The Built Environment research program forges collaborations among disciplines with similar interests and among industry, alumni, and international partners.
The aim of the group is to facilitate advanced research in all aspects of sustainable built environment through designing efficient buildings, planning smart cities, creating more liveable places, adopting smart technologies, managing construction projects and life performance of construction materials and components.
News on the changing environments in our worlds’ cities continues to lay down the research agenda for environmental design and urbanisation.
This research cluster aims to help Built Environments to become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21st century. This research group also aims to build capacity of individuals, communities, businesses, institutions and systems in a city to survive, adapt and grow under urbanisation and environmental degradations.
Examples include:
The construction industry is facing a period of change. Rapid digital transformation of the construction sector, sustainability awareness, rising material and labour costs, increased competition and shrinking profit margins are some of the contemporary global challenges.
Construction research in the Built Environment program focuses on a wide variety of topics related to the design and construction of building and infrastructure project.
Examples include:
Building technology is a predictive science that models building performance. At the same time, it also a forensic science that explains building failures and how those can be avoided.
To build sustainably, it is critical that behaviour of buildings is precisely understood and accurately simulated. This approach avoids the costly penalties of rectifying building defects, or creating built environments that are unfit for purpose.
To address these needs, the research group is working on the following topics:
Organisations operating within the 21st century have to cope with accelerating change in technologies and increased level of competition on a global scale.
In order to remain competitive within this volatile business environment, companies are forced to constantly employ new strategies to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
Projects play very important roles in assisting organisations in achieving their goals and strategies. This research group aims to build capacity in helping organisations with different aspects of managing projects.
Examples include:
The following projects have received support from VU's planetary health initiative:
VU RISE projects include:
Contact details for our staff and students. Find out more via links to our researcher biographies.
| Name | Contact details | Research interests |
|---|---|---|
|
Associate Professor Zora Vrcelj Head of Built Environment Discipline |
+61 3 9919 4459 |
Sustainable structures and building materials Digitalisation in construction Advanced composite structures Structural stability Engineering mechanics |
|
Course Chair (NHCM) |
+61 3 9919 5746 |
Building and Construction Carbon neutral construction Building Information Modelling Construction Management Smart Technology |
| Dr Yanni Bouras |
+61 3 9919 5734 |
Structural mechanics and stability Sustainable materials High strength steel Thermal effects on structures Infrastructure sustainability |
| Dr Melissa Chan |
+61 3 9919 4484 |
Sustainable infrastructure Strategic procurement Occupational health and safety Sustainability in the built environment |
|
Dr Elmira Jamei Course Chair (NBBD) |
+61 3 9919 5847 |
Sustainable Built Environment Smart Cities and urban informatics Climate Change, Urban Heat Island, and Heat Mitigation Techniques Planning for Healthy Communities Sustainable Transportation Systems Energy Retrofication, Energy Auditing, and Indoor Thermal Comfort Green Building Design |
| Dr Hing Wah Chau |
+61 3 9919 4784 |
Sustainability and Built Environment
Architectural Design Urban Design Design for ageing and inclusive design Design for health and wellbeing |
| Dr Nima Izadyar |
+61 415 463 615 |
Building design optimisation Building energy efficiency Indoor air quality Computational fluid dynamics Thermal comfort |
|
Course Chair (NMPM) |
+613 9919 4668 |
IT Project Management Information Systems Adoption Technology/innovation diffusion and planning Decision making |
| Associate Professor Paul Joseph |
+61 432 140 020 |
Organic/polymer syntheses and characterisation Combustion chemistry and toxicity Chemical modification of polymers to confer flame retardance Recycling of plastics and cellulosic materials; energy from waste; greener technologies Combustion of ligno-cellulosic materials and bush fire |
|
Name |
Thesis topic |
|
Lisa Sahyoune |
Exploring the Dynamics of User Adoption of the Virtual Reality Technology in Engineering and Construction Projects |
|
Mina Ranjbaran |
Passive design strategies to minimise energy consumption in residential buildings across different climate zones in Australia |
|
Robert Haigh |
Engineered mortar and concrete composites using fibres derived from recycled cardboard |
|
Walid Ahmed |
Development of a systematic framework to reduce defects in Australian's construction projects |
|
Shiran Geng |
An Urban Identity Assessment Framework to Establish Smarter Urban Heritage – with A Focus on Spatial Attributes |
|
Abdul Majid Memon |
Sustainable retrofitting to improve energy efficiency and indoor air quality of existing residential houses in Victoria |
|
Noushin Islam |
Factors affecting waste management on large infrastructure projects in Australia |
We collaborate with a number of high-profile private and public organisations, and Australian universities.
