Dr David Grierson

Personal statement

I am Reader in Architecture and have been Deputy Head of the department since 2011. As the department's lead on international activity since 2014 I have worked with colleagues to establish collaborative agreement with institutions in East Asia (China and Inner Mongolia), South Asia (India and Hong Kong), Southeast Asia (Malaysia), the Middle East (Qatar and Kuwait), the USA (Arizona), and led the Faculty's first overseas engagement visit to the Middle East (to UAE, Qatar). I am pleased to say that the number of students from overseas now studying Architecture annually at Strathclyde has doubled in the past 5 years, and I believe our international academic profile has never been higher. In directing the ground breaking Faculty-wide postgraduate programme in Sustainable Engineering over the past fifteen years it has been a privilege for me to see well over a thousand students from our integrated engineering and architecture courses successfully graduate and advance their careers in industry and practice. On a more personal note I was honoured to be appointed as the first ever visiting professor at Arcosanti in Arizona, USA in 2013, subsequently launching a new MSc in Architecture and Ecology there, and then joining the Steering Committee of the Cosanti Foundation to guide the strategic development of Arcosanti in the years ahead. I currently lead the CRiDS research cluster at Strathclyde towards resilient and sustainable responses to social, environmental, and economic challenges associated with buildings and cities, in both developed and developing countries. My own research contributions, that aim to support design decision-making for a more balanced relationship between the built & natural environments and develop innovative teaching methods for sustainable development, have led to the supervision of more than 30 postgraduate researchers over the past ten years and around 70 peer-reviewed publications in these areas.

Selected Publications:

• Softer Footprints: the role of planning in meeting the net-zero targets - delivering sustainable design. Scotland Policy Conference: Next steps for planning reform in Scotland - the National Planning Framework, net-zero targets, and adapting regulations in the wake of the pandemic. Grierson. D., 12 Jan 2021.
• Approaching urban design through the analysis of structural differences within three neighborhood typologies in Basra City Grierson. D. & Al-Saraify, Q.Z.K. , 16 Dec 2020, Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design. Almusaed, A. & Truong-Hong, L. (eds.). 1 ed. London, UK: INTECHopen, Vol.1.22p.
• An Application of Measuring Visual and Non-Visual Sensorial Experiences of Nature for Children within Primary Schools Spaces: Child-Nature-Distance Studies in Glasgow, Scotland Phuong, T. T. & Grierson, D. 31 Oct 2019 In: ArchNet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, DOI: 10.1108/ARCH-052019-019
• Urban Performance Between the Imagined, the Measured, and the Experienced Salama, A.M. & Grierson, D., 1 Apr 2019 In: Open House International. Editorial 44, 1, 4-7
• Walking to Occupational Activities within Three Neighbourhoods in Basra City Grierson, D. & Al-Saraify, Q.Z. K., 1 Apr 2019 In : Open House International. 44, 1, 26 p.
• Nature, People, and Place: informing the design of urban environments in harmony with Nature through the Space/Nature Syntax Grierson, D. & Munro, K. 1 Jan 2018 In : Lifelong Learning and Education in Healthy and Sustainable Cities. Azeiteiro, UM., Akerman, M., Leal Filho, W., Setti, AFF. & Brandli, LL. (eds.). 1 ed. Cham: Springer International Publishing AG, Vol. 16, p. 105-125 21 p. (World Sustainability Series; vol. 16, no. 1)
• Transformative Learning Methods in Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Grierson, D. & Munro, K. 31 March 2018 In : ArchNet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research. p. 1 - 21 21 p. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26687/archnet-ijar.v12i1.1430
• Sustainable Development of the Built Environment: response to contradiction through the circular economy and designing out waste in the construction industry Grierson, D., 3 Mar 2017 Kenote Address Launching Zero Waste Scotland's guide for Architects and Designers - Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow 
• Forging Advances in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism, Editorial, (Editors) Grierson, D. & Salama, A. M. 1 Dec 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 4, p. 4 - 6 2 p.
• Journal Special Issue: Forging Advances in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism, (Editors), Grierson, D. & Salama, A. M. 1 Dec 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 4, p. 1 - 110 110 p.
• Unfinished Business at the Urban Laboratory: Paolo Soleri, Arcology, and Arcosanti, Grierson, D. 1 Dec 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 4, p. 63-72 10 p
• Towards the Development of a Space/Nature syntax at Arcosanti, Munro, K. & Grierson, D. 1 Dec 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 4, p. 48-55 13 p.
• Linking Space and Nature Syntaxes: the Influence of a Natural View through Observed Behaviour at Arcosanti, Arizona, USA, Munro, K. & Grierson, D. 11 Nov 2016 Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher Education. Leal Filho, W., Brandli, L., Castro, P. & Newman, J. (eds.). Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG, Vol. 1, p. 137-158 22 p. (World Sustainability Series)
• A Contextual Framework for the Development of a Building Sustainability Assessment Method for Iran, Malek, S. & Grierson, D. 15 Jul 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 2, p. 64-75 12 p.
• An Expedition into Architecture and Urbanism of the Global South, Salama, A. M. & Grierson, D. 15 Jul 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 2, p. 4-5 2 p.
• Transformations in Architecture and Urbanism of Cities in the Global South, Salama, A. M. (ed.) & Grierson, D. (ed.) 15 Jul 2016 In : Open House International. 41, 2, p. 1-101 102 p.
• 10 out of 10 for Scottish school design? Providing an accessible, sustainable environment for 21st century education./ Hyland, Claire; Grierson, David; Sadler, Sue; Asgari, Zeynab. Architecture Anthology I: Education, Research, and Practice. ed. / Judith Urbano. Vol. 1 1. ed. Athens, Greece : ATINER, 2015. p. 27-40. Research output: Chapter in Book
• RE-thinking urban life?. Grierson, David. 11 December 2014 at 'Re-Thinking Residential Environments: Environment and Design Congress', Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey. Research output: Keynote Contribution to Conference
• Technology and Ecology, Grierson, D. 2014. Transitions to Sustainability: Theoretical Debates for a Changing Planet. Humphreys, D. & Stober, S. (eds.). 1 ed. Champaign, Illinois, USA: Common Ground Publishing, Vol. 1, p. 105 118 p. Chapter 8 Research output: Chapter in Book
• The Environmental Performance of Low Carbon Dwellings Using Structural Insulated Concrete Blocks, Grierson, D., Bradley, C., Duff, A. & Macdonald, M. 28 Feb2013 In : CIC Start Online Innovation Review. 13 p. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
• Playing Games With Sustainability in Glasgow, Grierson, D. , Hyland, C. , Sadler, S. & Rogerson, R. 29-Jun-2012 In: Proceedings of the International Association People Environment Studies (IAPS) . International Association of People-Environment Studies Research output: Conference proceeding
• Designing Out the Urban Heat Island Effect, Grierson, D. & Munro, K. E. Sep-2012, In : CIC Start Online Innovation Review. Issue 12, September 2012, pp 42-50. Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
• Learning lessons from the Scottish School Building Programme: providing an accessible, sustainable environment for 21st century education, Grierson, D. & Hyland, C. Contribution to 8th International Sustainability Conference, 10-12 January 2012, University of British Columbia, Canada› Paper
• Circular Economy Game and Walking Tour, Grierson, D. , Hyland, C. , Sadler, S. & Rogerson, R. 1-Jun-2012 Research output: Contribution to conference › Speech at  International Association People Environment Studies (IAPS) . 
• Learning for Change: cross-disciplinary postgraduate programmes in sustainability, Grierson, D. & Hyland, C. 7-Sep- 2011 In : International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability. 7, 3, p. 37-50. 14 p. Research output: Paper in International Journal
• Architectural Design Principles and Processes for Sustainability: towards a typology of sustainable building design, Grierson, D. & Moultrie, C. M. 17-Aug-2011 In : Design Principles and Practices. p. 623 - 634. 12 p. Research output: Paper in International Journal
• Towards Sustainable Building Design, Grierson, D. 2009, Design Principles and Practices: an international journal: Common Ground Publisher: 3, 3 (On Design). Research output: Chapter in Book