ADP Graduate Catalogue 2024

We acknowledge the tradition of custodianship and law of Country on which the University of Sydney is located.

We pay our respect to those who have cared, and continue to care for, Country.

Dean’s Welcome

Donald McNeill

Foreword

Deborah

Foreword

Master of Architecture

Introduction: Rizal Muslimin Program Director

Bachelor of Design in Architecture (Honours) and Master of Architecture

Introduction: Jennifer Ferng Program Director Student projects

Bachelor of Design in Architecture

Introduction: Michael Muir Program Director Student projects

Bachelor of Architecture and Environments

Introduction: Laurence Troy, Matthew McNeil Program Directors Student projects

Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts

Introduction: Luke Hespanhol Program Director

Master of Design

Introduction: Mariana Zafeirakopoulos Program Director

Student projects

Bachelor of Design Computing

Bachelor of Design (Interaction Design)

Introduction: Joel Fredericks, Ricardo Sosa Program Directors

Student projects

Master of Urban Design

Master of Urbanism

Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Introduction: Ian Woodcock Program Director

Student projects

Student reports

Master of Heritage Conservation

Student reports

Lighting Lab

Master of Architectural Science

Introduction: Emma Heffernan Program Director

Student projects

Public Program

Lectures and Events

Tin Sheds Gallery

Sponsors

Dean’s Welcome

INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL AND DEAN

Donald McNeill

In 2024, the School of Architecture, Design and Planning welcomed students joining us from around Australia and across the world. The collective learnings across these geographies come together in the ADP Graduate Show 2024.

This was the year when the requirement for committing to Voice, Treaty and Truth was also fundamental. The Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning sits on Gadigal land, where Aboriginal people have taught, learnt and nurtured since time immemorial. You will find in these pages many designs that work with Country, showing the depth of engagement by many staff and students. In October we found out the exciting news that our Associate Dean Indigenous, Michael Mossman, was successful in becoming one of a three-person Creative Director team in the Venice Biennale’s Australian Pavilion. Along with colleague Elle Davidson, this will be a major focus for the school in 2025. This catalogue shows how our students and educators spent much of their time in 2024. There are excoriations of architectural ‘blots on the landscape’ from our heritage students and interchangeable disco prisms from lighting design; there are strategies for using design solutions to avoid being caught in ocean rips, multiple dips into the “vast green fields and infinite possibilities” of interaction design, as Luke Hespanhol puts it, and creative urban form and masterplanning responses to challenges such as the rapidly changing St Marys district centre close to the Western Sydney Airport.

In 2024, we also welcomed our new Rothwell Co-Chairs, Atelier Bow-Wow, who guided drawing studios with many of our students, creating a plethora of beautiful pencil-rendered images that graced the Hearth for several weeks. The Tin Sheds Gallery hosted a full program of events and exhibitions, culminating with Monumental Imaginaries, curated by Daniel Ryan and Jennifer Ferng, a fascinating set of responses to the Hunter Valley’s fossil fuel past and transitioning future.

I’d like to thank the many educators who guided the students through the design process. Behind the carefully manicured models and posters in the exhibition and catalogue lie off-cuts, sweat, crits, laughter, and many iterations and revisions. This is the creative process that we hold central to our work in ADP.

Our Engagement team, which put together both exhibition and catalogue, deserve huge praise for their professionalism and dedication, and have made this collection of efforts shine.

I wish our graduating students well and look forwarding to welcoming you back to the University throughout your careers.

HEAD OF ARCHITECTURE

Deborah Barnstone

The work published here celebrates the impressive achievements of University of Sydney architecture students in all their dimensions: breadth of creative imagination, depth of engagement with contemporary challenges in the built environment as well as broader society, and scope of the work. Our students take on the wicked challenges facing Sydney and Sydneysiders as well as Australians and humanity and, what never ceases to amaze, is that they do so without fear and with tremendous energy.

Because of this, you will find design ideas here that push the boundaries of the profession in so many different ways – spatial, inter-cultural, and regulatory. The students have tackled design questions related to the climate crisis aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals including questions of circularity, resilience, adaptive reuse, non-toxic materials, design for alleviation of poverty, and passive design; they have looked at ways to design with Country and to work with Indigenous communities; they have examined design for healthier environments and design for improved mental-health outcomes; they have explored innovative new building and construction systems; they have looked at architecture as an agent for cultural change, intercultural diplomacy and affordable housing.

All this in the comprehensive three-year undergraduate courses, the Bachelor of Design in Architecture, Bachelor of Architectural Environments and Vertical Integrated Masters as well as in the Master of Architecture and Master of Architectural Science courses. The breadth of work is matched by elegantly drawn and rendered presentations coupled with stunning physical models that help bring the projects to life. The lovely intersection between artistry and technique, handicraft and technologically generated work is both a symptom of our times and an encouraging sign that graduates are equipped with the best of both old and new. It is evident that these young people are drawing on every aspect of their education from history to theory to construction, from art practice to robotics.

The sheer energy emanating from these pages should affect the reader: if this represents the future, it is a promising one!

HEAD OF DESIGN

Leigh-Anne Hepburn

This year’s graduate exhibition celebrates a remarkable group of designers who have shown resilience and creativity throughout their learning journey. Our programs continue to attract students passionate about designing at the intersection of emerging technologies and human experience. This exhibition provides a glimpse of their potential to reshape our world - from enhancing individual interactions to driving systemic change. The Bachelor of Design (Interaction Design) is now well established and thriving alongside our postgraduate programs in Design Innovation, Strategic Design, and Interaction Design and Electronic Arts. These pathways equip designers with the skills needed to explore and address today’s most pressing socio-technical challenges.

A highlight of the year was the global studio in Indonesia, where students collaborated to create impactful, community-centred solutions. We also launched the first exhibition of our Higher Degree Research students, sharing the diverse design research taking place across the discipline. These experiences showcased design’s power to connect and transform, redefining the boundaries of knowledge and practice.

To prepare students for the world beyond academia, we partnered with a range of organisations, including Tribal Warrior Aboriginal Corporation, ABC, St Vincent’s Hospital, Youth Justice NSW, and Surf Lifesaving Australia. Combined with the guidance from our tutors, lecturers, and sponsors, these collaborations helped create engaging and impactful learning experiences - thank you to all involved!

A special thanks to SUEDE, our student organisation, for fostering a strong design community. Through events like portfolio reviews, networking sessions, and the Designathon, they continue to enrich the student experience and support the development of professional design skills for future careers. Finally, to our graduates: embrace your role as designers in an ever-changing world. Design is a way of seeing, questioning, and creating. Stand firm in your values, challenge assumptions and imagine new futures. Congratulations - your journey as design change-makers begins now.

HEAD OF URBANISM

Dallas Rogers

I’m really proud of the students and staff in our Urbanism programs this year. This year’s catalogue puts on display some of the best work from students in our Masters programs, including our Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Design, Urbanism and Heritage Conservation degrees.

The students’ work explores pivotal questions shaping our discipline today: what urban planning is and whose interests it serves, who and what a built environment professional is, how heritage is defined and valued, and whether and how the wider citizenry should engage in city-making. In Sydney, these foundational ideas are shifting rapidly, and the student projects in this year’s catalogue offer valuable insights into the emerging frameworks that will guide the future of our built environments.

Our teaching staff have worked very closely with students to create some amazing work, which cuts across theses as diverse as water, land, and Country. This year the students have researched a wide-ranging selection of design and policy interventions, and they thought about policy and planning solutions that might be developed to better create cities locally, interstate and across the world. This year’s exhibition includes work on St Marys town centre, a critical project as the new Metro line and Western Sydney Aerotroplis comes online. It also includes work on a transformative vision for Rydalmere along the Parramatta River and a strategic plan for the National High-Speed Rail Authority. Our research students took on topics as wide-ranging as re-indigenising urban environments, resilience through public space, post-war walk-ups, and child friendly compact cities.

I am deeply grateful for the hard work and commitment that underpins our students academic successes. These projects not only reflect the depth of our programs but also reinforces our School’s role in shaping thoughtful and impactful urbanists ready to meet the challenges and opportunities that face our cities. I wish all our students the very best as they take the next steps in their educational journeys, and look forward to seeing their contributions in practice.

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Architecture training has come a long way since the early days of its formative years. When the Académie d ’Architecture was established in 1671, the school primarily served as an instrument to empower King Louise XIV’s agenda on Classicism. The academics met on a weekly basis to discuss the agenda, and the “students” attended weekly public lectures as they wished. The curriculum followed the director’s preferences, such as a building construction focus during Nicolas-François Blondel’s period or an Architectural History focus during Julien-David Leroy’s period. There was no diploma.

Studio was operated separately in various patrons’ ateliers–the architect firms–before being infused into the Académie by Jacques-François Blondel. Design training was accelerated by a highly celebrated annual competition, the Grand Prix, as the primary assessment, where the winning designs were typically ambitious in scale with fantastic shapes derived by a strong Cartesian proportion.

Today’s architecture pedagogy mirrored the Académie’s in bilateral symmetry with reversed priorities. Rather than operating studios in separate ateliers, the patrons tutored the students at school, together with the academics.

The creative design skills and knowledge exhibited in the ADP Graduate Show 2024 resonated with the Grand Prix aspirations. Yet, the projects signal the students’ curiosity beyond biblical forms and Cartesian exploration. Instead of serving the King’s scheme, the students’ projects promote their unique design agendas as they respond less to the State, and more to the issues affecting ordinary people. Some react to a colourful yet fragmented society, while others respond to technologies that are pervasive but disabling. Proportion is no longer measured solely by shape but more by potential impact on the users, construction, environment, and the surrounding context.

Reference to Académie d ’Architecture is primarily derived from Griffin, A. (2020). The rise of academic architectural education: the origins and enduring influence of the Académie d’architecture. London, Routledge.

BACHELOR OF DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE (HONOURS) AND MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Jennifer Ferng

Philippe Petit’s 1974 high wire walk between the former Twin Towers of the NYC World Trade Center has been called one of the great artistic crimes of the 20th century. His daredevil yet illegal act to walk in the sky between the two towers for fortyfive minutes suspended both time and reality. After he returned to the entrance of the south tower, he was promptly arrested by police. His act of walking on a wire transfixed millions of viewers, which persuaded the New York district attorney to drop the trespassing charges made against him. Petit’s ambition and technical virtuosity facilitated what has become a mesmerising moment that has redefined Manhattan’s history of the September 11 attacks.

For me, Petit is an emblematic figure who represents our Vertically Integrated Masters (VIM) students as risk-taking individuals balancing the demands of architecture school with a high level of dexterity. The VIM program, which comprises the B.DesArch (honours) and M.Arch, is a rigorous five-year degree that trains some of the future leaders of our field. VIM students not only produce a scholarly honours dissertation in their fourth year but also go onto the thesis studio in the M.Arch to design creative, innovative buildings to cap off their architectural education. They have studied overseas at peer institutions such as Cornell, Delft University, ETH Zurich, and Tsinghua University to broaden their horizons. Their collective accomplishments to date include published architectural design projects in international journals, presentations to city councils about public housing and heritage structures, and a few finalists who have been recognised by the NSW Pattern Book Design Competition. Whether dreaming of the next generation of sustainable buildings or collaborating with their peers on an assessment, VIM students will be the ones to watch—seeking extraordinary design moments in the world around us.

Ludic Eco-Settlements

Addressing contemporary issues such as social fragmentation, housing affordability and ecological crises, this studio explores the possibilities of developing sustainable infrastructures of play. The task is to design a 21st-century mixed-used urban eco-settlement as a playful heterotopia – that is, a physical or discursive space where norms of behaviours and expectations are suspended. Drawing on concepts such as ‘apparent purposelessness’ and ‘homo ludens’, the studio speculates on what it means for humans to choose an activity just for fun rather than it being pursued for the sake of satisfying material needs. Works such as ‘New Babylon’ by Dutch experimental architect Constant Nieuwenhuys provide a model for disentangling a world trapped in commodity culture and alienation, by creating new spaces for a nomadic life of creative play. In this way, the studio diverges from a modernist mentality of efficiency and productivity that didn’t take play as seriously as living, working and circulation. For Nieuwenhuys and the Situationists (as opposed to the 1933 Athens Charter of the International Congress of Modern Architecture, or CIAM), the spirit of creativity, mobility and fluidity inherent in play offers infinite revolutionary possibilities to move beyond the spectacle of capitalist society.

A corner location in inner-city Waterloo, Sydney provides the site for new conceptual approaches, architectural tactics and spatial strategies to achieve programmatic, spatial and constructive playfulness. Students are asked to design an urban eco-settlement as playful heterotopia(s) to enhance connectedness, sustainable living and empowerment through the conceptual, spatial and practical potentials offered by new and emerging technologies.

THESIS STUDIO

SUPERVISOR

Duanfang Lu

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Peter Armstrong, ADP

Vaughn Lane, Architect Vaughn Lane

Satvir Mand, MA Design

Collaborative

Nando Nicotra, Jacobs

Hannah Hill-Wade, Translated Territories

This thesis project explores the Australian conceptualisation of Territory and investigates how an architectural exploration of place and culture might create a new, productive way of viewing the conflicting knowledge systems of ‘Settlement’ and ‘Country’. This project uses Kamay Botany Bay National Park as a testing ground for the development of a new National Park typology, the Cultural Learning Precinct. It seeks to address issues of culture and place through the lens of Territory as a productive concept - a way of reading site at multiple scales and from multiple points of view to create immersive experiences focused on genuine reconciliation.

Jimmy Cao, The Lingering Heterotopia

This project explores a vertical adoption of the concept of lingering from the Jiangnan Gardens, proposing the design of a lingering architectural complex for a busy street corner located in Waterloo. Looking backwards at the Jiangnan Garden’s hundreds of years development, it has been regarded as a heterotopia about a turn-back to nature by its designers. Although the contemporary researchers could hardly demonstrate the original designers’ actual intentions, the diverse architectural forms in the Jiangnan Garden still depict the dynamics of dialogues and integration between buildings and nature. Memories and emotions are still retained and perceived.

Alex Courtney & Maddie Gallagher, Common Grounds

Common Grounds investigates the layered history of urban conflict within Green Square, aiming to reclaim its territory through renewed development thinking with a community-centred approach. It challenges traditional development narratives by advocating for shared territory that honours inherited memory and the power of place. By reimagining streets as collaborative spaces, the project seeks to transform one-third of the area currently dedicated to roads into common community spaces. A five-phased development approach aims to rewrite development patterns by prioritising community participation and sustainable connections over economic profit. Ultimately, it seeks to redefine land value, promoting development without developers and density without displacement.

H2O Dreaming: Architectural Metabolism

The importance of water as both scientific matter and symbolic element is the fundamental premise of this studio. Drawing too on architectural Metabolism, it asks how we might rethink water resources and processes—their elemental structure and systems – to evaluate the ecological imperative of water scarcity and global warming through architecturally imaginative propositions for the future. Applying wider research on Metabolism to the harbour waters around Cockatoo Island/Wareamah, students explored how material imagination can help us to dream of past, present and future through a new type of museum that uses water as a muse. The research then provided a case for the imaginative (trans) formation and rethinking of water, matter and Metabolism to guide design proposals for a Museum of Water.

For Indigenous Australia, water-related knowledge is passed on through Dreamtime stories and symbols in the landscape. Moreover, the significance of water as a primal element for activating the material imagination is highlighted by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, who stated that water was important not only for its sensory values but also its sensual aspects. Bringing together scientific, poetic and ecological understandings of water, the studio’s aim is to consider how architecture might create an ecological and nourishing environment for all species. This is pursued in the context of a Metabolist conception – of architecture as an organism that consumes natural resources and creates components as well as systems, with both visible and invisible matter.

THESIS STUDIO

SUPERVISOR

Neena Mand

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Ross Anderson, ADP

Satvir Mand, MA Design

Collaborative

Simon Weir, ADP

Maximilian Routh, Sublime Tension

This project contributes to the discourse on the sublimity of water through an architectural lens, focusing on Cockatoo Island’s history and ecology. It proposes a museum that memorialises water and addresses environmental challenges, emphasising a response to the climate crisis. It utilises a framework of principles to enact this; Introspection, Symbiosis, Porosity and Journey. It is additionally underpinned by sustainable practices, like an algae farm and advanced water collection, to transform Cockatoo Island into a beacon of spiritual and custodial architecture and prompt an individual response to climate change.

Srilalitha Yeleswarapu, Re-Dream: Portals of Time and Measures

for Change

Re-Dream envisions healing of what has been contaminated on Cockatoo Island, through a revival of symbiotic habitats and an improvement of the relationships between the land, water, and all living users. Inspired by the stories of Dreamtime, the museum zones are categorised as Reflection, Reaching Out, Heal and Live On. Every space bears within it portals that transport visitors through time – a memory of the past, the conditions of the present and the opportunities for the future. Thus, through themes of reflection, this museum of mending and learning explores strategies to preserve the memory of Sydney’s deep-rooted association to the harbour and restore its sanctity.

Emilie Winter, Water Folds

Embracing the notion of “the island” as thematic trope, Water Folds considers the cultural and community water-based practices specific to Burramuttagal Waters (Sydney Harbour) and explores water as a regulator of the body and mind, and of the climate. Without a meaningful and routine connection to place, we cannot expect deep acts of care. In evaluating the island’s relation to the mainland, reasonings are suggested as to the likelihood of citizens of the locally adjacent mainland areas, such as Balmain and Birchgrove, utilising Wareamah Island in a habitual and routine manner rather than in the manner of a ‘derelict excursionist’.

Head Place: Redfern North

Eveleigh Precinct

SUPERVISOR

Rose McEnery

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Lachlan Howe, ADP

Mungo Smith, MAAP Architects

The idea of regenerative spaces – spaces that heal – is at the centre of this project. Throughout the history of architecture, it has been proposed that spaces can be designed to inspire, change or challenge behaviour, to shift the experience of users. The ‘psy-’ sciences (such as psychology, psychoanalysis and psychiatry) have always held that the position and place of therapy is a core part of the process; there is an intimate relation between who we are and where we are. The site is in the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct and collocated with Carriageworks. Students selected the location of their design on any part of the sub-precincts before exploring how the creation or transformation of a building might help shape or support regeneration, health wellbeing and healing.

Within this context, the studio project involved generating a space for Headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. While the brief was based on creating spaces for a Youth Community Mental Health service (ages 12 to 25), the emphasis was on speculative, exploratory and experimental projects that challenge the way we think about mental health spaces and physical places alike. The holistic approach draws on concepts of wellness, health and regeneration – including (re)connection to self, family and community, as well as connections to the local, natural environment and to Country – alongside the built heritage of the site and user experience in general.

THESIS STUDIO

Siddharth Shewade, Introversion/Extroversion

This project aims to challenge the stigmatisation of mental health and promote acceptance by taking an inclusive approach. Situated inside Carriageworks Bay 16 and adjacent Transverse 1, the design incorporates a carefully layered approach to introduced site inspired programs like art therapy and drama-based intervention to enable young people to express themselves. Landscape and public spaces flowing from outside to inside creates a seamless community hub and dismembered programmed spaces portray different personalities in order to celebrate multiplicity, and empower youth and the wider community to engage in a positive dialogue.

Manmeet Thandhi & Thaw Tar Lin, Escape and Retreat

The rapid metamorphosis of Redfern North Everleigh’s paint shop district has precipitated the erosion of cultural landmarks, revered historical sites, and natural elements, which have been supplanted by concrete, thereby exacerbating the diminution of indigenous flora and fauna. The proposed design meticulously scrutinises the repercussions and ramifications of Bates Smart’s paint shop master plan framework. The forthcoming urban fabric will comprise towering apartment complexes, accommodating an augmented populace. The proposed architectural intervention endeavours to establish a non-institutional facility for Headspace patrons, concurrently serving as a social nexus for the local populace, providing compelling and healthful environs for all.

Nadia Vidor, Grow with the Flow

An architecture of care manifests sensitive and complex concepts through a fundamental embrace of the human experience, the product of which this thesis project aims to achieve. Embracing a phenomenological approach to spatiality and experience, this speculative design for a Headspace youth mental health centre in Eveleigh serves as a vehicle to examine the ways in which architecture can play an active role in both the giving and receiving of care. This proposal is a fundamentally simple one; architecture choreographed to grow with the flow, to move with the user, affording one a sense of dignity, comfort and care.

