Research
Research Interests
Post-WWII British Modern Architecture. Infrastructure. Mapping. Functionalism. Utilitarianism. Brutalism. Industrial Architecture. Planning. Policy. Urbanism. Urban Art. Land Art.
Richard is primarily interested in the policies of planning and regulation and the impact that this has on urban form, space and materiality. This interest informs two distinct areas of research; historical and contemporary.
The historical research with which Richard is engaged concerns the late twentieth century and is focused on architectural, urban and regional development in relation to national and local policy.
Of particular interest within the realm of contemporary regulations are issues of territory, boundary and the demarcation and ownership of space. The tension between virtual (data) space and real (physical) space is paramount to these studies. Mapping and visualisation techniques are used to provide representations of urban space which utilise the exposition of latent political and numerical conditions as both reactive and predictive models.
Richard is interested in the architecture of modernity, the machine age and functionalism. This is reflected in his engagement with digital media, he has worked with other artists exhibiting experimental industrial and electronic audio-visual material across the UK and Europe.
Academic collaborations
- Advisor to the Manchester Modernist Society
- Member of peer review panel for Arts and Humanities Research Council
- Member C20 Society
- Member The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain
- Member European Architectural History Group
Grants
2019. AHRC Landscape Decision Making £45000
Principal Investigator
The Landscapes of Post-War Infrastructure: Culture, Amenity, Heritage and Industry
2019. Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art £10000
The Renewal of Post-War Manchester: Architecture, Planning and the State
Post-doctoral Fellowship.
2018. Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art £3000
Co-Investigator
The Landscape and Architecture of Post War British Infrastructure. Conference. Feb. 2019.
2018. MMU International Network Fund £3000
Co-Investigator
The Landscape and Architecture of Post War Infrastructure
International Symposium on Post War Infrastructure. Feb. 2019.
2017. AHRC/EPSRC Immersive Experiences £52000
Principal Investigator
The Life of Buildings. www.thelifeofbuildings.org.uk
2017. Heritage Lottery Fund (in collaboration with The Modernist Society). £4500. Further £9500 crowdfunded via IndieGoGo
Manchester Modern (Book).
2016. Commercial sponsorship (Bruntwood, BDP, Hawkins\Brown) £1500
Making Post-war Manchester: Visions of an Unmade City. Exhibition and catalogue.
2015. University of Manchester SEED Workshop and Conference Panel Support £2750
Mapping the Historical Geographies of Higher Education in Greater Manchester
Funding for one-day symposium and special issue journal.
2013. Manchester Statistical Society, Campion Fund £3300
The Making of Post-War Manchester 1945-74: Plans and projects
Funding for one day symposium and edited book production.
2012. MIRIAD at MMU £1000
Funding towards Infra_MANC exhibition and catalogue.
2010. North West Development Agency £3000
Innovation Voucher to work with Emerge Recycling to develop design solutions.
2009. North West Development Agency £3000
Innovation Voucher to work with Emerge Recycling to assess their estate and future strategic property development.
2009. MIRIAD at MMU £2000
Funding for field research in New York and Madrid for book - Urban Maps.
2007. RIBA Modern Architecture + Town Planning Trust £5000
A selective examination of the modern and modernist architecture of Greater Manchester
Exhibitions
Brook, R., 2018. Drawing the Modern: The work of Gordon Hodkinson and post-war architectural education in Manchester, Special Collections Gallery, Manchester Metropolitan University, 10/9/2018 - 5/4/2019.
Brook, R., 2016. Making Post-War Manchester: Visions of an Unmade City, Manchester Technology Centre, 3/6/2016 - 24/6/2016.
Millington, S., Hale, J., Steele, M., Brook, R., 2014. Sci.Eng.50, Grosvenor Gallery Annex, 23/10/2014 - 21/11/2014.
Brook, R., 2012. Infra_MANC. Post-war Mancunian Infrastructures, CUBE Gallery & RIBA Hub. Manchester, 24/2/2012 - 23/3/2012.
