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ARCHITECTURE,DESIGNANDPLANNINGHANDBOOK2016

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OUTLINE
Researchcentres
Areasofresearchinterest:
Architecture
ArchitecturalandDesignScience
DesignLab
UrbanandRegionalPlanningand
Policy

RESEARCHCENTRESANDAREASOFINTEREST
Researchcentres
IanBuchanFellHousingResearchCentre
IanBuchanFell,whodiedin1961,lefttheincomefromhisestatetotheUniversityforthepromotionandencouragementof
educationandresearchonhousing.Thecentreisconcernedwiththeneedsofpeoplerelativetotheirhousing.Theseneedsare
relatedtothecomplexinteractionsbetweenpeople,theirhousingandotheraspectsofthebuiltenvironment.

PlanningResearchCentre

ThePlanningResearchCentre'smainpurposeistofurtherfundamentalresearchintophysicalplanninganddevelopment.Italso
sponsorsseminarsinspecialisedfields,undertakesresearchandconsultancyprojects,runsprofessionaldevelopmentcourses
andpromotesthepublicationofresearchmaterial.Ithasanactivemembershipcomprisingmembersofgovernmentand
industry.

Areasofresearchinterest
Architecture
ThefacultyisrecognisedforexcellenceinthefieldofarchitecturalhistoryandtheorywithexpertiseinEastAsian,European,
AmericanandAustralianarchitecture.Researchdegreesmaybecompletedinoneofthreekeyareas:ArchitecturalHistoryand
Theory,HeritageConservationorHousing.ResearchinArchitecturalHistoryexaminesthecreationandimpactofthebuilt
environmentwithregardtotechnological,aesthetic,economic,socialandculturalchange.Researchinarchitecturaltheory
examinesadiverserangeofarchitecturaltopicsthroughthelensofcontemporaryarchitecturaltheory.HeritageConservation
researchstudiesencompassarchitectural,landscapeandculturalheritagethisfacultywasthefirstinAustraliatoteachcourses
inheritageconservation.HousingresearchissupportedbytheIanBuchanFellHousingResearchCentrewithinthefacultyand
includesissuessuchaseconomicandcommunitydevelopmentinbothAustraliaandSoutheastAsia.

ForfurtherinformationcontactAssociateProfessorChrisSmith(chris.smith@sydney.edu.au(mailto:chris.smith@sydney.edu.au))
oranymemberofthediscipline.

Areasofresearch

Architecturalcomputinganddigitalmedia

digitalarchitecture
generativearchitecturaldesign
parametricmodelling
digitaldesigngeneration
buildinginformationmanagement
architecturalanimation.

Architecturalhistoryandtheory

twentiethcenturyarchitecturalhistory
contemporaryarchitecturaltheory

Australianarchitecture
EastAsianarchitecture
Europeanarchitecture
urbanhistoryandtheory
historyandtheoryofsustainablearchitecture.

Heritageconservation

landscapeconservation
conservationofrenderanddecorativeplasterwork
facaderetention
conservationof19thand20thcenturyarchitecture
socialandaestheticvaluesinheritage
acknowledgingandevaluatingthesocialandaestheticvaluesofheritagelandscapes
urbanplacesandtheirassessmentinWorldHeritageterms.

Housing

Aboriginalhousing
studenthousing
ownerbuilding
homelessyouth
highrisehousingfortheelderly
mediumdensityhousing
measurementoflocalandregionaleconomicimpacts
regionaldevelopmentandplanning
computerapplicationsinplanningandmeasuringhousingneed
allocatinggovernmentresourcesforlowincomehousing.