Sleeping Giants

SUPERVISOR

Gonzalo Valiente Oriol

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Igor Bragado, Common Accounts

Jordi Guijarro, Architect

Caitlin Condon, ADP/Adjacency Studio

Sammy Nazam, Betchou

This studio interrogates and challenges contemporary territorial agendas for climate change action through critical acts of spatial speculation and representation. Turning the focus away from linear, colonial imagining for frameworks, it instead seeks to imagine from – to draw on speculative territorial fictions and pre-existences that undo ‘neoextractivist’ imaginaries. The site is the ‘Lithium Triangle’, an immense territorial demarcation across three neighbouring South American nations – Chile, Bolivia and Argentina –with 60-80 per cent of the world’s known deposits of lithium. Starting from a conceptual premise about the fluidity of lifedeath boundaries in capitalist modernity on one hand and the site condition of this place on the other, the studio immerses students in a strongly theoretical, yet practical investigation about the past, present and potential territorialisations of the infinite possible boundary conditions between life and death. Questions of energy transition from toxic fossil fuels are interrogated in the context of lithium as a supposed means of transition. However, efforts to preserve life from climate change impacts are triggering (and targeting) rapid destructions of immense territories and unique ecosystems such as those of the ‘Lithium Triangle’. The studio asks what we are aiming to preserve and indeed whether our species can survive without further spreading death: which lives are worth grieving and which are not? Deadly times, however, don’t inevitably mean doom. Instead, projects explore how we must decide and imagine ways of facing or spatialising death/ life boundaries and including death-perspectives if we want to ‘design’ liveable futures.

THESIS STUDIO

Miriam Osbourn, Mutually Assured Devotion: A Stratafiction

This project follows a collective consciousness formed of the nonconsensually inhumed and exhumed of the Atacama desert. We reimagine these unknowns as a spectral body of “warm data.” Aflame with love for the mineral body that has held them, they bestow a series of funerary rites upon the landscape through terraforming gestures: scratching and extracting, caressing, choking, holding, burying. Entombing anything they perceive to be dead, they write a devotional poetry of wounds. The non-buried can develop a new set of relationships with the crust—carnal, suicidal, ritual.

Delos He, Howard Zhao & Rei Sakurai, Necropolis, Nomads,

Extractions

In “Against the Regime of ‘Emptiness’: Deserts are Not Empty,” Samia Henni highlights the need for presenting diverse sources in desert research. This thesis project, a speculative multimedia composition, re-mythologises the global fantasy of energy transition in the Lithium Triangle. By portraying the region as a battleground for insatiable energy demands, it challenges the extractive carbon-capitalist regime. Through speculative architectural drawings and rendered scenes, it constructs a narrative between non-living territorial entities and autonomous technocratic machines, culminating in a bold gesture that declares the end of extractions. The project envisions an alternative future of resource redistribution, territorialisation, and shifting dependencies.

Ben Wong & Dominic Bicego, Cerro Rico: Re-Plundering

Cerro Rico: Re-Plundering compares the modern lithium rush to the brutal Spanish colonial rule in South America, focusing on Potosi, Bolivia. The riches extracted from the mountain cost Indigenous and African lives, fueling a slavery-based system of global capitalism. Latin America still grapples with Eurocentric power structures, as seen in the ongoing lithium rush, where “global north” countries profit. Inspired by Bolivian theorists Silvia Rivera and Rene Zavaleta Mercado, the project explores crisis as a space for unveiling and knowledge, using uncertain architectural typologies to challenge the violence inflicted on Latin America’s people and landscapes.

Architecture and Total Art

Focusing on a particular artist or even a specific performancebased artwork, this studio poses the challenge of designing a gesamtkunstwerk (German for ‘total work of art’). Students make a personal choice based on rigorous research, and their focus – an artist, architect, composer, filmmaker and so on, or even a particular opera or play – determines how the building is conceived. The project might be a museum, theatre, gallery or concert hall. The underlying premise is to create a small architectural project in which every aspect of the design across scales and media is considered as one cohesive aesthetic language. Exploring the limits of gesamtkunstwerk, students consider topics such as a foundation or archive for a particular historical or contemporary artist, with examples of relevant contemporary artists including Tacita Dean, Anne Imhof, Hito Steyerl, Ed Atkins, Jon Rafman, Ryan Trecartin and Lizzie Fitch.

Each project explores its building type in considerable detail, designing the performance scenography or exhibition architecture as a holistic gesamtkunstwerk combining the project’s form and content. In approaching a project this way, students are interrogating a number of important architectural questions: What is architecture’s medium? How can an architectural-aesthetic language be transferred across scales, including details in relation to a whole composition? How do content and program relate to form? How does contemporary architecture relate to art and other media or disciplines?

SUPERVISOR

Felix McNamara

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Deborah Barnstone, ADP

Peter Besley, Besley & Spresser

Nick Croggon, The Power Institute

Pierre Dalais, Aileen Sage

Hannes Frykholm, ADP

Umi Graham, Mori

Josephine Harris, Rothelowman

Maren Koehler, ADP

Constantinos Kollias, Candalepas Associates

Gordon Macindoe, Speculative Architecture

Caleb Niethe, Cox Architecture

Isabella Reynolds, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer

Chris L. Smith, ADP

Samantha Sun

Janelle Woo, Aileen Sage

Zeng Wu, ADP

Kangcheng Zheng, Architectus

THESIS STUDIO

Andrea Camile Pino Nunura, Evoking Subconscious Experience through

Space and Time: Reproducing Un Chien Andalou

The relationship between architecture and human consciousness is deeply intertwined, with spaces having the ability to evoke subconscious experiences. Reimagining the filmic collage techniques employed in Un Chien Andalou within architectural design offers an intriguing avenue for exploring how space, time, and movement can be manipulated to create experiences that challenge our perception of reality. Along with contemporary surrealist techniques such as cut-up narrative structure, and motion picture scenography, the Old School Building gives space to a new performance set-up maintaining the spatial characteristics of the original building, but with visual disorientations and spatial inconsistencies, evoking a sense of timelessness and perpetual flux.

Naveen Raju, Empirical Mimesis

Mimesis is the root of all art and architecture, exposing a “gap” between the real and the recreated. The project experiments on this “gap” through the lens of Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky and is situated at the now abandoned heritage-listed entry into Sydney’s Carriageworks Way. Exhaustive documentation of the antagonistic site unveiled several Tarkovsky-esque elements that served as a perfect base for investigating the “gap”. Through minimal interventions, the cinematographic exhibition recreates seven scenes across the site, taking visitors through an empirical journey showcasing familiar spaces in an unfamiliar light. Inadvertently, the proposed Gesamtkunstwerk exposes Country’s quiet reclamation of colonialism’s heritage imprints.

Emma Balogh-Caristo, The Highway Orcinus

As a speculative Wes Anderson film, this small gesamtkunstwerk (‘total work of art’) details five rest stops located between Kiama and Eden (NSW, Australia). The architectural language comes into dialogue with kitsch and Camp theory, as well as Venturi, Scott Brown, and Iszenour’s “duck” and “decorated shed” analogies. The film synopsis reads: “The Kelly Family make their way down the south coast of New South Wales on a reunion road trip after Young Ben’s recent release from prison. His crime is unexplained, but we learn more about each of his family member’s killer pasts at every stop on the journey.”

Structure and Expression

Is a building’s structural system purely the remit of the engineering team, a ‘necessary evil’ of applied technology, which allows the architectural forms and façade materials to remain intact? Or do the structural elements themselves provide opportunity to enrich the architecture as integral elements involved in the creation of language and expression, designed by the architect’s hand in collaboration with structural engineers? This studio explores the implications and potential of a bolder integrated design approach, where structural elements are thoroughly engaged in the design, strengthening meaning and the richness of the architecture. It asks how the physical necessities of stability, strength and stiffness can help to inform and elevate design concepts. With expressed structure as a driver, the projects conceived a standalone pavilion representing Australia for the upcoming Osaka World Expo. World Expositions have an extensive history of revolutionary architecture, with many pioneering structures built specifically for them: Crystal Palace (1851), Eiffel Tower (1889) and the Barcelona Pavilion (1929) to name a few. The theme for the Osaka Expo, ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’, advocates for a place where cutting-edge technology will be used to create new ideas and alleviate global challenges currently plaguing humankind, and also how best to represent the values and future direction of Australia as a country.

THESIS STUDIO

SUPERVISOR

Jonathan Evans

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer Ferng, ADP

Tony Lam, Tzannes

Lily Tandeani, Tzannes

Thomas Li, The Australian Pavilion: A Post-Extraction Architecture

Our contemporary moment sees the world reach new peaks of material plenty. International supply chains rip through the earth to deliver us objects, and architectural commodities at any cost. Australia is especially complicit, being the world’s greatest extractor of iron. The pavilion proposal positions itself as a message that Australia is a country that is reckoning with its relationship with Country. The proposition has two parts. First, a landscape move that gouges through the island, emulating the scars left on Country and revealing the natural seabed, reminding visitors of the profane processes of land reclamation. The pavilion is a prototype of two mixed-use structures for a new community, aiming to remediate some of the 350 active mine sites in Australia. It uses an already altered landscape to advance mining communities into self-sustaining centres.

Tarveez Ashraf, Displaced Identities – Anonymous Anti-Pavilion for the Displaced

This thesis envisions an anti-pavilion where visitors are drawn into the stages of displacement, immersing them in the profound realities of identity loss and forced displacement. Designed as a reflective, experiential space, the anti-pavilion becomes a vessel for understanding, conveying the complex emotions, resilience, and challenges faced by the displaced. Through structural expression and sensory engagement, visitors confront the isolation and vulnerability experienced by marginalised communities, challenging their own perceptions. This project aims to humanise the displaced and inspire a more compassionate view on identity and belonging in a world often shaped by privilege and exclusion.

James McCauley, Real//Sensualities

How can a deeper connection to architecture be fostered in the objectoriented ontological landscape wherein one half of reality, the ‘real’ half, is withdrawn and inaccessible? Real//Sensualities explores the establishing and facilitation of a greater connection to the withdrawn ‘real’ by accentuating the momentary sensual. It’s informed by the power of the true aesthetic experience to seemingly open up the withdrawn and inaccessible. Intense moments of sensual experiences and architectural relationships bring the withdrawn real forward, by shining a light on the thin barrier that is the sensual object. Organic, dynamic and self-assured architectural and structural expressions create an experience unique to each person, each moment, in the pursuit towards a deeper connection to one’s being in themselves and to reality itself.

Towards a Praxis

SUPERVISOR

Sean Akahane-Bryen

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Ross Anderson, ADP

Sophie Canaris, Powerhouse Museum

Matthew Darmour-Paul, ADP/Feral Partnerships

Kevin Heng, NSW Land and Housing Corporation

Ali Javid, UTS

Kevin Liu, ADP

Chris L Smith, ADP

Zeng Wu, ADP

“Craft without theory is nothing. [Ars sine scientia nihil est.]” So declared Jean Mignot at an expertise of Milan Cathedral in 1400. The long history of disagreement over how ars and scientia are best translated is an index of the importance of praxis—the application of theory to practice, or the relationship between architecture and the world of ideas.

At the conclusion of their tertiary education in architecture, students of the Praxis studio were invited to contemplate how the next generation of architects should be taught. Each student designed a small school of architecture on Cockatoo Island (Wareamah), informed by the history of architectural education and by research into a contemporary field of knowledge—privileging technê, practical knowledge, or epistêmê, theoretical knowledge, or holding both in happy union.

Multiple schools reprise the linguistic turn in architectural theory. Others are oriented towards the climate crisis and imagine new political economies emerging from participatory design and construction, turning Cockatoo Island into a perpetual building yard. Still others are decadeslong alternative histories, or a posthuman future in which architecture is a collage of the fruits of natural and artificial intelligence. Each is imbued with a unique pedagogy and underlying model of praxis.

THESIS STUDIO

Angus Gregg, A Post-Carbon Pedagogy

This project envisions a future school of architecture on Cockatoo Island, where bio-based construction, experimentation, and making are central to its pedagogy. Moving beyond extractive contemporary approaches, students engage in low-tech construction that prioritises material origins and life cycles, addressing the ecological necessity for a post-carbon future. Imagining the deindustrialised island as a productive landscape, fields of hemp, wheat, eucalyptus, reed and sea grass become materials, which inextricably tie the architecture to the agriculture from which it is grown. This immersive pedagogy encourages architects to intimately understand and collaborate with the landscapes that sustain their materials, pointing to a radical, viable and urgent future of nonextractive, post-carbon design practices.

Iris Guo, Architecture as Crystallised Pedagogy: Revealing the Hidden Curriculum of Design/Build Education

“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” - Winston Churchill. One of the most significant influences upon an architect’s ability to imagine and create new structures is the buildings within which they learn. This proposal explores the potential of an architecture school building beyond a vessel for activities; one that can be utilised as an active educational tool. Through immersive Design/Build experiences, students define their own learning space by participating in real construction projects. Structured around a dynamic, threephase narrative, this approach invites student-driven ideas, reflecting the principle that both education and architecture are ongoing, collaborative processes with no fixed endpoint.

Junyi Li, Whither Nomadic? Vagabond Structures as Critical Agents

Elaborating on John Hejduk’s critique of deconstructivism, this postprofessional architecture school challenges the primacy of syntax in architectural composition. The school proposes an alternative application of linguistics to architecture under the rubric of vagabond structures. Agnostic to syntax, neither (entirely) relational nor absolute, vagabond structures are to be understood collectively through narrative, allegory, and metaphor. The tribe of vagabonds that the school are anthropomorphic structures embodying the stories of those who historically laboured on Cockatoo Island (Wareamah). The vagabonds are nomadic, parasitic, and communal. They leave no trace to where they reside.

Liminal Nexus

SUPERVISOR

Catherine Donnelley

STUDIO CO-ENVISIONERS

Elvis Amair, Twofold Aboriginal Corporation

Greg Campbell, Author ‘Total Reset’

Cassandra Chatfield, Dhaua Yuin Country Traditional Custodian

Sophie Durham, Georgina Wilson Associates

Michael Mossman, Kuku Yalanji ADP

Stacy Muscat, Dhaua Yuin Country Traditional Custodian

Alison Simpson, Wiradyuri Twofold Aboriginal Corporation

Neville Simpson, Gamilaraay Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council

Camille Symonds, Liminal Nexus Collective

Staff at Twofold Aboriginal Corporation

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a gracious invitation, amplifying the expressed wish of Indigenous Australia for Voice, Treaty and Truth. Potentialities well beyond the political, call for a ‘Total Reset’. Yet how do architects authentically “Walk With” and “Listen Deeply” to the ancient wisdom of Country and the Traditional Custodians? When sovereignty has never been ceded.

We have Co-envisioned with Twofold Aboriginal Corporation, Jigamy on the far South NSW Coast. We acknowledge the lived experience of the Monaro and Yuin People and all Indigenous people in the local community and deeply appreciate the mutual reciprocity and exchange.

Relational processes create opportunities to explore a deeper self-awareness of existential values which move us within the metaphysical, informing the physical. Co-designing with community and honouring the creative relationship with the sentience of country, through architectural activism. Enables spaces of hope and transformation.

Abandoning the assumed ‘known’, we engaged in reflexive opportunities to address the tension and complex ecologies, internal/external, macro/micro, visible and invisible, personal/public. The design explorations become contributors to the collective consciousness through a holistic awareness of systemic principles located in this contemporary movement of transition.

The project calls for the conceptualisation of catalytic cultural hubs including and not limited to; education, creative, gallery and exhibition spaces for engaged community dialogues and embodied regenerative propositions. The studio explores the critical role of inspired agency in the co-creation of spaces for collective futures.

THESIS STUDIO

Dylan Slattery, Yangga Djirawara; A Gateway to the Bundian Way

Working with clients from Twofold Aboriginal Corporation in Yuin Country, this project establishes a gateway to an ancient 265km songline; Bundian Way. The trail starts in Bilgalera (Twofold Bay) and finishes in Targangal (Mt Kosciuszko). Yanga Djirawara encourages a thoughtful architecture that puts the landscape at the forefront. As the leaves sing, the cabins provide a vessel to listen and rest. The ‘Glamping Cabins’ are a model of simple living, cradling their occupants in their small footprint. Operable elements allow occupants to alter the atmosphere in the room and provide a seamless connection to the greater room, the immediate landscape.

Katy Hargans, CRAFT

An oyster speaks softly in Country yet connects Culture, Community, History and Economy in ways that resonate deeply. Layers of memory in Country can be explored through a humble mollusc and its deep and intricate connection to aspects of life. CRAFT is a guide to architecture that outlines how Community-built architecture can strengthen relationships to Country and each other. Giving agency and opportunity to Community is at the core of the project. By addressing a range of scales, from details to master planning, CRAFT looks to celebrate the cultural richness of Jigamy Farm through inclusivity, accessibility and sustainability.

Hayden Serrao, Twofold Canoes: Porous Boundaries Existing between Water and the Workshop

This project investigates architecture’s potential to ‘de-territorialise’ space through the process of placemaking. Informed by a perspective grounded in Indigenous Australian culture, the project removes the necessity for, and inevitability of, the boundaries and borders between people and place. It’s a reconnection with concepts of Country. As both an active reciprocation and response to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and co-envisioned with the Twofold Aboriginal Corporation in Jigamy, the project’s key programmatic ambition is the development of a multifunctional canoe workshop and gallery. This brief provides the local community with active spaces for working and interaction, providing a method for engagement and reflection through the production of space. A healing and breathing, between Country, people and their borders.

Isabella Camilleri, Singing Water

Singing Water arose from a fascination with the profound effects of sound on all aspects of the natural world, including the human body. Directly informed by Greg Campbell's book ‘Total Reset’ which calls for Saipan’s realignment to a holistic blueprint for living, a series of mixed media investigations explored Indigenous Songlines and the nonmaterial substructure of Country. Through engagement with our cocreators, Twofold Indigenous Corporation, the project developed into an alteration and additions extension to their existing mud brick office with specific focus on a self-sustaining water cycle. This co-envisioning process raised the ultimate question; how can architecture give autonomy to the social group and the bioregion in which it’s located?

Georgia Reader, Weaving Symbiosis

Weaving offers profound insight into the deep connection between Indigenous people and Country, rooted in a reciprocal exchange where materials are harvested with a commitment to stewardship, aligned to permaculture. Working with our co-envisioners Twofold Indigenous Corporation, it became quickly apparent how local Indigenous elders gather to practice art, share stories, and strengthen connections. The project thus explores how preserving and adaptively reusing their existing art precinct—alongside a proposed community art studio, exhibition space, reception, shop, and artist residency—can support cultural exchange. The aim is to create a space embodying weaving’s cyclical nature, interweaving local Indigenous communities, artists, and visitors into a network of learning, connection, and shared experience.

Head Place: Tramsheds

The idea of regenerative spaces – spaces that heal – is at the centre of this project. Throughout the history of architecture, it has been proposed that spaces can be designed to inspire, change or challenge behaviour and to shift the experience of users. Meanwhile, the ‘psy-’ sciences (such as psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry) have always held that the position and place of therapy is a core part of the process; there is an intimate relation between who we are and where we are.

The site is located at Tramsheds, Glebe Foreshore Parks on Rozelle Bay and the old ‘Harold Park Paceway’ precinct in Forest Lodge/Annandale. The project itself involves creating a space for Headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. Though the brief has a very real focus on creating spaces for a Youth Community Mental Health service with an age range of 12 to 25, it also maintains a speculative, exploratory and experimental spirit by challenging the way we think about mental spaces and physical places alike. Overall, the project asks how the transformation of a building might help to shape or support regeneration, health, wellbeing and healing. Drawing on key concepts in current mental health policy and strategies, considerations centre on user experience, with a particular emphasis on the ability to describe a journey through the building.

SUPERVISOR

Rose McEnery

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Lachlan Howe, ADP

Alison Huynh, Bates Smart

Robert Morley

Chris L Smith, ADP

Mungo Smith, MAAP Architects

THESIS STUDIO

Carla Alkhouri, Topophilic Waters

Topophilic Waters reimagines how architecture can positively influence mental health by redefining traditional psychiatric facilities and embracing a shift toward integrated, community-centred environments. Derived from the concept of ‘Topophilia’, the emotional bond between people and place, the project reshapes the centre into a welcoming, non-clinical space that conveys a sense of safety and belonging. Drawing on strategies from the 2013 Johnstons Creek Master Plan, water is reintroduced as a symbolic and healing element. Through biogeometry, folding roof structures mimic wooden leaves and direct rainwater onto proposed surrounding wetlands, creating sensory pathways and reflective areas that promote wellbeing through connection with nature. Emphasising human connection, the spaces further encourage organic social interactions and shared community areas, creating support networks that transcend isolating psychiatric models and embrace a holistic approach to mental health care.