Dunn, N. and Brook, R., 2009. Shaping the Future: Heritage Open Days, Town Hall, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, 10-13 September 2009.
team-bau, 2009. State Legacy, Cornerhouse and Grosvenor Gallery, Manchester, 2nd April - 8th May 2009.
Books
Brook, R., Dodge, M., Hogg, J., 2020. 'Cold War Cities Politics, Culture and Atomic Urbanism, 1945-1965', Routledge.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Cwmbran (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society, Manchester.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Hulme (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Hyde Park (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Peterlee (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Runcorn (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Skelmersdale (From the Archives)', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2017. 'Manchester Modern', The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., Dunn, N., 2013. 'Urban Maps Instruments of Narrative and Interpretation in the City', Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..
Brook, R., Dodge, M., 2012. 'Infra_MANC Post-war Infrastructures of Manchester : the Catalogue of Infra_MANC. An Exhibition at the RIBA Hub/CUBE Gallery, Portland Street Manchester from 27th February - 17th March 2012'.
Brook, R. and Dodge, M., 2012. 'Infra_MANC. Post-war Mancunian Infrastructures', bauprint: Manchester.
Brook, R., Dunn, N., 2009. 'Isolative Urbanism An Ecology of Control'.
Brook, R. and Dunn, N., 2009. 'Isolative Urbanism: an ecology of control', bauprint.
Mills, G., Fitzpatrick, J., Chadwick D., O'Donnell, C., Islam A., Ellis D., Brown F.,, 2001. 'Manchester Architecture Papers', The Manchester School of Architecture.
Book Chapters
Brook, R., 2020. 'Gutter Snipe'. In Gutter Snipe, Mike Ballard.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Belgrade'. In Rhead, E., Hale, J. (eds.) Adventures in the Land of Modernism, pp. 78-90, The Modernist Society.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Mainstream Modern'. In Neate, H., Craggs, R. (eds.) Modern Futures, Uniformbooks.
Brook, R., Dunn, N., 2009. 'The Control of Space: mediating fear in the urban condition'. In Isolative Urbanism, bauprint, Manchester.
Brook, R., 2008. 'Learning Lessons: Post-war architecture of the universities'. In Manchester School of Architecture (eds.) MSA2 Yearbook 2008, 33-36, MSA.
Reports
Brook, R., 2010. 'Manchester Modern: The Shape of the City'.
Internet Publications
Brook, R., 2014. 'Helicopter dreaming: the unrealised plans for city centre heliports in the post-war period', http://www.bcu.ac.uk/Download/Asset/f196b924-0666-4194-b34c-e2388e71463a.
Brook, R., 2014. 'Trying to close the loop: post-war ring roads in Manchester', http://www.bcu.ac.uk/Download/Asset/cd53b53d-be5a-49c8-aea0-ab0d9182b635.
Brook, R., 2009. 'The Hollaway Wall', http://www.c20society.org.uk/botm/hollaway-wall-manchester/.
Journal Articles
Brook, R., 2020. 'The National Computing Centre: "White Heat," Modernization, and Postwar Manchester', Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, 79 (4), pp. 438-458.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Roger Booth, Lancashire County Architect, 1962-83.', The Journal of the Twentieth Century Society (C20), 13, pp. 130-145.
Dodge, M., Brook, R., 2014. 'Dreams of Helicopter Travel in the 1950s and Liverpool's Undeveloped Plans for a City Centre Heliport', Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, 163, pp. 111-125.
Brook, R., Dodge, M., 2014. 'The Guardian Underground Telephone Exchange', Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society Transactions, 108, pp. 20-55.
Brook, R., 2012. 'Building as Sign: Architecture in the Image Economy', The International Journal of the Image, 1 (4), pp. 67-82.
Non-Peer Reviewed Articles
Brook, R., 2018. 'Parts of a whole. Peter Womersley - the elements and unity of the Nuffield Transplantation Surgery Unit.', The Modernist, 26, pp. 42-47.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Concrete Junglists', The Modernist, 20, pp. 18-21.
Brook, R., 2015. 'Cold War Concrete: Engineering the Airwaves', The Modernist, 14, pp. 30-33.
