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Alec Tzannes
Alec Tzannes
Director, Tzannes

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Alec Tzannes is the founding Director of Tzannes. He established the studio’s distinctive design philosophy, with its emphasis on intellectual rigour, collaboration, sustainability and a strong sense of ethics. He is central to the strategic direction of the practice, and responsible for all projects, ensuring consistency across all fields.
Design direction within the studio is shaped by Alec’s unwavering commitment to design excellence, and the importance he gives to the role of place centred design and the decarbonisation of the environment.
Alec, with his extensive experience and focus on future thinking, believes that architecture can, and should, make a strong contribution towards improving our environment and lives. He is passionate about research and mentoring – a thought leader, he contributes time, passion and his immense knowledge to the broader industry.

Links:
LinkedIn
Tzannes Profile
Alec Tzannes
Tzannes
Alexander Jung
Alexander Jung
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Synthesis Lab – Synthesis 5

Alexander Jung has more than 25 years of experience in architecture and design in theory and practice. He began as a bricklayer and concreter and further trained as a draftsman before he graduated with a diploma in architecture in 1998. Alex received a postgraduate diploma in Conceptual Design from The School of Fine Arts/Städelschule Frankfurt in 2001, and was awarded the prestigious Taut Prize (2001) and the Max 40 Prize (2011, German Architects Chamber). He taught as a lecturer and studio leader at various national and international universities, including UTS, the University of Sydney, Städelschule Frankfurt, and University of Applied Science Wiesbaden.

His architecture practice reinhardtjung delivers architectural projects on diverse scales, from installations to residential projects (new and conversions) to site supervision of public buildings. Alex is a registered architect and has worked internationally in Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany for large architecture companies participating in large-scale projects (hotels, stadiums, museums) with a focus on construction documentation, site management, and circular economy.

Links:
LinkedIn
Alexander Jung
UNSW School of Built Environment
Andrew Butler
Andrew Butler
Lead Computational Designer and Associate, COX

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Andrew is an experienced architect who joined COX in 2011. His career at COX started as a student working on the Adelaide Oval Redevelopment.
Andrew has worked across a range of sectors including transport, planning and urban design, sport and convention. This includes projects across Australia and overseas.
Andrew specialises in digital design, specifically parametric design, complex geometry, geometric rationalization and structural resolution. Andrew is an integral member of COX’s Advanced Geometry Unit (COX AGU) – a national internal geometry research group. He leads internal research projects in optimising BIM workflows with Revit and improving design tools for stadia and urban planning.
Andrew has a strong connection with UniSA and UNSW, tutoring students and aiding in research and development.

Links:
LinkedIn
COX Profile
Andrew Butler
COX
Andy Watts Grimshaw
Andy Watts
Director of Design Technology, Grimshaw

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Andy is the Director of Design Technology at Grimshaw and leads the practice’s global Design Technology team, overseeing digital disciplines such as computational design, BIM, extended reality, urban computation, applications development and environmental performance.
As a qualified architect with a background in computational design, Andy has an interest in problem-solving, regardless of scale or platform. From low-key computational tinkering to digital transformation on a practice-scale, his passion lies in making the lives of architects and designers easier through the use of technology.
Andy is a proponent of open and equitable access to technology. Within Grimshaw he has sought to break down the silos between technologies, allowing for the cross-pollination of expertise to be available to any project within the practice. In the wider industry, Andy has continued to drive for an open approach to technology, through engagement in industry-wide research consortia such as the Construction Innovation Hub, participation in public events, and playing a role in groups driving for industry change such as the Open Letter Group.
Andy is also actively involved in academia, has taught at the Architectural Association and University of Westminster, and has also lectured and critiqued at the Pratt Institute, Melbourne University, Dundee University, RCA, UCL and others.

Links:
LinkedIn
Grimshaw profile
Andy Watts
Grimshaw
Angelina Pillai
Angelina Pillai
Chief Executive Officer, Association of Consulting Architects

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Angelina is one of this country’s proud migrants. Born in Malaysia to Indian parents, she attended primary school in the UK and later enjoyed university studies in Australia. Today she draws from her travels and lived experience to inform her professional and personal journeys. With a particular interest in human rights, she is driven by the quest for equality, equity and inclusion, and all these factors that ultimately play into mental wellbeing. Angelina is currently the CEO of the Association of Consulting Architects (ACA) and Head of Diversity, Culture and Inclusion for the Australian Council of Professions (ACoP). Angelina has always admired the wonders of architecture in shaping our communities, identities, values, beliefs and sense of belonging in the world. It is this respect and value for the profession that has motivated her to represent the interests of architectural practices through the ACA. BA (International Politics), University of Adelaide Grad Cert Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Harvard University FAIM

Links:
LinkedIn
Angelina Pillai
Association of Consulting Architects
Dr Areti Markopoulou
Areti Markopoulou
Academic Director, IAAC

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Areti Markopoulou is a Greek architect, researcher and urban technologist working at the intersection between architecture and digital technologies. She is the Academic Director at IAAC in Barcelona, where she also leads the Advanced Architecture Group, a multidisciplinary research group exploring how design and science can positively impact and transform the present and future of our built spaces, the way we live and interact. Her research and practice focus on redefining the architecture of cities through an ecological and technological spectrum combining design with biotechnologies, new materials, digital fabrication and big data.

Areti is co-founder of the art/tech gallery StudioP52 and co-editor of Urban Next, a global network focused on rethinking architecture through the contemporary urban milieu. She is the project coordinator of a number of European Research funded Projects on topics including urban regeneration, circular design and construction and multidisciplinary educational models in the digital age.

Areti is the founder and is currently chairing the Responsive Cities International Symposium in Barcelona while she has served as Head Curator of international exhibitions such as Future Arena and On Site Robotics (Building Barcelona Construmat 2017-19), Print Matter (In3dustry 2016), HyperCity (Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale, 2015) and MyVeryOwnCity (World Bank, BR Barcelona, 2011). Her work has been featured in exhibitions worldwide and together with Lydia Kallipoliti she has been appointed the Head Curator for the Tallinn Architecture Biennale 2022.



Links:
LinkedIn
IAAC Profile
Areti Markopoulou
Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia
Barbara Biggemann
Barbara Biggemann
Centre Administrator, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Centre Administrator

Barbara holds a degree in architecture from Chile and has extensive experience in the construction industry. She has served in various professional roles, including BIM Manager, Architect Collaborator, Contract Administrator, and Project Manager. Her career began in academia as a tutor and expanded into managing subcontractor coordination, BIM processes, and on-site construction administration. Barbara is recognized for her commitment, punctuality, and organizational skills, as well as her ability to learn quickly and work effectively within teams. She further honed these skills while completing her master’s degree in Australia, collaborating with professionals from diverse backgrounds. Currently, Barbara supports the ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing and its affiliated projects as the Centre Administrator.

