Dr Cameron McEwan

Cameron McEwan is an associate professor, architectural theorist, and educator at Northumbria University School of Architecture. He is Head of Equality Diversity Inclusion at Northumbria University Department of Architecture and Built Environment and Design Research Lead for the Architecture Unit. Prior to joining Northumbria in 2022, Cameron led the Architecture Theory research cluster and was Research Environment Lead for UoA32 for REF2021 at University of Central Lancashire. In 2011 Cameron was founding member of the AE Foundation, an independent research institute for architecture and education.

Cameron’s research focuses on the relationship between architectural typology, representation, and subjectivity to engage critical approaches that address the urban/Anthropocene pressure. He employs close-reading, montage, and close-drawing as design research tools to investigate ideas, drawings, texts, and projects. Those research interests and critical approaches cross over into teaching theory, tectonics, and design. 

Cameron holds a Masters in Architecture with distinction from University of Dundee School of Architecture and PhD in History and Theory of Architecture from the University of Dundee Geddes Institute for Urban Research with a thesis on Aldo Rossi’s Analogical City. Cameron has held research fellowships with the Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain (SAHGB) (2018), University of Edinburgh Scottish Graduate School for Arts & Humanities (SGSAH) (2014), and as University of Dundee Geddes Fellow for Doctoral Studies (2009–14).

Cameron has led design studio and theory programs at institutions including: Northumbria University, University of Central Lancashire, Dundee School of Architecture, Edinburgh Napier University School of Arts, Wuhan School of Architecture, and Hong Kong VTC Architecture. Cameron has been invited speaker at IUAV Venice, TU Dresden, TU Graz, Manchester MMU, Glasgow Mackintosh School of Architecture, The Cooper Union New York, and elsewhere. He sits on the Editorial Review Board of the Quartile 1 journal Archnet-IJAR, the Design Research Society, and the College of Reviewers for UKRI.

Cameron’s work is published internationally in peer-reviewed and critical practice journals and venues including: Archnet-IJAR, Architecture and Culture, arq: Architectural Research Quarterly, Drawing On, Graz Architecture Magazine, Journal of Architectural Education, Lo Squaderno, MONU, Scroope: Cambridge Architecture Journal, Outsiders for the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, and elsewhere. Cameron’s editorial projects include, with Samuel Penn, Accounts (Pelinu, 2019); with Lorens Holm, Architecture and Collective Life for a special double issue of Architecture and Culture (Taylor & Francis, 2020); and with Nadia Bertolino and Cristina Mattiucci, Care and Critical Action for a special issue of the open access independent journal Lo Squaderno (Professionaldreamers, 2023). Cameron’s book Analogical City is forthcoming (Punctum, 2023).

Cameron is Principal Investigator on the Northumbria University funded project Peripherocene (2023), which investigated the corollary between Anthropocenic forces and the production of peripheral urban space. With Andreas Lechner, Cameron leads the international network, Peripheries.