Role
Holly Mills is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture and Athena Swan Champion for the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment.
She currently leads year 3 Design Studio, coordinating the curriculum and academic team. In addition, she provides pastoral support for the students.
As the Athena Swan Champion, Holly is responsible for leading initiatives and organising school wide events to enhance the advancement of gender equality.
In addition, she is the co-chair for the Staff Women’s Network.
Career overview
Employment
Holly joined NTU as a lecturer in 2014 and has led several modules on the undergraduate course over the years. She was the acting course leader for the BArch for the academic year 2022-2023. During her time, the course received three commendations from the RIBA during the accreditation visit.
Prior to NTU, Holly worked for two successful architecture practices in Nottingham, specialising in domestic architecture. Working on a wide variety of projects from design to completion, Holly’s experience has informed her teaching at NTU, allowing her to share practical knowledge and experience of working in practice.
Education
Holly undertook her Architecture training at the University of Nottingham, gaining RIBA Parts 1,2 and 3. She qualified as an Architect in 2010.
Awards
Holly gained the RIBA East Midlands Newcomer of the Year Award in 2011.
Research areas
Holly is particularly interested in the practice of collaborative drawing. In February 2016 she organised five collaborative drawing workshops involving 400 students from the Architecture Department and West Bridgford Infant School. The five collaborative drawings were exhibited at the ‘Performing Drawology’ exhibition in the Bonington Gallery in February 2016. Since then, she has run numerous workshops with NTU students and staff as well as with local school children.
Holly has presented her research at the Trent Institute for Teaching and Learning annual conference in 2016 and 2023. In addition, she has presented at the Association for Architectural Educators Forum in 2024, Midland Critical Thought Conference in 2024 and RAISE Conference in 2024.
Holly is passionate about co-creating research with students and published a case study in January 2024 entitled ‘Collaborative drawing as a tool for creating a sense of community within NTU’s Architecture students’ in the Student Engagement Higher Education Journal with an undergraduate student.
In 2024, Holly worked with two undergraduate student researchers to investigate collaborative drawing as an inclusive practice, embedding the strategy within the BArch curriculum.
External activity
Member of the Fabric Committee, St. Mary’s Church, The Lacemarket, Nottingham Holly sits on the Fabric Committee of Nottingham’s ancient civic church. The Committee meets on a regular basis to discuss issues relating to fabric of the Grade 1 listed church. Recent notable projects have included a major new underfloor heating and flooring scheme designed by artist Tess Jaray, for which Holly prepared applications for grants and Heritage Lottery funding.
Treasurer for the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Architects Committee
Holly was Treasurer of the NDSA from June 2010 to June 2014. The NDSA is a regional society of architects whose aims are to promote architecture and increase public awareness of the built environment through a programme of events and activities focusing on hot topics within the profession and local issues. Holly organised various major social events including the annual dinner and an exhibition of work by the architect Gilbert Scott. She also managed the society’s finances.
Press expertise
Architectural drawing & model making and architectural education.