James Heron, Play Space

Play Space explores the role play, creativity, and inter-space can have in youth mental health care environments. It explores the role of ‘play’ in ‘breaking the ice’ with new patients, inviting them into the site, familiarising them with the community, and commencing conversations around mental health. The ‘fun’ character of the design encourages children’s creativity, imagination and cognitive thinking, while distancing itself from the traditional architectural language of ‘institutional’ schools and hospitals, providing children with a sense of ownership over the space. Finally, inter-space is utilised for retreatspaces, transition zones and parallel-play, providing occupants with a sense of support and autonomy within the centre.

Wentao Dai, Bloom Well - Integrating Mental Health Care and

Therapeutic Gardens for Youth

The Bloom Well project focuses on the connection between mental health and nature. Integrating outdoor garden zones with indoor activity spaces, the design combines nature with architecture, creating an immersive experience in both public and private spaces. Merging nature into structured mental health care, the design creates a natural healing space for young people to flourish. The changing seasons create unique views throughout the year, ensuring that there is always a perfect spot for one to enjoy. Here, young people can meditate, find inner peace and reconnect with local communities.

Temporary Powers

SUPERVISOR

Melissa Liando

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Ade Darmawan, ruangrupa

Cynthia Chunrong Hao, ADP

Richard Hough, ARUP

Duanfang Lu, ADP

Inés Benavente Molina, Benavente Design Workshop

Temporary architecture has a unique capacity to raise awareness and thereby act as a catalyst to change. Structures can be erected in places where permanent buildings are not possible. They can be articulated with a degree of freedom that is often lacking in permanent buildings. With these understandings in mind, students are tasked with the creation of an inclusive temporary cultural venue on Taman Fatahillah, the central square of Kota Tua, Jakarta. It is a hectic megacity in constant flux, where the popularity of neighbourhoods changes rapidly as new housing estates, office towers and shopping malls emerge on vast scales every year. As new places are developed, older ones fall out of favour and are left on a downward spiral. This happened to the city’s historic centre Kota Tua, where crumbling, grand heritage buildings serve as an attraction mainly to tourists and the city’s low-paid working-class families. Through its design brief, the studio explores how temporary architecture can become a form of civil expression in response to social issues, how it reflects the interplay between past and present collective memories of the city, and how it can draw attention to the plight of the city’s historic old centre.

THESIS STUDIO

Haitian Jin, A Common, A Community

This project envisions a renewed Taman Fatahillah in Jakarta as a vital convergence of the historical and the contemporary, redefining boundaries between tradition and urban development, individual and community, private and shared. Inspired by gotong royong (collective work), it introduces a series of creative, modular spaces for collaborative activities, skill-sharing, and community-led initiatives, bringing together the essence of local culture with the demands of a modern city to foster seamless interaction between social and economic life. Furthermore, it empowers local networks and supports sustainable practices. This renewed commons responds to urban privatisation and social fragmentation, offering a model of communal growth and cultural resilience through co-created, adaptable spaces for future generations.

Joey Jiang, The Sinking Land and the Barriers

In North Jakarta, stilt houses built by Kampung residents are seen as informal settlements, along with their clam shell embankments and pathways deemed non-compliant. People have forgotten how their ancestors once fished from stilt houses by the shore, living in harmony with the tides, unafraid of floods. Now, covered by brick and concrete, the land sinks, and floods rise. More flood barriers are built, but these walls often isolate not just water but also impoverished kampung communities. This temporary cultural centre has a different “wall”— one that allows everything to pass through, retelling ancestral stories and redefining barriers to protect the land.

Aaron Jin, Queer Space/Protest Architecture

Queer space, as a subversive act against the infrastructural heteronormativity embodied in the built environment, functions as protest architecture. This architecture manifests through bodies in assembly and mobilisation of spatial conditions, queering the space as it challenges the unequal distribution of support to the public and the very definition of that public. By reimagining Taman Fatahillah Square in a queer cultural festival setting characterised by destabilising spatial organisation, the project provides infrastructural supports to the queer population in Indonesia, who face the threat of criminalisation. When these precarious bodies appear in the square, not only is the queerphobic status quo performatively enacted, but modes of resistance against such identity policing are also brought to life.

Foreign Affairs

SUPERVISOR

Laszlo Csutoras

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Ross Anderson, ADP

Kate Goodwin, ADP

Richard Hough, ARUP

Michael Muir, ADP

Chris L. Smith, ADP

Donna Wheatley, Gray Puksand

In 2022, Indonesia started construction of its new capital city, Nusantara, on the island of Kalimantan. The country’s administration, ministries and other government offices are expected to relocate from Jakarta in the near future, followed by diplomatic missions and representative offices of other foreign organisations. In this context, this studio sets a brief to design an embassy building for a country of their choice in this future capital city. The program includes a chancellery and an ambassador’s residence, calling for a combination of public and private spaces that can suitably accommodate the complex rituals of formal business and entertainment involved in diplomacy – all while facilitating living and working in the compound.

An embassy is an explicitly symbolic as well as functional building. It serves as the interface between two countries, a cultural signifier with a role to create a sympathetic image of the nation. As such, the designs will explore the extent to which architecture must – and is able to – represent national identity, and how any desire to do so can be reconciled with the need to adapt to a foreign context. The questions raised by the typology extend to the kinds of values the embassy should express, as well as how it can do so in a sustainable and dignified manner, despite the challenging security requirements that arose in past decades.

THESIS STUDIO

Estella Li, The Dutch Embassy in Nusantara: The Third Space

The Third Space reimagines diplomacy through a post-colonial lens, engaging architecture as a means of cultural hybridity. Inspired by Homi Bhabha’s “Third Space” theory, this design creates a dialogue between the Dutch and Indonesian cultures, embodying acknowledgement of historical injustices and gestures of reconciliation and collaboration. The embassy reinterprets the alun-alun, Indonesia’s traditional communal space, to symbolise respect and mutual understanding, while the Dutchinspired transparency reflects openness and public engagement. This embassy marks a transition from colonial imposition to constructive, equitable partnership, presenting a spatial metaphor for evolving IndoDutch relations.

Coco Xing, La République

This new French Embassy in Nusantara reflects France’s contemporary diplomatic strategy centred on cultural soft power, diverging from the secure and enclosed design of the existing Jakarta embassy. Rooted in France’s salon culture—which historically marked the shift from aristocratic dominance to an engaged civil society—cultural activities are positioned as public engagements, emphasising the embassy’s responsibility for promoting inclusivity and dialogue. By leveraging the site’s topographical variations and strategic spatial programming, it provides both privacy and security for office and residential areas while optimising access to spaces intended for public use. Inspired by Aristotle’s concept of human beings as ‘political animals,’ the design reconceptualises the embassy’s role—not as an insular, forbidding entity but as an accessible forum for intercultural and interfaith exchange, advancing public engagement in social discourse through various activities.

Blake Corry, Building Diplomacy: Architecture at the Intersection of

Identity and Dual Histories

This project explores how architecture mediates converging national identities, cultural narratives, and political relationships. Embassies, as heterotopic spaces, occupy physical and symbolic ground between nations, holding layered meanings and fostering interaction between diverse cultural systems. Drawing on historic connections between Australia and Indonesia that predate European colonialisation, the project explores how architecture can express these ties and facilitate ongoing cross-cultural exchange. The proposed Australian embassy in Nusantara, Indonesia, adopts a shared architectural language between the nations, reimagining the embassy as more than just a diplomatic outpost – becoming a symbol of shared memory and a platform for evolving cultural and diplomatic relationships in today’s dynamic global landscape.

Your Own Briefs

SUPERVISORS

Jason Dibbs

Jessica Spresser

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Ross Anderson, ADP

Peter Besley, Besley & Spresser

Pip Buchmann, HGA Studio

Charles Curtain, MAC Studio

Nathan Etherington, NEA/UTS

Maren Koehler, ADP

Jasper Ludewig, UTS

Felix McNamara, ADP

Isabel Narvaez, Fortis

Carmelo Nastasi, Tzannes

Netti Ni, Niii Space

Jack Rogers, COX Architecture

Chris L. Smith, ADP

Sasha Rose Tatham, AKIN Atelier

Four thematic research clusters form a framework in this studio, in which students are given the option to pursue a design brief of their own devising. The clusters – Decolonised Places, Architectures of Care, Housing Crises, and Circular Economies – are representative of the breadth of interests in the cohort and provide a forum for sharing research journeys. They also foster collegiality, encouraging knowledge and resource exchange.

It follows on from the ‘Developing Architectural Briefs’ Winter Intensive coordinated by Ross Anderson, in which participants analyse and critique a number of real-world architectural competition briefs before applying learnings to develop their own design briefs. These briefs constitute the project’s touchstone, providing helpful scaffolding for the myriad research-based design projects pursued across the final semester. The studio is marked by an intense level of enthusiasm and engagement and provides an opportunity to critically interrogate design questions that many students have harboured since the earliest days of their architectural studies, sometimes even earlier. With guidance, diverse and often very personal projects are realised. These projects are the objects of deep passion and care – they are projects that matter.

THESIS STUDIO

Katie Taylor, Spectral Dialogues

Hauntology is the shadow of Ontology; the study of absences. The present is haunted by ghosts of lost futures that urge us to reconsider our engagement with the past, towards a countermemory for the future. Once a thriving mining community in an isolated corner of the Capertee Valley, Glen Davis is a ghost town within a vital habitat for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater, a bird that is forgetting its own song. Engaging with the industrial ruin through a hauntological lens, the intervention serves as an earwitness to place, layering spatial design with temporal dimensions of site-specific sound. Harmony is restored to the prevailing soundscape by repopulating the site with the sounds of human and non-human spectres, uncovering hidden narratives, exploring the complexities of memory and connecting with the felt presence of place.

Sophia Di Giandomenico, Play, Her Way...

The national image of sport is slowly shifting toward our female athletes as slithers of success are achieved, but we have a long way to go. Behind these moments, there are still major setbacks and hurdles of marginalisation, discrimination, contestation, sexism and gender-based violence. Play, Her Way… thinking through the now, for the future, prioritises female sport and future-proofs for sports yet to exist or be recognised, inter-generational mentorship amongst all athlete levels and community, and relationships and dialogues yet to form amongst female sport. Three key buildings fuse into a future city, in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis’ at Bradfield.

Alicia Champion, Curbside Chronicles: The Centre for Reuse and Environments

To achieve net-zero emissions by 2035, we must embrace re-use as an essential strategy. This project challenges traditional, profitfocused production models through queer theory to offer alternative modes of production. By embracing the camp, architecture moves beyond moralism to evoke a vibrant politics of visibility, humor, and spectacle. The bold forms and use of reclaimed materials aim to diametrically oppose the Homeco shopping mall adjacent, weaving re-use cultures and environmental stewardship while doubling as a permanent Recovery Hub for those affected by flood along Dyarubbin (the Hawkesbury River). It houses production-focused, not-for-profit programs with drop-offs, workshops, exhibitions, and spaces for native gardening - granting individuals the agency to make meaningful changes outside typical organisational structures.

Jenny Huang, Counter-Roadkill: Cults for Ecological Connectivity

Amidst the climate disaster, Australia’s rural roads fragment critical habitats and disrupt ecosystems, resulting in the loss of thousands of wildlife lives annually. This thesis proposes hut communities strategically sited along these thoroughfares in NSW, integrating morethan-human ideology and neo-ruralism to compel urban dwellers to adopt lifestyles that harmonise with the natural environment. These cults facilitate cohabitation through multispecies design, fostering a symbiotic relationship with the ecosystem through huts designed for minimal environmental disruption. By revitalising essential habitats and creating safer roadways, we enhance wildlife corridors and deepen our understanding of ecological interdependence, immersing humanity back into the natural world.

Paris Perry, Need Over Greed: A Speculative Analysis of Sydney’s Forgotten Houses

How long can a house stand vacant until it’s deemed an unethical asset amidst a housing crisis? In an act of spatial activism, this thesis draws on the untapped potential of disused property through squatting and guerrilla architecture, in an attempt to dismantle the monopolisation and hoarding of vacant houses. This project hacks existing buildings through small interventions to create non-conformist ways of housing people, dealing with the political, legal and spatial grey zones of this act. Australia desperately needs a system that recognises housing as a human right, not a wealth-building asset.

Fei Liu, Architecture O.ice: A Depot of Reuse Material

The project envisions a new typology for future architecture firms in Australia, centred around a dialogue on material reuse. Focusing primarily on designing with reclaimed materials reshapes the design workflow, redefines the role of designers, and supports emerging professional fields. The three-house scheme addresses three areas of material reuse: transportation and storage, documentation and certification, and design and merchandising. Notably, 70% of this project is built from salvaged materials in Sydney. Together, these three features aim to create a more transparent platform for promotion, experimentation, learning, and education in material reuse.

George Anicic, Speculative Spolia

Exploring Wentworth Park/Blackwattle Bay as a microcosm for the trajectory and history of Sydney at large, the project creates a speculative narrative of how a building built for the present may evolve through adaptive reuse methods into the future. With a research lens of projected societal and environmental challenges, such as an ageing population implosion and flooding, the project scenario plans for the future through a polyvalent architectural system that can reconfigure its form and function by the demands of its future context. Ultimately, architecture is envisaged not merely as a static form but, on the contrary, as a dynamic entity in continuous flux.

Art, Instruments, Communication and Public Space

The Art, Instruments, Communication and Public Space studio delves into the intricate interplay between art, architecture, and public space on a prominent site in Auburn located in Western Sydney. We propose an understanding of activated art and architecture interventions in the public domain as “instruments” and we ask ourselves: what is the extent of effect that these instruments can have between people, their histories, and their spaces? How might these effects be used to create a more inclusive and empathetic urban environment?

The semester consists of two parts: part 1 adopts a competition format for a new Art Instrument for a small public site adjacent to Auburn station. Part 2 expands on those ideas established in part 1 for a much larger built intervention and proposed program across the extent of the Auburn Shopping Village.

SUPERVISORS

Delara Rahim

Kevin Liu

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Sean Akahane Bryen, ADP

David Burdon, National Trust of Australia

Sophie Canaris, Powerhouse Museum

Justin Cawley, City of Ryde Daipeng (Monica) Chen, Fuse Architects

Andrew Daly, Supercontext

Matthew Darmour-Paul, ADP/Feral Partnerships

Lachlan Howe, ADP

Adil Hussain, Stewart Architecture

Rory Hyde, UniMELB

Tempe Macgowan, Designer/Artist

Will Smith, Drawings/Oregon University Architecture and Environment

By exploring interdisciplinary methodologies and practices of drawing and storytelling, this studio covers four bases: what is art, what is architecture, what is communication, and what is public space. The union of all four should result in the productive creation of an instrument for the public. An instrument that uncovers histories, tells new stories, subvert existing configurations of power and foster a sense of spatial belonging. Confronted with the intricacies of a plurality of public identities within public spaces, we must embrace experimental and interdisciplinary approaches. By assuming an artistic perspective, we hope to challenge existing boundaries of design practice to see what is beyond or within our realm of architecture.

THESIS STUDIO

John Suh, Living Archive of Auburn

This proposal is a projective exercise, responding to how the fabric, stories, and residents of Auburn will transform over the next 100 years. As history and knowledge is passed down and reproduced from one generation and medium to another, it evolves – taking on new forms, adopting new meanings. It is this transformation that the proposal focuses on – the documentation and collection of these narratives – exploring the potential of an archive to serve as a catalyst for the formation and preservation of identity and collective memory in migrant communities and diasporas. When we read, see, and engage with other peoples stories, we see a reflection of ourselves, projecting our own experiences into the parallels, forming a shared identity.

Poppy Brown, A Seat at The Table

In diverse communities, where ongoing change and cultural divides create barriers to connection, what brings us together? A simulated design competition comprised Part 1 of the ‘Art, Communication, Instrument, Public Space’ thesis studio. A Seat at The Table is the resulting body of work, which formed the basis for further explorations into notions of place, agency and community in relation to Western Sydney’s culturally diverse, changing population and rapid densification. This generative proposal redefines an under-utilised station forecourt as a venue to gather and share, fostering spontaneous interactions and meaningful connections.

Tina Kartsounis, Auburn Backyards

Auburn Backyards examines the significance of backyards as a symbol of the “Australian Dream”, reflecting the ideals of homeownership, community and family life within Auburn’s evolving high-density context. Since the 1960s, Auburn has been a destination for migrants seeking security and opportunity. Newcomers arrive hoping to own a home with a backyard, only to find themselves in cramped apartments far from the promises associated with migration. This project reimagines the quintessential Australian suburban landscape by translating residential activities into public space. The Australian Dream is redefined within the urban fabric to include migrant communities that the typical Australian Dream and public spaces have historically not accommodated for or openly accepted.

Student Index

Bianca Alberto

Elaine Bachmann

Dominic Bicego

Caitlin Bruce

Jimmy Cao

Ryan Chan

Minne Chen

Yanhao Chen

Alex Courtney

Audley Cummings

Wilson Dulieu

Louis Esterman

Ahmad Farhat

Maddie Gallagher

Crystal Garcia

Mahdis Haji Gholam

Saryazdi

Christine Han

Delos He

Hannah Hill-Wade

Mehek Khanolkar

Annika Kim

Emily Ko

Yashmita Kushwah

Russell Li

Willow Liu

Tom Matthews

Bernice Ng

James Ng

Nancy Nguyen

Miriam Osbourn

Swaraj Patil

Mansi Choudary Rajesh

Kumar

Maximilian Routh

Rei Sakurai

Siddharth Shewade

Amurdha Sudharsen

Sivaprakash

Manmeet Thandhi

Thaw Tar Lin

Brian To

Toni Trittis

Celia Tulau

Patrick Tynan

Genki Ueyama

Vibha Vibha

Nadia Vidor

Hugo Vos

Andrew Vuong

Rex Wang

Yuhang Wei

Merlyn Wilson

Emilie Winter

Ben Wong

Harmony Wu

Yihan Xu

Xinyuan Yao

Srilalitha Yeleswarapu

Grace Yong

Ventura Zhang

Howard Zhao

Zhengzhong Zhou

Huijing Zhu

SEMESTER 2

Arnav Aggarwal

Daniel Al Alam

Parsa Aliyazdani

Carla Alkhouri

Kleopatra Ananda

George Anicic

Louis Ao

Tarveez Ashraf

Will Badaoui

Irene Bai

Emma Balogh-Caristo

Ishan Bannerjee

Zoe Barker

Poppy Brown

Tasmin Brunette

Vincent Burkitt-Doyle

Isabella Camilleri

Nathalie Castro Do Rego

Alicia Champion

Darwin Cheng

Jodie Chieu

Tiffany Chin

Michael Cho

Blake Corry

Steven Cullen

Wentao Dai

Sophia Di Giandomenico

Steven Duong

Antony Fenhas

Xueyi Fu

Will Gallen

Angus Gillespie-Penny

Thomas Glassock-Warren

Jue Gong

Lorrain Gong

Angus Gregg

Zixuan Guo

Giorgio Hajjar

Arabella Hamilton

Christine Han

Katy Hargans

Emma Hastie

James Heron

Cedric Ho

Adam Holding

Jenny Huang

Michelle Huang

Sophie Hutchinson

Jason Hwang

Dane Jensen

Phillip Jian

Joey Jiang

Mingyue Jiao

Aaron Jin

Haitian Jin

Kiran Krishnan

Jotheswaran

Tina Kartsounis

Sharon Kaul

Yashmita Kushwah

Anthea Kwan

Chelsea Kwok

Norah Lai

Thuy Quynh Le

Danny Lee

Emily Lee

Howard Lee

Estella Li

Junyi Li

Lauren Li

Melissa Li

Scarlett Li

Shuo Li

Thomas Li

Yanheng Li

Zexun Li

Zhiyuan Liang

Phyllis Liew

Catherine Lin

Jianming Lin

Yixi Lin

Christine Liu

Fei Liu

Haipeng Liu

Yashu Lu

Connie Luo

Khushi Maheshwari

Enoch Mak

James McCauley

Noni Mills

Tina Mitrevska

Lee Moran

Isabella Mrljak

Anmol Narad

Mahsa Nematollahi

Disha Neyanira Ramesh

Tiffany Nguyen

Aaron O'Mahony

Jinu Park

Callum Parker

Saanya Parmar

Trupti Parshotam

Paris Perry

Luane Pike

Andrea Camile Pino Nunura

Tom Pisto

Sujjit Prakash Chand

Winnie Qiao

Lamiyea Rahman

Naveen Raju

Induja Ravi

Georgia Reader

Edison Ruan

Luke Ryan

Sakshi Sakshi

Ayisha Salim

Krisha Sarvaiya

Hayden Serrao

Manik Sharma

Jasmine Sharp

Sally Shin

Ge Shuai

Yat Tung Yasmin Siu

Dylan Slattery

Max Stephen

Georgia Stockwell

Oskar Straatveit

Guanqun Su

Vivian Su

John Suh

Ashley Tan

Donovan Yan Zhuo Tan

Liying Tan

Siyi Tan

Jonathan Tang

Jiawei Tao

Katie Taylor

Kunal Kaushal Thaker

Lade Tran

Christian Tsitsos

Hugo Vos

Coco Wang

Han Wang

Juanxin Wang

Teddy Wang

Xinyun Wang

Yilin Wang

Wei Wuji Wei

Yichan Wei

Bo Wen

Makenzie Wilson

Hugh Woods

Yunlin Xie

Coco Xing

Steven Xu

Mingmei Yang

Millie Youngman

Eddie Yu

Brian Yung

Jiantao Zhang

Katy Zhang

Yicheng Zhao

Yuting Zheng

Vincent Zhou

Zoey Zhu

BACHELOR OF DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE

BACHELOR OF DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Muir

Michael

What is there to say about another end of year for the Bachelor of Design in Architecture? Has it all been said already? What has been achieved that hasn’t been achieved in years past?

