Place and parametricism: Provocations for the rethinking of design. This project aims to explore whether quantitative methods of digital and parametric design can adequately encompass place. Quantitative digital and parametric approaches increasingly dominate contemporary architecture, but people assume architectural design should be essentially oriented to questions of place. The project will operate through a set of studio provocations based on the fictional places of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghas ....Place and parametricism: Provocations for the rethinking of design. This project aims to explore whether quantitative methods of digital and parametric design can adequately encompass place. Quantitative digital and parametric approaches increasingly dominate contemporary architecture, but people assume architectural design should be essentially oriented to questions of place. The project will operate through a set of studio provocations based on the fictional places of Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels. The project is expected to clarify the nature of place and parametricism, and rethink what design itself might be.Read moreRead less
Assessing Architectural Aesthetic Character: An ‘Intelligent’ Approach. This project aims to develop ground-breaking insights and software to improve the assessment of architectural aesthetic character by Australia’s designers, councils and courts.
Combining empirical, neurophysiological and machine-learning approaches, this project expects to provide a new level of robustness and repeatability in administrative and legal assessments of building aesthetics.
Planned outcomes include: (i) a uni ....Assessing Architectural Aesthetic Character: An ‘Intelligent’ Approach. This project aims to develop ground-breaking insights and software to improve the assessment of architectural aesthetic character by Australia’s designers, councils and courts.
Combining empirical, neurophysiological and machine-learning approaches, this project expects to provide a new level of robustness and repeatability in administrative and legal assessments of building aesthetics.
Planned outcomes include: (i) a unique quantitative understanding of aesthetic assessment and (ii) a world-first method for measuring and comparing the character of buildings.
This research has the potential to reduce the substantial cost of disputes and provide more certainty and efficiency in the architectural design, approval and appeal processes.
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Inclusive memories: tracing democratic practices in contemporary memorials. This project aims to investigate the significant role of recent public memorials in reflecting and shaping democratic identity, memory, values and engagement in Australia and internationally. The project expects to advance knowledge through an innovative international comparison of the evolving diversity of democratic themes, designs and procurement approaches used for public memorials and public spaces. Expected outcome ....Inclusive memories: tracing democratic practices in contemporary memorials. This project aims to investigate the significant role of recent public memorials in reflecting and shaping democratic identity, memory, values and engagement in Australia and internationally. The project expects to advance knowledge through an innovative international comparison of the evolving diversity of democratic themes, designs and procurement approaches used for public memorials and public spaces. Expected outcomes include practical and scholarly insights into how these processes can improve social engagement and inclusion. The project’s benefits include improving decision-making processes for public art, public space and heritage, and expanding scholarly and public awareness about Australian history, identity and democratic values. Read moreRead less
Using acoustic retroreflection in architecture to improve rooms for speech. This project aims to discover how a novel form of acoustic treatment can improve acoustics for speech in rooms such as classrooms and open-plan offices. The project will generate new knowledge on the theory, design, and effects of acoustically retroreflective surfaces in room acoustics. Expected outcomes include solutions for effective acoustic retroreflectors, knowledge on how retroreflection influences people’s voice r ....Using acoustic retroreflection in architecture to improve rooms for speech. This project aims to discover how a novel form of acoustic treatment can improve acoustics for speech in rooms such as classrooms and open-plan offices. The project will generate new knowledge on the theory, design, and effects of acoustically retroreflective surfaces in room acoustics. Expected outcomes include solutions for effective acoustic retroreflectors, knowledge on how retroreflection influences people’s voice regulation and sound quality perception, and guidelines and simulation tools for integrating retroreflective treatments to improve speaking comfort. This should provide significant benefits including opportunities to resolve seemingly intractable design dilemmas in the acoustics of education and workplace environments.Read moreRead less
Is architecture art? a history of categories, concepts and recent practices. The project aims to link architectural theory with broader cultural theory to provide new ways for architectural theory to engage with creative practice. There is no simple answer to the recurring question of whether architecture is an art. Nevertheless, unpacking the historical and current interests at stake in this question will lead to a better understanding of architecture in contemporary culture. Current issues ari ....Is architecture art? a history of categories, concepts and recent practices. The project aims to link architectural theory with broader cultural theory to provide new ways for architectural theory to engage with creative practice. There is no simple answer to the recurring question of whether architecture is an art. Nevertheless, unpacking the historical and current interests at stake in this question will lead to a better understanding of architecture in contemporary culture. Current issues arising from the exhibition of architecture in art galleries and architecture’s classification in new measures of the cultural economy appear to be unconnected. The project plans to show that these issues are linked in the long history of systems of the arts and recent debates about the role of medium, discipline and aesthetic autonomy in defining the arts.Read moreRead less
