With an almost 50% increase in the size of Built Environment submissions across the UK, the results show the expanding relevance of Built Environment research to higher education and society. The increased level of action across the sector demonstrates the variety of ways in which Built Environment research is tackling the most critical issues facing society, including action on the climate crisis, thinking on post-pandemic built environments, and addressing inequalities.
Within the national results, The Bartlett accounts for the largest submission to the discipline across the UK. We submitted 725 examples of interdisciplinary and collaborative research from 332 colleagues. Impact is a key focus in REF 2021 – all of the 12 case studies submitted by The Bartlett were deemed to be internationally excellent and world leading, further demonstrating the importance of working in partnership with peer universities, and national and global partners.
Reflecting on the results, Professor Jacqui Glass, Vice Dean Research said:
Our REF 2021 submission demonstrates how The Bartlett convenes a broad community of scholars around major world issues, so they can undertake extraordinarily inventive and deeply rigorous interdisciplinary research. It also illustrates how Built Environment research is enlivened through active partnerships with stakeholders – bringing to life the whole idea of engaged scholarship. In these ways, the submission speaks to the whole Built Environment domain’s shared motivation to build a better future – and we look forward to progressing that goal in the years to come.
Christoph Lindner, Dean of The Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, added:
Everybody in The Bartlett, no matter their role or what they're studying, is part of our collective research culture and today's results speak to the talent and creativity of the whole faculty. I hope we can take inspiration from all of the innovative research and meaningful impact that features in this REF submission and feel energised and optimistic about future work and collaboration in the built environment.
Drawing on the Faculty’s exceptional disciplinary breadth The Bartlett strives to create a research environment that is founded on thoughtful and reflective partnerships, diverse ideas and people, and that supports all staff and students with a rich range of research interests. The Bartlett will continue to work in partnership with its stakeholders on its key research principles of diversity, excellence, freedom, inclusion, partnership and reflection, as well as actively seek further opportunities to forge links in the UK and around the world.
Click here for more information on our results, and the impact of The Bartlett's research on the wider world.
Image Credit: Hawkins\Brown Architects
Discover The Bartlett Invents!
Learn about our entrepreneurship competition and showcase for The Bartlett faculty.
15 May 2025
UCL, Imperial, EPFL and EMPA pioneer Aerial Additive Manufacturing for onsite building construction
New paper published in Science Robotics on 23 April 2025 unveils the potential of aerial robots to revolutionise building practices.
15 May 2025
Bartlett School of Planning works on greenfield planning in Tanzania
Dr. Martina Manara and colleagues from the London School of Economics and George Washington University conducted an in-depth study of the of the ‘20K Plots’ project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
14 May 2025