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Dr Tao DuFour is an Assistant Professor in History and Theory of Architecture at the University of Cambridge. His research uses phenomenology and ethnography to investigate embodied spatial experience and environmental change in the Caribbean and Guianas
Dr Tao DuFour is an Assistant Professor in History and Theory of Architecture and the Director of the MArch Programme at the University of Cambridge. An architect and scholar with credentials including the prestigious Rome Prize in Architecture at the British School at Rome, Dr. DuFour’s work is uniquely interdisciplinary, situated at the nexus of architectural theory, philosophy, and ethnographic research.
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His core research investigates the embodied nature of spatio-environmental experience, particularly focused on the concept of generativity as it relates to the lived experience of the historical past, a concept he terms “environmentality.” This intellectual pursuit draws heavily on the traditions of the phenomenology of perception and corporeity, using philosophical insights to inform and enrich ethnographic descriptions of space.
Dr. DuFour’s current and most salient research centres on the regional context of the Caribbean and the Guianas. Utilizing an innovative methodology that includes photography, ethnographic fieldwork, and documentary filmmaking, he examines the lived experience of profound environmental change within these historically and culturally rich settings. His specific interest lies in the historical and narrative dimensions of this spatio-environmental experience, often drawing upon the vibrant literary traditions of the region to frame his analysis. This work demonstrates a commitment to understanding how people’s sense of place and past is fundamentally intertwined with their physical environment.
The tangible outputs of his research are highly impactful. In collaboration with postcolonial scholar Natalie Melas and filmmaker Kannan Arunasalam, he recently completed the feature-length documentary film, Possible Landscapes, the result of a major two-year, Mellon-funded research project focused on environmental experience in Trinidad & Tobago. The collaborative team was previously awarded the 2023 SAH Award for Film and Video by the Society of Architectural Historians for their documentary short, We Love We Self Up Here, underscoring the critical acclaim and scholarly significance of his unconventional research outputs.
Dr. DuFour’s theoretical contributions are equally strong; his 2022 book, Husserl and Spatiality: A Phenomenological Ethnography of Space, was honored with the Edward Goodwin Ballard Book Prize in Phenomenology. He holds key academic leadership roles at the University, including serving as a Fellow and Director of Studies in Architecture at Trinity College, and is dedicated to training MArch students to incorporate these advanced theoretical perspectives into their design practice.
Dr. Tao DuFour
- Position: Assistant Professor in History and Theory of Architecture, Director (MArch Programme)
- Country: UK
- University: University of Cambridge
- Faculty/School: Faculty of Architecture and History of Art
- Department: Department of Architecture
Contact Information
- Email Address: tns22@cam.ac.uk
- Personal/University Profile Page: https://www.arct.cam.ac.uk/staff/dr-tao-dufour
Research Interests / Areas of Expertise
- Phenomenology of Perception and Spatiality
- Embodied Spatial Experience and Corporeity
- Generativity and “Environmentality”
- Ethnographic Study of Space and Environmental Change (Caribbean and Guianas)
- History and Philosophy of Architecture
Scholarship Supervision Availability
Scholarship Supervision Availability: Depends
Current Projects or Publications (Key Publications):
- BOOK: Husserl and Spatiality: A Phenomenological Ethnography of Space (Routledge, 2022).
- SPECIAL ISSUE (Guest Ed.): Space and Heritage: On the Generativity of Environing Worlds, Future Anterior (Forthcoming 2023).
- DOCUMENTARY FILM (Co-creator): Possible Landscapes (Mellon-funded research project).
- AWARD: 2023 SAH Award for Film and Video (for We Love We Self Up Here).
Number of Graduate Students Supervised: Not provided
Scholarship/Funding Opportunities Linked: Not provided
Languages Spoken: Not provided
Preferred Intake / Application Window: Not provided
Response Time / Availability Status: Not provided