Links:
Barbara Biggemann
UNSW School of Built Environment
Blair Kuys
Blair Kuys
Professor and Dean of Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Deputy Director and Chief Investigator

Professor Blair Kuys is the Dean of the School of Design and Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology. He graduated from Swinburne in 2003 with a Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) (Honours) and worked as a furniture designer until returning to Swinburne to complete his PhD in 2010. He is now an active researcher who is instrumental in embedding industrial design research, theories and practice in traditional manufacturing fields to sustain and grow productivity. He has been awarded over AU$15M of research income, has 22 products go to market, and won three consecutive Good Design Awards for his products with Atlite Skylights (2018, 2019 and 2020). He is also the recipient of seven Vice-Chancellor’s Awards which is the highest accolade at Swinburne University of Technology.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne profile

Supervision:
Analytics 05
Synthesis 06
Blair Kuys
Swinburne University of Technology
Prof Bob Sheil
Bob Sheil
Professor of Architecture and Design through Production, University College London, The Bartlett

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Bob Sheil is Professor in Architecture and Design through Production at The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL. He is an educator, critic, researcher, collaborator and practitioner who is fascinated by the exchange between design, making, craft, and technology in architecture. He is a Co-Founder of the highly acclaimed international triennial conference and associated publication ‘FABRICATE’, launched in London in 2011, then hosted at ETH Zurich (2014), ICD Stuttgart (2017) and online by Cornell and Swinbourne Universities (2020). FABRICATE was an early adopter of open access at UCL Press and together the four-volume series has generated more than 290,000 downloads across more than 180 countries. He is the author of multiple book chapters, refereed papers, and articles on design, making, technology, and architectural education. He has co-designed and built several significant artefacts/built works and been internationally exhibited on multiple occasions. He has edited nine books, including three issues of Architectural Design; ‘Design through Making’ (2005), ‘Protoarchitecture’ (2008), ‘High Definition’ (2014), an AD Reader ‘Manufacturing the Bespoke’ published in 2012, ‘55/02: A sixteen*(makers) Monograph’ (also 2012) and ‘Design Transactions: Rethinking Information Modelling for a New Material Age’ (UCL Press 2020, Ed). He co-founded sixteen*(makers) in 1994, whose work in collaboration with Stahlbogen GmbH ‘55/02’ won a RIBA award for design in 2010. Other collaborative projects involve collaboration with the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, SHUNT, ScanLAB projects, and Thomas Pearce.

Links:
LinkedIn
UCL Profile
Bob Sheil
University College London, The Bartlett
Cameron Bruhn
Cameron Bruhn
Chief Executive Officer, Australian Institute of Architects

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Cameron Bruhn is the Dean and Head of School – School of Architecture, The University of Queensland. He is a writer, editor, curator and advocate for architecture, landscape architecture and interior design.
From 2009 – 2018 Cameron was the editorial director of Architecture Media, Australia’s leading cross-platform publisher and events organiser for the built environment community. Cameron holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Queensland and a practice-based PhD from RMIT University.
He is the editorial director of Multitudes, a monograph celebrating multidisciplinary international design practice Hassell, and co-editor of The Forever House, The Terrace House and the Apartment House, published by Thames and Hudson. Cameron was a co-creative director of This Public Life, the 2015 Australian Festival of Landscape Architecture and How Soon is Now, the 2016 Australian National Architecture conference. In 2016 he initiated the Asia Pacific Architecture Forum in Brisbane, an annual program that delivers citywide events and activities to a public and professional audience.
Cameron has written more than fifty introductions, reviews and interviews and has been a peer juror, sessional teacher, exhibition curator and guest speaker in Australia and internationally.

Links:
LinkedIn
Cameron Bruhn
Australian Institute of Architects
Catherine Collins
Catherine Collins
Associate Professor, UNSW School of Governance and Management

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Catherine researches how to develop and sustain team effectiveness. She examines how these changes are created from individuals’ proactivity, team processes, as well as work and organisational design. Her recent work also focuses how strategic imperatives such as digital sustainability impact frontline teams, and why managers do (or don’t!) use research findings. Her research has been published in top tier journals including: Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Journal of Construction Engineering and Management. She is currently a Deputy Editor for the Australian Journal of Management. As the Lead Chief Investigator Catherine has attracted more than $1M of research funding from the ARC and industry. She is now part of an interdisciplinary team in an ARC Industry Transformation Training Centre. Catherine has taught leadership and introduction to management courses at undergraduate and postgraduate (pre and post experience) levels. In 2021 Catherine received: the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Programs that Enhance Learning with the BCom Redesign Team, as well as the UNSW Business School HDR Highly Commended Collaboration Award.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Management 01
Management 02
Catherine Collins
UNSW School of Governance and Management
Charlie Ranscombe
Charlie Ranscombe
Associate Professor, Swinburne School of Design and Architecture

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Dr. Ranscombe has over 10 years’ experience as an educator and researcher in Product Design and Engineering. His approach is cross disciplinary, uniting user centred design with engineering design to effectively navigate the product development process. His specific expertise in product design and development lies in new prototyping and visualization technologies and how they can best support practitioners. This has enabled him to secure external funding $786,264 to research and develop products and has successfully translated research into a digital healthcare spin-off (H3d). His Expertise in bridging user needs identification with technical product outcomes led to his appointment to lead Swinburne’s Human Centred Product Development (HCPD) program, housed within the research Centre for Design Innovation (CDI). In this role he is responsible for numerous projects spanning user-centred and co-design methods as well as new and emerging design and prototyping technologies that support research and creation of creation new products.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne profile
Charlie Ranscombe
Swinburne University of Technology
Charlotte Firth
Charlotte Firth
Affiliated PhD candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Synthesis Affiliated PhD

Charlotte is an associate lecturer in the built environment at the Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture. Charlotte specialises in computational design, robotic fabrication and 3D printing. Charlotte’s research investigates non-planar 3D printing and novel materials to lower the environmental footprint of buildings. Previously, charlotte worked at Cox Architecture as a designer and was a part of the national BIM team working on projects such as the Allianz Stadium and the USYD Engineering Building.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile
Charlotte Firth
UNSW School of Built Environment
Chirag Gujurati
Chirag Gujurati
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Management and Governance

Management Lab – Management 4

Chirag is a seasoned educational professional and innovation advocate. He has worked with various higher education institutions and universities in his career across Europe and India. His previous roles include Director of Learning Content, Dean of Innovation and Founder of an eLearning venture including others. He has spent considerable amount of time teaching and conducting seminars, training and consulting assignments in the areas of design thinking, innovation, lean-startup and entrepreneurship. He is passionate about sustainable innovation and agile product development. A Bachelors in Business coupled with MSc in International Business, Design Thinking and Agile Coaching certifications, he brings a diverse skill set in strategic planning, learning design, product management and innovation.

Fun Fact: An interesting facet of Chirag’s personality is his fondness for reading Indian mythology, incorporating its principles into his work as an educator and researcher. He is a cricket enthusiast and spends time playing cricket with his son during weekends.

