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
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
Indigenous Placemaking in Central Melbourne: Representations, practices and creative research. This project will contribute to making a place of belonging, gathering and cultural exchange for and with Indignenous Australians in Melbourne, through dialogic research processes aimed at generating a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of Indigenous identity. It will provide a platform for reconciliatory activities in Victoria with the support of Victorian Indigenous Communities, Reconciliation ....Indigenous Placemaking in Central Melbourne: Representations, practices and creative research. This project will contribute to making a place of belonging, gathering and cultural exchange for and with Indignenous Australians in Melbourne, through dialogic research processes aimed at generating a more inclusive and dynamic understanding of Indigenous identity. It will provide a platform for reconciliatory activities in Victoria with the support of Victorian Indigenous Communities, Reconciliation Victoria, and the Melbourne City Council and educate the public regarding the need for such a facility. It will increase Melbourne's national and international profile by contributing to the provision of a world class cultural centre that engages international tourists and informing future institutional programs.Read moreRead less
Determining the social value of extreme, mixed-use urban developments. Using an Adelaide case study, UCity, this project will investigate the social benefit of building mixed-use vertical communities in the Australian urban context. Using an innovative Social Value Framework, the project will establish and demonstrate the multi-dimensional impacts of such developments in practice. The project utilises citizen science for real time auditing of the built environment by residents and users; smart t ....Determining the social value of extreme, mixed-use urban developments. Using an Adelaide case study, UCity, this project will investigate the social benefit of building mixed-use vertical communities in the Australian urban context. Using an innovative Social Value Framework, the project will establish and demonstrate the multi-dimensional impacts of such developments in practice. The project utilises citizen science for real time auditing of the built environment by residents and users; smart technologies for environmental and behavioural monitoring; and data analytics and design automation for spatial analysis of building use. The results will inform new models of sustainable high-rise, mixed-use buildings; providing evidence for a Social Value Framework to become a core consideration in Australian industry.Read moreRead less
Spatial Knowledge and the Built Environment: The Design Implications of Making, Processing and Digitally Prototyping Architectural Models. The construction industry accounts for 6.7% of Australia's GDP. Beyond the more pragmatic economic benefits, however, lies the potential to influence the physical quality and appearance of our nation's building within an existing economic framework. The evaluation of differing modelling methods in design will have considerable implications for the way in whic ....Spatial Knowledge and the Built Environment: The Design Implications of Making, Processing and Digitally Prototyping Architectural Models. The construction industry accounts for 6.7% of Australia's GDP. Beyond the more pragmatic economic benefits, however, lies the potential to influence the physical quality and appearance of our nation's building within an existing economic framework. The evaluation of differing modelling methods in design will have considerable implications for the way in which designing is carried out. It will lead to new kinds of computer strategies that will guide the direction of development of programs used in design modelling by showing that current tools do not properly facilitate certain kinds of design inquiry available by more traditionally established means.Read moreRead less
Natural and Artificial Lighting Control Energy and Visual Optimisation for a Low Energy Building. Artificial lighting is highlighted as the most significant area of opportunity to reduce energy as well as greenhouse emission. The application of intergrated daylight design together with artificial lighting control is researched. Control strategies of switching and dimming the artificial daylighting in conjunction with set-point levels, user preferences and daylighting maximisation are measured. T ....Natural and Artificial Lighting Control Energy and Visual Optimisation for a Low Energy Building. Artificial lighting is highlighted as the most significant area of opportunity to reduce energy as well as greenhouse emission. The application of intergrated daylight design together with artificial lighting control is researched. Control strategies of switching and dimming the artificial daylighting in conjunction with set-point levels, user preferences and daylighting maximisation are measured. The goal is to find the most effective saving strategies whilst maintaining visual comfortRead moreRead less
Designing for wellbeing: realizing benefits for patients through best practice hospital design. The environmental design of healthcare facilities has been shown to directly affect the wellbeing of patients and their families. Poorly designed environments exacerbate patient anxiety and stress and diminish their healthcare experience. Environments designed to support a patient’s wellbeing result in improved health outcomes. Building upon Australia’s international leadership in contemporary hospita ....Designing for wellbeing: realizing benefits for patients through best practice hospital design. The environmental design of healthcare facilities has been shown to directly affect the wellbeing of patients and their families. Poorly designed environments exacerbate patient anxiety and stress and diminish their healthcare experience. Environments designed to support a patient’s wellbeing result in improved health outcomes. Building upon Australia’s international leadership in contemporary hospital design, this project aims to evaluate, prioritise and strategise the best means for realising benefits of environmental design factors that contribute most significantly to achieving positive outcomes for patients and families. It aims to achieve this through a comprehensive comparative case study analysis of new Australian paediatric hospitals.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
Integrating architectural, mathematical and computing knowledge to capture the dynamics of air in design. This research will bring together architectural, mathematical and computing knowledge to discover effective ways to design buildings and cities that are more responsive to the complex dynamics of air movement and temperature. This knowledge will lead to reduced energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, increased comfort and more usable public space.
Demonstrating the feasibility of designing sustainable buildings using evolutionary systems. The design approach proposed in this research will result in two key areas of national benefit. First, the research will enable Australian built environment design professions to become more competitive in both domestic and international markets. There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly buildings and the proposed design approach will enable Australian firms to be at the cutting edge of sust ....Demonstrating the feasibility of designing sustainable buildings using evolutionary systems. The design approach proposed in this research will result in two key areas of national benefit. First, the research will enable Australian built environment design professions to become more competitive in both domestic and international markets. There is a growing demand for environmentally-friendly buildings and the proposed design approach will enable Australian firms to be at the cutting edge of sustainable design. Second, the research will enable the Australian built environment to become more sustainable. The proposed approach will enable buildings to be designed that perform well, that are cost effective and that minimise their environmental impact. Read moreRead less