Brook, R., 2014. 'Expo[sed]', The Modernist, 13, pp. 32-37.
Brook, R., 2014. 'Mancunian Way', Architektur in Gebrauch, 3, pp. 3-8.
Brook, R., 2013. 'For all the right reasons', The Modernist, 8, pp. 16-19.
Brook, R., 2013. 'From Bold to Belligerent', The Modernist, 9, pp. 24-25.
Brook, R., 2012. 'Police Brutality', The Modernist, 4, pp. 12-15.
Brook, R., 2011. 'A Hidden Chapel', Greater Manchester Churches Preservation Society, Winter 2011/12, pp. 9-9.
Brook, R., 2011. 'Boldly Gone', The Modernist, pp. 10-11.
Brook, R., 2011. 'Hard Brilliance', The Modernist, 2, pp. 14-15.
Brook, R., 2011. 'Manchester', C20 The magazine of the Twentieth Century Society, Autumn 2011, pp. 18-19.
Brook, R., 2011. 'Manchester Chapels', C20 The Magazine of the Twentieth Century Society, Spring 2011.
Brook, R., 2009. 'Church Ceramics', Glazed Expressions, pp. 16-17.
Brook, R., 2009. 'Post-war Academic Buildings in Manchester', A. Architecture and Built Environment, pp. 16-23.
Brook, R., 2009. 'Underley Hall Chapel, Kirkby Lonsdale', C20 The Magazine of the Twentieth Century Society, Autumn 2009, pp. 17-17.
Brook, R., 2008. 'St. Augustine's Church, Manchester', The Magazine of the Twentieth Century Society, Spring 2008, pp. 12-12.
Conference Papers
Brook, R., Csepely-Knorr, L., 2020. 'Land.Arch.Infra: Synergies between teaching and research', Online - Manchester.
Brook, R., 2019. 'Building Knowledge, building buildings: Cold War Computing Clusters in the North-West', The Place of Industry: SMG Research Conference, Science and Industry Museum, Manchester, 4/11/2019 - 5/11/2019.
Brook, R., 2019. 'Scammonden: Landscape Co-production in the Motorway Age', The Landscape and Architecture of Post-War British Infrastructure, Manchester School of Art, 15/2/2019 - 15/2/2019.
Brook, R., 2018. 'Infrastructure as object and producer', SHU Space & Place conference - Investigating Infrastructure, Sheffield Hallam University, 13/6/2018 - 13/6/2018.
Brook, R., 2017. 'Regionality: agency and authorship in architecture. The story of the National Computing Centre - White Heat, False Logic.', SAHGB Annual Symposium 2017 Beyond 'By': Towards an inclusive architectural history, London School of Economics, 3/6/2017 - 3/6/2017.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Roger Booth, Lancashire County Architect, 1962-83', Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, 2016 Annual Symposium, The Official Architect; missing chapters in the history of the profession, RIBA, Portland Place, London, 21/5/2016 - 21/5/2016.
Brook, R., Dunn, N., 2014. 'Between planning and network, the evolution of infrastructural architecture', RGS IBG Annual International Conference 2014, Royal Geographic Society, London, 26/8/2014 - 29/8/2014.
Brook, R., Jefferies, T., 2013. 'It's Just Juxtabridity', Association of American Geographers, Los Angeles, 9/4/2013 - 13/4/2013.
Brook, R., 2013. 'Renewal and Regionality: Cruickshank and Seward in Manchester', The Transformation of Urban Britain Since 1945, University of Leicester, Centre for Urban History, 9/7/2013 - 10/7/2013.
Presentations
Brook, R., 2019. 'The Mancunian Way: techno-cultures of the post war', Bartlett, University College London.
Brook, R., 2019. 'The Materiality of Entropy', Social Surfaces 0161 Symposium, Manchester.
Brook, R., Tan, K., Edwards, B., 2018. 'Immersive Experiences: The Life of Buildings', College Court, Leicester.
Brook, R., 2017. 'Drawing the Modern: A viewing of the student work of Gordon Hodkinson', MMU Special Collections.