A couple of weeks ago, I had the great pleasure to sit in on the final presentations for the Master of Architecture elective unit ‘Ethical Practice in Architecture’. And what a pleasure it was. Inspiring.

Students plotting a path for their own ethical practice in the crazy world of architecture.

And for me, best of all was that those students answered my question.

It’s not really about what has gone before. It’s not about today or yesterday or twenty years ago. It’s about what will come next.

Our third-year students have, of course, achieved a great deal. My goodness, they’re talented, informed and up for anything. The projects documented in this catalogue attest to that. But more than that, you, our graduating students stand on the threshold of infinite possibilities.

And if you don’t mind a little advice, I hope every one of you will take on board the sage words of two of those Masters students, Noah and Anusha, “Architects must be activists at their core … Listen intently, speak quietly and scream loudly.”

Goodbye for now, best of luck and I’m sure we’ll hear from you soon.

Sydney Harbour Drama House

COORDINATOR

Ross Anderson

TUTORS

Sean Akahane-Bryen

Justine Anderson

Jason Dibbs

Guillermo Fernández-Abascal

Georgia Forbes-Smith

Isabel Gabaldon

Adam Grice

Maren Koehler

Rachel Liang

Kevin Liu

Mano Ponnambalam

Thomas Stromberg

Tara Sydney

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Peter Besley, Besley Spresser

Dominic Bicego, Woods Bagot

Poppy Brown, CHROFI

Matt Chan, Scale Architecture

Charles Curtin, ADP

Mattias Dorph, MHNDU

Nathan Etherington, NEA/UTS

Chris Fox, ADP

Hannes Frykholm, ADP

Kate Goodwin, ADP

Angus Gregg, Belvoir Street Theatre

Arabella Hamilton, Ravenswood

Finn Holle, McGregor Westlake Architecture

Richard Hough, ARUP

Lachlan Howe, ADP

Kevin Hwang, Aileen Sage

Jamileh Jahangiri, Studio Orsi

Catherine Lassen, ADP

Jacob Levy, SJB

Fei Liu, Peter Willett Associates

Natalie Matthews, Akin Atelier

Curtis McMillann, Rothelowman

Felix McNamara, ADP

Nick Mielczarek, TZG

Phillip Mitchell, Warren and Mahoney

Michael Muir, ADP

Natalie Murray, Warren and Mahoney

Nettie Ni, NII Space

Delara Rahim, ADP

Oscar Read, Candalepas Associates

Jessica Spresser, Besley & Spresser

Lade Tran

Steven Varady, Steven Varady

Architects

Nadia Vidor, SJB

Yichan Wei

CC Williams, Select Field

Angela Xu, TZG

Nan Ye, ADP

Damian Zhu, ARUP

Taking its cues from the Italian architect Aldo Rossi’s Teatro del Mundo – a temporary floating theatre designed and built for the ‘theatre and architecture’ section of the 1980 Venice Biennale – the Sydney Harbour Drama House project exchanges ancient, urban waterways for the Antipodean harbour’s shoreline of coves, points, bays and headlands. Replacing the typical demarcated architectural site, the territory of this project is a sweep of watery expanse, sometimes calm and glistening, sometimes wild with the full force of nature. Students choose their own site, permanent or otherwise, and take serious account of its specific topographical and environmental conditions to design a theatre for an audience of 250 people.

The theatre may withstand or harness Sydney Harbour’s environmental phenomena and incorporate them into the dramatic experience of the building, including the question of how people get there. For both the performers and audience, the theatre might be an island of insulated calm, or it might revel in its unsettling exposure to come-whatmay maritime conditions. Similarly, it might be dedicated to one genre of performance or even one playwright, or attempt to provide a stage for a kind of theatre yet to come. Considerations also extend to implications for those who remain on shore – how, for example, the near presence of the theatre might transform the character of a location.

ARCHITECTURE STUDIO 3B

Avijit Bhamra, Veilwerks Tutor: Sean Akahane-Bryen

Pepita Barton, Horizon Theatre Tutor: Sean Akahane-Bryen

Lia

Victor Yu, Pista Continuum Tutor: Justine Anderson

Jordan Le, Theatre of Reconciliation

Tutor: Justine Anderson

Bryan Lui, The Ethics of Meat Production – An Atrocity

Experience

Tutor: Jason Dibbs

Sarah Luu, Basking Tutor:

Jason Dibbs

Otto

Fernández-Abascal

Riki Endo, Elkington Theatre

Tutor: Guillermo Fernández-Abascal

Aakash

Tutor: Guillermo Fernández-Abascal

Marco Wong, Psychedelic Symphony

Tutor: Isabel Gabaldon

Tutor: Isabel Gabaldon

Sophie Jiang, A Dance With the Tides Tutor: Adam Grice

My

Lam, Reverie Tutor: Adam Grice

Angela Tao, The Procession of Memory

Tutor: Maren Koehler

Wendi Peng, Edgerunner Tutor: Maren Koehler

Tyeesha Ellen, Tom Uren Theatre + Bath Tutor: Kevin Liu

Zoe Byatt, Tensioned Tutor: Mano Ponnambalam

Lily Barkhausen, The Shark Island Passage

Tutor: Mano Ponnambalam

Haochen Su, The Isle Chronicles

Tutor: Thomas Stromberg

Student Index

Oscar Adamo

Karim Afyouni

Daniela Araque

Taiki Arita

Mathis Arnould

Mohammed Bajrai

Neeyaz Banyani

Lily Barkhausen

Pepita Barton

Elise Beldoza

Avijit Bhamra

Gitanjali Binod

Bianca Black

Penelope Boman

Daniel Burtt

Zoe Byatt

Joshua Cao

Lucy Cao

Anthony Ceroni

Bonnie Chen

I-Ching Chen

Kevin Chen

Paris Chen

Siyuan Chen

Adrian Cheng

Sellina Cheng

Ernest Cheung

Vivien Chor

Zerr Contractor

Flynn Cooray

Georgia Coverdale

James Crouch

Angelo Curinga

Jeffrey Dai

Yichao Ding

Leroy Dsouza

Charlotte Dulhunty

Ariel Eisner

Tyeesha Ellen

Bella Emmi

Riki Endo

Eve Fan

Lucas Fiori

Trewin Flanagan

Yahan Lia Gao

Zhaoying Ge

Stephen Gorgees

Rhys Gravelle

Kate Gray

Charlotte Griffin

Riianysom Gu

Xi Gu

Anderson Guo

William Harry

Leon Hausner

Charlotte Heard

Eddy Her

Amelia Heron Little

Richard Hildebrand

Harmony Ho

Sybil Ho

Jack Hong

Anna Hori

Jane Huang

Joanne Huang

Nan Huang

Georgina Hudson

Aurora Zelia Hui

Luna Jaw

Helena Ji

Sophie Jiang

Krystal Joo

Hanieh Kafili

Oneli Karunarathna

Aaron Kerr

Liz Kilham

Alice Knox

Bailey Kubecka

Olivia Lai

My Han Lam

Tomas Langley

Jordan Le

Arin Lee

Dain Lee

Jun Lee

Pei Qi Christine Lee

Andong Li

Shue Wa Devinta Li

Zheyu Li

Zhuowei Li

Jade Lin

Shangbin Lin

Rebecca Lin

Rosie Lin

Alta Ling

Eunice Ling

Jingying Liu

Selina Liu

Xuesong Liu

Yenny Low

Alyssa Lowe

Charlotte Lowe

Zoey Lu

Bryan Lui

Lachlan Lui

Angela Luo

Sarah Luu

Mia Margolis

Lily Mark

Emilio Maurel

Maxwell McAinsh

Ryan Men

Abby Milligan

Sammy Moloney

Aela Morrison

Heba Mourad

Jacques Mouret

Abia Murad

Lucy Murray

Adrian Naracita

Nina Nguyen

Josafina Paddison

Jonmundsson

Adam Parsons

Vicente Pascua

Otto Paton

Wendi Peng

Tristan Ponomban

Mia Pryor

Icey Pu

Lauren Pulley

Jiale Qian

Bella Quirk

Lucas Javier Rivera

Samantha Saythavy

Rasa Seyed Esfahani

Dylan Shadbolt

Arya Shah

Tara Shakeri

Tarini Sharma

Palistha Shrestha

Brigitte Singarayar

Aakash Singh

Tremayne Sinnetamby

Jacob Slee

Imogen Spence

Sirintra Sriwattanavanit

Millie Staines

Jacob Stuart

Haochen Su

Yulin Su

Rene Sun

Xueying Sun

Simon Swiderski

Leanna Tan

Caleb Tancred

Angela Tao

Lingyan Tao

Maheen Tariq

Sarina Taylor

Phoebe Teale

Kyle Teng

Anne Thadanabath

Fie Tian

Pui Lai To

Eleanor Tozer

Michelle Tran

Edwina Tu

Minghan Tu

Dihann Tumaliuan

Vanshika Vanshika

Jesse Venner

Helen Wan

Ruiying Wang

Steven Wang

Yulian Wang

Ziyi Wang

Yingteng Wei

Harrison Winton

Charmaine Wong

Marco Wong

Emma Wu

Grace Wu

Wu Yu-Jie Wu

Zhenru Wu

Sean Xiao

Anyang Xu

Oswald Xu

Moana Yan

Chengyi Yang

Chris Yang

Sandra Yang

Tiana Yee

Liam Young

Veronika Young

Angela Yu

Victor Yu

Xiao Yu

Yuanxin Yu

Natalie Yuen

Wing Tung Yuen

Jiaqi Zhang

Manxi Zhang

Jason Zheng

Catherine Zhou

Jasmine Zhou

Jason Zhou

Pei Yi Isabella Zhou

Lily Zhu

Richard Ziade

Deanna Zimaras

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTS

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE AND ENVIRONMENTS

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Laurence Troy, Matthew McNeil

The Bachelor of Architecture and Environments is a unique and innovative degree in Australian higher education. It is one of the only cross-disciplinary undergraduate degrees in Australia that covers a variety of built environment disciplines including Architecture and Design, Architectural Science and Urban Studies. This gives our graduating students the option to pursue a range of careers from urban policy to sustainability to design practice.

This year through their capstone unit, our students were presented with a number of briefs that allowed them to give more focus to explore in more depth their disciplinary interests. Students were able to work directly with the Gamay Rangers at La Perouse, connecting students to the Dharawal Language, culture, and the Rangers ongoing custodianship of Country. They were also challenged to design community spaces in Bankstown that layered concepts of sustainable design, including: participatory design; social sustainability; passive design; regenerative design; material sufficiency; and biodiversity. Others could tackle the enormous challenge that is the housing crisis in Sydney. This was through creating a unique mixed-use development and a connected destination for living and working in the North Eveleigh Precinct. All these projects embody the breadth of discipline expertise students are developing, and engage with three of the biggest urban issues of our times – designing with and for First Nations people, addressing environmental sustainability challenges and address inequalities in our housing.

Congratulations to this special group of students who finished high school in 2021 at the height of COVID-19 restrictions and began university in 2022 in blended class. They were forced to endure what has turned out to be a great experiment in teaching and learning. And to top it off, the revolutionary changes brought on by AI has fundamentally challenged the way we work, collaborate, think, design and produce. To get through this degree in this moment of constant change is a testament to the resilience of the students and will give them a solid foundation for future endeavours.

Studio briefs

ARCHITECTURE STUDIO

Water Works

TUTOR Yiwen Yuan

For many cultures, water has long been regarded as a religious and spiritual force that builds a sacred bridge between the secular and the divine. Water is also a life-giving substance necessary for subsistence – it is the wellspring of being and, in this way, shapes our myths and dreams. Looking through the lens of water conservation in Sydney, this studio explores the relationship between humans and the environment. It follows water as a theme, coursing through the hidden veins of the rationalised city, yet also as a relational agency, reweaving the city’s political ecology. From the domestic to the urban, the natural to the artificial, across scales and throughout time, water is a critical element integrated into the process of architectural design.

With water placed at the centre of the creative process, the design task is an educational and civic centre for water advocacy along one of the most severely contaminated waterways in southern Sydney, the Alexandra Canal. The Water Advocacy Centre aims to provide a venue for elevating public consciousness about the rich and varied history of water, as well as its importance in the individual and cultural development of Sydney’s population. To this end, the water works project asks what role architecture can play as both an advocate and exemplar for water conservation and activation in urban space.

Gamay Rangers Station

TUTORS Chris Fox, Thomas Stromberg

The Gamay Rangers, located on Gamay (Botany Bay) in Sydney, care for Country by undertaking natural and cultural resource management activities on cultural areas within Botany Bay and on conservation land owned by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council. This capstone project allows students to work directly with the Rangers at La Perouse, connecting them to Dharawal Language, culture and the Rangers’ ongoing custodianship of Country. The design task is to develop a proposal for the Gamay Rangers Station at Yarra Bay, with requirements for the current and future Ranger compound shaping the project.

The Indigenous Rangers work with government and environmental agencies as well as research institutions, developing marine mammal awareness and protection –especially for whales - as well as threatened species management. They develop cultural and environmental awareness for recreational vessel operators and visitors, and patrol the waters of Botany Bay. In this full context, the broader investigation of the unit introduces themes of relationality, material cultures and connectedness through a process embedded in Country.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN STUDIO

Thrive: Urban Agrihood

TUTORS Emma Heffernan, Toktam Tabrizi

In a time of climate emergency, we need to use our resources meaningfully; we can’t do everything, we can’t do nothing, but we have to do something. With the aim of creating places for community to thrive, this studio challenges students to use a number of layered

concepts based around sustainable design. These include participatory, passive and regenerative design, as well as social sustainability, material sufficiency and biodiversity. The project focus is to create a collection of versatile community facilities as a sustainable ecosystem for living, learning and growing together – all with a strong focus on empowering and supporting disadvantaged groups. At the heart of community centre activities will be food production. The program comprises three elements: a community centre with multipurpose spaces for social, leisure and cultural activities; external spaces; and co-living spaces for individual and shared households.

The intricate web of connections that bind us to our environment and to each other form a focal point for reflection, enabling the design of spaces that foster community, collaboration and sustainable living. Projects explore the tensions between designing for privacy on one hand, and shared experiences and mutual support on the other. Meanwhile, the story, source and impact of every material choice on both the environment and human wellbeing is of central importance.

URBAN STUDIO

Urban Futures & Housing Precarity

TUTORS Pranita Shrestha, Vera Xia

In a recent article, ‘Carriageworks housing unveiled’, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns announced the delivery of 250 social and affordable homes at the Carriageworks precinct near Redfern Station. This urban capstone unit takes this commitment as a clear mandate to address Sydney’s pressing housing affordability issues, seeking to foster a dynamic urban environment by developing critical urban design strategies for the Redfern North Eveleigh Precinct Urban Renewal Project. Noting recent upgrades to Redfern Station, the precinct offers possibilities for creating a unique mixed-use development as a connected destination for living and working.

The studio project works towards an urban design framework for the precinct by 2034, that acknowledges its rich history, anticipates future population growth, and addresses the complexities of establishing a sustainable and inclusive community with a distinct identity. Design solutions take into account existing heritage structures as well as past, present and future communities. Research and site visits ensure a thoughtful approach that respects and celebrates history, while accounting for a growing population and contemporary urban issues. The overall challenge lies in balancing preservation of North Eveleigh’s significant heritage with an inclusive, active and sustainable development. Sydney’s broader issues of housing affordability and food justice form the backdrop, highlighting the importance of creating spaces that are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also equitable and resilient.

Yiwen Yuan

Fatima Harun, She-Oak Shores Tutor: Chris

Fox

Tutor: Chris Fox

Xiaoyan Liu, Gamay Rangers Station

Tutor: Thomas Stromberg

Ben Klackin,

Sienna Shearer, Ngurang: Meeting Place

Tutor: Emma Heffernan

Dylan Geoghegan, Verdant – Blacktown Rejuvenation Precinct

Tutor: Emma Heffernan

Wayne

Toktam Tabrizi

Tutor: Pranita Shrestha

Dani Thrum, Connecting Carriageworks: Tracks to Tomorrow

Galvanised Steel

Jiajun Xu, The Urban Design of North Eveleigh Tutor:

Vera Xia

Jiajun Xu

Student Index

Harrison Agnew

Eulalia Angeli

Beatriz Araujo Moreno Ramalho

Zara Barrow

Carl Barton

Kenna Burrows

Xanthe Cabana

Francesca Cabanas

Emma Calvar

Haoyi Chai

Matthew Chanekon

Ethan Chen

Yi-An Chen

Zyggy Cobcroft

Reina Cui

Rejena Dankha

Hamish Danks

Isabella David

Alexia Dermatis

Jagdeep Dhami

Jessica Dinh Nguyen

Patrick Dowling

Nancy Fang

Emily Feeney

Anna Felton

Emily Fitzgerald

Chris Fok

Asha Friedman

Kei Fujishige

Dylan Geoghegan

Kyle Goulding

Priyanka Gounder

Pengfei Guo

Fatima Harun

Rene Heath

Mitchell Herron

Lamees Hossain

Xianbin Huang

Yu Bi Hwang

Zac Kalogerou

Xiaoyang Kang

Jacqueline Kim

John Kim

Oscar Kirk

Ben Klackin

Yuliya Kozhanova

Charu Kukreja

Christina Kwon

Yishan Lai

Lana Lakkis

Brian Lee

Lucas Lee

Connie Li

Jackson Li

Jiayi Li

Qitao Li

Ruiyan Li

Shirley Li

Kaizheng Liu

Xiaoyan Liu

Yuxuan Liu

Sonia Llaka

Ruixuan Lu

Yuqi Luo

Jiajun Lyu

Haoming Ma

Leyana Ma

Nina Marais

Frank McGuire

Qinglin Meng

Niko Mentis

Thasmika Naidoo

Rabia Naseer

Paige Nassis

Chiara Nunes

Zara O'Mahony

Wayne Ong

Yuxuan Pan

Emma Pham

Junne Phoo

Aria Ravi

James Roberts

Annalisa Sandona

Yi Shao

Aarju Sharma

Sienna Shearer

Leo Shin

Caitlin Skeggs

Yuqian Sun

April Ta

Yu Khoon Tan

Huen Yu Tao

Dani Thrum

Yadanar Tin Myint

Paul Triantis

Charlotte Tsoi

Baiyue Wang

Tianxi Wang

Chelsea Wenaden

Alice Wensing

Eugenie Winardo

Hannah Wiseman

Alvin Wu

Cassie Wu

Guanda Wu

Tong Wu

Yifan Xing

Jiajun Xu

Jiayu Xu

Minqi Yang

Xiaoyu Yin

Yunxiao Zhang

Jiahao Zhao

Yulong Zheng

Yan Zhou

Jinglan Zhu

Runtong Zhu

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Deborah Barnstone, ADP

Robery Cooley, Bidgigal, Gamay Rangers

Hannes Frykholm, ADP

Isabel Gabaldon, ADP

Adam Grice, ADP/officeadamgrice

Zie Liu, Woods Bagot

Jesse McNicoll, City of Sydney

Stewart Monti, Atelier Ten

Michael Mossman, ADP

Michael Muir, ADP

Genevieve Murray, ADP

Valentina Petrone, Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Government

Mano Ponnambalam, ADP

Deepti Prasad, ADP

Lachlan Seegers, Lachlan Seegers Architect

Ben Slee, Blacktown Council

Chris L. Smith, ADP

Geoff Turnbull, Waterloo Human Services Collaborative/REDWatch

Neha Yadav, Atelier Ten

MASTER OF INTERACTION

DESIGN AND ELECTRONIC ARTS

MASTER OF DESIGN

MASTER OF INTERACTION DESIGN AND ELECTRONIC ARTS

DIRECTOR

Interaction Design in 2024 has ventured into unchartered territory. At one end, vast green fields and infinite possibilities of interaction: the entirety of humanity’s knowledge, distilled and recombined to yield superhuman creative powers through generated bespoke realities matching our wildest dreams. At the other extreme, slippery slopes where, enthusiastically lost in those hallucinatory artificial daydreams, staring at the sky, we risk losing touch with the planet, its fauna, flora, natural systems, and each other.

