Kimberly Holden

Kimberly Holden is an architect and Founding Principal of SHoP Architects with more than twenty years of experience leading cultural and academic projects around the world. Kim holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Vermont and a Master of Architecture from Columbia’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she received several awards for design and research. She has led SHoP teams working with clients such as the Columbia University School of the Arts, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and SITE Santa Fe. Kim also takes a leading role in SHoP’s outreach and pro-bono work, including the creation of prototype school designs for Kids of Kathmandu that are being realized on 50 sites throughout Nepal, replacing structures destroyed in the devastating 2015 earthquake. 

 In addition to her role on specific projects, as Managing Principal, Kim has guided SHoP’s strategic development, shaped its operations and staff, and spearheaded cultural initiatives for the studio as it has grown in recent years to nearly 200 people. SHoP has won numerous awards, including, in 2009, the National Design Award for Architecture given by the Smithsonian-Cooper Hewitt Museum. In 2014, Fast Company added SHoP to its list of “Most Innovative Companies in the World” and most recently, the National Academy granted SHoP the 2016 Distinguished Achievement award.

Beyond the studio, Kim  is a supporting sponsor of The Uni Project in New York and continues her lifelong engagement in the practice of dance and photography.