Links:
LinkedIn
Chirag Gujurati
UNSW School of Management and Governance
Christian Criado-Perez
Christian Criado-Perez
Research Associate, UNSW Business Insights Institute

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Christian Criado-Perez is a researcher at UNSW Business School, specializing in evidence-based management and decision-making. He holds a PhD from UNSW Business School and degrees from IE Business School (MBA) and St. Louis University (B. Engineering). Christian built an extensive career working in the aerospace industry before transitioning to academia. His research focuses on evidence-based decision-making, digital transformation, and performance at work. He has co-authored various articles focusing on the built environment sector, and is currently interested in how data and technology can enhance decision-making and transform industries. Christian is a founding member of the Business Insights Institute – an initiative focused on building research partnerships with industry and policy-makers. In this role, he has led research projects and research grants that have helped shape practice and policy. Christian also teaches at UNSW, where he delivers courses on data strategy and digital sustainability.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile
Christian Criado-Perez
UNSW Business Insights Institute
Christoph Gengnagel
Christoph Gengnagel
Partner, Bollinger + Grohmann

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Christoph Gengnagel is professor for structural design and engineering at the School of Architecture at the Berlin University of the Arts. He studied structural engineering and architecture at the Bauhaus University Weimar and the Technical University Munich, where he earned his PhD in 2005. He is co-founder and director of the Hybrid Plattform – a transdisciplinary research unit between the UdK Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin. In 2013, he has been awarded the Velux Visiting Professorship at CITA, Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. His principal areas of research focus on physical and digital prototyping of new structural- and material systems, new concepts for computational design and simulation techniques and on the potential of transdisciplinary research methods. Christoph Gengnagel has more than 25 years of professional experience as structural engineer and was co-founder and partner of a.k.a.ingenieure. In 2013, he became partner at Bollinger + Grohmann Ingenieure.

Links:
LinkedIn
Universität der Künste Berlin
Christoph Gengnagel
Bollinger + Grohmann
Daniel Prohasky
Daniel Prohasky
Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Daniel Prohasky is an architectural engineer and roboticist passionate about translating research towards accelerating the scaled adoption of exciting, resourceful and low-carbon architecture.

Daniel pursues the multidisciplinary integration of knowledge and systems of design with a focus on the development of novel elegant robotic systems to build exciting cities of the future. Daniel has worked as a research engineer with two of the most innovative engineering firms in the world, Arup and Aurecon. Where he encouraged and implemented new ways of tackling engineering problems using the latest in computational tools and innovative thinking.

Daniel is passionate about building resourceful and elegant architecture. He believes that, as engineers and architects, one of the most important challenges of our time is the need to reduce waste and atmospheric carbon emissions – yesterday. He’ll help you develop the abilities to create, not only environmentally sustainable architecture, but also, beautiful buildings that people love and are excited to dwell within!

He is devoted to invigorating your innovative thinking. Leading by example, he has created Curvecrete, a new advanced manufacturing and architectural engineering practice tackling these challenges. So, you can have the chance to tap in to first-hand experiences with the construction industry and real-world low-carbon construction projects.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne profile
Daniel Prohasky
Swinburne University of Technology
David Kroll
David Kroll
Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

An Architect (UK) with 20+ years’ experience in practice, teaching and research, David lectures in Design and Construction at the University of Adelaide. He champions an interdisciplinary approach to architectural education and research that empowers students with a holistic understanding of the built environment. David holds a PhD from the University of London and has contributed to leading national and international publications, including professional publications such as Architecture Australia and the RIBA Journal. His research draws on his background and training in architecture, applied design research, as well as architectural history and theory. He is particularly interested in sustainable design and construction, collaborative design practices, and in the planning and design of housing.

Links:
David Kroll
University of Adelaide
Erik Escalante Grimshaw
Erik Escalante
Associate Principal, Grimshaw

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Erik joined the Grimshaw Sydney studio in 2010 where he has worked on large scale projects across a multitude of sectors in Australia and internationally. He has been an instrumental member of the design team for seminal projects, including the recently completed Arthur Phillip High School and Parramatta Public School (APHS+PPS) as a project architect from design to its completion.

Links:
LinkedIn
Erik Escalante
Grimshaw
Farnaz Fattahi
Farnaz Fattahi
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Research Afilliate

Links:
LinkedIn
Farnaz Fattahi
UNSW School of Built Environment
Farrukh Ismail Memon
Farrukh Ismail Memon
PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology

Synthesis Lab – Synthesis 4

Farrukh graduated with a Degree in Architecture and Planning and became a licensed Architect in Pakistan in 2010 (Credential ID: A03371), initially working as a Graduate Architect before Immigrating to Australia in December 2012.

Farrukh joined a multinational building products manufacturer to develop BIM workflows & content & later taking over multiple roles as BIM & IT Co-ordinator for the Australian branch of the business. He joined a BIM consultancy in 2022, focusing on automation combining Autodesk and Microsoft software workflows and inhouse application development.

In his most recent role, Farrukh was IT Manager for Genton an award-winning architecture practice and was also BIM Co-ordinator for Powerhouse Parramatta designed by Moreau Kusinoki and Genton.

Farrukh’s research will investigate the use of Microsoft Azure & Autodesk platform services for high LOD BIM workflows – with proposed server hardware / network solutions. The topic will be supervised by Dr. Mehrnoush Latifi and Dr. Pantea Alambeigi at Swinburne University of Technology.

Links:
LinkedIn
Farrukh Ismail Memon
Swinburne University of Technology
Gavin Crump Architectus
Gavin Crump
Digital lead, National computation lead, BIM Consulting/Architectus

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Gavin brings with him over a decade of experience in architectural project delivery, with a primary focus on BIM Management and design team coordination. Gavin worked as a BIM coordinator and manager at various high-profile architectural practices, working across a wide variety of project scales and typologies including Healthcare, Commercial, Residential, Transport and Defence.

At Architectus, Gavin supports and leads the national computation and automation initiatives with a focus on the Revit and Rhino platforms across all stages, in addition to advanced and upcoming technologies in the market. He is focused on getting the most out of the technology used by the firm as well as capturing process in how it is used.

Gavin maintains an active social role in the wider/global BIM community, where he produces educational videos on YouTube as the ‘Aussie BIM Guru’ – educating many professionals around the globe and further progressing/promoting the necessary discourse of BIM and architectural practice.

Links:
LinkedIn
YouTube
Gavin Crump
Architectus
George Shinkle
George Shinkle
Professor, UNSW School of Governance and Management

Arch_Manu Role: Executive Committee Member, Theme Lead, and Chief Investigator

George Shinkle is a Professor and AGSM Fellow at UNSW following lengthy business and consulting careers. His expertise is in strategic management. His research investigates strategic goal setting, innovation, strategy, business models, and organisational control – particularly in turbulent environments. George has dedicated much of his international business and academic career to understanding and analysing the technical management, strategic management, and transformation of organisations. George publishes in top tier journals and has been recognised for outstanding facilitation and teaching innovation. George is keen to integrate his years of real-world experience with academic theory to provide relevant, evidence-based guidance to managers.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Management 03
Management 04
George Shinkle
UNSW School of Governance and Management
M. Hank Haeusler
M. Hank Haeusler
Associate Professor, UNSW School of Built Environment
Deputy Director, UNSW AI Institute

Arch_Manu Role: Director

A/Prof Dr. M. Hank Haeusler Dipl.-Ing. (Fh) / University of New South Wales, Sydney is ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing Director, a A$9 million federal government funded research centre transforming the architecture, engineering and construction sector; Lead CI of the A$6 million CRC-P for 3D printing houses in remote environments using local materials, and Deputy Director UNSW AI Institute.

He is also Head of Research, Foresight and Innovation Giraffe Technology, Sydney-based platform for the AEC sector, and Vice President of the Media Architecture Institute. He was the founding director of the Bachelor of Computational Design (CoDe) at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and former Professor at the Visual Art Innovation Institute at Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing.

Haeusler is known as a researcher, educator, entrepreneur and designer in media architecture, computational design, and second machine age technologies. He has authored 150+ academic publications and raised over A$16M research funding. He has established Arch_Manu Büro, an architectural computing and computational design practice as living lab to test and prepare ideas.

