Addressing the connected problems of urban growth, climate change, and human resilience, we develop more sustainable techniques for construction and fabrication, map user behaviour to inform domestic energy consumption practices, and investigate the implications of circular economies for the fashion industry supply chain.

News and projects

Leena Thomas

Leena Thomas

Professor

Faculty of Design and Society

Men Observing Floodwate

Men Observing Floodwater, Brisbane Floods 2011. Photo: Adobe Stock.

Penelope Allan

Penelope Allan

Adjunct Professor

Faculty of Design and Society

Andrew Toland

Andrew Toland

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Design and Society

Martin Bryant

Martin Bryant

Professor

Faculty of Design and Society

Beyond sandbagging: what can we learn from all the floods?

After heavy rain and repeated floods across Australia’s eastern states over the past three years, it’s worth considering what we have and haven’t learned.

A house in Australia that has been designed to be eco-friendly

Nimish Biloria

Nimish Biloria

Professor

Faculty of Design and Society

Timo Rissanen

Timo Rissanen

Associate Professor

Faculty of Design and Society

Recycling clothes to meet sustainability goals

Brands are leaning on ‘recycled’ clothes to meet sustainability goals, but why is recycling them further so hard?

Modern looking building, green roof

Adaptive interventions and sustainable building technologies 

Sara Wilkinson

This ARC funded project looks at how to address the carbo effects of our existing building stock, through sustainable adaptation such as living green algae panels for building facades, portable green rooftops, green alternatives to cement-based concrete, and air purification green wall infrastructure.

Concept drawing of a bushfire resistant house

Bushfire-proof house design

Deborah Ascher Barnstone

Novel bushfire-proof house design could help people flee rather than risk fighting.

Buildings by lake

Sustainable community becomes a living lab

Leena Thomas

A vision of how we could live more sustainably into the future is being realised in a quiet pocket of Sydney’s western suburbs. 

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We collaborate on a wide range of research projects for government and industry partners. 

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