Professor Ruth Dalton

Professor

Department: Architecture and Built Environment

Ruth Conroy Dalton is a British architect, author and Professor of Architecture at Northumbria University. She has authored or contributed to more than 200 publications. She is an expert in space syntax analysis, pedestrian movement and wayfinding and a world-leading authority on the overlap between architecture and spatial cognition.

As a licensed architect, she has worked for Foster + Partners and Sheppard Robson Architects and key projects upon which she has worked include the Carré d'Art de Nîmes, in France and the Valencia Congress Centre, in Spain. She has taught at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, Georgia Institute of Technology, the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, and Northumbria University, where she was Head of Department for the Architecture and Built Environment Department, the first woman to hold the post. In 2019 she became the Inaugural/Founding Professor of Architecture and the first Head of the Lancaster School of Architecture at Lancaster University, before returning to Northumbria University in 2022.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Architecture, Space Syntax, Spatial Cognition, Architectural Cognition, Architectural Experience, Architectural Useability, Wayfinding, Navigation, Pedestrian Movement, Virtual Reality, Design Thinking and Creativity, Architecture of Visitor Centres

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Entropy of city street networks linked to future spatial navigation ability, Coutrot, A., Manley, E., Goodroe, S., Gahnstrom, C., Filomena, G., Yesiltepe, D., Dalton, R., Wiener, J., Hölscher, C., Hornberger, M., Spiers, H. 7 Apr 2022, In: Nature
Living in Houses: A Personal History of English Domestic Architecture , Dalton, R. 3 Oct 2022
Wayfinding as a Social Activity, Dalton, R., Hölscher, C., Montello, D. 4 Feb 2019, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Global determinants of navigation ability, Coutrot, A., Silva, R., Manley, E., de Cothi, W., Sami, S., Bohbot, V., Wiener, J., Hoelscher, C., Dalton, R., Hornberger, M., Spiers, H. 10 Sep 2018, In: Current Biology
Getting lost in buildings, Carlson, L., Hoelscher, C., Shipley, T., Dalton, R. Oct 2010, In: Current Directions in Psychological Science

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: Book launch the new edition of Making by Thomas Heatherwick and published by Thames & Hudson. 2025
Examination: PhD Examiner 2025
Other: Judge for the Healthcare Design Awards 2024
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: UKPRP Communication Workshop 2024
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: Humanise Campaign Launch 2024
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: CHI 2024 2024
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: The Pavements Workshop 2024
Hosting an academic visitor: Raymond Richard Neutra 2024
Hosting an academic visitor: Jakub Krukar 2024
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: Humanise Research Symposium 2024

PGR Supervision

John-Sebastian Messer AGENCY | ARCHITECTURE | APPROPRIATION An Exploration of Participation in the Production of the City Start Date: 26/05/2020 End Date: 03/03/2021
Diogo Henriques Envisioning tomorrow’s cities: experiments in evaluation and co-creation of urban visions Start Date: 03/09/2021 End Date: 10/11/2023
Emad Alyedreessy Space Syntax and Coliving: Examining Sociability Through Spatial Configurations Start Date: 01/10/2022
Jakub Krukar The Influence of an Art Gallery's Spatial Layout on Human Attention to and Memory of Art Exhibits Start Date: 12/09/2011 End Date: 25/11/2015
Eiman Elbanhawy To Understand, Model and Design an E-Mobility System in its Urban Context Start Date: 12/09/2011 End Date: 26/05/2016

Further Information

Ruth welcomes applications from potential phd students in her research area.

Qualifications

Education (other/general) PGCert December 31 2010
Education (other/general) PGCert November 01 2007
Architecture PhD March 01 2001
Architecture PGCert December 01 2000
Architecture Other Qualification November 06 1998
Architecture MSc November 01 1996
Architecture BSc (Hons) August 01 1991
Information not provided Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) 2022
Architect Architects Registration Board (ARB)
Chartered Member Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) FHEA

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