He has lectured in Europe, Asia, North America and Australia in universities such as ETH Zurich, Bartlett London, TU Delft, and University of Hong Kong.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Synthesis 02
Synthesis 05
Synthesis 07
Management 03
M. Hank Haeusler
UNSW School of Built Environment
Iris Zhu
Iris Zhu
Senior Architect, Tzannes

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Links:
LinkedIn
Iris Zhu
Tzannes
Ivana Kuzmanovska
Ivana Kuzmanovska
Arch_Manu Role: Manager

Dr Ivana Kuzmanovska is interested in the ways that building design and building production can inform one another to achieve better, more sustainable, and more efficient outcomes. Ivana has spent her career exploring this relationship through architectural research, practice, and teaching.

Ivana’s doctoral thesis titled ‘BDfMA: Reframing the Design-Production Relationship in Industrialised Construction‘ won the 2020 Mollie Holman Medal. Her most recent research explores data-informed pathways towards more sustainable and efficient built outcomes in the construction industry.

Ivana is experienced in managing interdisciplinary research teams within a university context, and she has an excellent track record of industry collaboration in applied research settings. Prior to joining Arch_Manu, Ivana was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Future Building Initiative at MADA, Monash University. Ivana has worked in practice locally and abroad; and taught at the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.

Links:
LinkedIn
Ivana Kuzmanovska
UNSW School of Built Environment
Jane Burry
Jane Burry
Professor and Head of School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide

Arch_Manu Role: Deputy Director, Theme Lead, and Chief Investigator

Jane Burry is an architect, professor and Head of School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Adelaide, Australia, and Deputy Director of the commencing ARC Training Centre for Next Gen Architectural Manufacturing. She is lead author of The New Mathematics of Architecture, T&H, editor of Designing the Dynamic, Melbourne Books, and co-author of Prototyping for Architects, T&H and has over a hundred other publications. Her recent research investigates architectural geometry and materiality in tandem with rich environmental data gathering to fine tune the acoustic, thermal and air flow design of high quality, human-centric environments. She has co-chaired IASS 23, FABRICATE 2020, co-curated the 2018 International Exhibition Dynamics of Air, and co-directs the Smartgeometry organization. Jane has practiced, researched and taught internationally, including involvement as a project architect in the technical office at Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família Basilica with partner Mark Burry, recent Dean of Design and Architecture at Swinburne University and former Director of the Spatial Information Laboratory at RMIT University. Jane is a recent recipient of Australian Timber Design Award, Australian Good Design Award, Gold, ACADIA Excellence in Teaching Award and Robots in Architecture Pioneer Award.

Links:
LinkedIn
UoA profile
Jane Burry
University of Adelaide
Jian Zuo
Jian Zuo
Professor in Sustainable Construction, University of Adelaide School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Dr. Jian Zuo is a Professor in Sustainable Construction at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of Adelaide. His main research interests are related to sustainable built environment via both technical (e.g. smart technologies) and managerial (e.g. policy intervention and behavioural change) means. In particular, he has undertaken extensive research in construction and demolition waste recycling and management. As the lead researcher, he has involved in a series of competitive grants in Australia such as Discovery Projects and Linkage Projects funded by the Australian Research Council as well as many other national key projects. He has long been engaged in the study of ecological towns, green buildings and sustainable development of the construction industry. Published more than 100 papers in top journals, including more than 80 journal papers indexed by SCI and SSCI, Google Scholar indexed more than 25,000, and the H-index is 85. Twleve papers are listed as hot papers/highly cited papers by Incites Essential Science Indicators (ESI).

Links:
Jian Zuo
University of Adelaide
John Ferendinos
John Ferendinos
Director, COX

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

John is a Director of COX Architecture, joining the Sydney studio in 2003. John’s excellence as a conceptual designer has led to his involvement in several successful international design competitions. His architectural and urban design experience spans aviation, commercial, cultural, educational, hospitality and residential, with specific expertise in sports, convention and exhibition facilities.
John has played a key role in many high-profile projects, including the Ken Rosewall Arena and Precinct upgrade at Sydney Olympic Park which hosted the inaugural ATP Cup competition, the Point Promenade in Durban South Africa, the Singapore’s Civic District Public Domain for Empress Place and Esplanade Park, the Indonesia International Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICE), Jakarta, the Kaohsiung Exhibition and Convention Centre in Taiwan, the Jubilee Pedestrian Bridge and the Concourse Skyline Apartments both in Singapore.
More recently, John has been Project Leader in the NSW Cricket Centre at Wilson Park in the Sydney Olympic Park and the Centre of Excellence for the NSW Waratahs Rugby at Daceyville and the new Sydney International Speedway located at the Motor Sports precinct within the Western Sydney Parklands.


Links:
LinkedIn
COX Profile
John Ferendinos
COX
Jorge Mario Castillo Velasquez
Jorge Mario Castillo Velasquez
PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology

Analytics Lab – Analytics 4

Jorge Mario Castillo Velasquez is an architect and civil engineer from Colombia with more than two decades of experience in design and construction. After developing and growing his career in Latin America, Jorge moved to Australia to study the Master of Design Innovation and Technology (MDIT) at RMIT School of Design, where his initial passion for design and engineering is expanding to new territories that integrate cutting-edge technology and knowledge into the design and construction process. Jorge believes that the integration of new approaches such as speculative design, Bio-design, interactive design, parametric architecture, and digital fabrication with the use and management of data in the process of design is the future to reach sustainable outcomes and reduce the negative impact of architecture and construction in the environment.

Fun Fact: Jorge Likes Different types of puzzles and can solve the rubix cube.

Links:
LinkedIn
Jorge Mario Castillo Velasquez
Swinburne University of Technology
JuHyun Lee
JuHyun Lee
Associate Professor, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Ju Hyun Lee is Associate Professor (Scientia Academic) of Architecture and Computational Design at UNSW, Sydney. He has published 100+ research publications and made significant research contributions in the fields of architectural computing and design cognition. Ju Hyun has held multiple academic roles in Australia and South Korea. He completed postdoctoral research at UoN and was a senior research fellow at UNISA. He is Chair of AKA.N and Co-Director of Advanced Architectural Analytics lab. Ju Hyun is co-author of Grammatical and Syntactical Approaches in Architecture (IGI Global) and co-author of Design Thinking: Creativity, Collaboration and Culture (Springer). He has been awarded eleven competitive research grants, including two ARC Discovery projects.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Analytics 01
Analytics 02
JuHyun Lee
UNSW School of Built Environment
Jumana Hamdani
Jumana Hamdani
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management

Management Lab – Management 7

Jumana Hamdani is an architect and a researcher at the Blekinge Institute of Technology, Spatial Planning Department in Sweden, and a technical coordinator in the SESA Project: Smart Energy Solutions for Africa. She holds a Master’s degree in Advanced Computation for Architecture and Design from The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) in Barcelona and has been a designer of several public and private projects in Asia, Africa, and Europe over the past two decades. A member of the Swedish Architecture Association and the AKBW in Germany, her work lies at the intersection of architecture, urban forms, AI-driven solutions, data-driven, and performative design. Focusing on real-world questions that matter, she integrates digital technologies into traditional practices, aiming for effective strategies for resilient built environments.

Fun Fact: Outside of her professional practice, Jumana enjoys culinary explorations, Fika, walking, and learning from her travels in art and culture.