Brook, R., Dunn, N., 2017. 'Warp & Weft: Infrastructural Architecture and Volumetric Urbanism', The Chimney House, Kelham Island, Sheffield.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Grand Plans: Campus, Precinct and Parkland', Historical Geographies of Higher Education in Greater Manchester, Manchester Meeting Place, North Campus, University of Manchester, 9 November 2016.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Roger Booth. Lancashire County Architect, 1962-83.', Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, Annual Symposium, RIBA, Portland Place, London, 21 May 2016.
Brook, R., 2016. 'Visions of the Unmade City', Building Design Partnership, Ducie Street, Manchester.
Brook, R., Dodge, M., 2015. 'Cold War Urbanism: Histories of strategic plans, secure structures and technocratic politics', International Conference of Historical Geographers, Royal Geographic Society.
Brook, R. & Dunn, N., 2014. 'Between planning and network, the evolution of infrastructural architecture', RGS IBG Annual International Conference 2014, Royal Geographical Society, London, 26-29 August 2014.
Brook, R., 2014. 'Masterplanning Mobility: Mancunian Methods', Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester.
Brook, R., 2014. 'Oxford Road: the promise, planning and problems - Masterplanning progress: Technology, teaching and architecture', Central Reference Library, Manchester.
Brook, R. & Dodge, M., 2014. 'Secrecy, obscurity, security, obsession: The Guardian telecommunications bunker deep under Manchester city centre and Cold War urbanism', RGS IBG Annual International Conference 2014, Royal Geographical Society, London, 26-29 August 2014.
Brook, R., 2013. 'Manchester. The 59 year history of the inner relief route', Infrastructure and the rebuilt post-war city, Birmingham City University, 25 March 2013.
Brook, R., 2013. 'Manchester: Disconnected City', The making of post-war Manchester 1945-74: Plans and Projects, University of Manchester, 8 May 2013.
Brook, R., 2013. 'Renewal and Regionality: Cruickshank and Seward in Manchester', The Transformation of Urban Britain Since 1945, University of Leicester, Centre for Urban History, 9 - 10 July 2013.
Brook, R., 2013. 'The materiality of entropy: an application of order', Time, Space and the Body, Mercure Hotel, Sydney, AU., 11-13 February 2013.
Brook, R. and Dunn, N., 2011. 'Data Mining: Abstract Urban Topographies', Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference 2011: The Geographical Imagination, Royal Geographical Society and Imperial College, London, 31 August - 2 September 2011.
Brook, R., 2009. 'Manchester Modern - Planning Policy & the Shape of the City', 20th Century Society NW Lecture, Manchester, 7th October 2009.
Brook, R., 2009. 'Modern Architecture + Planning in Manchester', American Institute of Architects UK: Urban Regeneration, Urbis, Manchester, UK, 23.04.09-26.04.09.
Dunn, N. and Brook, R., 2009. 'The City and The Control of Space', Metropolitan Desires: Cultural Reconfigurations of the European City Space, Manchester Metropolitan University, 8-9 September 2009.
Other Outputs
Brook, R., 2020. 'An Infrastructural Landscape II'.
Brook, R., 2019. 'An Infrastructural Landscape'.
Brook, R., Rhead, I., 2019. 'From the Archives II'.
Brook, R., 2019. 'The Modernist: Infrastructure. 30'.
Brook, R., Chung, M., Dunn, N., Tyson, T., 2011. 'Emerge: Spatial Design Report', Commissioned report into formal design solutions for east Manchester recycling cooperative.
Brook, R., 2011. 'Manchester Modern', A curated set of photos for GMCRO from the Manchester Local Image Collection.
Dunn, N. and Brook, R., 2011. '[Re_Map]: the image of the urban landscape', Co-chaired conference session at the Royal Geographical Society Annual International Conference 2011: The Geographical Imagination.
Brook, R., 2010. 'Manchester Modern: The Shape of the City', Thesis submitted to the RIBA Library..
Tyson, N., Brook, R., Chung, M., & Dunn, N., 2009. 'Design Briefing Report for EMERGE Recycling Manchester'.