'Sea change' communities: inter-generational perception and sense of place. The aim of this research is to establish a more rigorous method of evaluating the impact of the sea change process on the built and natural environments of coastal settlements. It will assist those communities to implement effective, place-sensitive sustainable planning and associated development practices.
Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. This project aims to develop a whole-of-life procurement decision-making framework so schools can make delivering better education more cost effective. This framework—which draws on state-of-the-art and Nobel prize-winning theories and a new theory the project will develop—will be used in government and private schools. The effectiveness of this fram ....Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. This project aims to develop a whole-of-life procurement decision-making framework so schools can make delivering better education more cost effective. This framework—which draws on state-of-the-art and Nobel prize-winning theories and a new theory the project will develop—will be used in government and private schools. The effectiveness of this framework in improving schools will be shown using a new approach to make school facilities deliver educational outcomes and account for their total production and transaction costs. This research is expected to deliver more efficient ways to future-proof schools to create a well performing school system and more resilient infrastructure vital to Australia’s future prosperity.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational park design for active and engaged communities. This project will assess the opportunities and barriers for physical activity for intergenerational park users within South East Queensland. In 2015, approximately 80% of the world’s adolescents and 25% of adults were insufficiently active. Physical inactivity costs the Australian economy $13.8 billion annually, and contributes to the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Local and neighbourhood parks can offer opportunities fo ....Intergenerational park design for active and engaged communities. This project will assess the opportunities and barriers for physical activity for intergenerational park users within South East Queensland. In 2015, approximately 80% of the world’s adolescents and 25% of adults were insufficiently active. Physical inactivity costs the Australian economy $13.8 billion annually, and contributes to the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Local and neighbourhood parks can offer opportunities for all ages to be physically active and engage across generations, yet are often under-designed and under-utilised for physical activity. Evidence-based design guidelines for active intergenerational parks for use across Australia will lead to higher quality parks that more effectively encourage physical activity and improve health and wellbeing.Read moreRead less
Characterization of Fast Propagating Fires in Green Buildings. This project aims to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of fast-propagating fires and to address the deficiency in current fire models in assessing the fire safety requirement of green buildings. Although there are many compelling advantages associated with green building designs, because they promote better natural ventilation they could pose a significant fire hazard to occupants due to the propensity of rapid fire and s ....Characterization of Fast Propagating Fires in Green Buildings. This project aims to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of fast-propagating fires and to address the deficiency in current fire models in assessing the fire safety requirement of green buildings. Although there are many compelling advantages associated with green building designs, because they promote better natural ventilation they could pose a significant fire hazard to occupants due to the propensity of rapid fire and smoke spread within the enclosed space. The new predictive fire model in this project is expected to promote a safer and sustainable building environment.Read moreRead less
The impact of urban vertical schools on students’ capability and wellbeing. Urban vertical schools are new types of schools in Australia. There are no evidence-based Australian precedents to guide designers or educators, no formal knowledge sharing processes that draw on experiences of pioneers, and little understanding of what these spaces mean for student capability and wellbeing. This evaluative case study will bring together evidence from designers, educators and students in three newly buil ....The impact of urban vertical schools on students’ capability and wellbeing. Urban vertical schools are new types of schools in Australia. There are no evidence-based Australian precedents to guide designers or educators, no formal knowledge sharing processes that draw on experiences of pioneers, and little understanding of what these spaces mean for student capability and wellbeing. This evaluative case study will bring together evidence from designers, educators and students in three newly built urban, vertical schools. Project findings will point to inclusive principles for designing and leading in physical, digital and social school spaces to maximise student wellbeing and capability. Insights into student experiences in urban, vertical school spaces will have value for infrastructure spending in all schools.Read moreRead less
Play about Place: Expanding the impact of Creative Placemaking after COVID. This project aims to establish a new approach to placemaking through the development of urban play projects. The project expects to generate affordable and engaging experiences that activate existing public spaces, a typology and methodology for analysing the impacts of urban play, and a comparative study of urban play in Melbourne and Christchurch. Expected outcomes include creative placemaking strategies and projects, ....Play about Place: Expanding the impact of Creative Placemaking after COVID. This project aims to establish a new approach to placemaking through the development of urban play projects. The project expects to generate affordable and engaging experiences that activate existing public spaces, a typology and methodology for analysing the impacts of urban play, and a comparative study of urban play in Melbourne and Christchurch. Expected outcomes include creative placemaking strategies and projects, a connected impact study, and an industry resource for local government outlining our approach. This should provide significant benefits, including First Peoples storytelling experiences, city activation post-pandemic, community engagement, the potential to create jobs and provide economic and social benefit for Australia.Read moreRead less
The design and construction of quality, sustainable and affordable pre-made housing in Australia - optimisation and integration. Historically, industrialised construction has resulted in an industrialisation of the parts, rather than an industrialisation of the ensemble. In contrast, this project will integrate architecture and engineering, as well as construction and development to optimise the ensemble, and deliver architectural quality in industrially produced affordable housing.
Artistically rethinking creative coding for digital media. This project will investigate improved workflows to support the creative exploratory power of creators of interactive media experiences for public events, galleries, stage shows and installations, which increasingly involve complex networks of devices, such as interacting audio, visual and sensor elements. It will innovate digital creativity techniques to enable creators to move from brittle problem solving tasks to a creatively fertile ....Artistically rethinking creative coding for digital media. This project will investigate improved workflows to support the creative exploratory power of creators of interactive media experiences for public events, galleries, stage shows and installations, which increasingly involve complex networks of devices, such as interacting audio, visual and sensor elements. It will innovate digital creativity techniques to enable creators to move from brittle problem solving tasks to a creatively fertile exploration of design outcomes. The research is expected to result in new models of creative practice, and more productive support tools for practitioners, for whom development costs are a significant limiting expense.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
Designing green spaces for biodiversity and human well-being. Designing green spaces for biodiversity and human well-being . This project aims to determine mechanisms linking urban design to socio-ecological benefits from green spaces. Ecological restoration in urban green space could attract more biodiversity into urban environments, reduce maintenance costs, provide market advantage for the development industry and improve a sense of place for residents. However, how best to encourage biodiver ....Designing green spaces for biodiversity and human well-being. Designing green spaces for biodiversity and human well-being . This project aims to determine mechanisms linking urban design to socio-ecological benefits from green spaces. Ecological restoration in urban green space could attract more biodiversity into urban environments, reduce maintenance costs, provide market advantage for the development industry and improve a sense of place for residents. However, how best to encourage biodiversity using urban design is poorly understood, and little is known about how green spaces create health and well-being. This project will alter levels of green space design explanatory variables in modular experimental plots, in both Royal Park, the City of Melbourne’s largest public green space, and Melbourne’s CBD; conduct biodiversity and human wellbeing experiments; and develop urban design recommendations that support biodiversity and human wellbeing.Read moreRead less