Links:
LinkedIn
Jumana Hamdani
UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management
Kaiyu Zhou
Kaiyu Zhou
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Analytics Lab – Management 3

Kaiyu is a versatile professional with expertise in sustainable urban design, BIM software design, and product management, holding both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from China and the United States. Kaiyu’s focus is on BIM systems, digital twins, and user experience design. Notably, he was a finalist and received an honorable mention in the ULI Hines Urban Design Competition. Following graduation, Kaiyu joined a renowned BIM software development company as a product designer, leveraging his expertise to drive product launches and iterations, resulting in a monthly active user base of 1 million.

Fun Fact: Kaiyu is a passionate pet lover and a proud father of two adorable cats. Kaiyu has initiated and established an organization to assist working professionals in pet care, which now boasts over 1,000 patient pet sitters. He is dedicated to creating a community where pets receive the love and attention they deserve.

Links:
LinkedIn
Kaiyu Zhou
UNSW School of Built Environment
Kathlyn Loseby
Kathlyn Loseby
Chief Executive Officer, Architects Accreditation Council of Australia

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Accomplished CEO / General Manager and leadership manager with strong capabilities in creative thinking, sustainability and change management. A sound business acumen with the ability to streamline and direct an organisation to improve efficiency, profitability and the workplace culture/environment. 30+ years experience with building development process: site feasibility analysis, design development, authority + stakeholder communication, working with user groups, consultant co-ordintion, documentation processes, construction services and programming, successful occupancy and managing budget control.
Completed an MBA(Exec) at the AGSM in 2011, Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, registered Architect, and previously a Green Building Council of Australia accredited professional.

Links:
LinkedIn
Kathlyn Loseby
Architects Accreditation Council of Australia
Kirsten Orr
Kirsten Orr
CEO & Registrar, NSW Architects Registration Board

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Kirsten is an architect whose career has spanned professional practice in architecture, leadership roles in the university sector, work as a regulator of architects, and high-level appointments to all the major Australian government and professional bodies regulating architects, the education of architecture students and the accreditation of Australian architecture programs.
As the CEO and Registrar of the NSW Architects Registration Board, Kirsten is responsible for the operation of the Architects Act 2003 and for leading the effective governance and performance of regulatory functions and registration of 6000+ architects in NSW. She was previously a Director of the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (2016-2020, 2022-2024).
Kirsten was Professor of Architecture and Dean of the School of Technology, Environments & Design at the University of Tasmania (2016-2018); and Associate Professor and Associate Head of the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) (1999-2015).
She graduated from UTS with the University Medal (1995) and holds a PhD from the University of NSW (2006).

Links:
LinkedIn
Kirsten Orr
NSW Architects Registration Board
Luis Riviero Torres
Luis Riviero Torres
PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology

Synthesis Lab – Synthesis 6

Jorge Luis Rivero Torres is a Mexican Computational Design Specialist with seven years of architectural experience, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technologies into diverse projects. Currently at Roth-Architecture in Tulum, he blends digital expertise with craftsmanship, creating tailored workflows, and contributing to the Innovation & Technology team. He collaborated on innovative projects, including the design and planning of the FabLab, leveraging digital fabrication and manufacturing hardware and software. Fluent in English and Spanish, with intermediate proficiency in French, he holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico and holds a CACB/CCA certification ensuring Canadian education standards. Previously, as Head of Computational Design at Bustamante Arrieta (Revolution), Mexico City, he spearheaded digital technology implementation into practice. With a strong focus on research and development, he has taken part in projects internationally from Mexico to Canada to Saudi Arabia, pushing the boundaries of Computational Design.

Links:
LinkedIn
Luis Riviero Torres
Swinburne University of Technology
Mahdi (Kyan) Bahrami
Mahdi (Kyan) Bahrami
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Synthesis Lab – Synthesis 2

Having a BSc in Architecture and an MSc in IT, Kyan feels confident to tackle a wide range of real-world AEC challenges, employing his competency in novel computer literacy. His research interests span the applications of Computer Vision, Graph ML, Deep Learning, and Generative AI in the AEC context. He is also a staunch proponent of open-source software (e.g., Linux, OpenBIM, etc.). From 2023 to 2024, Kyan was part of the Civil Department of HKUST as a Research Assistant (RA), researching computer vision applications in civil engineering. Having had backgrounds in Art & Design (in BSc), Computer Science (in MSc), and Civil engineering (as an RA), Kyan is irrevocably committed to bridging the gap between AEC and Computer Science and facilitating a symbiotic relationship through interdisciplinary research at their nexus. He never shies away from formative challenges and pursues growth daily with inexhaustible curiosity and perseverance.

Fun Fact: Kyan is a certified boxing coach, who loves working out, learning new languages, and playing video games.

Links:
LinkedIn
Mahdi (Kyan) Bahrami
UNSW School of Built Environment
Mahdi Fard
Mahdi Fard
Affiliated PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Synthesis Affiliated PhD

Mahdi, an affiliated PhD researcher at Arch_Manu by day & the Founder and R&D Lead at Ardaena.com by night, exemplifies the interconnection of academic explorations with industrial practice in computational design. With experience in integrating design and engineering via DATA, his work focuses on developing intelligent, automated workflows that address industry challenges using Machine Learning and Deep Learning. His mindset looks for setting a new paradigm for intelligence in AEC which he calls Functional Paradigms. Mahdi’s leadership skills, combined with innovative solutions he has applied in design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA) of Free-Form Structures and Complex Façade Systems, highlight his commitment to train hybrid characters. He is a well-known mentor and instructor at top platforms, including Parametric-Architecture.com, DigitalFUTURES and Performance Network with emphasis on how to utilise automated workflows in AEC sectors. As the research Lead at Ardaena, he has developed Caddisfly 01.01, an automating 3D-detail modeler for Free-Form Structures. His recent plug-in for Grasshopper3D is Data-Hive, which represents set of customisable toolkits for DfMA.
Mahdi will work on novel techs and AI-Integrated Solutions for decarbonising the building industry conveyed from optimisation techniques and decentralised databases aligned with UNGoals #09, #11, #12 mostly. The research will be supervised by Prof. M. Hank Haeusler and Prof. Sisi Zlatanova, supported by WT Partnership as the industry partner.

Links:
LinkedIn
Mahdi Fard
UNSW School of Built Environment
Marcus White
Marcus White
PhD, BArch (Hon 1), RAIA, ARBV
Professor, Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Prof Marcus White is an award-winning architect and urban designer, director of Harrison and White, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at Swinburne University of Technology, and the director of the Spatio-Temporal Research Urban Design and Architecture Laboratory in the Centre for Design Innovation.

He has been awarded the RAIA Haddon Travelling Scholarship, the inaugural AIA National Emerging Architect Award for his contribution to practice, teaching and research, the Graham Treloar Fellowship, AIA awards for Residential Alt/Add, Interior Architecture, Sustainable Architecture, Joseph Reed Award for Urban Design, Henry Bastow Award for Educational Architecture, the Melbourne Prize, and the Victorian Architecture Medal, National Urban Design, and the Jackson National Educational Architecture Award.

