Micro Virtual Machines: Abstraction, contained. This project will address a systemic source of inefficiency in widely used software which leads to many programs running as much as ten times slower and using considerably more energy than necessary, shortening battery life on mobile phones and increasing costs for large server farms. This inefficiency is endemic because it is due to the underlying languages rather than the particular software. This project will address this problem by developing a ....Micro Virtual Machines: Abstraction, contained. This project will address a systemic source of inefficiency in widely used software which leads to many programs running as much as ten times slower and using considerably more energy than necessary, shortening battery life on mobile phones and increasing costs for large server farms. This inefficiency is endemic because it is due to the underlying languages rather than the particular software. This project will address this problem by developing a high efficiency substrate, called a micro virtual machine, on which languages may be built.Read moreRead less
Recomputing the canon: using computational methods to develop an alternative understanding of the history of 20th century architecture. Because buildings are designed to last for many generations, and they represent a substantial economic investment, architecture remains one of the most tangible and persistent reflections of a culture's spiritual, social and political values. This is why it is said, to understand architecture is to understand society and its principles. This research develops an ....Recomputing the canon: using computational methods to develop an alternative understanding of the history of 20th century architecture. Because buildings are designed to last for many generations, and they represent a substantial economic investment, architecture remains one of the most tangible and persistent reflections of a culture's spiritual, social and political values. This is why it is said, to understand architecture is to understand society and its principles. This research develops an alternative history of 20th century architecture that will not only allow for a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, our own constructed heritage, but will also inform the design and production of future buildings which are both socially and culturally responsive.Read moreRead less
Creating a Framework for the Environmental Brief. Briefing is a predesign documentation process for building design. At present this process ignores environmental issues. The research will examine the briefing process of innovative Environmentally Sustainable Design buildings to analyse and develope a frame work called an environmental brief.
This frame work can assist with the transformation of the building industry to Environmentally Sustainable Design practice.
Modelling and predicting patterns of pedestrian movement: using robotics and machine learning to improve the design of urban space. In a geographic region that is experiencing increasing urban density, the problems of the pedestrian are rarely considered from a design perspective. One reason for this is that there are few useful tools available for analysing the behaviour of pedestrians in existing urban spaces, and none to assist designers to optimise such spaces. As a result of this, there is ....Modelling and predicting patterns of pedestrian movement: using robotics and machine learning to improve the design of urban space. In a geographic region that is experiencing increasing urban density, the problems of the pedestrian are rarely considered from a design perspective. One reason for this is that there are few useful tools available for analysing the behaviour of pedestrians in existing urban spaces, and none to assist designers to optimise such spaces. As a result of this, there is an urgent need for the development of design tools to enable a higher level of understanding of pedestrians in public space. This project is a world-first combining urban design theory and machine-learning for creating more socially and culturally responsive environments.Read moreRead less
Shaping social and cultural spaces: the application of computer visualisation and machine learning techniques to the design of architectural and urban spaces. The proposed research project provides a previously unavailable level of understanding of the experiential and symbolic characteristics of complex urban and architectural spaces. In a country that is experiencing increasing urban density there is an urgent need for the development of new tools, theories and design approaches that can produ ....Shaping social and cultural spaces: the application of computer visualisation and machine learning techniques to the design of architectural and urban spaces. The proposed research project provides a previously unavailable level of understanding of the experiential and symbolic characteristics of complex urban and architectural spaces. In a country that is experiencing increasing urban density there is an urgent need for the development of new tools, theories and design approaches that can produce spaces which are socially and culturally responsive.