Locating Giurgola: From Philadelphia School to Global Practice. This project aims to conduct the first major systematic assessment of the architectural career of Romaldo Giurgola (1920-2016), the principal architect of Australian Parliament House. It will review all known archives relating to his life and works, including significant collections in North America and Australia, and it will survey the full range of his architectural projects. The project expects to result in a new and complete ass ....Locating Giurgola: From Philadelphia School to Global Practice. This project aims to conduct the first major systematic assessment of the architectural career of Romaldo Giurgola (1920-2016), the principal architect of Australian Parliament House. It will review all known archives relating to his life and works, including significant collections in North America and Australia, and it will survey the full range of his architectural projects. The project expects to result in a new and complete assessment of Giurgola's architecture, figuring important Australian buildings into an international landscape of professional practice. The primary outcome of this project will be a large critical catalogue, presenting the full extent of his career for the first time and locating APH in that career in new terms.Read moreRead less
Rethinking housing: network analysis for digital collaboration. This project aims to understand persistent housing sector supply problems through analysis of digital collaborative practices. This project expects to generate new knowledge for an emerging housing digital economy using interdisciplinary network theory and data visualisation techniques. The housing sector has long been criticised for shortcomings in affordability, efficiency, quality, social and environmental responsiveness and appr ....Rethinking housing: network analysis for digital collaboration. This project aims to understand persistent housing sector supply problems through analysis of digital collaborative practices. This project expects to generate new knowledge for an emerging housing digital economy using interdisciplinary network theory and data visualisation techniques. The housing sector has long been criticised for shortcomings in affordability, efficiency, quality, social and environmental responsiveness and appropriateness of offerings. Expected outcomes include enhanced housing supply professionals' capability, improved knowledge among public/private sector decision makers responsible for housing supply and development of new digital collaborative behavioural theoretical and practical frameworks for the sector.Read moreRead less
The Analects of Antoni Gaudí. This project aims to investigate and record the missing dimensions of Antoni Gaudí's theoretical position and his way of working. Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the most important figures in world architecture and a major shaper of modern culture, but wrote nothing on his theory or practice of architecture. Given its holism, aesthetic, structural and artistic richness, this is a problem for scholars. Work to complete the Sagrada Família, a living laboratory of conspicu ....The Analects of Antoni Gaudí. This project aims to investigate and record the missing dimensions of Antoni Gaudí's theoretical position and his way of working. Gaudí (1852-1926) is one of the most important figures in world architecture and a major shaper of modern culture, but wrote nothing on his theory or practice of architecture. Given its holism, aesthetic, structural and artistic richness, this is a problem for scholars. Work to complete the Sagrada Família, a living laboratory of conspicuously innovative architecture, is entering its final stages with anticipated completion in 2026. This presents a last opportunity to capture, interpret and disseminate Gaudí’s thoughts and analects for dissemination to the next generation of architects.Read moreRead less
Architectural Design Across Spaces and Cultures: Technology and Language. This project addresses two significant productivity barriers facing Australia’s architectural practices; designing in spatially distributed and culturally diverse teams.
While design practices are central to sustaining Australia’s creative export sector, growing concerns associated with online, multilingual design teams have been identified.
Directly responding to Australia’s COVID-19 recovery plans, this research seeks ....Architectural Design Across Spaces and Cultures: Technology and Language. This project addresses two significant productivity barriers facing Australia’s architectural practices; designing in spatially distributed and culturally diverse teams.
While design practices are central to sustaining Australia’s creative export sector, growing concerns associated with online, multilingual design teams have been identified.
Directly responding to Australia’s COVID-19 recovery plans, this research seeks to develop new knowledge about the cognitive, social and technical factors that shape the effectiveness of online international design teamwork. Its goal is to leverage the opportunities provided through technological advances and multicultural practices, to remove barriers to design productivity and enhance creativity.Read moreRead less
Mapping the Frontiers of Private Property in Australia. This project aims to develop a new DH dataset, systematically documenting and mapping the first generation of Australian private property ownership. The project expects to generate new knowledge of this phenomenon in New South Wales from 1788 onwards, using historical records to develop a digital map that shows where, when and to what extent parcels of land in NSW moved from Crown ownership into private hands. Expected outcomes include an o ....Mapping the Frontiers of Private Property in Australia. This project aims to develop a new DH dataset, systematically documenting and mapping the first generation of Australian private property ownership. The project expects to generate new knowledge of this phenomenon in New South Wales from 1788 onwards, using historical records to develop a digital map that shows where, when and to what extent parcels of land in NSW moved from Crown ownership into private hands. Expected outcomes include an open access map that will for the first time enable scholars to place the history of property ownership into conversation with other aspects of Australian history. Among its benefits it will enable future scholarly work and citizen engagement to effectively extend knowledge of Australia's property history.Read moreRead less