ArchitecturalandDesignScience
ArchitecturalandDesignScienceisthestudyofthephysical,structuralandperformanceaspectsofbuiltenvironments.It
encompasseslighting,daylighting,acoustics,thermalperformance,windeffects,noiseandacoustics,sustainability,Indoor
EnvironmentalQuality,structuralsystemsandconstruction.Itcanalsoincludestudiesinhowpeoplereacttoenvironmentsand
thefunctionalaspectsofbuildingsinuse.ArchitecturalandDesignScienceattheUniversityofSydneycomprisesinternationally
leadingresearcherswhoprovideexpertsupervisionofhigherdegreeresearchcandidateswithaccesstosomeofthebest

architecturalscienceresearchlaboratoriesandinfrastructurewithinintheAustralianuniversitysector.Itispossibletoundertake
someadvancedcourseworkwithinhigherdegreeresearchprograms.

ForfurtherinformationcontactProfessorRicharddeDear(richard.dedear@sydney.edu.au(mailto:richard.dedear@sydney.edu.au))
oranymemberofthediscipline.

Areasofresearch

Architecturaltechnologies

Biomimeticandadaptablebuildingstructures
Smartmaterialsandtechnologiesforbuildingenvelopes
Advancedstructuralmaterials
Integratedmodelsforthesynthesisofcomplexbuildings

Audioandacoustics

Roomacoustics
Psychoacoustics,includingloudnessandspatialhearing
Audioreproductionqualityandsignalprocessing
Simulationandauralisationofacousticalenvironments
Acousticaspectsofindoorenvironmentalquality
Advancedmeasurementtechniques
Auditorydisplayandsonification

Indoorenvironmentalquality(IEQ)

Adaptivethermalcomfort
Climatechamberandfieldstudiesofthermalcomfort
Nonsteadystatethermalcomfortandalliesthesia
Indoorairqualityandventilationrates
InteractionsbetweenIEQelementsofthermal,lighting,acousticsandindoorairquality
BuildingratingtoolsforIEQ
Postoccupancyevaluationofbuiltenvironmentsbytheiroccupants
ImpactsofIEQonproductivityandperformance

Illumination

Applicationsofemergingandnextgenerationlightingtechnologies
Visualperception,particularlycolourvision
Novellightsourcespectraforimprovedefficacy
Colorimetryanddevelopmentofcolourstandards
Innovativemodesoflightingcontrolandhumaninteraction

Sustainabledesign

Culturalsustainabilitythroughintegrationofarchitecturalscience,archeologicalandheritageconservationknowledge
Formandspacemakingpotentialofsustainabledesign
HistoryofclimaticdesigninAustralia
Simulationofbuildingenvironmentalperformance
Comfortanalysisofurbanoutdoorandsemioutdoormicroclimates
Buildingintegrationofrenewableenergysources

DesignLab
TheaimoftheDesignLabistofosterdesignasameansofknowledgeproductioninitsownright.Ourviewisthatdesignis
fundamentallyaknowledgeproducingactivity.Differentfromthenaturalsciences,whichstudiestheworldasitis,thehumanities,
whichstudiesthehumancondition,andthearts,whichexploresthepossibilitiesofexpression,designisastudyoftheworldthe
wayitcouldbethroughthecreationandinterrogationofthedesignedworld.

ResearchandcreativepracticeintheDesignLabspanarangeofdisciplinesfrominteractiondesignandelectronicartsto
computerscienceandsocialscience.

Weundertaketheseprojectsthroughmultipleintellectualchannels,havingthescientificgazewithitssystemsofempiricismsit
comfortablyalongsidetheartisticapproachwithitsattentiontowardconceptualpossibilities.Theprojectsthemselvesspan
politicallychargedandconceptuallydifficultterrains,dealingwithquestionsonthebiologicalinnatenessofdesignanditscultural
andevolutionarypathways,thepossibilitiesofexperimentalmediaatthejunctureofart,societyandtechnology,andspeculative
researchintotheinhabitationoftheinterfacebetweenhumansandpervasivecomputingservices.

Mostimportant,theDesignLabprovidesahomewheredifferentpeoplewithdifferentwaysofknowingcanconnect,intersectand
transformtheirworkandtheirdisciplines.Itisaculturalmixofdesigntheoryandpractice.TheDesignLabprovidesthe
environmentwheretheresourcesofresearch,oftheproductionofknowledge,andoftheinterrogationofknowledgestemfrom
design.

