Dr Julie Gwilliam

Biography

Following studying for a BA in Architecture from Clare College, Cambridge, my studies continued at Cardiff University for BArch, MSc and PhD at the Welsh School of Architecture. I joined the academic staff at the school in 2003, where my PhD and early research work focused on the impact of Climate Change on the Built Environment. Latterly I have developed and delivered professional development strategies and courses promoting sustainability in the built environment including an MSc in Sustainable Design.

Currently my research focuses on the interdisciplinary social production of both sustainable and unsustainable built environments; further, in the role that critical engagement with architectural precedent can play in promoting positive transition in these complex systems.

Professional memberships

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• Member of NCEUB Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings (2006 – 2012)
• Member of RIBA Commission on Ethics and Sustainable Development (2017 ongoing)
• Member of RIBA Research Practice (Wales) Group (2018 ongoing)

Academic positions

Current

2020 (Ongoing)             Associate Dean for Environmental Sustainability, Cardiff University

2020 (Ongoing)             Reader, Welsh School of Architecture

2018 (Ongoing)             Dean for Post Graduate Studies, College of Physical Sciences

Career

2013                             Senior Lecturer, Welsh School of Architecture

2008                             Lecturer, Welsh School of Architecture

2003                             Research Associate, Welsh School of Architecture

Committees and reviewing

• Reviewing research papers for high impact factor journals such as Energy and Buildings, Building & Environment.
• Reviewing books for RIBA (Royal Institute for British Architects) Routledge as expert in Environmental design and sustainability.
• Assistant Editor for ARQ – 2010 - 2012

Publications

Teaching

Teaching profile

Dissertation supervisor:

• PhD, MPhil, MArch, MSc & MAUD schemes

Past teaching responsibilities included:

Leader for 10 years of the MSc in Theory and Practice of Sustainable Design.

• Including delivery of 3 Specialist modules for the MSc TPSD
  • Sustainable Building Module
  • Building Procurement and Performance Module
  • Sustainable Design Practice Module

Research interests

Julie’s interests in recent years have focused on the role of education and continuing professional development in the delivery of a transition towards sustainable development; the study and teaching of environmental design and sustainability as applied to the built environment. She is also interested in the social production of buildings, collaborative practices, the investigation of professional working practices in the delivery of built environment sustainability. She is currently focussing on an emerging piece of research to understand what is required in terms of leadership from built environment professions in order to enable transition towards holistic sustainable practices and a more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable future.

As a first phase of this work she is undertaking a piece of work to “Evaluate Sustainable Design in Stirling Prize Winning Buildings and their Architects” which intends to explore and evaluate aspects of holistic sustainability as manifest in the winners of the Stirling Prize over the past 21 years, considering both building and architect. As such this project will provide an excellent opportunity to develop an intimate familiarity with some of the most iconic buildings of the past two decades.

Main expertise

Sustainability in the Built Environment.

Supervision

Supervision experience

14 PhD and 2 MPhil to completion; currently supervising 3 PhDs.

Additional supervision interests

Happy to consider all architectural sustainability and environmental design topics, especially those in the context of furthering the understanding of what is required in terms of leadership from built environment professions in order to enable transition towards holistic sustainable practices and a more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable future.

Current supervision

Amalia Banteli

Research student

Shariffah SY Yusoff Fadzil

Research student

Noor Aalhashem

Research student

Catrin Maby

Research student

Sally Naji

Research student

Ahmad Kotbi

Research student

Past projects

Co-Supervisor (30%) Noor Aalhashem: Establishing appropriate socio-cultural and environmental design strategies for residential buildings in Baghdad: learning from the vernacular (Awarded 2020)

Lead Supervisor (70%) Sally Naji: Towards an integrated approach to address social adaptation in sustainability neighbourhoods: The potential of governance and community indicators in BREEAM communities. (Awarded 2019)

Lead Supervisor (70%) Catrin Maby: Enabling the integration of energy improvements into mainstream home repair, maintenance and improvement practice in the UK (Awarded 2019)

Co-Supervisor (30%) Ahmad G Kotbi: Perforated solar screens to optimize daylighting and maintain privacy in girls' schools in hot arid areas: The case of Saudi Arabia: Investigating parameters of perforated solar screens (Awarded 2019)

Co-Supervisor (50%) Oluwafeyikemi Akinwolemiwa: Developing affordable vertical greening systems and its impact on indoor comfort for low income groups in Lagos, Nigeria. (Awarded 2018)

Lead Supervisor (70%) Shaofu Li: Ecological design of lighting and ventilation in traditional shophouses in urban Southeast Asia (Awarded 2017)

Lead Supervisor (60%) Nagham Salman: Towards optimal design strategies in hot-arid climate: A comparative study of environmental and socio-cultural performance of the traditional and modern housing in Baghdad, Iraq (Awarded 2017)

Co-Supervisor (30%) Christopher Whitman: The distribution of historic timber-framed buildings in the UK and the impacts of their low energy retrofit. (Awarded 2017)

Co-Supervisor (30%) Alison Pooley: Typologies of transformation: learning, environmental responsibility and the UK construction industry (Awarded 2016)

Co-Supervisor (30%) Timothy Forman: Practice, policy and professional roles: unintended consequences and performance gaps in UK domestic solid wall insulation retrofit projects (Awarded 2015)