• What is UX/UI in a smart metaverse of robotic GenAI?

• How do we counteract hyped narratives to ensure authentic experiences?

• Who and what are we interacting with, and for whose benefit?

Students at the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts (MIDEA) have been hard at work making sense of the increasing complexity of multiple, parallel meta-realities, where civility is being challenged, ethics put in question, creativity redefined, products and services reinvented, and the very notion of being human pushed to the limit.

The works from our graduates reflect this seismic shift in the zeitgeist, gauging more-than-human futures while rekindling appreciation and care for the human condition and its timeless needs for social connections, health and education support, and clear and trustworthy communication.

Everything we encounter is a proposed future, an affordance and interface with the world around us. Every single moment of our lives is a possibility of interaction: with our cities, other humans, their emotions, the planet and its cycles, our many cultures, systems, worldviews, interconnected existences, memories and stories. Designing interactions is designing the tacit norms and dynamics of life itself.

Navigating electronic media through valleys of risks and opportunities, balancing the natural and the artificial, interaction designers will continue to map the changing territory, as well as the ethical boundaries, of our collective beyond-human ingenuity.

MASTER OF DESIGN PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

The Master of Design program supports students to design and make futures worth wanting – a world which is inspired by hope, fairness and possibility. In the current polycrisis that we live in, we need designers with the skills to artfully navigate such complexity by bringing in different disciplinary knowledges to create new frameworks, knowledges and practices for intervening in our complexity. By engaging with these intractable contexts, our students master skills to create thoughtful strategic visions, shaping business organisational and functional structures through the Strategic Design stream. In the Design Innovation stream, students master skills in designing for business by learning how to create change through new services, products and social interventions. Across both streams students learn the necessary skills to lead and manage projects and work with teams.

In this exhibition, students are not only showcasing their creative thinking, big ideas and artful creations. Students are also displaying their commitment to experimentation, learning, and exploring the world through other people’s experiences. These projects share and show something of the individual – their care, passion and personality.

I speak on behalf of all educators in congratulating the students on their professionalism, thoughtfulness and hard work over the course of their study. We are proud to celebrate you and your work and wish you all the very best for your future endeavours. Know that when you go out to the world as USYD alumni, you don’t go alone but rather are an important connector in the distributed alliance of like-minded futuremakers. Good luck!

Engaging young men

Through safety messaging that encourages safe practices when visiting the beach

With Surf Life Saving (SFS) Research as the client, the aim of this project is the development of novel approaches to address the issue of coastal fatality among young males (ages 15 to 39) in Australia. SFS Research is part of Surf Life Saving Australia and is at the forefront of Australian coastal research, with statistical analyses and research to guide and support the development of education, technology, communications and operations – all aimed at reducing coastal drowning deaths and other fatalities. The research ultimately works towards the strategic objectives of saving lives, developing and supporting people, growing and sustaining the movement, and engaging community.

Coastal environments are dynamic, with many risks and hazards. Men are consistently overrepresented in drowning statistics – in the Australian coastal context, for example, men represent 86 per cent of the fatal coastal burden, with one in four of these aged 15 to 39 years. The increased risk in this demographic is attributed to greater participation in coastal activities, inflated confidence levels and social determinants such as peer pressure. Younger populations in general are notoriously difficult to engage with safety messaging. Trends in drowning and non-drowning coastal fatality among this group remain unchanged in recent years despite various campaigns and interventions. Within this context, projects can build a focus on rip current safety issues, developing a rocky coast hazard rating, bystander rescues, evaluation of safety in surf sport, climate change adaptations and more.

GRADUATION STUDIO/DESIGN INNOVATION CATALYST

COORDINATORS

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

Rohan Lulham

COACHES

David Jones

Lucy Klippan

CLIENT

Surf Life Saving Research, part of Surf Life Saving Australia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jaz Lawes, SLSA

Sean Kelly, SLSA

Shane Daw, SLSA Helicopter Service

Brett Morgan, SLSA

Zhen Tao, Yixuan Li, Ron Li & Yansheng Feng, Coastwise

A combination of personal and social factors drive high-risk behaviour among young men. Concurrently, engaging with safety messaging proves particularly challenging within younger populations. Addressing these complex issues requires cultivating a culture of safety directly related to their lived experiences. Coastwise is an engaging, interactive card game for Australian secondary school students (12-18 years) as a teaching tool for the Australian Secondary School Water Safety Education Program which seeks to raise safety awareness around coastal environments.

Hilary Tang, Danyan Sun, Jiang Yingqing & Jin Jeon, BADAR

We tackled the challenge of engaging young men aged 15-39 with coastal safety messaging. Despite previous media campaigns, fatality rates in this demographic remain unchanged. Our solution aims to revitalise safety communication through an innovative approach involving mystery box toys and augmented reality (AR). A set of six figure toys, characters resembling individuals commonly seen at the beach, are linked with ID cards which when scanned reveal AR animation with safety warnings, illustrating the dangers faced.

Yichen Jing, Siqi Jiang, Giulia Ding & Yanming Deng, Wipe Out

Wipe Out is developed for the “Beach Safe” app, tackling the rising trend of drowning accidents among young men in Australia. By blending entertainment with education, this mobile game immerses players in a virtual coastal environment, guiding them through minigames to learn vital beach safety skills. With gamification, it aims to instill a culture of safety consciousness and spark crucial conversations about coastal safety. Wipe Out isn’t just a game; it’s a lifeline, saving lives and paving the way for safer shores.

Identifying rips

Improving the ability of the public to correctly identify the rip current hazard when visiting the beach

With Surf Life Saving (SFS) Research as the client, the aim of this project is to develop a novel approach to improve the ability of the public to correctly identify a rip current hazard when visiting the beach. SFS Research is part of Surf Life Saving Australia and is at the forefront of Australian coastal research, with statistical analyses and research to guide and support development of education, technology, communications and operations aimed at reducing coastal drowning deaths and other fatalities. The research ultimately works towards the strategic objectives of saving lives, developing and supporting people, growing and sustaining the movement, and engaging community. Rip currents are strong, narrow currents of water that initiate close to the shoreline and flow offshore through the surf zone and varying distances beyond. They are a common feature of Australian beaches and represent the most significant hazard along the coast, contributing to one in five coastal drowning deaths – an average of 25 deaths per year. Moreover, it is estimated that one in five Australians has been caught in a rip current in their lifetime. While general awareness of the hazard is improving, a key issue in addressing rip current drowning deaths is improving the ability of the public to correctly spot a rip current. Successful recognition is low and, with previous efforts failing to translate the dynamism of beach environments, there is a need to move beyond the use of static images.

COORDINATORS

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

Rohan Lulham

COACHES

Jarnae Leslie

Miguel Felipe Valenzuela

CLIENT

Surf Life Saving Research, part of Surf Life Saving Australia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jaz Lawes, SLSA

Sean Kelly, SLSA

Shane Daw, SLSA Helicopter Service

Brett Morgan, SLSA

GRADUATION STUDIO/DESIGN INNOVATION CATALYST

Hongyu Zhu, Rhea Zheng, Tairan Wang & Yixin Yan, Ripy Ripy

Rip currents are a common feature of Australian beaches and one of the natural phenomena that contribute to some of the most hazardous conditions on beaches. Although public awareness of the dangers of rip currents is gradually increasing, the proportion of people who can successfully identify them remains low. Traditional educational methods, such as teaching using static images, often do not translate effectively into practical applications in dynamic beach environments. Ripy Ripy is a song we designed and composed for Surf Life Saving to help the public identify rip currents. The ear-catching rhythm and the lyrics that match the theme draw public attention to rip currents. Combined with a music video, the song gives the audience a visual and auditory experience of the information we are aiming to convey, and provides them with a unique experience.

Aiqi Xu, Nicholas Sutton, Xinyu Min & Yuki Yu, Rip Currents Challenge

This project aims to enhance the public’s ability to identify rip current hazards when visiting beaches. It is a collaborative effort with our client, Surf Life Saving Australia, which seeks to reduce the potential dangers posed by rip currents through creative interactive initiatives. Our project output is a Rip Current Challenge campaign, designed to encourage user participation in an engaging manner to learn about rip currents. By participating in this challenge, users can acquire relevant knowledge about rip currents in a fun and interactive way, leaving a lasting impression while enjoying their beach visit.

Gloria Li, Liangfan Liu, Yi Yang & Yuming Wang, Rip Aware Framework

Instead of passively delivering knowledge, how might we actively engage individuals in learning about rip currents to enhance social and individual awareness of their dangers? This project aims to solve the challenge of enabling the public to correctly identify rip currents to prevent any potential dangers they may cause, via a strategic framework, focusing on five phases: engagement, reflection, application, observation loop, and remedy.

Moving beyond the flags

Improving public safety interventions at unpatrolled beaches

With Surf Life Saving (SFS) Research as the client, the aim of this project is to develop new and innovative infrastructure/ technological approaches which seek to communicate risk and educate the general public of what to do and how to stay safe when visiting an unpatrolled location. SFS Research is part of Surf Life Saving Australia and is at the forefront of Australian coastal research, with statistical analyses and research to guide and support development of education, technology, communications and operations aimed at reducing coastal drowning deaths and other fatalities. The research ultimately works towards the strategic objectives of saving lives, developing and supporting people, growing and sustaining the movement, and engaging community. Unpatrolled locations represent one of the biggest challenges in water safety and drowning prevention efforts. Between 2013 and 2023, three in four unintentional coastal drowning deaths occurred more than one kilometre from a Surf Life Saving service, almost all at an unpatrolled location or outside of patrolled times. While the clear advice from water safety organisations, such as Surf Life Saving Australia, is to swim at patrolled locations, during patrolled times, it is well recognised that this is not always feasible or relevant, particularly for those engaging in offshore activities, or those living in regional and remote areas where access to services is more challenging.

GRADUATION STUDIO/DESIGN INNOVATION CATALYST

COORDINATORS

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

Rohan Lulham

COACHES

Melissa Rumble

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

CLIENT

Surf Life Saving Research, part of Surf Life Saving Australia

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jaz Lawes, SLSA

Sean Kelly, SLSA

Shane Daw, SLSA Helicopter Service

Brett Morgan, SLSA

Divya Ravi, Fan Tang, Xiaoyu Zhang & Xinyi Wan, Beach Camp

Beach Camp is an app designed to make beach safety education engaging and community-driven. It utilises Augmented Reality (AR) technology and real-time data integration to provide users with an interactive experience and up-to-date beach conditions, addressing the challenge of inadequate safety measures at unpatrolled beaches. It is tailored to both frequent beach visitors and those unfamiliar with specific beach safety measures. The app provides a gamified approach to learning safety protocols while encouraging community engagement.

David Shao, Jiaying Mao, Ling Yi & Zihao Sun, Riptide Run

Riptide Run is an engaging user experience that combines an interactive fortune card machine with a beach safety game. It aims to attract beachgoers to essential safety information in a fun and accessible way. Surf Life Saving Australia emphasises the importance of communicating risks and beach safety to the culturally diverse public to prevent drowning at unpatrolled beaches. The aim is to reduce the acceptable number of deaths to zero. We discovered that many young men visit unpatrolled beaches for excitement and socialising. However, the current signs and educational materials are often disregarded due to the lack of physical interactivity.

Mingzhe Liu, Yuhang Li, Anqi Jiang & Xiaomeng Cheng, WaveWise

Wavewise is our innovative design solution for the Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA) unpatrolled beach project. Aimed at all beachgoers, particularly young men, our goal is to enhance publicity, improve the ability to identify beach dangers, and raise safety awareness to reduce accidents on unpatrolled beaches. Inspired by Trappenberg’s (2019) concept of “Cyclic Phenomena,” Wavewise integrates strategic design and interactive features to engage users continuously. This cyclic design covers all stages of a beachgoer’s journey, promoting the BeachSafe app for ongoing safety awareness. The solution includes online and offline parts and has four main steps.

Digital Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing

This project provides an opportunity to explore how digital health applications and experiences can be designed and implemented to enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) and mental health outcomes. With a specific interest in the potential of virtual and augmented reality, other media or strategies are also encouraged as part of an overall approach that engages with and learns about Aboriginal knowledge and wellness frameworks. The aim is to create culturally meaningful and relevant solutions that support self-determination, including intersections with technology.

Innovative solutions are required across health services, education systems and cultural institutions that do not sufficiently support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to live with positive levels of SEWB. As a culturally specific definition of health and wellbeing, SEWB is “a holistic concept which results from a network of relationships between individuals, family, kin and community. It also recognises the importance of connection to land, culture, spirituality and ancestry, and how these affect the individual”. These must be understood in the context of colonisation, whose many harmful legacies include unjust and inequitable health, wellbeing, social and cultural outcomes. Meanwhile, digital health applications – when co-designed with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – offer great potential to support positive SEWB. Emerging technologies such as virtual reality, can provide virtual environments that transcend the restrictions and oppressions of contemporary society.

GRADUATION STUDIO/DESIGN INNOVATION CATALYST

COORDINATORS

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

Rohan Lulham

COACHES

Rully Zakaria

Sherline Angelica Maseimilian

CLIENT Jasper Garay, Darkinjung/Ngarigo

Sydney School of Public Health USYD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Jane Stanely, Gadigal Centre USYD

Jay Edwards, Gadigal Centre USYD

Staff at Gadigal Centre

Marcus Carter, ADP

Jerry Wu, Joanie Zhao, Junyu Yao & Wenjie Wang, Bush Tucker

Explorer: VR Journey through Aboriginal Culinary Traditions

Bush Tucker Explorer leverages VR technology to create immersive experiences that educate users about Aboriginal culture and culinary practices. The project aims to enhance social and emotional wellbeing by promoting cultural understanding and connection through interactive storytelling and hands-on VR activities. The project aligns with the broader objective of supporting self-determination and cultural connection, aiming to bridge the gap between traditional knowledge and modern digital health applications.

Fiona Han, Herbie Kuang, Sally Fan & Zongrong Han, Connect

Connect is an interactive design solution that addresses the primary design objective of how digital health investments can bolster the health, wellbeing, and cultural outcomes of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities through technology-driven interventions. The solution centres on two critical areas: connection and consistency.

Amir Hossein Soleimani, Hengyu Chen, Liuxue Jiang, Yahui

Fang & Yuri Alfa Centauri, Dreamtime Adventure

This project aimed to improve the low levels of social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our mission is to explore more innovative solutions to create better SEWB for these communities. After conducting research and consultation with the client and stakeholders, our project was reframed to focus on improving SEWB for Aboriginal primary school students through the integration of social emotional learning with augmented reality technology based gaming.

Children’s Court Re-think

Re-thinking (communication of) court processes and outcomes with young people

COORDINATORS

Mariana Zafeirakopoulos

Rohan Lulham

COACHES

Moe Qashlan

Rohan Lulham

CLIENT

Youth Justice NSW

Speech Pathology Australia Legal Aid NSW

Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ ACT

Advocate for Children and Young People

Children’s Court of NSW

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Janet Killgallon, Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Government

NSW Children’s Court Plan English Working Group Members

This inter-agency project – led by Youth Justice NSW, Speech Pathology Australia, Legal Aid NSW, Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, the Advocate for Children and Young People, and the Children’s Court of NSW – explores ways to better communicate information to young people in and around the processes surrounding a court case. The scope includes written correspondence to young people before and after the court case, as well as other interactions and supports for them, or court and legal staff. Whether static, printed resources or digital solutions, the focus is on upholding principles of procedural justice and inclusion, alongside constraints of the related legislation. Design teams develop a concept addressing issues related to a current specific form or resource, and a digital concept addressing a specific or general issue related to young people appearing in the Children’s Court.

Key stakeholders and participants include the young people involved in the court process and their families, and people who work in the Children’s Court and related justice systems. The unit also considers how First Nations young people are significantly over-represented in the criminal justice system. With young people required to receive and respond to information, issues affecting their comprehension and ability to engage in these processes are common. These include language issues, learning disabilities, trauma and mental health issues, hearing issues and more. Moreover, procedural justice – a participant’s perceptions of neutrality, respect, fairness, and the opportunity to have a voice and be heard in the justice process – is also crucial for the communication and comprehension of information.

GRADUATION STUDIO/DESIGN INNOVATION CATALYST

Chenzhang Zhu, Jiaqi Yang, Jiayuan Zhang, Li Wang & Shilin

Peng, Children’s Court

This project focused on two main areas: redesigning the original forms by simplifying terminology and incorporating friendly visualisations, and integrating a digital learning platform to optimise the pre-court process for young people. In the youth justice context in NSW, much of the evidence points to a high frequency of misunderstandings that invariably occurs in the legal process for young people. More notably young people are often ambiguous in terms of their understanding of the court’s order and the next steps they need to take.

Anna Duong, Jingxin Wu, Nicole Li & Racheal Apili, Youth Bail Education and Compliance Project

This project is designed to improve juveniles’ understanding of bail conditions. The project explores why young people commit crimes, why young teenagers struggle to communicate with the Children’s Court, and the relationship between bail conditions and the generation of young people. We developed both digital and physical solutions to address the issue of young teenagers’ misunderstandings about bail conditions in an effort to communicate the importance of compliance.

Ivy Chen, Mabel

Loon, Manqing Luo,

Mingyue Li &

Xenia

Yu, Staying on Track with Bail Conditions

Annually, more than 5000 cases in Children’s Court have involved a young person under 18 who may have diverse needs which may contribute to misunderstanding of the court procedures. It is crucial to reconsider and enhance the communication of court processes and outcomes to young defendants. Our project aims to help young people to understand and manage their bail conditions. While analysing the bail conditions with our stakeholders and peers, we found that the visual design of the bail form is not specifically designed for youth with diverse cognitive development, ages 10 to 18.

Expanding ABC Education Content

The aim of this studio is to expand and extend ABC Education’s reach to encompass lifelong learners, and to enhance user engagement and retention among those lifelong learners. ABC Education serves as a comprehensive repository of curriculum-based learning resources tailored for primary and secondary school teachers and students. The platform offers a diverse range of educational materials, including videos, games and interactive content, covering various subjects. However, there is potential to extend its reach beyond the classroom and cater to a wider audience. In a word, projects seek innovative ways to leverage ABC Education’s content and broader ABC resources to support lifelong learners.

Achieving the studio’s aims – an expansion of offering and a promotion of engagement – involves targeting users beyond the original intended audience of primary and secondary school students and educators, as well as implementing strategies for micro-learning and serotonin resets. The primary challenge, however, lies in effectively serving relevant content to users who seek it, ensuring that it resonates with their interests and needs. As such, it’s essential for projects to devise a solution that not only delivers content but does so in a manner that is meaningful and valuable to each individual user.

