Dr Sarah Joyce is an Atelier Tutor for Non-Standard Habits. She is a highly experienced researcher and educator with a diverse background in architectural practice, maternity services improvement, and digital education design. As well as teaching architectural design at the Manchester School of Architecture, she leads on curriculum and learning design at the University of Leeds mostly in digital education. Previously, she was a Senior Lecturer in Interior Architecture and Design at Leeds Beckett University and has taught at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University. Sarah’s research focuses on childbirth, woman-centred maternity care, the history and humanisation of healthcare architecture, and the intersection of critical spatial practices with qualitative research methods. Her work emphasises the lived experiences of women in maternity settings, advocating for design that reflects their needs. She completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield’s School of Architecture under the supervision of Dr Rosie Parnell and Professor Penny Curtis from the School of Nursing and Midwifery.
An ARB-registered architect with over twenty years of experience, Sarah has worked on historical and Listed buildings in London and Yorkshire, most recently at Niche Design Architects. She also taught as an NCT antenatal educator for eight years, deepening her understanding of maternity care from both user and professional perspectives. Her dedication to improving maternity care extends to her voluntary roles, including her work as a Parent Representative for the Leeds Maternity Voices Partnership, where she has contributed to NHS audits and secured funding to enhance birthing environments. She has written on architectural history, including studies on Le Corbusier’s influence on post-war New Towns and the impact of modernist ideas on the use of colour in architecture. Sarah’s professional journey includes an ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Leeds and distinctions in her architectural qualifications from the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL). She is a member of the Society for Research into Higher Education and the UK Society of Architectural Historians.
Sarah’s interdisciplinary approach to research explores how architectural spaces influence labour, childbirth, family life and beyond, advocating for a sustainable human-centric and inclusive design philosophy. She is committed to challenging conventional architectural paradigms and promoting user-centred design that honours the unique experiences of those who use these spaces.
Academic and professional qualifications
UK Architects’ Registration Board, 1998 – current.
Diploma in Higher Education, University of Bedfordshire, 2012.
PhD Architecture and Midwifery, University of Sheffield, UK 2018.
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), 2023.
AdvanceHE Aurora, 2024.