Bonnie Emmett

My doctoral project focuses on the provision of housing for single, working women in post-WWI London. It investigates this hitherto neglected aspect of the Capital’s built environment, examining its conception, design and development in the hotly contested arena of architectural modernism and rapidly changing notions of gender, citizenship and the home. This research aims to challenge the largely stylistic-led, traditional narratives and offer a more holistic, inclusive understanding of this vibrant architectural period.

The PhD follows BA and masters studies both at the University of Oxford, in History and Architectural History respectively. It builds upon my previous research in 20th Century architectural and social history, particularly the use and re-use of buildings as vehicles of socio-political change. It also enables me to further recent work as a researcher on the Heritage Lottery-funded history project for Women’s Pioneer Housing.