Message from the Head of School

Welcome to BE In Review, UNSW Built Environment’s annual newsletter capturing our successes, values and impact across 2022/23.

This past year, UNSW BE’s talented students and alumni have been successful in both global and national awards. Our research has been recognised at the highest level, with UNSW named as the top research institution in Australia, in the field of Architecture, for the second year in a row. Our researchers have also received $11.5m in new grant funding to develop new knowledge and tackle some of the most significant challenges in our fields. Perhaps the greatest highlight, however, has been our annual student exhibitions where I witnessed the breadth and ambition of our students’ work across all our programs. I am in awe of their creativity and positivity. 

At UNSW BE, we shape future cities – cities that are resilient, sustainable, connected, healthy, smart, liveable and inclusive. We do this across our Architecture, Interior Architecture, Landscape, Design, City Planning, Construction Management and Property programs, and the City Futures Research Centre.

Across these different disciplines there are commonalities that define our values as a School. We seek a more equitable built environment for the health, safety and comfort of all. We recognise that the built environment is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis, and we’re committed to developing the research, technologies and designs to tackle this, reducing carbon emissions, and creating biodiverse and sustainable buildings and places. We embrace our strong connections with industry and work closely with partners in Australia and abroad to develop new knowledge and tools.

All of this, and more, is captured in this edition of BE In Review. The School has experienced a hugely successful year, with the establishment of the ARC Centre on Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing, three new ARC Discovery projects, new commercial partnerships and a major public exhibition at the Musuem of Sydney. UNSW BE continues to develop projects that will help transform industries and support communities, from advancing smart technologies for regional centres to creating resources to empower women in the construction industry. This is testament to the incredible achievements of our staff, who I would like to thank for their relentless energy and collegiality.

I do hope you enjoy BE In Review, and the stories, videos and links within. Our new year kicks off with UNSW BE’s first public UTZON Lecture from our new Seidler Chairs – Mun Summ Wong and Richard Hassell, Directors of award-winning Singaporean practice WOHA, on Monday, 30 January, click here to register your interest.
 
Philip Oldfield
Head of School, UNSW Built Environment
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