GRADUATION STUDIO

COORDINATOR

Ricardo Sosa

TUTORS

Melissa Rumble

Jocelyn Francis

Mercedes Paulini

Helena Pitko

Rully Zakaria

CLIENT Emma Gogolewski, ABC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Angelo Quizon, ABC

Lynn Deng, Minthe Tan, Qinnan Wang & Yuezhou Zhang, ABC

Digital First Radio

COORDINATOR

Ricardo Sosa

TUTORS

Melissa Rumble

Jocelyn Francis

Mercedes Paulini

Helena Pitko

Rully Zakaria

CLIENT

Manon Drielsma, ABC

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Angelo Quizon, ABC

As audience habits move towards short-form content platforms such as TikTok and other digital media outlets, organisations such as the ABC are transitioning away from traditional broadcast radio stations towards digital platforms – ABC listen and the triple j app, for example. Research indicates a loss of direct connection between the station and the audience, something that was previously valued by listeners. To address this, the studio explores the concept of launching a truly digital-first radio station. The brief focuses on two pillars: first, promoting engagement and ownership by fostering active participation and a sense of ownership among users; second, creating a digital-first radio station by designing an interface tailored for digital platforms. Overall, the design brief envisions the interface and user experience of a radio station that prioritises digital interaction and engagement, offering users a unique and immersive audio experience and providing an intuitive and engaging experience for them. Within this context, challenges include a lack of engagement, where there is a need to overcome user apathy and to foster meaningful interactions with the digital radio station. Moderation is another important consideration by implementing effective mechanisms, ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all users. Then there is the issue of competition with existing audio apps – how can the ABC differentiate the digital radio station from existing audio streaming platforms such as Spotify, by offering unique features and experiences? The brief also raises the question of how existing applications might be augmented rather than recreated.

GRADUATION STUDIO

Installation

Racha Racha

Digital First Radio

A radio-like gacha machine offering hanging charms embedded NFC chips, which users can tap to access ABC‘s radio content, thus encouraging more people to download ABC Listen to tune in to the radio

Subscribe to users’ own Calendar

Swipe to switch different channels

Schedule of the current week

Homepage Schedule

Demographics

Promotion for ABC Listen

Category

People aged 18 to 35 who live in Australia and are indifferent to radio or consider radio a secondary listening when they’re busy doing something else

How the design meets with user needs

The gacha machine’s eye-catching design allows radio to enter the sight of young people through their familiar way enhancing their willingness to continue exploring

The hanging charms are both aesthetically pleasing and pragmatic, providing users with a unique experience, which is hard to find on other platforms

Users can access ABC’s radio content with just a tap, simplifying the steps needed to listen to the radio

The categorized index gives users a general understanding of ABC’s radio channels, with the schedule and playback features helping them arrange their listening time

“That's interesting! I want to grab one!”

“Who could resist loving this adorable little charm?”

“This is bound to become the next trend I have to get one!”

“Cool and easy way to tap to listen to the radio!” -- Excerpt from user testing feedback

The final archetype is generated by DALL E and enhanced using Photoshop by us.

Designed by Jinge Gan, Li Yin, Tianshu You, Yanxi Li

Proximity sensor to detect people’s approach

Handle for adjustin g height

Built-in speakers

nnotation

Radio-like features

Extendable feet to accommodate different people’s height

Hanging Charms

The outlet is with speaker pattern

Radio-shaped

Embedded NFC chip for simplify the interaction

Collaborate with Australian artists for the design

The back side features prompts on how to interact and promotes ABC Listen

Unearthing Unearthed

With research consistently highlighting the unmet need among young Australians for music discovery, this studio brief calls for the promotion of local and domestic artists, as well as facilitating seamless music discovery. The need is especially acute in relation to new Australian artists. Currently, the ABC’s product suite offers limited opportunities for this beyond radio listening, though triple j’s Unearthed serves as a unique content repository for discovery by presenting an extensive collection of Australian music. The question posed by this brief is: How can the rich catalogue of Unearthed be creatively leveraged within the product suite in order to enrich user experience, foster engagement and introduce novel features?

The goal of facilitating seamless music discovery experiences centres on the challenge of integrating Unearthed’s music catalogue into other products while preserving the integrity of the Unearthed site itself. Meanwhile, there is also a need to showcase and promote emerging and established local artists from Australia to a broader audience. The primary challenge lies in achieving these goals without making significant changes to the Unearthed site itself, so proposed integration designs aim to enhance the user experience while respecting the unique identity and functionality of Unearthed.

GRADUATION STUDIO

COORDINATOR

Ricardo Sosa

TUTORS

Melissa Rumble

Jocelyn Francis

Mercedes Paulini

Helena Pitko

Rully Zakaria

CLIENT Angelo Quizon, ABC

Ailee An

Racheal Apili

Clara Cai

Yangjia Cai

Carmen Chan

Hin Ching Chan

Yu-Hsuan Chang

Hengyu Chen

Ivy Chen

Jiatao Chen

Jiuyi Chen

Vicky Chen

Xiaomeng Chen

Xinru Chen

Minsoo Cho

Lulu Cui

Zhao Dang

Yanming Deng

Giulia Ding

Anna Duong

Kaiyi Fan

Sally Fang

Yahui Fang

Yansheng Feng

Zhiya Fu

Mike Fung

Katie Gagliano

Ria Gan

Yuan Gao

Rong Guo

Zeyu Guo

Bowen He

Jiabei He

Katy He

Mingyu He

Zachary Huang

Misato Ishikawa

Jin Jeon

Anqi Jiang

Gaozheng Jiang

Liyuan Jiang

Jiayi Jiang

Yichen Jing

Herbie Kuang

Jinling Le

Cooper Li

Jiarui Li

Mengfei Li

Miranda Li

Nicole Li

Qian Li

Ron Li

Sihang Liang

Iris Lin

Li Lin

Antonia Liu

Duoduo Liu

Liangfan Liu

Yujie Liu

Mingzhe Liu

Ruiyu Liu

Sylvia Liu

Zhetong Liu

Mabel Loon

Jingting Lu

Lu Lu

Elena Lyu

Xinyu Ma

Ariel Mai

Jiaying Mao

Xinyu Min

Junlin Nie

Arlene Ou

Kesnavi

Parammanandhan

Dana Park

Evelyn Pei

Haolang Peng

Jiahui Peng

Shilin Peng

Divya Ravi

Jingyao Ren

Tanay Sanjay Shah

Danyan Sun

Danying Sun

Zichong Sun

Zihao Sun

Fan Tang

Hilary Tang

Zhen Tao

Bige Wang

Canyina Wang

Haoming Wang

Jiabao Wang

Li Wang

Qi Wang

Ruixue Wang

Tairan Wang

Yue Wang

Yuming Wang

Zhe Wang

Caroline Wu

Jerry Wu

Lin Xia

Jinchen Xie

Aiqi Xu

Hester Xu

Ziyi Xu

Zheren Xue

Yingxin Xue

Yixin Yan

Yi Yang

Junyu Yao

Lingshan Ye

Ling Yi

Yue Yin

Jihoo Yoon

Silvia Yu

Yiming Yu

Yuki Yu

Cynthia Zhang

Hanyuan Zhang

Jiayuan Zhang

Mengxuan Zhang

Qing Zhang

Xiaoyu Zhang

Ziyi Zhang

Jiaxin Zheng

Rhea Zheng

Jiuyi Zheng

Yipeng Zhou

Chenzhang Zhu

Keying Zhu

Kyle Zhu

Lingfeng Zhu

Shengjia Michelle Zhu

Zijing Zhu

Yaxuan Zou

Hussaina Bhaiji

Sindhu Bhimanatham

Yuxuan Cao

Yuri Alfa Centauri

Florence Chan

Charu Charu

Echo Chen

Jingru Chen

Ke Chen

Xiaoyu Fei

Yihang Fu

Fiona Han

Zongrong Han

Tangmuzi Hu

Xinyun Hu

Ziyu Hua

Hongbin Huang

Yuantong Huang

Yingqing Jiang

Liuxue Jiang

Siqi Jiang

Yang Jiao

Julie Ko

Gloria Li

Haoang Li

Mingyue Li

Yixuan Li

Yuhang Li

Chen Liang

Lindee Lin

Jiawei Lou

Manqing Luo

Jiawen Ma

Wenjun Pan

Primetta Sastrawan

David Shao

Amir Hossein Soleimani

Qi Song

Jihuan Sun

Nicholas Sutton

Jiaxi Tan

Xinyi Wan

Chunyu Wang

Haojun Wang

Jiani Wang

Junzhe Wang

Siwen Wang

Wenjie Wang

Yadie Wang

Jingxin Wu

Zhihang Xiao

Jiaqi Yang

Jing Yang

Yueting Yang

Xenia Yu

Ningling Yuan

Ying Zhang

Yixin Zhang

Yuqing Zhang

Joanie Zhao

Hongyu Zhu

SEMESTER 2 (MIDEA)

Aimin Aimin

Mowa Akin-Jimoh

Geyuan Cao

Qi Cao

Nic Cecil

Juejun Chen

Shandy Chen

Yaxin Cui

Raine Dai

Lynn Deng

Michelle Deng

Leyla Dong

Krisan Faraetty

Jinge Gan

Mille Gao

Xing Gao

Yingxin Guo

Jianan Han

Lin He

Yuxuan He

Shanshan Hu

Dechun Huang

Ginky Huang

Jiawei Huang

Qijun Huang

Qinghui Huang

Yilin Jia

Zibing Jiang

Kinsley Jin

Ju Shiyi Ju

Sammy Lagman

Zhiyi Lai

Chiao-Yun Lee

Zehui Li

Wendi Li

Yanxi Li

Yanyu Li

Yuling Li

Yawen Liao

Lynn Lin

Mia Liu

Risheng Liu

Tian Liu

Malone Ma

Chang Meng

Xinyu Pu

Jianming Qu

Dayal Sebastian

Edison Shen

Chuyi Shuai

Kangqi Song

Yining Sun

Minthe Tan

Suheng Tan

Simin Tang

Tingyu Tang

Chengyu Wang

Joey Wang

Junfeng Wang

Qinnan Wang

Walfred Wang

Wenhao Wang

Xinnan Wang

Yifei Wang

Mura Wen

Junyi Wu

Qianying Wu

Yining Wu

Zhaopeiwen Xiang

Mengyao Xiao

Luna Xu

Xianghan Yan

Zixuan Yan

Ash Yang

Jingwen Yang

Liutong Yang

Xiongjian Yang

Nicole Yao

Kerry Ye

Li Yin

Tianshu You

April Yuan

Yuer Yuan

Joey Zeng

Panyuan Zhan

Catherine Zhang

Erica Zhang

Evelyn Zhang

Haoxue Zhang

Manman Zhang

Shirley Zhang

Shuoyu Zhang

Xinyi Zhang

Yingjie Zhang

Yuezhou Zhang

Ziyi Zhang

Jie Zhao

Xuanfan Zhao

Yangyang Zhao

Muriel Zheng

Tianjie Zhou

Yimei Zhou

Chuanjie Zhu

Jacky Zhu

Capstone Research

Research is the pursuit of new knowledge, and design research places the process of design at the core of inquiry. In this capstone unit, students undertook independent research projects under the guidance of Design Lab academics, engaging with contemporary issues, emerging technologies, and industry and community needs.

Students navigated the challenges of conducting rigorous research, starting with a clear research question to frame their inquiry. Through the process, they developed their ability to engage with diverse participants, gaining invaluable skills in digital collaboration for a connected world. Design research can generate diverse outputs—from insights into user experience and behaviour to novel concepts, prototypes, frameworks, and methods. Some of these outputs will make their way into practice, contributing to shaping the future of the profession and society.

RESEARCH PROJECT/DISSERTATION/RESEARCH INTERNSHIP

COORDINATOR

Joel Fredericks

SUPERVISORS

Ricardo Sosa

Rohan Lulham

Phil Gough

Samuel Gillespie

Joel Fredericks

Marius Hoggenmueller

Rodrigo Hernandez

Luke Hespanhol

Jody Watts

Clare Cooper

INTERNSHIP PROVIDER

Student Index

SEMESTER 1

RESEARCH PROJECT

Emma Cheuk

Zenghui Chu

Anny Fu

Evan James

Jiayang Xu

Qiuming Zhang

RESEARCH DISSERTATION

Zenghui Chu

Jiayang Xu

Qiuming Zhang

SEMESTER 2

RESEARCH PROJECT

Yuxin Gong

Leah Luo

Jack Sedor

Amir Hossein Soleimani

Nicholas Sutton

Jiaxi Wang

Leanna Yue

Vicki Zhang

Chenzhang Zhu

RESEARCH DISSERTATION

Evan James

Jack Sedor

RESEARCH INTERNSHIP

Andre Shrimski

DESIGN DISSERTATION

Cynthia Chen

Susan Morley

Wei Xi

Jiayang Xu, Enhancing User Privacy through Real-time Interactive

Visualisation System of Home Robot Data Processing

Domestic robots bring many conveniences to home users, but they also raise privacy concerns, especially data privacy, which has become a significant challenge for users when using robots. Privacy issues in human-robot interaction are mainly addressed through ‘prevention’ and ‘post-review’ design strategies. However, research on the role of real-time viewing and intervention in data processing in privacy protection is still relatively lacking. Therefore, this study designed a real-time interactive visualisation system through the focus group (n=5) to enable home users to manage the robot’s real-time data processing. Subsequently, we used a 2x3 mixed design experiment (n=24) to verify the system’s positive impact on improving user trust, privacy perception, and user experience. Furthermore, this study proposes design recommendations for protecting user data privacy in real-time and explores future research directions for privacy-sensitive robotics.

Qiuming Zhang, Rethinking Urban Safety: Exploring the Design of Safety Robots from Women’s Perspectives

Research has shown that women are more likely to feel unsafe in urban public spaces. This design-led study explores the potential of robots as future safety agents in cities from a human-robot interaction (HRI) perspective, aiming to enhance women’s sense of safety and promote gender equality. To do so, we first analysed women’s fear of safety in the city through an online diary study, followed by two participatory design workshops that used scenario-mapping to explore women’s expectations of safety robots’ presence, perception, and role. The results indicate that most female participants hold a positive attitude towards using safety robots in cities and have preconceived notions about their future roles. This study aims to guide the design and implementation of urban safety robots, ensuring they better adapt to urban environments, meet citizen expectations, and emphasise the potential in promoting gender equality and fostering a more inclusive society.

BACHELOR OF DESIGN COMPUTING

BACHELOR OF DESIGN (INTERACTION DESIGN)

BACHELOR OF DESIGN COMPUTING

BACHELOR OF DESIGN (INTERACTION DESIGN)

PROGRAM DIRECTORS

Joel Fredericks, Ricardo Sosa

This year marks another milestone for the Design discipline. We proudly celebrate the achievements of students completing the Bachelor of Design Computing and Bachelor of Design (Interaction Design) degrees. Together, these programs represent a distinct and essential contribution to the ever-evolving UX and UI design fields.

Throughout your academic journey, you have cultivated creativity, critical thinking, and empathy, mastering the ability to design products, services, and experiences that place people at the centre. The knowledge and skills you’ve gained are more than a collection of technical proficiencies—they reflect your capacity to shape the digital and physical landscapes of tomorrow. As you enter the professional world, you do so as designers, storytellers, and changemakers. Your work will not only influence industries but also enrich lives and foster new ways of thinking about the future. The path ahead is filled with opportunities, challenges, and boundless potential, and we have no doubt that you are well-prepared to meet them with ingenuity and resilience.

Congratulations, graduates! We are immensely proud of all you have achieved, and we look forward to seeing the mark you leave on the world through your design journey.

Interactive Design Solutions

Sometimes, the best design solutions flow from simple yet sharp insights uncovered from research, and might require only minimal technology. This project asks for an iterative conceptualising, designing and prototyping of a novel solution that is clearly linked to one (or several) of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals identified by the United Nations. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals are:

1. No Poverty

2. Zero Hunger

3. Good Health and Wellbeing

4. Quality Education

5. Gender Equality

6. Clean Water and Sanitation

7. Affordable and Clean Energy

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

10. Reduced Inequality

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

13. Climate Action

14. Life Below Water

15. Life on Land

16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

17. Partnerships to achieve the Goal

Students have adopted focus streams in basing their work on: user interaction design, user experience/service design, 3D modelling, front-end web development, and emerging technologies.

INTERACTIVE PRODUCT DESIGN STUDIO/ ADVANCED PROJECT DESIGN STUDIO

COORDINATOR

Moe Qashlan

TUTORS

Drew Cosgrove

Shweta Das

Dominic Hu

Lachlan Paull

Bowen Qin

Adrian Ramos

Haochen Zhang

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Martin Tomitsch, UTS

Skaib Jalil, Central Queensland University

Mortaza Pourmohamadi, ADP

Paulo Da Silva Armi, Business

School USYD

Ivy Kwan, Kelly Caviedi, Sarah Dang & Tavania Santoso, ReFlair

ReFlair is a community-driven clothing exchange platform that utilises a collect and drop-off locker system, empowering people to participate in sustainable consumption by simple and convenient means. The system connects users that want to give away their clothing, ranging from second-hand to like-new items, with other people in the community that will happily receive them. This process is streamlined through the interconnected mobile app and ReFlair lockers all around Sydney. Gifters who successfully donate their clothing will be rewarded with Flair Tokens, an in-app currency which allows users to exchange clothes at no extra cost.

Nicki Daghighi, Victoria Lindqvist, Chantal Ly & Zagawar Lwin,

SeaU is a customisable clay block developed to enhance marine ecosystems by supporting the growth of algae and beneficial microorganisms. Crafted from natural, porous clay, each SeaU block offers a sustainable habitat for these essential marine organisms, which help filter ocean particles, improve water quality, and promote biodiversity. Individuals can personalise their block with a unique message, and SeaU will be installed in a selected ocean-front location. This innovative approach creates an accessible way for people to contribute to marine life preservation without direct contact with polluted waters, building a meaningful connection to ocean conservation.

Vivian Truong, Renee Lim, Purvi Bothra & Logan Bondoc, Pathway Cabinet

Pathway Cabinet is a game-changing, interactive arcade experience that lets students “try before they commit” to a degree. Picture this: students walk up to our cabinet, select a degree, and instantly dive into a hands-on journey—exploring real courses, key skills, career outcomes, and even campus societies linked to their choice. No more endless tabs and vague info sessions. With Pathway Cabinet, students get a clear, engaging preview of what their future could hold. Placed in high-traffic areas on campus, it’s a fun, stress-free way to empower students to make confident, informed decisions about their paths.

Serena Huang, Tanya Gupta, Chantelle Guevara & Arisha Sahay,

Festival360 provides a centralised platform that combines real-time access to harm reduction information, peer support networks, and discreet checkin services, both digitally through a mobile app and physically through on-site kiosks. By integrating peer support and reliable resources in a format that respects the social dynamics of festivals, Festival360 seeks to reduce the stigma surrounding substance use while empowering festivalgoers to make safer, more informed decisions. This solution not only addresses the immediate risks associated with drug and alcohol misuse but also contributes to long-term harm reduction by promoting a culture of informed, peer-driven support.

Kelly Wu, Kylie Le, Zoe Chan & Sharisse Leong, FlexiCube

FlexiCube is an innovative wardrobe management system that enhances organisation while promoting responsible clothing consumption. By integrating a digital app with flexible, lit up storage containers, FlexiCube aims to maximise wardrobe utilisation in an engaging way. Colour-coded light indicators reveal how frequently each item is worn, encouraging mindful fashion choices. The app also offers outfit suggestions based on the user’s wardrobe, making everyday styling effortless. It also connects users to donation places for clothing items they choose to discard, encouraging sustainable fashion practices. With FlexiCube, let’s empower users make the most of their existing clothing, minimise waste, and shape a more sustainable fashion future.

Molly Nguyen, Erien Simon, Lan Hoang & Nita Kim, Sparkmate

Sparkmate is a digital bracelet and event-based platform crafted to make university friendships easier and lasting. By helping students discover or create campus events aligned with their interests and join through pre-established groups, Sparkmate simplifies socialising and eases the intimidation of meeting new people in unfamiliar settings. The bracelet’s interactive tap feature for connecting, combined with colour-coded event and group recognition, icebreakers, and progress tracking, allows students to connect naturally, making each encounter more comfortable. Sparkmate also nurtures meaningful connections with an achievement system that celebrates friendship milestones recorded through bracelet taps, turning casual meetings into lasting friendships and enhancing student wellbeing through a supportive, engaging social experience.

Leo Zhou, Chandu Bhogadi, Yueyao Kong & Muriel Ma, Sprout

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Sprout is a mobile app that utilises augmented reality to create real-world environmental impact. Using AR technology, Sprout allows users to plant virtual saplings and observe their future growth, creating an engaging way to explore environmental impact. By visualising the potential growth of their trees, users are encouraged to take the next step toward planting and adopt a more hands-on role in supporting the environment.

Sprout allows users to track each sapling they’ve planted, complete with detailed plant and care information. They can also monitor their environmental impact and share progress and updates with friends. Sprout empowers users to make a tangible difference, turning environmental awareness into meaningful action that can be shared and celebrated with a growing community.

