Sandra Denicke-Polcher

Sandra has over twenty years of experience working in Higher Education. Before joining the RCA, she worked as Deputy Head of Architecture (Acting Head in 2018-19) at London Metropolitan University and has taught design with a Live Project Studio since 2000. Sandra champions inclusivity in architectural education and advocates the development of alternative pathways to engage with spatial practice and the architectural profession. Her leadership has driven curriculum innovations which foster intercultural learner relationships across diverse disciplines, generating fresh insights to tackle global challenges. Sandra studied architecture in Germany, France and the UK, shaping her teaching philosophy and practice of inclusive education, constructionism and collaborative learning, which she pursues to empower students, colleagues and communities. Sandra explores the opportunities and challenges of engaging with live projects as part of the university-based architectural education. She is an expert in working with students in community live projects, involving participatory and community-led design processes to the benefit of students and community learning in the UK and abroad. Her teaching pedagogy of 'Architecture of Multiple Authorship', establishes for students an overtly participatory engagement with architecture, and aids the integration of clients, participants and collaborators as co-learners and co-creators. In 2016, Sandra set up the inter-disciplinary and cross-university research initiative Crossing Cultures. The research links design studio activities in London to a long-term live project in Calabria, Italy, run in collaboration with a growing number of stakeholders. Sandra is recognised for using a thoughtfully confident approach to leading and influencing the development of colleagues' teaching practice at subject and institutional levels, with local as well as international impact. With a keen interest in lifelong learning, she has taken on several validation and governing roles at different institutions. Sandra has extensive experience as a panel member for course validations at several universities in the UK and in Moscow and acts as an external examiner for Architecture programmes in London.