ForfurtherinformationcontactDrRobSaunders(rob.saunders@sydney.edu.au(mailto:rob.saunders@sydney.edu.au))orany
memberofthediscipline.

Areasofresearch

Computationaldesign

agentbaseddesign
AIindesign
artificiallife
buildinginformationmodeling
computationaldesignmodelling
creativedesignsystems
curiousagents
emergenceindesign
evolutionarydesign
gamesdesign
generativedesignsystems
masscustomisation
multiagentsystems
parametricmodelling.

Designstudies

designcognition
designdiscovery
designthinking
gestalttheoryindesign
productivethinkingindesigning.

Electronicartanddesign

augmentedrealityperformance
cyborgculture
danceandtechnology

dataart
electronicart
electronicbodyart
embodimentindigitalculture
generativemusic
generativesound
gesturalinteraction
informationgraphics
installationart
interactiveaudio
interactivedesign
interactiveperformance
locativemediaartandperformance
newmedia
sensorbasedart
visualculture
visualdesign
wearablecomputing.

Informationvisualisationandsonification

aestheticsonification
agentbasedvisualisation
ambientdisplay
auditorydisplay
dataart
informationaesthetics
informationgraphics
informationvisualisation
persuasivecomputing
sonification
physicalcomputing
wearablecomputing.

Interactiondesign

computersupportedcollaborativework
electronicbodyart
embodimentindigitalculture
interactiondesign
interactiveaudio
interactiveinstallationart
interactivesonification
interactivevideo
interfaceculture
locativemediaart
mobileart
performativegeography
sensorbasedinteraction
tangibleuserinterfaces.

Pervasiveandphysicalcomputing

mobilecomputing
persuasivecomputing
pervasivecomputing
physicalcomputing
sensateenvironments
sensorbaseddesign
wearablecomputing.

Virtualenvironmentsandvirtualreality

augmentedreality
augmentrealityperformance
augmentedvirtuality
computersupportedcollaborativedesign
tangibleuserinterfaces
virtualenvironments
virtualreality.

Urbanandregionalplanningandpolicy
Urbanandregionalplanningresearchhasbeenestablishedinthefacultysincethelate1940s,coveringawiderangeofsubject
areas,includinginternationalstudieswithafocusonSoutheastAsiaandthePacificmetropolitanplanninghousingstudies
regionalpolicyandmanyotherfieldsofpolicyanddevelopment.Arecentlyestablishedurbandesignprogramprovidesadditional
opportunitiestoconductresearchintothedesigndimensionsofurbanform.Besidesprovidingindividualstudyareasfor
research,thefacultyishometoanextensivelibrarycollectionandthePlanningResearchCentre,whichisanindependent
Universityfoundation.

ForfurtherinformationcontactProfessorPeterPhibbs(peter.phibbs@sydney.edu.au(mailto:peter.phibbs@sydney.edu.au))orany
memberofthediscipline.

Areasofresearch
urbanplanningandregionalcomparativeplanningsystems
collaborativeenvironmentalplanningandmanagement
planningforenvironmentalsustainability
planningforhousingaccessibility,diversityandaffordability
coastalprotectionandgrowth
Australianurbanlanduseplanningpolicymonitor
socialandenvironmentaljustice
communityforestry
politicalecology
naturalresourcemanagement
sustainabledevelopmentandclimatechange
urbanpolicyandplanninglocallyandinternationally
suburbaneconomicdevelopment
povertyandinequality
ruralcommunities
communitydevelopmentandsustainableplanning
urbanplanningresearchandeducation
gatedcommunities
tourismdevelopmentinPacificurbanplanning
developmentaidpolicy
environmentalimpactassessments
housingpolicyindevelopingcountries

Indigenoussettlementandlandtenureissues
geographicinformationsystems
economicdevelopment
planningsupportsystems
visualisation
commutingbehaviour
spatialdecisionmaking.

20022016TheUniversityofSydney.LastUpdated:30Nov2015
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