Nima Sabzeh, Aamir Aye, Ashray Kumar & Jason Ocampo, Plenti

Plenti is a sensor system designed for refrigerators or cabinets, offering users an efficient way to track stored items and keep track of expiration dates. The sensor wirelessly connects to a digital whiteboard, which displays the inventory by category and expiration date, giving users a clear view of when each item should be consumed to prevent food wastage. The interactive whiteboard also provides detailed information about each item, such as its expiration status and the date it was bought. In addition, Plenti includes a mobile app that syncs with the system, allowing users to remotely check their inventory while shopping. The app also visualises grocery spending and food waste, helping users improve their consumption habits and reduce unnecessary expenses.

Eliza Simes, Sarah Samarasinghe, Ellie Kim &

Billie

Clulow, Connectico

Connectico is a series of installations designed to enhance social interactions in public spaces in accordance with targets aligning with SDG 11.

Our solution encourages users to step into public spaces for meaningful, in-person interactions, creating social opportunities that extend beyond virtual connections. Its features include drawing prompts, location sharing, event joining, messaging, and public interactive installations to foster engagement and diverse connections.

Providing shade and visual appeal, Connectico makes public spaces more inviting while encouraging shared experiences and personal expression. Promoting community interaction helps build and strengthen friendships, creating a stronger bond with our public spaces.

Alfred

Xu, Elleise Boon, Leah Hartstein & Zelda Wu, PortfolioThing

PortfolioThing is a fun, easy platform for helping graduate design students through the complicated and scary task of preparing their first portfolios of student work. Users proceed through a structured list of tasks intended to create a well-rounded portfolio, all while recieving constant feedback from the system, with additional information just a few clicks away. And it has fun video game theming as well!

Ziying Zhao, Yuxin He, Qainqian Shi & Sicong Wang, Punch Away

Punch Away redefines stress relief, bringing university students an immersive, interactive escape from daily pressures. This unique blend of physical gameplay and digital support empowers users to release tension, gain emotional insights, and build resilience. Guided by Sage, a supportive virtual companion, Punch Away creates a safe and dynamic experience for students to unwind, reflect on their emotions, and prioritise mental wellbeing. With engaging gameplay and real-time digital emotional feedback, Punch Away is more than just a game room—it’s a transformative experience for fostering a balanced and healthy mindset.

Christina Lim, Jermaine Issa, Nadee Manchanayaka & Louvian Tran, Balanced.

Balanced. is a student based solution for tacking food insecurity. The design offers to help alleviate cost of living pressures, revolving around the inafforbaility of produce and meals, while also reducing waste among local food vendors, suppliers, and restaurants.

Students are able to redeem a customised frozen meal of choice, with respect to dietary requirements, through the help of their student ID card, with instructions on nutrition and easy preparation. The machine stock is unique and varies depending on the local foods, specialties, and vendors.

By bringing the community together, we also aim to strengthen community bonds, and encourage a more nutritious lifestyle.

Jeff Xu, Annika Tan, Elana Pfitzner & Gil Palmer, GreenLoop

GreenLoop is a communal compost bin designed for users who live in compact urban spaces, particularly those living in small apartments or congested living spaces where traditional composting isn’t feasible. We aim to foster a sustainability and environmental responsibility culture among urban dwellers. This eco-friendly system allows users to participate actively in waste reduction by providing a nearby, accessible location to dispose of their organic food scraps. Users can earn and accumulate credits through the GreenLoop system in return for their contributions. Accumulate credits that can be used directly from a connected vending machine. These credits can be redeemed for various gardening supplies, including seeds and high-quality compost soil, thus closing the loop of organic waste recycling. Users can earn credits through the GreenLoop system in return for their contributions. GreenLoop not only promotes sustainable living but also encourages urban gardening, enhancing green spaces within the city.

Alan Zhang, Aadi Singh, Yomith Piyasiri & Laura Young, Ziro

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

Introducing Ziro: the digital closet solution that lets you shop, scan, and style your clothing sustainably. With its powerful features, Ziro helps you build a smarter, more eco-conscious wardrobe.

With AR Try-On, users can visualise outfits by virtually “wearing” their clothing, experimenting with different looks effortlessly. Our AR Scanning technology transforms physical garments into 3D digital objects, making it easy to catalogue and access your wardrobe anywhere. Through Ziro’s integrated Secondhand Marketplace, users can discover pre-loved fashion and reduce overconsumption.

With our closed-loop platform, you’ll visualise your wardrobe, track your usage, and access secondhand options that extend the life of clothing worldwide. Together, let’s redefine how we view our closets and fashion choices. Welcome to the future of sustainable style with Ziro!

Katja Rindfleish, Kaitlin Kiparizov, Naomi Morse & Ami Kotecha, RUSH

RUSH redefines bus stops with an innovative, user-focused hub that simplifies and enriches bus travel. Each hub, designed around a bus shelter, features dual touchscreens displaying live data on upcoming buses, delays, seating capacity, and nearby points of interest. Passengers can explore routes, including direct bus lines, docked e-bikes, and community carpool options, for flexible travel choices. QR code integration enables a smooth transfer of information from the hub to the RUSH app, so users can seamlessly continue their journey on their personal devices.

The RUSH app also allows users to book e-bikes and carpools, with the option to become a carpool driver to earn cash while fostering community. Added amenities at each hub, such as a drinking fountain, phone chargers, and solar-powered operations, enhance safety, comfort and sustainability. RUSH empowers commuters with real-time control, transparency, and dependable alternatives—transforming setbacks into seamless journeys and driving positive socioeconomic change.

Student Index

INTERACTIVE PRODUCT DESIGN STUDIO

Sarah Asace

Zander Askew

Aamir Aye

Kelvin Baffoe

Nathan Baxter

Chandu Bhogadi

Logan Bondoc

Elleise Boon

Jessica Buckley

Kelly Caviedi

Zoe Chan

Owen Chen

Billie Clulow

Nicki Daghighi

Elaine Dang

Sarah Dang

Haoyang Deng

Sicong Deng

Winnie Deng

Yuchen Duan

Nathaniel Dunwell

Arthur Espinosa

Yingtai Feng

Tara Forman

Lachlan Forsyth-Smith

Halley Fu

Riu Fukazawa

Arthur Fung

Chloe Gassoub

Bryan Ge

Jasmine Gip

Matt Gordon

Isaac Grove

Chantelle Guevara

Tanya Gupta

Leah Hartstein

Yuxin He

Lan Hoang

Fletcher Holdich

Serena Huang

Jermaine Issa

Ana Ivica

Mali Jenkins

Yooyoung Jeon

Haoting Jin

Ellie Kim

Nita Kim

Kaitlin Kiparizov

Yueyao Kong

Ashley Kuan

Ashray Kumar

Ivy Kwan

Jjar Kyaw Nyi

Bernadette Le

Kim Le

Kylie Le

Blair Lee

Jayden Lee

Veronica Lee

Blake Lees

Sharisse Leong

Chengrui Li

Yihan Li

Kelly Liang

Xiaonan Liang

Christina Lim

Linz Lin

Simon Lin

Victoria Lindqvist

Sophia Littlejohn

Haowei Liu

Shuqi Liu

Zekun Liu

Kurt Lu

Zagawar Lwin

Chantal Ly

Xintong Lyu

Muriel Ma

Runzhe Ma

Aswat Afrin Haque

Mahima

Nadee Manchanayaka

Kate Mander

Eva Mary Arun

Emma McLuckie

Kris Melville

Adriano Messina

Lisa Mithani

Aryan Mohanty

Katherine Muy

Mirun Navaneethan

Molly Nguyen

Tina Nguyen

Jason Ocampo

Alysha Olegario

Ayari Omachi

Gil Palmer

Elana Pfitzner

Yomith Piyasiri

Jana Plumm

Peter Qin

Jackson Quinn

Nima Sabzeh

Arisha Sahay

Kira Salvador

Sarah Samarasinghe

Tavania Santoso

Genalyn Sarmiento

Morgan Schmidt

Angie Shi

Eliza Simes

Erien Simon

Aadi Jagteshwar Singh

Sophia Spencer

Prue Steadson

Aimee Su

Lara Sultani

Cecilia Sum

Pablo Tamondong

Annika Tan

Judy Tan

Christina To

Louvian Tran

Vivian Truong

Alex Wang

Charlie Wang

Congli Wang

Shujun Wang

Xiaoyu Wang

Jin Wen

Tullia Williams

Jude Wong

Julia Wong

Kelly Wu

Zelda Wu

Alfred Xu

Ashley Xu

Jeff Xu

Yapeng Xu

Terry Yang

Yiwei Yang

Jinfeng Yao

Flora Ye

Ethan Young

Laura Young

Chen Yu

Rachel Yuen

Alan Zhang

Jiayi Zhang

Samantha Zhang

Terry Zhang

Ziying Zhao

George Zheng

Leo Zhou

Shirley Zhou

ADVANCED PROJECT DESIGN STUDIO

Purvi Bothra

Patrick Carr

Phyllis Ka Yat Chan

Jess Chen

Dorothy Dube

Stephanie Fu

Ariella Guenzl

Ben Holman

Christine Kong

Ami Kotecha

Renee Lim

Nicole Low Xiao Yi

Naomi Morse

Khoi Nguyen

Phi Nguyen

Margot Nouchi

Connie Ou

Isak Powell

Monina Riddh

Katja Rindfleish

Kathleen Sadeli

Gemma Uren

Ben Walker

Holly Wills

Arthur Zhang

MASTER OF URBAN DESIGN

MASTER OF URBANISM

MASTER OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

MASTER OF URBAN DESIGN

MASTER OF URBANISM

MASTER OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Ian Woodcock

Congratulations to all students in our Urbanism disciplines! Thanks to our teaching teams, which comprise academics and a larger number of dedicated, diverse sessionals, often the primary interface with students. In particular, we salute our many guest lecturers, studio reviewers and report supervisors whose professional expertise is so generously given and highly valued. Also, we celebrate our professional staff keeping the machinery of timetabling, student services and teaching spaces going!

This catalogue showcases exemplary work from our students in the Masters programs in Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Design and Urbanism. The work is selected from the enormous body of work produced during 2024: designs, plans, policies, critiques, projects and research reports. Most is from 2024 graduates, with a significant contribution from current students.

A key element of our programs is Interdisciplinarity, and this shows up most clearly in the work from those units that have a multi-disciplinary mix, for example, the Urban Design Foundations Studio and the Integrated Urbanism Studio capstone. Likewise, we have strengthened our focus on engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander people and appreciation for the importance of Country. We acknowledge the centrality of Elle Davidson (Balanggarra) and Dr Michael Mossman (Kuku Yalanji) in our teaching. Some of the highlights for students this year have been the many fieldwork visits that connect ideas with reality. In Strategic Planning, our students get to see how their skills can effect change in the face of daunting challenges. Our capstone research reports show the diversity of students’ interests across planning, design, heritage, and transport.

This successful collective effort demonstrates the value of optimism in the face of the urgent challenges of the 21st century and the capacity of a new generation of urban professionals to create the regenerative, restorative, inclusive, sustainable, equitable and just cities and regions that the planet needs.

Emergent Urbanity: St Marys Town Centre

St Marys is on the cusp of transformation. Once a suburban, car-dominated centre, it’s set to become a vibrant urban hub, connected by the new Sydney Metro line and linked to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. This shift will bring more housing diversity, employment opportunities, and improved public spaces. But how can design shape a place that feels authentic, walkable, and inclusive?

This studio dive into this challenge, focusing on three key precincts: Little Creek, the Station Precinct, and Town Park. Each of these areas presents opportunities for growth and renewal. Little Creek, with its industrial lands, offers potential for employment; the Station Precinct will be a hub of transport and development; while Town Park is envisioned as a revitalised public space at the heart of Queen Street.

These precincts provide the foundation for St Marys’ future, but they must be reimagined. Walkable streets, diverse housing, and better connections to nature are essential. The project also reconnects with St Marys’ Aboriginal heritage, seeking to integrate cultural practices and create spaces for gathering and visibility.

As St Marys grows, climate resilience will be a challenge. Expanding green spaces, managing stormwater, and cooling the urban environment are essential strategies.

COORDINATOR

Deena Ridenour

TUTORS

Deena Ridenour

Brendan Randles

Tanya Vincent

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Laura Clark, Transport for NSW

Ela Glogowska, UNSW

Diane Griffiths, Studio GL

Jan McCredie, City of Parramatta

Jesse McNicoll, City of Sydney

Russell Olsson, Olsson and Associates

Pranita Shrestha, ADP

Jessi Richards-Smith, City of Parramatta

Ian Woodcock, ADP

Michael Zanardo, Studio Zanardo

The town centre, with its mix of industry, homes, and public areas, can become a thriving, inclusive destination. By embracing the potential for daily life, culture, and environmental sustainability, St Marys can evolve into a place that welcomes both old and new communities.

URBAN DESIGN STUDIO: URBAN PROJECTS

Above: Aerial of St Marys showing project sites higlighted, looking west towards Blue Mountains, https://www.penrithcity.nsw.gov.au/

Right: St Marys Town Centre Facebook

Fariz Hazmi, Shivam Vageshwar & Kahlia Rae, St Marys’

Concept Masterplan

By 2041, St Marys will be resilient to environmental change through design and connection with Dharug Country where ecological outcomes are prioritised. Featuring a vibrant and diverse mix of uses nestled around the Town Park, the site will establish connections to local destinations via an improved active transport network. Future built form will balance density with amenity and fit sympathetically within the local context.

MASTERPLAN

VISION + PRINCIPLES

Precedent 04 Centenary Square, Parramatta

Precedent 02 Darling Square, Haymarket, New South Wales

Precedent 03 Bondi Junction, New South Wales

Precedent 01 Victoria Park, Parramatta Rd, New South Wales

•

•

KEY MOVES

CONNECTED BLUE AND GREEN

•

BUILT FORM TRANSITION

Maximise

PUBLIC DOMAINKEY ACTIVITY SPINE

CO-LOCATION OF USES

Establish

Changying Xie & Yue Jiang, St Marys Station Precinct

This project aims to establish the St Marys Station Precinct as a multiple transport transit centre with bustling commercial and residential development to satisfy the gradually increasing demand. The vision of the project is to create a connective, accessible and memorable destination.

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Enhance pedestrian friendly and accessibility

The pedestrian-friendly street offers pedestrians a safe, convenient and accessible walking space, while both connect metro and train stations and commercial centre with flat plaza.

The transport transit space involves multiple transport methods, people could easily transit via metro, train, bus, cycle and taxi. It is not only for people who live in St Marys but is also considered to serve the WSIA metro line. To gain more development opportunities, the area should establish a convenient and efficient transport transit space. Also, Phillip Street will be expanded and connected with Carina Ave.

Develope multifunctional open spaces

Develope multifunctional open spaces, such as playground, natrual park to increase the frequency of use of green spaces, and through the establishmet of green spaces, there will be green corridors. After the green open spaces become well-facilities, they serve people who live surroundings and could be venues for community events.

KEY MOVES

1. Road network

Modify the existing road network, extend Phillip Street and remove a portion of Queen Street.

4. Building height

The west side of the site is a historic preservation area with lower building heights. Therefore, the height of the new buildings should decrease from east to west.

Improve transport network and transition Respect local urban character and aboriginal culture

Keep the local special character of Queen Street with 2 storeys retails. Conduct aboriginal culture museum and artificial creek in the park to reflect on the mother creek culture in St Marys.

Establish local landmarks

Enhance the impression of the local specialty high street by redeveloping Queen Street, and develop the whole central plaza as a landmark with both transport transit and commercial use. Meanwhile, establish museum as one of landmark building.

2. Open space

Station Plaza, the building complex encloses and forms a water park and outdoor dinning area. The green areas and greenways create a green network, together with open spaces, forming a continuous and interconnected activity space.

5. Building form

Refine the number of building floors and determine the building form based on the building's function.

Residential intensive

Increasing the stoerys of residential while replace the parking spaces of apartments to better cope with the future development of St Marys.

3. Site Connection

The open spaces and roads within the site form a highly cohesive space. Pedestrians can reach their destinations, such as the station, very directly within the site.

6. Final Outcome

Include details such as bike shelters, sunshades, flower beds, and other amenities.

1:1000 GROUND FLOOR PLAN @ A1

*The darker lines indicate active frontages

Dharug Plaza and Aboriginal Museum

West Residential Queen Street Water Park

Cong Liu, Yi Pan, Zijing Zhang & Jiaxuan Lin, Little Creek

Precinct

The vision is to reimagine the Little Creek precinct as an employmentdriven, captivating community with a vibrant local centre. The urban boundary will be pushed back to reclaim the original natural buffer landscape on the creekbank. The current train station will be upgraded to intergrate with the future Metro station. With the four council objectives of Vibrant, Welcoming, Sustainable and Authentic, the Little Creek precinct will transition from its current heavy industrial land into a vibrant hub, with a creative and thriving neighborhood.

Sports center

Market

Shared street

Car-free street

Porket park

Little creek Reserve park

Public Domain - Open Space Typology

Yuchao Dong, Mohan Chen & Gabriel Law, St Marys Town Centre

The heart of St Marys, the place that ‘St-Marys-ers’ want to be, both weekdays and weekends. The design principles that underpin this project are fivefold: (1) to redirect car-inlets, inputting shared paths and wombat crossings across street gaps; (2) to increase blue-green infrastructure to lower severity of urban heat island and heatwave effects; (3) to establish a civic heart as connecting routes and attractions along Queen Street; (4) to rejuvenate Queen Street with more dayto-night activities and food for local communities; and (5) to improve safety by encouraging passive security and vibrancy for night lifestyle.

Key Moves

Connectivity

REDIRECT CHARLES HACKETT DRIVE & CREATE SHARED PATHS

CREATE NEW STREETS & EXTEND THRESHOLD

TO REDIRECT HIGH SPEED CAR INLET & TO ESTABLISH shared paths in major streets & junctions to center pedestrian experience

- Redirect car-inlets from Charles Hackett Drive towards North Carinya 0-Avenue

- T-Junction of Charles Hackett Drive & Queen Street to be transformed 0-as pedestrian centered with same footpath levels

- Carinya Avenue to be convert as pedestrian street with shared zone of 010km/h

Key Moves

- Queen Street & Secondary streets to be installed with protected 0-cycleways with trail towards Central Park

Connecting With Country

TO EXTEND THRESHOLDS & CARVE new east-west street connections between districts towards Central Park & St Marys Village

- Thresholds to be cut between lengthy blocks that allows more walkable 0-connections towards Queen Street

- Ant trails to be pierce through between major intersections to set a 0walkable continuation network

- Allow a straightforward and more welcoming entrance route towards St 0Marys Village with direct footpaths from Coachmans Park

CIVIC GREEN PARK WATERWAY COUNTRY

TO ATTRACT activities to be concentrated in Central Park with Coachman Park as entry and impression of St Marys

- Setting iconic infrastructure and specific uses on street edges to promote 0-interest towards St Marys’ civic heart and prolong the period of staying

- Design references Country and orientates towards pedestrian safety and 0-experience

- Enable events to be held within Central Park for wider range of day-to0-night activities

TO RESPECT the origins of St Marys with emphasis on water in public spaces as site character & function as climate resilience

- Reintroduce water as forms of water features (WSUD) for mitigating 0-heat streets along pedestrian walkways

- Through the Wetland Zone, setting water as educational & recreational 0-uses of Kokoda Park sitting opposite of the childcare center

- The Waterplay Hub in Central Park’s core act as a meeting point and 0-ceremonial space as reference to original usage of St Marys

Key Moves

COACHMANS CIVIC EDGE & COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS

INTENSIFY QUEEN STREET SHOP FRONTAGE & UPPER COMMERCIAL

TO HIGHLIGHT EDGES as indicators of destinations and amalgamate uses to different districts

- Strengthen the imageability of St Marys local 0-identity through highlighting Coachmans Park’s 0-edges with communal facilities

- Zoning of land uses to concentrate commercial 0-offices along Crana Street & Chapel Street

- �rovide higher �uality view points towards the 0-civic green park and Blue Mountains

TO INTENSIFY retail businesses along Queen Street for a better urban vibrancy and commercial hierarchy

- Diversify functions with site amalgamation built 0-ups on top of existing retails that facilitates a 0-total of 5-7 levels of businesses along Queen 0-Street

- Intensify Queen Street experience with 0-continuation of retails and connected awnings

Town Park Precinct - Ground Floor Plan

CharlesHackettDrive

TO LAND SWAP parking lots into an urbanised environment with new blocks facilitating mixed uses LAND SWAP CAR PARKING LOTS FOR REDEVELOPMENT

- Adjoint Kokoda Park & Lang Park through land 0-swapping St Marys Village car parking lots to 0-reconfigure shopping �all� for�ing �Central �ark� 0-as a whole connected space

- �ncourage �ixed-use and residential apart�ent 0-blocks to be developed on land swapped lots

- �erfor� as a secondary corridor fro� �ueen 0-Street to create variation in street urbanicity 0-along Carinya Avenue & Gidley Street

- Reconfigure council owned lands into 0-appropriate uses to fulfill surrounding function 0-context

QUEEN STREET: Intensified retails & higher walking enjoyability with continuous connection of awnings and interests

CORRIDORS: Highlighted edges of communal & commercial uses to create indicators of connections and of attracting variation in interest

Communing with the Parramatta River: A Transformative Vision for Rydalmere

The Parramatta River has been a lifeline for the Dharug Nation and Burramattagal people for thousands of years. It holds deep cultural significance, yet it also carries the weight of colonial trauma. As the City of Parramatta grows, there is a vision to transform the river into a continuous parkland— one that restores its natural health, improves access, and recognises its cultural value.

