Our Focus
The school has three major research areas and has a strong preference for enrolling higher degree research candidates in one of these areas. It may also consider candidates interested in other areas of emerging research strength within the school. Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed area of research with either the Head of School or the Postgraduate Coordinator before applying for admission.
Areas of focus
1. Design and Culture
- Cultural landscapes and their interpretation
- Cross-cultural approaches to design pedagogy
- Cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary issues in design thinking and practice
- Cultural issues in Urban Design and Planning History
The Centre for Asian and Middle Eastern Architecture (CAMEA), located in the school, has particular interests in:
- Arab and Islamic culture and architecture, and Pre-modern Arab thought.
- Colonial and contemporary issues in the Architecture and Planning Histories of the Indian sub-continent and Southeast Asia
- Architecture and Islam in Australia.
2. Sustainability and building Performance
- Dimensions of sustainability and the role of architecture and landscape architecture
- Sustainability and environmental performance evaluation
- Computer simulation of life-cycle performance in buildings, including environmental impacts and costs.
3. Digital Design Media
- Digital design media in architecture and landscape architecture
- Computer-aided architecture and landscape architecture design
- The World Wide Web in design practice
- Computer modelling and generative design of cities, neighbourhoods and buildings
- Inter-relationships between digital design media and their cultural context.