His design research into urban modelling and new design methods has been widely published and exhibited throughout Australia, North America, Asia and Europe.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne University profile

Supervision:
Analytics 04
Marcus White
Swinburne University of Technology
Markus A. Höllerer
Markus A. Höllerer
Professor, UNSW School of Governance and Management

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Markus A. Höllerer is Professor in Organization and Management at UNSW Business School in Sydney, Australia, currently also serving as Deputy Head of School (Research) in the School of Management and Governance. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at WU Vienna, Austria, and a Professorial Research Fellow at IAE Business School, Argentina. His scholarly work focuses on the study of shifting institutional arrangements, social change, collective action in crisis situations, novel forms of organization and governance, digital sustainability, as well as institutions as multimodal accomplishments, among other topics. His research has been published in leading outlets such as Academy of Management Annals, Academy of Management Discoveries, Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Science, Organization Studies, Organization Theory, Public Administration, Research in the Sociology of Organizations, Strategic Organization, and Urban Studies. He served as the President of the European Group for Organizational Studies (EGOS) between 2017 and 2020 and is currently Editor-in-Chief of Organization Theory. Among other awards, he won the 2022 Joanne Martin Trailblazer Award of the Academy of Management OMT Division for his scholarly achievements.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Management 05
Management 07
Markus A. Höllerer
UNSW School of Governance and Management
Mark Burry
Mark Burry
Professor, Swinburne University of Technology
Director, Swinburne Smart Cities Research Institute

Arch_Manu Role: Executive Committee Member, Theme Lead, and Chief Investigator

Professor Mark Burry is a professor of Urban Futures and the Director of iHub at Swinburne University of Technology. Mark Burry is the Founding Director for Swinburne University of Technology’s ‘Smart Cities Research Institute’, an appointment he took up in May 2017. His role is to lead the development of a whole-of-university research approach to helping ensure that our future cities anticipate and meet the needs of all – engaged smart citizens for engaging smart cities.

Mark Burry is a practising architect who has published internationally on two main themes: putting theory into practice with regard to procuring ‘challenging’ architecture, and the life, work and theories of the architect Antoni Gaudí. He has been Senior Architect to the Sagrada Família Basilica Foundation since 1979, pioneering distant collaboration with his colleagues based on-site in Barcelona.

In 2001 Mark founded the Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL) at RMIT University before establishing the Design Research Institute (DRI) in 2008. He held an ARC funded Federation Fellowship in ‘Complex Architecture and Convergent Design’ 2007-2012. He joined the University of Melbourne in 2014 as Professor of Urban Futures at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning where he helped develop the Faculty’s capacity to consolidate research in urban futures, drawing together and augmenting expertise in urban visualisation, urban analytics, and urban policy.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne profile
Mark Burry
Swinburne University of Technology
Mark Taylor
Vale Professor Mark Taylor
Vale Professor, Swinburne University of Technology

As Professor of Architecture at Swinburne University, Mark Taylor was instrumental in helping establish the centre. He died suddenly on May 2nd 2024 and is greatly missed. His primary research focus has been the history and theory of the modern architectural interior with an emphasis on cultural and social issues. Mark led design studios that engaged with new technologies, and exhibited designs internationally. He is widely published and has authored and edited several books including Flow: Interiors, Landscapes and Architecture in the Era of Liquid Modernity (Bloomsbury 2018) and Domesticity under Siege: Threatened Spaces of the Modern Home (Bloomsbury 2023). He is co-author of Place and Parametricsm which will be published by Bloomsbury in 2025 which will add to his enduring legacy.

Mark Taylor
Swinburne University of Technology
Mehrnoush Latifi
Mehrnoush Latifi
Senior Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Mehrnoush is a senior lecturer of Architecture and currently the Course Director of Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Swinburne University of Technology. She was previously Industry Fellow at RMIT for the Master of Design Innovation and Technology (MDIT) program and completed her PhD at Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory (SIAL), RMIT, in 2018. She is an experienced designer with local and international experience in architecture, urban design and interior design across a broad range of scales.

Mehrnoush areas of expertise and interest include computational design and BIM workflows, multi-sensory and multi-scalar design approaches, virtual and augmented reality techniques, and design with invisible microclimates. Mehrnoush adopts cutting-edge methods, including the use of data and computational tools, to enhance the quality of design in all aspects, ranging from macroscale urban design strategies to microscale smart skin design details.

Her work has been recognized through exhibitions, including Embracing Innovation, Craft ACT 2015 and 2016 in Canberra, “Making the invisible visible”, in Dynamics of Air exhibition, RMIT Gallery 2018, and “the Fireless Skin: Mycelium Biocomposites” in Life and Death for Melbourne Design Week 2020. Her research is driven by her passion for sustainability and her focus on designing invisible microclimates to stimulate all the senses through design of built environment.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne profile

Supervision:
Synthesis 04
Synthesis 06
Mehrnoush Latifi
Swinburne University of Technology
Prof Mette Ramsgaard
Mette Ramsgaard
Professor, Royal Danish Academy, Centre for IT and Architecture

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Mette Ramsgaard Thomsen examines the intersections between architecture and new computational design processes. During the last 15 years her focus has been on the profound changes that digital technologies instigate in the way architecture is thought, designed and built. In 2005, she founded the Centre for IT and Architecture (CITA) research group at the Royal Danish Academy where she has piloted a special research focus on the new digital-material relations that digital technologies bring forth. Investigating advanced computer modelling, digital fabrication and material specification CITA has been central in the forming of an international research field examining the changes to material practice in architecture. This has been led by a series of research investigations developing concepts and technologies as well as strategic projects such as the international Marie Curie ITN network Innochain and the ERC project “Eco-Metabolistic Modelling for Architectural Design” that fosters interdisciplinary sharing and dissemination of expertise and supports new collaborations in the fields of architecture, engineering and fabrication. She is currently General Reporter and Head of Science Track for the UIA2023CPH world congress “Sustainable Futures – Leave no one behind” asking how architecture can contribute to the UN SDGs.

Links:
LinkedIn
CITA Profile
Mette Ramsgaard
Royal Danish Academy, Centre for IT and Architecture
Michael Bain
Michael Bain
Senior Lecturer, UNSW School of Computer Science and Engineering

UNSW profile
LinkedIn

Supervision:
Synthesis 01
Synthesis 02
Michael Bain
UNSW School of Computer Science and Engineering
Michael J. Ostwald
Michael J. Ostwald
Professor, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Executive Committee Member, Theme Lead, and Chief Investigator

Michael J. Ostwald is Professor of Architectural Analytics at UNSW, Sydney (Australia). His professional background is in architecture, urban design and legal assessment. He has a doctorate (PhD) in design and a higher doctorate (DSc) in computational analysis. He completed postdoctoral research on geometry and human behaviour at the CCA (Montreal, Canada), UCLA (California, USA) and at the Loeb (Harvard, USA). In 2016, the Australian Institute of Architects awarded him the Neville Quarry Medal for Services to Architecture and in 2017 he was named an EU Distinguished Professor. Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the Nexus Network Journal: Architecture and Mathematics (Springer-Nature).

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Analytics 01
Analytics 02
Synthesis 05
Michael J. Ostwald
UNSW School of Built Environment
Navodana Rodrigo
Navodana Rodrigo
Lecturer, University of Adelaide School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Dr Navodana Rodrigo is a lecturer in Construction Management at University of Adelaide. She completed her PhD at Western Sydney University, Australia, and prior to that she obtained a BSc first-class honours degree in Quantity Surveying from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. She is the recipient of several research awards such as ‘CIB Best Doctoral Research Award 2022, ‘3MT People’s Choice Award 2021’, and ‘Award for Excellence on Higher Degree Research Study (2020)’. Her research interests are blockchain, carbon emissions and circular economy in construction. She has published over 45 publications in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, book chapters, and other publications.

