Susan Holden

Dr. Susan Holden is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Queensland, affiliated with the ATCH Research Centre (Architecture, Theory, Culture, History). She earned a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland, completing her PhD in 2014 with the thesis 'The "Beaubourg Moment": Movement and the Temporality of Architecture.' Before academia, she practiced architecture for over ten years in Australia and the UK, working on community, civic, housing, and urban design projects. At UQ, she has served as Chair of Research (2022), Chair of Teaching and Learning (2018-2021), and Academic Advisor for the Master of Urban Development and Design Program (2021). A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, she contributes to its education, gender equity, and awards committees, including the National Gender Equity Committee Research and Publication Taskforce.

Holden's expertise spans architectural design histories and theories, heritage and sustainability, and design governance and policy. Her research themes include material values of the built environment (heritage, maintenance, demolition, salvage, storage), design expertise and governance in the architecture profession, and quality in architecture. She is author, editor, or contributor to nine books, such as 'Pavilion Propositions: Nine Points on an Architectural Phenomenon' (2018, co-authored with John Macarthur, Ashley Paine, Wouter Davidts), 'Trading Between Architecture and Art: Strategies and Practices of Exchange' (2019), 'Valuing Architecture: Heritage and the Economics of Culture' (2020, edited with Ashley Paine, John Macarthur), and chapters in 'Campus: Building Modern Australian Universities' (2023). Notable publications include 'Real Architecture: What Women Architects’ Experience on Design Review Panels Reveals About Professional Identity and Expertise' (2026, Australian Planner), 'The Political Rationality of Beauty in Urban Design Governance' (2026, Architecture and Culture), 'Soft Power and Design Review: The CABE Legacy in Australia' (2025, Australian Planner), and 'Concrete on Campus: Material Values of Late Modern Campus Buildings' (2023, Change Over Time). Awards include the UQ Promoting Women Fellowship (2019), SAHANZ David Saunders Founders Grant (2010), QIA Medallion (2000), and Board of Architects Prize (2000). She has held visiting positions as Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (2012), scholar at Deutsches Forum für Kunstgeschichte Paris (2013), and researcher at Ghent University (2018, 2023), and delivers lectures, critiques, and panels internationally.

Professional Email: s.holden@uq.edu.au