Neuza Morais

Architect | Creative Educator | Researcher

I’m Neuza, a Portuguese architect, creative educator, and researcher based in Chester. My practice brings together architecture, music, and the visual arts, with a focus on participatory design, storytelling, and socially engaged research. I’m interested in how people connect to places, shape their environments, and find a sense of belonging, especially through collaborative and creative processes.

I’m a registered architect with the Order of Architects in Portugal (registration no. 21401), a member of Urban Design UK, Architects Sans Frontières UK, and part of Castlefield Gallery’s artist network. I also serve on the executive committee of Chester International Links Association (CILA), a non-profit organisation that fosters partnerships between Chester and its twin cities across Europe.

Alongside my creative practice, I’m currently completing a Doctorate in Education at the University of Chester. My research explores how participatory and speculative design can support more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable urban futures, centred on the lived experiences and voices of communities.

At the University of Chester, I am a researcher for RECAP (Research into Education, Creativity and Arts through Practice) and lead two research projects for the Crossing Borders programme:

Nourish to Flourish, which explores the intersection of art and nutrition in five primary schools in Chester.
A study of the cultural significance of Chester’s Winter and Mid-Summer Watch Parades through the work of Russell Kirk.

Alongside my research, I teach an interdisciplinary module for all Level 4 students in the Art & Design Department, as well as a Level 5 module, Interior Design: Culture and Society.

In 2020, I developed The Missing Building, a participatory project inviting people of all ages to imagine and share what is missing in their urban environments. The first phase culminated in an exhibition at the CASC Gallery in 2022, where 30 families presented models of speculative buildings. The project also included an audio installation created in collaboration with Kevin Furlong and a series of workshops with children, students, and community members. The Missing Building is now expanding from my studio at Castlefield Gallery’s Art Space in Chester’s Grosvenor Shopping Centre, with a new exhibition planned for 2025, featuring physical and digital models contributed by participants from multiple cities.

My research-led practice has been presented in exhibitions such as not nor, developed for the 2024 Chester Photo Festival, and a sound installation exhibited at the Grosvenor Museum in 2023. I co-organised Storyhouse Climate 23, a conference exploring the role of creativity in responding to the climate crisis, and I will be involved in Storyhouse Futures 2025, a continuation of that work. I received a nomination for a Green Gown Award in 2024 for this contribution.

My work has been recognised with several awards, including the Susan M. Chance Award for Innovation in Education (2020), the Storyhouse Student Sponsorship Award (2019), and an honorary mention from the Future Architecture Platform (2021). My Kitaya Box toolkit, developed through The Missing Building, was a finalist in the Santander Venture Programme in 2021, and I returned as a judge in 2022. In 2024, I was awarded a Santander Universities grant to support my research.

Alongside my academic and artistic work, I am currently leading a public-facing project in Winsford town centre. This project engages local school children and residents in reimagining the future of their high street through storytelling, model-making, and place-based research, culminating in a co-created public installation reflecting community identity and local pride.

I continue to contribute to Chester’s civic and cultural life through my involvement with the Chester Heritage Festival, Storyhouse Futures (an iteration of Storyhouse Climate) and by supporting preparations for CILA’s 2025 Youth Games, which will bring together young people from Chester and its twin cities.

EdD (in Progress) at the University of Chester
MA in Creative Practices in Education at the University of Chester
MArch in Architecture and Urbanism at the University Lusiada in Lisbon
BA in Architecture and Urbanism at the University Lusiada in Lisbon

Winsford Community Art Installation 
Funded by: Cheshire West and Chester Council (2025) 
Role: Lead artist and researcher
 A participatory public art installation engaging children and families in exploring local identity and placemaking.
Cultural and Community Project – Rhyl 
Commissioned by: Denbighshire County Council (2024) 
Role: Artist-educator and facilitator
 Creative engagement project with two primary schools, exploring culture, place, and belonging through art.
Community Art Facilitator – Ty Pawb 
Commissioned by: Wrexham Council (2023–2024) 
Role: Workshop designer and facilitator 
Facilitated arts workshops for local families and young people as part of Ty Pawb’s creative education programme.
The Missing Story – Community Art Project 
Commissioned by: Chester Contemporary (2023)
 Role: Artist and project lead 
A collaboration between two primary schools in Chester (Grosvenor Park academy and Dee Point) to recreate stories around the Chester Rows.
The Animal Architect: The Nest – Community Workshop
 Commissioned by: Storyhouse (2022) 
Role: Workshop lead and facilitator 
An interactive families workshop exploring architecture and nature through storytelling and making.
An Artist for a Day – Community Art Project 
Commissioned by: Storyhouse (2022) 
Role: Artist facilitator 
One full day public temporary art installation co-created by the community. Themes of place, belonging, isolation and lockdown.
Public Art Installation – God and Architecture 
Commissioned by: St Mark’s Church (2021) 
Role: Artist and spatial designer Created a site-responsive installation reflecting on sacred space, spirituality, and architectural form.
The Missing Building – Phase 1 and 2 
Funded by: The Hamilton Project as part of Refreshers Programme (2021 and 2022) 
Role: Lead artist-researcher-facilitator 
Participatory project inviting families to reimagine their cities through storytelling, model-making, and speculative design.