Damian Madigan

Teaching Strengths

Design studio
Practice-based teaching
Design research methodology
Design communication
Professional communication

APrf Damian Madigan

Associate Professor of Architecture

School of Architecture and Built Environment

College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD (as Co-Supervisor) - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Associate Professor Damian Madigan is an architect and urban infill housing researcher who coined the term ‘Bluefield Housing’ to describe the established suburbs. He is the creator of the associated bluefield co-located housing model, which uses the patterns of suburban alterations and additions to sensitively add new low-rise infill houses in established suburbs while enhancing suburban tree canopy and encouraging social connectedness. His book ‘Bluefield Housing as Alternative Infill for the Suburbs’ (Routledge 2024) has been described as “design research at its best”, and "a grand vision for a future of housing and practical guide for how to achieve it".
Damian works with academics, industry, and government, and individually and collaboratively his design research has been recognised through international design competition awards, shortlistings, and commendations from the City of Los Angeles, NSW State Government, the City of Sydney, Architecture Australia, and the Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation. In April 2025, his ‘Co-located Housing’ model was signed into South Australia’s Planning & Design Code as a new Land Use Definition and permitted form of infill development - the first time in Australia a new housing form has been created through a process of architectural design research.
Outside of his research and teaching, Damian is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), Expert Member of the South Australian State Government’s Design Review Panel, Expert Member of the AACA National Accreditation Standing Panel for the accreditation of Architecture Programs across Australia and New Zealand, and a Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chair of the Board of The Cottage Homes Incorporated - a not-for-profit housing provider for older people living on the full aged pension.
In 2025, Damian was awarded the Sir James Irwin President's Medal by the AIA (SA) "for Exemplary Service to, and Promotion of the Profession of Architecture".
His design research can be downloaded at bluefieldhousing.com.au.

Where do people go when their suburban housing no longer suits them or they cannot find a way into their suburb of choice? Through the process of design research, Damian has developed and authored Bluefield Housing as Alternative Infill for the Suburbs. Bluefield Housing is a way of creating small, sensitive infill housing within established suburbs that are usually quarrantined from density increases and are at risk of gentrification (a process that can lock people into their suburbs as they become asset rich but cash poor, while locking other people out through a lack of affordability). Working at the intersection of NIMBYism and YIMBYism, Damian's work demonstrates that infill housing is possible in older suburbs whilst retaining and enhancing neighbourhood character. This research matters to a broad audience: to those wanting greater housing choice in the suburbs, and to those wishing to maintain the status quo. Importantly, it matters as equally to those in decision-making roles as it does to end-users, and its communication methods are easily understood. You can download Damian's design research at bluefieldhousing.com.au.

Outside of his own research, Damian is a design-review writer. You can read some of his work at Architecture AU.

Year Citation
2020 Madigan, D. (2020). Joshua Smith review. Artichoke Magazine, (70).
2015 Madigan, D. (2015). Studio-Gram. Artichoke, (52), 79-84.
2014 Madigan, D. (2014). Clever Little Tailor. Artichoke, (46), 28-33.
2014 Madigan, D. (2014). Tree top studio by Max Pritchard architect. Houses, (101), 102-106.
2013 Madigan, D. (2013). Wood: Art Design Architecture. Houses, (92), 105-106.
2012 Madigan, D. (2012). The 'problem' with prefab. Place, (26), 9.

Year Citation
2025 Authors: Buckeridge S, Snape D, Madigan D. Title: Developing policy: top-down and bottom-up approaches. Description: Link to a related website: https://architectureau.com/articles/developing-policy-top-down-and-bottom-up-approaches/, URL of other creative work. Extent: Structured Interview, published in Architecture Australia.
2021 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Ageing well in the bluefields. Extent: 4 pages.
2021 Authors: Madigan D, Bennett A. Title: Fourflex: Redefining family living in the L.A. care economy. Extent: 6 pages.
2021 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Alternative Infill: a design study of housing intensification, adaptation and choice in the established suburbs of Adelaide. Extent: 4 x A1 exhibition panels (portrait), containing text and architectural design research diagrams and images.
DOI
2020 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Bluefield housing: shortlisted entry, AA prize for unbuilt work 2021. Extent: 2 pages.
2019 Authors: Madigan D, Bennett A, Cuff D. Title: The Rightsize Service. Description: First Showing. Extent: winning competition entry into blind peer reviewed international design competition.
2019 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Case study - Opportunities to address the missing middle. Description: First Showing. Extent: A case study using diagrams and text to explain the potential for an alternative model of infill housing development for Adelaide's older suburbs..
2018 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Reshaping the suburbs: Designing for the missing middle. Extent: 4 pages.
2017 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Established manors: winner, manor house category, New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment missing middle open ideas competition. Description: First Showing. Extent: Architectural Design.
2009 Authors: Madigan D. Title: We Need To Talk: a speaker's corner for a modern age. Extent: N/A.
2009 Authors: Madigan D. Title: Planned : on layering, clarity and the expression of the pedestrian. Extent: one work, Dimensions: 30cm x 30cm.

  • Contract Research – Affordable Housing with Bates Smart, Bates Smart Architects Pty Ltd, 01/08/2025 - 31/12/2025

  • Apartment Design, Historic & Character Area Design and Demographics & Housing Choice Research Project, SA Dept for Trade, Tourism and Investment, 03/06/2024 - 30/06/2025

Courses I teach

  • ARCH 1007 Design Construction Principles (2025)
  • ARCH 1032 Architectural Design Studio (Dwelling) (2025)
  • ARCH 1033 Architectural Documentation (2025)
  • ARCH 1007 Design Construction Principles (2024)

Programs I'm associated with

  • DBAE - Bachelor of Architectural Studies
  • DMAE - Master of Architecture

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2024 Co-Supervisor Cohabitational building morphologies: Exploring resilient housing strategies for brownfield sites in South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hossein Mosavi
2024 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Darren Milton Starr
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Darcy Holmes
2022 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Andrew Lymn-Penning
2020 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Madeleine Elyse Hughes Parkyn

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