Joan Love, Senior Lecturer

Joan Love

Senior Lecturer

Joan became a Senior Lecturer and Level Coordinator on BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design in 2001. Her tutoring draws heavily on design inspiration found in the overlap between fine art, sculpture, music, literature, film and the sensory experience of interior space.

Joan’s expertise is in the advancement of autism-friendly design assisting future professionals to shape responsive spatial environments. This is an ongoing pedagogic project, with nine local SEND schools and colleges and residential accommodation. She has undertaken specialist consultancy work for: Leeds City Council, Home Group, JLL Consulting, Universal Design Group, TOG.

She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2015), a Member of Interior Educators (2009), a Member of The Chartered Society of Designers (1988) and a Member of LSA Autism Research Lab (2019).

 

Current Teaching

BA (Hons) Interior Architecture and Design:

  • IAD4.1 Design Fundamentals
  • IAD4.2 Sculpting Interior Space
  • IAD4.4 Interiors Reinvented: Research
  • IAD4.5 Interiors Reinvented: Design

Research Interests

Joan believes that human-centred design is crucial when creating enabling, inclusive spaces. Current autism-friendly design research involves the cross-disciplinary inputs of a specialist occupational therapist and advanced sensory integration practitioner and a senior behaviour analyst, to deepen knowledge about the needs of autistic users.

Joan’s research uncovers new information in the form of ‘ten spatial transitioning platforms’ and ‘ten sensory living themes’ relating to behaviour-informed design.

Joan’s research outputs were submitted to:

Joan has contributed towards:

Please read Joan’s latest article on The Conversation:

 
Joan Love, Senior Lecturer

Ask Me About

  1. Autism
  2. Design
  3. Equality and inclusion

Selected Outputs

  • Macdermott J; Appleyard G; Dixon P; Love JS (2012) Emotion, Emotion, Emotion the Spirit of Being Human. In: Rodgers P ed. Interiors Education Futures. Libri Publishing Ltd,

  • Love JS (2020) UNIVERSITY AS ENABLER FOR INCLUSION: THE CERAMICIST, THE TUTOR, THE STUDENT AND THE AUTISTIC ADULT.

  • Love J (2022) Sensory spaces: sensory living – studio teaching the design of autism-friendly adult accommodation. ArchNet - IJAR

    https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-11-2021-0321

  • Love JS (2019) Studio teaching experiments - spatial transitioning for autism schools. Archnet-IJAR : International Journal of Architectural Research, 13 (1), pp. 39-57.

    https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-11-2018-0019

  • Love JS (2018) SENSORY SPACES: SENSORY LEARNING – AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO EDUCATING OUR FUTURE DESIGNERS TO DESIGN AUTISM SCHOOLS. Archnet-IJAR : International Journal of Architectural Research, 12 (3),

    https://doi.org/10.26687/archnet-ijar.v12i3.1704

  • Love JS (2012) Balance 1 [Painting]. Held at: ‘The Open’ exhibition. Harrogate: The Mercer Art Gallery.

  • Love JS (2011) Homage to Muybridge [Painting].

  • Love JS (2010) The Autistic Brain [Painting].

  • Love J (2023) Tutor's Neurodiversity Research Incorporated into Publication.

  • Love J (2022) Autism-friendly design creates impact: two 'live' projects, a college and purpose-built housing.

  • Love J (2021) AUTISM-FRIENDLY ADULT ACCOMMODATION: STUDENTS AND EXTERNAL EXPERTS COLLABORATE IN A FORWARD-THINKING DESIGN PROJECT.

  • Love J (2020) Learning about real life through the virtual environment.

  • Love J (2019) Autism-friendly design recommendations incorporated into 'The National Autistic Societies' knowledge base.

  • Love J (2019) Autism & Behavioural Design: Inter-Disciplinary Knowledge Sharing Session.

News & Blog Posts

Blog

Tutor's neurodiversity research incorporated into publication

  • 14 Mar 2023
An autism-friendly living room with space for pacing and a sensory wall
Blog

Autism-friendly design creates impact: two ‘live’ projects, a college and purpose-built housing

  • 25 Jul 2022
White corridor
Blog

Interior Architecture Talks: Practice Perspectives, Series 2

  • 14 Apr 2022
Bench and orning  on sun terrace and then someone laid in hammock on the same terrace
Blog

Interior Architecture Graduates, Part 5

  • 11 Mar 2022
Central Hall at the Natural History Museum in London, a blue whale skeleton is suspended from the ceiling