Links:
Navodana Rodrigo
University of Adelaide
Nadia Anam
Nadia Anam
Affiliated PhD candidate, Swinburne School of Design and Architecture

Synthesis Affiliated PhD

Nadia Anam is a PhD candidate at Swinburne University of Technology and PhD Affiliate of the ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing, specializing in Architectural Design Visualisations in the new age of Image GenAI. Nadia also holds a Bachelor of Design (Architecture) degree from The University of Melbourne and a Master of Design degree from Swinburne University of Technology. Aside from her academic background, Nadia has worked as an Academic Tutor at Swinburne’s School of Design and Architecture and as a Freelance Designer for smaller industry projects in both design and the visual arts. Through her academic and industry background in broad range of design disciplines, Nadia continues to pursue her interests in working with emerging digital design tools and technologies, such as 3D-printing and GenAI, to further investigate the dynamics of designer-client interactions and the ways in which we as designers will continue to design and communicate ideas to a broader audience.
Fun Fact: Some of Nadia’s favorite hobbies to do during her downtime include ice skating and horseback riding.

Links:
Nadia Anam
Swinburne University of Technology
Nicole Gardner
Nicole Gardner
Senior Lecturer, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Nicole is the Director of the Bachelor of Design in Computational Design and Senior Lecturer in the School of Built Environment, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA) at UNSW, Sydney. She is a Registered Architect (NSW ARB 7921) with over twelve years of project experience in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her research investigates digital transformation in design and architecture through the lenses of gender, history, labour, and learning. She has co-authored 3 book publications, and over forty peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers on digital technology innovation in design practice and is the sole-author of the book Scaling the Smart City: The Design and Ethics of Urban Technology (Elsevier 2024). Nicole was awarded a UNSW Faculty Research Fellowship in 2021 and has won three Commonwealth grants related to design technology innovation and the work of Japanese architect Shoei Yoh. She is a member of the Association for Computer Aided Design Research in Asia (CAADRIA) and Chair of the Paper Selection Committee for the 2024 CAADRIA conference on “Accelerated Design”. Nicole is committed to modes of research and teaching that connect theory and practice, and researchers and industry.

Links:
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Management 01
Management 02
Management 04
Nicole Gardner
UNSW School of Built Environment
Nick Wailes
Nick Wailes
Dean of UNSW Lifelong Learning & Director AGSM
Director, AGSM

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Prof Nick Wailes is an experienced higher education professional with a strong track record in research and the development and delivery of highly innovative management education programs.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile
Nick Wailes
UNSW Business School
Pantea Alambeigi
Pantea Alambeigi
Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Dr Pantea Alambeigi, is a lecturer in architecture at the Swinburne University of Technology. Her research focuses on “Architectural Acoustics” and the mutual interaction of human perception of sound and the built environment. She touches on architecture in a multisensory approach and studies the mutual impact of human perception of a built environment and design performance. Her interdisciplinary research explores and extends the concept of “Seamless Architecture” through computational data-driven design and integrates the architectural emerging technologies and environmental parameters with human behaviour and spatial perception to inform and transform the strategies of a performance-driven design.

Links:
LinkedIn Swinburne profile

Supervision:
Synthesis 03
Synthesis 04
Pantea Alambeigi
Swinburne University of Technology
A/Prof Paul Nicholas
Paul Nicholas
Associate Professor, Centre for Information Technology and Architecture

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

Paul Nicholas investigates how computational design and fabrication technologies can enable more sustainable and circular architecture. Current projects bridge between research and industry, and explore additive manufacture with biomaterials made from agricultural waste streams, customized robotic fabrication of sheet metals for extremely strong but lightweight structures, and ml-based predictive modelling methods for behaviour prediction and fabrication. Paul’s work and research has been exhibited worldwide including at the Venice biennale Australian and Danish pavilions. Paul is associate professor at CITA at the Royal Danish Academy, has worked in practice with Arup and AECOM, and founded and directs the international 2 year masters program Computation in Architecture. The program fosters a dynamic, creative, intellectually rigorous and design-led environment that explores critical issues of Resource, Living Materials and Advanced Fabrication to stimulate critical inquiry and develop situated knowledge in the concepts, technological trajectories and practices that will drive future practice.

Links:
LinkedIn
CITA Profile
Paul Nicholas
Royal Danish Academy, Centre for IT and Architecture
Ruidong Chang
Ruidong Chang
Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Ruidong Chang investigates sustainable construction (low energy-materials-emissions) transitions in built environment. He was a key researcher in International Energy Agency EBC-Annex 66, and a co-author of the 158-page IEA report on occupant energy behaviour modelling. He published two papers as one of the Top 5 most downloaded articles in Automation in Construction (2017), and Energy and Buildings (2022) respectively. He also published a featured Cover Paper for the journal Buildings (2021), and a SSRN’s Top Ten Download list paper in Energy Development (2023). He is an invited committee member for many conferences such as 2021 6th International Conference on Building Materials and Construction. He is an Editor for Journal of Green Building, and Frontiers in Built Environment, a Special Issue Editor for Buildings, Sustainability, and Energies; and a Reviewer for 40+ Q1 journals including Energy and Buildings, Building and Environment, Automation in Construction, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Journal of Management in Engineering and Energy Policy. He won multiple awards including the 2017 Doctoral Research Medal from the University of Adelaide, 2018 Best Paper Award (Runner-Up) at International Conference on Construction Project Management and Construction Engineering, and the 2019 Most Welcomed Poster in the Resource Sustainability-Cities 2019 conference. Ruidong has international experience in projects funded by Singapore, UK, China and Australia, based on the collaborations with researchers from some of the best universities and institutions, such as Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, The University of Cambridge, National University of Singapore, SERIS, and Tongji University, and from various disciplines including architecture, computer science, public policy, economics and environmental science.

Links:
Ruidong Chang
University of Adelaide
Sascha Bohnenberger
Sascha Bohnenberger
Lecturer, Swinburne University of Technology

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Sascha Bohnenberger-Fehr is lecturer of Architecture at Swinburne University of Technology. Besides his involvement in research and academia he is also working as Managing Director for Bollinger+Grohmann in Melbourne. Previously he taught in the Undergraduate Program at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and was involved as external consultant for design studios at Melbourne University, Monash University, The University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. He holds postgraduate degrees from University in Kassel and completed his PhD at RMIT Spatial Information Architecture Laboratory in 2013.
Dr. Bohnenberger-Fehr is interested in the design and analysis of complex geometries, interactive systems, digital design processes and the materiality of the built environment. His research focuses on sustainable material systems, future construction technologies and workflows to effectively communicate and collaborate with engineers and architects alike.
He has worked on many award-winning national and international projects such as the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne designed by SANAA, the Musée des Confluences in Lyon by Coop Himmelb(l)au and the Monash University Business School designed by NH Architecture. His research into the future of fabrication technologies often correlate with his work on sculptures, public artworks and experimental architecture. In projects like the Floe installation for the NGV Triennial in 2018 by Studio Roland Snooks and the Interchange Pavilion at South Eveleigh by Studio Chris Fox, Dr. Bohnenberger-Fehr explores the boundaries between art, architecture and engineering.
He has led and organised workshops at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Kassel, Städelschule Architecture Class in Frankfurt, RMIT, Melbourne University and University of Sydney. His research has been published in journals, conferences and books.

