIBA visits or for course approvals, including Ulster University, Staffordshire University, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Robert Gordon, and Ravensbourne, as well as with Ulster, UWE, and Northumbria on reviewing senior academic appointments.
He has extensive judging experience including RIBA Regional Awards, RIBA student awards, Future Spaces Foundation, Architects’ Journal Awards, and Architect of the Year Award, as well as an ongoing role judging the Credawards in China. In 2024 he is the Chair of the prestigious RIBA Annie Spink Award for Excellence in Architectural Education. Kevin is also a committee member at the Manchester Society of Architects and also an Associate Trustee for National Museums Liverpool, having previously served as a Trustee for St Martin’s Arts, and a Board Member at danceXchange.
Alongside his academic career he co-founded a design-led SME practice, the space* studio (www.thespacestudio.com), who now have studios in Birmingham and Manchester, working on interiors, refurbishment and new build projects across numerous sectors, including numerous Higher Education projects, social housing, the interior of the multi-award winning English National Ballet and numerous concept designs for Manchester City Football Club., and the Birmingham Civic Society Planning Committee. Outside of his professional career he is a long-standing season ticket holder at Manchester City Football Club.
Academic and professional qualifications
Architects Registration Board
Royal Institute of British Architects
National Teaching Fellow (2015)
Royal Society of Arts
BA (Hons) Architecture (RIBA Part 1)
PG Diploma in Architecture (RIBA Part 2)
PG Certificate in Architectural Practice (RIBA Part 3)
MA Architecture (Design & Theory)
PC Certificate in Education