The research project produces a leading-edge computational tool for analysing space, along with a conceptual advance in design theory. Both the tool and the theoretical advance will assist design practitioners, scholars, town planners and policy writers to shape rich, responsive and inclusive urban environments.Read moreRead less
Challenging the inflexibility of the flexible digital model. Shared digital Building Information Models that link diverse heterogeneous information are beginning to show promising results in reducing the enormous fiscal and environmental cost of clashes, errors and rework caused by design and communication errors in construction. Model flexibility is a crucial factor in enacting the best design decisions at every stage while maintaining current shared information. But there are, as yet, no examp ....Challenging the inflexibility of the flexible digital model. Shared digital Building Information Models that link diverse heterogeneous information are beginning to show promising results in reducing the enormous fiscal and environmental cost of clashes, errors and rework caused by design and communication errors in construction. Model flexibility is a crucial factor in enacting the best design decisions at every stage while maintaining current shared information. But there are, as yet, no examples of comprehensive flexible building information modelling in Australia. This research builds on an Australian concentration of world class expertise to create new knowledge to overcome the obstacles. It will directly benefit the quality and cost of the Australian built environment.Read moreRead less
Design practice research: uncovering the role of spatial intelligence in designing and in reviewing design of the built environment. This project will result in the identification and methodical analysis of spatial intelligence as deployed by Architects, Landscape Architects and Urban Designer practitioners. It will also explore improvements and invention of new design policies and design procurement procedures which are informed by deeper understandings of Spatial Intelligence.
Designing Radiation-Tolerant Reconfigurable Systems for Space. The processing speed, cost and flexibility requirements of future satellite-based applications cannot be satisfied with conventional radiation-hardened processors or custom integrated circuits. This project aims to develop key technology to enable off-the-shelf hardware to be customised for this use without compromising reliability. The project aims to develop the design methods needed to implement a given set of satellite applicatio ....Designing Radiation-Tolerant Reconfigurable Systems for Space. The processing speed, cost and flexibility requirements of future satellite-based applications cannot be satisfied with conventional radiation-hardened processors or custom integrated circuits. This project aims to develop key technology to enable off-the-shelf hardware to be customised for this use without compromising reliability. The project aims to develop the design methods needed to implement a given set of satellite applications on a processing platform composed of application-specific soft processors and accelerator circuits hosted on conventional reconfigurable logic devices. Crucially, the solution architecture is expected to be sufficiently hardened against radiation-induced errors while meeting performance and circuit area constraints.Read moreRead less
An Analysis of the Cultural, Social and Symbolic Performance of Computer-Generated, Post-Euclidean, Architecture in Australia. Computer Aided Design software has recently provided architects with the ability to use post-Euclidean geometry for the creation of buildings. As the first of these buildings are only now being completed the social, cultural and symbolic performance of this new approach to design remains unknown.
The present research seeks to redress this situation by analysing computer ....An Analysis of the Cultural, Social and Symbolic Performance of Computer-Generated, Post-Euclidean, Architecture in Australia. Computer Aided Design software has recently provided architects with the ability to use post-Euclidean geometry for the creation of buildings. As the first of these buildings are only now being completed the social, cultural and symbolic performance of this new approach to design remains unknown.
The present research seeks to redress this situation by analysing computer-generated public buildings, completed in Australia after 1998. These buildings represent a substantial outlay of public funding and a significant social investment in Australian cities.
This research will result in a critical evaluation strategy for public and institutional bodies interested in procuring such buildings.Read moreRead less
WHAT IS URBAN CHARACTER? Defining, Constructing and Regulating Urban Place Identity. Urban character has become a key concept in the discourse and practice of urban development, used to defend valued places against what is seen as inappropriate development. This project will study the 3-way relations between design practice, urban regulation and urban character outcomes. How is urban character experienced in everyday life? How is it defined and constructed in public discourse? How is it created ....WHAT IS URBAN CHARACTER? Defining, Constructing and Regulating Urban Place Identity. Urban character has become a key concept in the discourse and practice of urban development, used to defend valued places against what is seen as inappropriate development. This project will study the 3-way relations between design practice, urban regulation and urban character outcomes. How is urban character experienced in everyday life? How is it defined and constructed in public discourse? How is it created through design innovation and protected through planning regulation? The project will produce a critical re-thinking of the complex issues framing the urban character debate and contribute to the development of sustainable, equitable and innovative urban futures.Read moreRead less