Links:
LinkedIn
Swinburne Profile

Supervision:
Analytics 04
Analytics 06
Sascha Bohnenberger
Swinburne University of Technology
Sandra Meng
Sandra Meng
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Management and Governance

Management Lab – Management 2

Sandra holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business with a major in Human Resource Management from the United Kingdom with First Class Honours. Throughout her studies, she developed a great interest in research, particularly on how global change and digital transformation impact HR and the workforce, causing organisational change and requiring new ways of thinking. Her dissertation was on the integration of AI in HR and examined factors influencing the adoption of new technologies, focusing on the importance of organisational size and level of digital maturity. During her professional experience in consulting and HR compliance, she has gained various perspectives on organisational structures and processes within the private and public sectors. Her work also involved evaluating and decision-making on HR compliance and global mobility issues for organisations across various industries and organisational sizes. She is particularly interested in the future of work, organisational behaviour, and Learning & Development.

Links:
LinkedIn
Sandra Meng
UNSW School of Management and Governance
Scott Hawken
Scott Hawken
Lecturer, University of Adelaide School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Dr. Scott Hawken is an award winning academic and practitioner whose work epitomizes the cutting-edge intersection of urban design, landscape architecture, and technology. As the Director of Landscape Architecture at the University of Adelaide, he is a specialist in the application of smart cities concepts, digital twins, and open data to urban environments. His expertise is particularly focused on leveraging these technologies to foster biodiversity positive design, aiming to create urban spaces that are not only technologically advanced but also ecologically functional and sustainable.
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Dr. Hawken’s research is characterized by a strong commitment to transdisciplinary approaches, which is crucial for addressing the complex challenges of modern urbanization. He has been instrumental in leading projects that utilize global knowledge on rapid urban greening, significantly contributing to biodiversity enhancement in cities across the Asia Pacific. A passionate educator, researcher and designer, Dr. Hawken is invested in supervising students across a range of topics, from high-tech landscapes and innovation districts to the intricacies of smart cities, to automated land shaping and forming processes, as well as advanced approaches to making and working with living materials.

Links:
Scott Hawken
University of Adelaide
Shan Pan
Shan Pan
Deputy Head of School (Research) and Professor, UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management

Arch_Manu Role: Chief Investigator

Scientia Professor Shan L Pan is an AGSM Scholar and Deputy Head of School (Research) at the School of Information Systems and Technology Management, UNSW Business School. Shan’s research interest is the enabling roles of digital technologies in innovation and sustainability. He is currently a senior editor for the Journal of AIS and the Journal of Strategic Information Systems. He is the Director of the Digital Sustainability Knowledge Hub (DS Hub), which specialises in research and education on digital sustainability, with a specific aim to contribute to achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Management 06
Management 07
Shan Pan
UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management
Sisi Zlatanova
Sisi Zlatanova
Professor, UNSW School of Built Environment

Arch_Manu Role: Executive Committee Member, Theme Lead, and Chief Investigator

Sisi Zlatanova is a SHARP Professor at the School of Built Environment and leading GRID lab. Together with a team of excellent researchers, she advances the 3D capabilities of Spatial Digital Twins by experimenting with new 3D representations, pioneering efficient data storage, developing advanced analytics and 3D simulations and investigating AI technologies for processing of spatial data. She is a member of Australian and International scandalisation bodies responsible for 3D spatial interoperability. Prof Zlatanova served as a leading investigator for grants from Europe, US and Australia.  She is an internationally recognised expert and highly cited researcher with more than 500 scientific publications and 22 books.

Links:
LinkedIn
UNSW profile

Supervision:
Analytics 03
Analytics 07
Synthesis 01
Synthesis 07
Sisi Zlatanova
UNSW School of Built Environment
Steve Fox Architectus
Steve Fox
National Sector Lead Digital Technology, Architectus

Arch_Manu Role: Partner Investigator

As the National Digital Lead at Architectus, Steve assumes the role of a technological innovator. Equipped with a knowledge of advanced technologies, he enthusiastically supports the company’s ambition to be at the forefront of the design industry.
He has expertise in digital implementation, project information management, training, BIM management & Digital Engineering, BIM to FM integration, environmental design, 3D modelling, 3D coordination/clash detection, DfMA, and advanced technologies. Steve is an Autodesk Revit certified professional and holds a buildingSMART professional certification.
Trusted by clients, design professionals, and construction experts alike, Steve consistently implements technical advice appropriate for each project. His commitment to enhancing the design and delivery process reflects his dedication to shaping better places and simplifying the path to their realisation.

Links:
LinkedIn
Architectus Profile
Steve Fox
Architectus
Thao Thanh Pham
Thao Thanh Pham
PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology

Analytics Lab – Analytics 6

Thao is a PhD candidate at the Swinburne University of Technology. She holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Melbourne, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Western Australia.
Before joining Swinburne, she had explored different roles in the AEC industry as an architectural graduate, project coordinator and project assistant, working with people from different backgrounds and experiences. Curious about the gaps between the lack of technology adaptation in AEC industry and education, she joined ARCH-MANU with the hope to understand and research into the barriers and help the process of design and manufacturing more efficient and productive.
Outside of work and study, Thao enjoys taking care of her plants, watching movies, and exploring the food Melbourne has to offer.

Links:
LinkedIn
Thao Thanh Pham
Swinburne University of Technology
Thuy Trinh (Chloe) Nguyen
Thuy Trinh (Chloe) Nguyen
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management

Management Lab – Management 6

Thuy Trinh (Chloe) is a PhD Candidate at UNSW, specializing in information systems with a research focus on digital transformation, digital sustainability, and lifelong learning. Chloe holds BCom with an Information System major from Macquarie University and MSc in Computing Science (by Research) from University of Glasgow. She has experience as a Research Assistant, contributing to projects such as sustainability analysis, digital transformation and AI-driven technologies. Her expertise extends to multimodal machine learning and action design research.

Fun Fact: Beyond academic pursuits, Chloe engages in crafting, particularly crocheting, and enjoys trekking adventures.

Links:
LinkedIn
Thuy Trinh (Chloe) Nguyen
UNSW School of Information Systems and Technology Management
Zhengnan Liu
Zhengnan Liu
PhD Candidate, UNSW School of Built Environment

Synthesis Lab – Synthesis 7

Zhengnan holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from Xiamen University, China. Based in Xiamen and Shenzhen, she worked as an architectural assistant at global real estate companies, contributing to diverse project management tasks encompassing residential areas, shopping malls, and skyscrapers. Her professional interests center on the development of green buildings and the promotion of healthy urban environments. This involves a keen focus on energy efficiency, data analysis, heritage conservation, and project management. In addition, she also optimizes design processes by analyzing the impact of architectural spaces on users through the integration of VR and Electrodermal Activity technologies. She believes that AI driven approaches can harmonize various objectives in the design process and enhance the sustainability and health of buildings and cities.

Fun fact: Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Zhengnan enjoys swimming and cycling. She is also passionate about videography and photography during travels.

Links:
LinkedIn
Zhengnan Liu
UNSW School of Built Environment