Gontran Iceton Goulden [commonly known as Gontran Goulden] was born in in Canterbury, Kent, England on 5 April 1912. He studied architecture at the University of London. In 1931 he was commissioned in the Territorial Army and over the next three decades pursued a duel career in the military and in architecture. Between 1935 and 1939 he worked as an assistant to the architect Graham Dawbarn (1893-1976). Following active service in the Army during World War Two (1939-45) Goulden taught in the Architectural Association School of Architecture (1945-46). He was then Chief Technical Officer and Deputy Director (1947-61), Director (1962-68), Director-General (1968-74) and Deputy Chairman (1974-77) of the Building Centre in London. When the Building Centre moved from Conduit Street to new premises in Store Street in 1951-52, Goulden was in charge of the alterations, assisted by Robin Dunn.
In addition to his work at the Building Centre, Goulden held numerous senior positions in the architectural profession from the 1940s onwards, including member of the Council of the Architectural Assocition (1949-58), Hon. Sec. of the MARS. Modern Architectural Research Group (1950-53), member of the Architects Registration Council (1954-56, 1963-64, 1971-72), member of the RIBA Council (1956-57, 1962-65), President of the Architectural Association (1956-57), President of the International Union of Building Centres (1962-63), Secretary of the Architecture Club (1958-64), member of the Ministry of Transport Advisory Committee on landscaping and trunk roads (1963-64), etc.
Goulden was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1936 and later a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA). He was the author of 'Bathrooms' (London: Macdonalds/Council of Industrial Design, 1966). He died in Fulham, London on 19 April 1986.