Russell Gagg

Having graduated from Manchester University School of Architecture, Russell has held Chartered status with the Royal Institute of British Architects since 1998. Russell has worked in practice across the UK, Asia and Australasia on a diverse range of projects from leisure, commercial and retail to educational, correctional and residential for large practices such as OPUS Architecture and DP Architects of Singapore. A large proportion of his work has concentrated on urban regeneration and renewal across the north west of England where he worked on many award-winning schemes for architects such as Ian Simpson, Roger Stephenson and AEDAS.

Russell joined AUB in 2006 from the Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where he was lecturer and studio leader on both the BA (Hons) Architecture and the MA Architecture programmes. Since joining AUB, Russell and his team have developed Interior Architecture and Design to become one of the leading and most progressive courses in the UK. Along with membership of the leading academic subject group Interior Educators the course has also been recognised by the ECIA (European Council of Interior Architecture and Design) and SBID (Society of British and International Design).

Russell is the author of "The Material Consciousness of Plastics" which is published by Palgrave Macmillan in "Provocative Plastics, Their Value in Design and Material Culture" as well as being sole author of “Interior Architecture: Textures and Materials” which is published by Bloomsbury.

His current research considers the role architecture and interiors play in forms of power, societal control, politics and political messaging, with a particular focus on race.

Russell is a permanent member of the BPC Design Review Panel as well as being an external examiner and quality assessor to a number of higher education institutions both in the UK and internationally.