This studio focuses on Rydalmere, an area along the river facing significant pressure to accommodate more housing. The question is: how can urban growth happen without sacrificing the river’s wellbeing? At the core of the project is the commitment to Care for Country. The master plan aims to honour the area’s deep cultural significance. This means starting with Country—prioritising the river’s wellbeing and incorporating spaces for cultural practices and gathering.

COORDINATOR

Deena Ridenour

TUTORS

Deena Ridenour

Alice Vialard

Brendan Randles

Tanya Vincent

STUDIO CRITICS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Gabriela Fernandez, Urban Design Association NSW

Marco Geretto, Government Architect NSW

Diane Griffiths, Studio GL

Jan McCredie, City of Parramatta

Julia Pressick, City of Sydney

Matthew Pullinger, Matthew Pullinger Architect

Joe Rowling, e8urban

Pranita Shrestha, ADP

Caitlin Summers, City of Parramatta

Tomas van der Veer, Sydney Metro

Kati Westlake, Transport for NSW

Christiane Whiteley, Architectus

Ian Woodcock, ADP

Vera Xia, ADP

The master plan creates a new local centre, alongside an expanded river parkland. Housing will grow, but in a way that respects the existing character of the area. Green spaces will be woven into the community, and new transport infrastructure will connect people to the river and to each other. The goal is to foster a neighborhood that’s resilient to climate challenges while protecting the river’s ecosystems. By integrating cultural heritage, urban design, and environmental resilience, this studio presents a bold vision— one that reimagines Rydalmere as a place where people and nature thrive together, with the Parramatta River at its heart.

URBAN DESIGN STUDIO: URBAN PRECINCT

Hsiao Yun Tseng, Irene Sarah, Sonya Gupta & Abhishek Hegde, Rydalmere Master Plan

This master plan proposition co-locates two local centres with light rail stops connected by a new spine of urban living along South Street and a new blue green network. The western centre caters to neighbourhood shopping needs along a small high street linking light rail, a new plaza and the foreshore. In the eastern centre, a new community hub incorporates public facilities, interconnected open spaces and a neighbourhood shop. The proposal strengthens connections with nature and the river by enhancing biodiversity, creating open spaces, and improving pedestrian access to the foreshore. It reimagines industrial buildings and urban infrastructure, while varied building forms follow the topography, creating a cohesive and dynamic riverside environment.

Riverbond

A Strategic Plan for the National High-Speed Rail Authority

Australia’s railway system has a rich history, playing a key role in early colonisation and the development of both capital and regional cities. It was essential for facilitating agricultural and mining production through expansive networks that, by the late 19th century, were far more extensive than they are today. However, with the rise of car and truck transport in the early 20th century, many regional railways declined, and those that remained have not been modernised. Many tracks, originally laid for 19th-century steam technology still follow winding routes, resulting in slow and sometimes unreliable services. Since the 1980s there have been numerous discussions about upgrading the rail link between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia’s most populous cities, but no plans have been realised. This corridor now ranks as the 5th busiest air route in the world, contributing significantly to environmental emissions.

COORDINATORS/TUTORS

Alice Vialard

Ian Woodcock

LECTURERS

Halvard Dalheim

Catherine Gilbert

GUEST LECTURERS

James Whitten, UniMelb

Iain Lawrie, UniMelb

Garry Glazebrook, Fastrack Australia

Maddie Shahi, Transport for NSW

Antony Mifsud, Transport for NSW

Tanya Vincent, Transport for NSW

STUDIO CRITICS

Syd Herron, Aviation and Airport Consultant

Thomas Van der Meer, Sydney Metro

Gabriela Fernandez, Urban Design Association NSW

Ross Lowrey, Fastrack Australia

June Williamson, City College of New York

Bob Giddings, Northumbria University

A High-Speed Rail (HSR) connection between Sydney and Melbourne presents an opportunity to reshape the urban landscape of the cities it would serve, especially around the new train stations. This development could spur economic growth, support increased population density, and reduce travel times between regional and capital cities, leading to changes in living, working, and travel patterns. The studio project focused on preparing a strategic plan for New South Wales, mapping out potential routes and stops for the proposed HSR. The aim was to assess the potential impacts of the HSR stations on various locations. A more detailed plan was later developed for one station to demonstrate the transformative impact on areas with different urban characteristics, including metropolitan CBDs, suburban centers, urban edges, satellite centers, and regional cities, or even new settlements. The proposed station stops included Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Gosford, Glenfield, Canberra, and Wagga Wagga.

INTEGRATED URBANISM STUDIO

Presentation of a Comprehensive Strategic Plan for the National High Speed Rail Authority

Fariz Hazmi, Carolina Pantoja Mardones, Rosalin Kapa, Sherly

Irene Robert Parthiban & Suhas Chaudari, Gosford Waterfront Interchange City 2050

The proposed Sydney-Newcastle Fast Speed Rail aims to establish a sustainable and efficient commuting system, reducing travel times between the two regions to under one hour. This project will enhance access to job opportunities, affordable housing, and amenities, promoting the distribution of a diverse population across regional areas. Gosford has been strategically selected as the central focus station due to its midway location, ensuring equitable access to both Sydney and Newcastle. By 2050, Gosford will be a liveable and resilient city, supporting a diverse population with affordable housing, local jobs, services, and recreational opportunities within a 15-minute radius. The fast rail will bolster regional development and improve connectivity for all.

Yuwen Cheng, Xiaobing Lyu, Chenchen Wang, Jingbo Zhang, Minhao He & Zhicong Peng, Wagga Wagga Strategic Plan: resilient and healthy city

This project explores the transformative potential of introducing high-speed rail (HSR) to Wagga Wagga, a city positioned between Sydney and Melbourne. The plan addresses flood protection through levee construction, reconnects fragmented blue-green networks, and honors the cultural significance of the land to Indigenous communities. A focus on active transport promotes walking and cycling, while improved public transport and connectivity between the city’s north and south areas support the creation of a 15-minute CBD living area. By enhancing public spaces, increasing diverse housing options, and fostering economic growth, the project aims to establish Wagga Wagga as a healthy, resilient, well-connected destination, anchored by potential green space and well-established sports facilities.

Urban Report, Planning Report

The Urban Report is a substantial project involving research conducted over one semester. It takes the form of a written and illustrated report (between 5,000 and 10,000 words) that is produced in response to a consultancy research brief. The aim of the unit is to build students’ skills and knowledge in conducting research within an urban research consultancy context. Depending on the research brief, the report may be: (1) be practically focused, such as the preparation of an urban design or urban development project; (2) be theoretically focused, such as a review of a conceptual viewpoint; or (3) occupy the middle ground, such as an exploration of a contemporary issue or review/testing of a theoretical method. The Urban Report is an opportunity to build skills and knowledge in a particular area of urbanism within a professional setting. The aim of the Urban Report is to enhance the student’s skills and knowledge in relation to the professional practice of urbanism.

URBAN REPORT

The Planning Report is a substantial piece of research conducted over one semester. It takes the form of a report (between 10,000 and 12,000 words) on a topical urban and regional planning subject of choice. In some cases, the report is based on a priority thematic topic agreed with a local council in the Sydney metropolitan area. The Planning Report provides an opportunity to think critically about a planning problem and to develop an appropriate research methodology or analytical approach to address it. It advances knowledge in a real-world planning situation.

PLANNING REPORT

COORDINATORS

Nancy Marshall

Yoshimi Hasegawa

Pranita Shrestha

Chapter 5 Findings

Images: Housing our people in New South Wales, 1965, Housing Commission of NSW. From Hayley Edmonds – The value and vulnerability of the Post-War walk-up report

Suhas Chaudhari, Decolonising Placemaking Practices for

Re-Indigenising Urban Environments

This report attempts to derive a comprehensive framework that can guide the current and aspiring practitioners of placemaking in decolonising their practices for re-indigenising urban environments. The framework attempts to address the dichotomy of colonial and Indigenous worldviews, one that is based on the racial thinking structure and the other on cultural protocols and traditional knowledge. I first became aware of this dichotomy through my conversation with the Tweed Shire Aboriginal Land Council CEO and Elders for an academic exercise early last year (SLIC program, University of Sydney, 2023) (Chaudhari 2023). The Elders while sharing their experiences and knowledge simply highlighted the difference in the worldviews using “Law” and “Lore” (Chaudhari 2023). The inquiries in this report are to understand the difference between the colonial worldview and the Indigenous ways of knowing, to understand its influence on placemaking practices that shape our urban environments, and for deriving recommendations to eliminate the difference by bringing that awareness to practices of placemaking. Placemaking is the interconnection of the place with its people, and their cultural, spiritual and ecological ideologies (Whyte, 1980). Concerned with the interconnectivity of people and places, the question for most colonial settler cities is the role and representation of First Nations peoples in urban discourse. These concerns were reaffirmed in my interactions with Aboriginal Planning Lecturer, Elle Davidson, who suggested a clear link between Indigenous cultural practices and built environments, proposing a potential for transforming urban environments into places of cultural education.

Planning, a key driver of placemaking practices, is rooted in the colonial worldview of racial thinking structure that originally allowed for the dispossession of Aboriginal communities by colonisers (Sue Jackson et al. 2018). With this understanding, this report first needs to critically examine the colonial roots of the current planning systems through historical analysis to investigate and bring out the planning tools exercised for colonisation purposes. It also needs to highlight the colonial worldview’s basis for the practitioners’ awareness, one that views land as a commodity (Porter, 2010) and the other that views it as Country (Alison Page, 2021). Country in Aboriginal cultures encompasses the depths of land, sky, waters and all living things in the Universe (Alison Page, 2021).

This discourse will highlight the need for practitioners to critically identify colonial planning at play in urban environments and eliminate it through conscious practice to re-establish the connection with Country. This undoing of colonialism in this report is referred to as ‘de-colonisation’ and the revival of the connection of people with the place or Country as ‘reindigenisation’. The report requires a look at best-practice planning precedence to derive effective approaches for de- colonising planning practices. Further, it must refer to design theories and protocols developed by Indigenous placemaking practitioners and designers. These design theories can then be examined in action through the case of the built example to derive the methods for reindigenising urban environments.

As emerging built environment and placemaking professionals, recognising colonial veneers of planning and peeling them off to re-indigenise urban environments becomes a vital skill to ensure

the development of socially just and inclusive future cities. This approach of historical analysis, and literature review of planning and design theories, coupled with the precedence study of best practice planning policies and built examples, can aid in developing an understanding of the opposing worldviews that have influenced our urban environments and derive methods for reversing the disruption it continues to cause. It ultimately proposes a framework that fills the gap in current guidelines and makes the practitioners aware of the biases in their practices for truly ‘Decolonising placemaking practices’ for ‘Re-Indigenising urban environments’.

The report is mindful of its limitations over engaging with traditional custodians of the land, consciously refraining from making recommendations without active engagement of the community. Instead, it draws its findings from trustworthy sources developed by First Nations practitioners and experts to ensure its cultural safety and integrity.

Research Questions

The above-highlighted concern about our current placemaking practices poses grave questions that this report considers.

1. How has the dichotomy of the colonial worldview and Indigenous ways of knowing influenced current placemaking practices?

2. What is the best-practice approach for undoing colonialism in practices - to ‘De-Colonise’ planning practices?

3. How do we approach the revival of ‘Connection with Country’ for ‘Re-Indigenising’ urban environments?

4. How do we incorporate the Indigenous worldview in placemaking practices and design process, to exercise ‘Decolonisation’ of practice for ‘Re-Indigenising’ environments?

Image: Aboriginal Mural at the Redfern Station by Suhas Chaudhari

Emma Williamson, Rethinking Resilience – Public Open Space: A Pathway to Improved Urban Resilience in NSW

Urban resilience has become a central concept in global discourse about how our increasingly urbanised communities prepare for and respond to natural hazards. Across NSW the frequency and severity of natural hazards including extreme heat, flood, coastal inundation and bushfire is rising rapidly and forecast to continue as our climate changes in the coming decades. The aim of urban resilience is to ensure that cities and towns have the capacity to adapt and thrive regardless of the hazards they face.

Public open spaces are widely acknowledged as a significant contributor to urban resilience through their ability to deliver a variety of benefits to the urban ecosystem simultaneously. These qualities include mitigating heat, enhancing biodiversity and ecology, and managing flooding and stormwater which all contribute to strengthening the resilience of urban areas and creating safe, liveable communities, economic prosperity, and healthy environments. The purpose of this report is to deliberate the effectiveness of current resilience approaches to answer the overarching research question: How can public open spaces in NSW be reimagined to improve urban resilience to natural hazards?

It combines an analysis of resilience theory literature and policy, review of best practice precedents, and industry insights to present a new perspective to delivering urban resilience through public open space design.

The report is divided into three sections: Section A Understanding Urban Resilience presents the core research question, approach and key concepts discussed throughout the report. It provides the context to understand how natural hazards are impacting NSW and our rapidly urbanising communities.

The discussion is underpinned by thematic analysis of key theoretical planning frameworks including urban political ecology, systems thinking, ecological modernisation, risk-based planning, Caring for Country, and placed-based community-centred responses. These concepts are discussed individually and are then woven into the future report sections to inform our understanding of current resilience responses and consider how these might evolve into the future.

Section B Applying Urban Resilience explores how urban resilience is currently planned for across NSW and highlights the limited focus given to public open space.

Two exemplary case examples are presented to demonstrate how current strategies and policies are facilitating resilience in reality. One is a local NSW case study of Merrylands Memorial Park Playground where a simple retrofit of an existing playground has substantially minimised the risk of extreme heat. The other is a global precedent set by the City of Rotterdam through the redesign of a public square, known as Watersquare Benthemplein, to incorporate innovative flood mitigation features.

Section C Rethinking Urban Resilience evaluates the findings of the theoretical analysis, policy review and case examples to present four key insights that address the overarching research question:

Planning for urban resilience in NSW is fragmented.

• Public open space has been overlooked.

• Effective urban resilience interventions can be simple and affordable.

• Recent policy developments suggest a more resilient future for NSW.

Tethered to these findings are four recommendations that advocate for evolution of urban resilience planning in NSW and encourage a reimagining of the role of public open space:

• Resilient public open space design is embedded at every level of the NSW planning system.

• A Resilient Public Open Space Design Guideline is developed.

• Reimagine the RE1 Public Recreation zone as RE1 Public Resilience.

• Take collaboration and participation to the next level.

While the report achieves the research objective of considering how public open space can be harnessed to improve urban resilience to natural hazards, it has its limitations and acknowledges that the professional implications of the recommendations, such as financial and delivery complexities, are not addressed in detail.

Public open spaces are a vital and currently underutilised asset in the pursuit of more resilient urban communities. This report aims to contribute to contemporary urban resilience discourse and encourage all those with a role in shaping our cities to consider how we can reimagine public open spaces to protect our cities from natural hazards so that future generations can thrive.

Image: Coalcliff landslide 2024, by Emma Williamson

Hayley Edmonds, The Value and the Vulnerability of the Post-

War Walk-Up

The search for mid-rise housing in well-located areas

Mid-rise housing has been termed the ‘missing middle’ of Sydney’s new housing supply by the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Industry. Defined as 3-6 storey residential flat buildings and shop-top housing, the recent Explanation of Intended Effect: Changes to create low- and mid-rise housing (Department of Planning and Environment 2023b) identifies that mid-rise housing is both underrepresented in new construction, and is a preferred typology among prospective home-owners and renters.

To address this shortcoming, the NSW Government has proposed to introduce policy reforms to facilitate the supply of mid-rise housing, particularly in ‘well-located areas’. The EIE identifies that mid-rise housing is currently prevented in many residential areas through zonings that prohibit medium density, and further by restrictive development controls (DPE 2023b, 18-19). As such, the proposed reforms will expand the permissibility of mid-rise housing, and will introduce non-refusal standards (DPE 2023b, 25-26).

The stated context of these reforms is the housing crisis in NSW, which is attributed to an increasing population and associated demand for housing, alongside a decline in the supply of new homes (DPE 2023b, 7). These factors are correlated with housing affordability, and ‘a growing population of renters now fac[ing] record-low vacancy rates’ (DPE 2023b, 7). This new mid-rise housing is targeted towards ‘existing urban areas’ (DPE 2023b, 10), otherwise termed ‘well-located areas’, and further defined as ‘station and town centre precincts’ (DPE 2023b, 26-27). The construction of new midrise housing in existing urban areas is justified through the existing infrastructure in these areas, as well as Sydney’s continuing urban sprawl.

However, missing from the EIE is any statement as to intentions towards Sydney’s existing supply of mid-rise housing. Further, no reference is given to the fact that ‘existing urban areas’, particularly those in Sydney’s inner and middle rings, are likely to already contain a proportion of existing mid-rise housing. Given the importance given to facilitating the supply of new mid-rise housing, should the retention of Sydney’s existing stock also be prioritised?

Under our very noses?

Though today under-represented in new construction, 3-6 storey residential flat buildings are well-represented in many of Sydney’s inner and middle suburbs. Much of this typology dates from the Post-War period, the result of a ‘flat boom’ that lasted from approximately 1960 to 1970. At its peak in the late 1960s, flats accounted for almost half of all new dwelling construction in the Sydney Metropolitan Area (Rosketh 1971, 99). The nature of this boom and its resulting dwellings is unique to its historical context. Flats were generally constructed of brick with large window areas, and were of simple, geometric form. They were designed to be quick and cost-effective to construct, containing small units suitable for new families or one-person households. They are demonstrative of particularly social and policy trends of the Post-War period, which saw high levels of migration, increasingly diverse households, and a government that prioritised the provision of public housing. Flat construction was undertaken by both the private and public sector, particularly the Housing Commission of NSW. The Post-War period saw a vast amount of public housing constructed across the state, based on the notion that – ‘a dwelling of good standard

and equipment is not only the need but the right of every citizen – whether the dwelling is to be rented or purchased, no tenant or purchaser should not be exploited by excessive profit’ (CHC 1944, 8). Flats formed a major part of this construction, and by 1965 comprised 25% of all public housing construction.

The 3-6 storey height of these blocks was unprecedented in many suburbs, which were otherwise characterised by one or two storey free-standing and terrace housing. Contemporary objections to the spread of walk-up flats resulted in the introduction of segregated zonings and restrictive development controls, the very provisions that the proposed housing reforms intend to address.

In many suburbs, the Post-War walk-up may be the only, or at least, the predominant, form of mid-rise housing. Research undertaken in Melbourne’s inner-suburbs has suggested that the Post-War walkup is an inherently affordable housing typology (Palm et al. 2020). In ‘well-located’ inner-Sydney suburbs that demonstrate particularly high rental costs, this typology is particularly important in providing housing diversity and affordability. Research undertaken by the City Futures Research Centre establishes that older apartment buildings are preferred over new builds by a significant proportion of perspective apartment buyers, due to perceived building quality and design features. As such, the researchers pointed to the importance of managing existing stocks of historic apartment buildings (City Futures Research Centre 2022, 41).

In inner suburbs that are otherwise characterised by free-standing and single-dwelling houses, the Post-War walk-ups (PWWU) plays a valuable role in providing diverse forms of housing. As such, the retention of existing mid-rise housing, should therefore be prioritised to the same extent as the construction of new. Generally, the retention of built form is ensured through its listing as a heritage item on a statutory heritage register, at the national, State or local level. However, while earlier housing typologies such as terraces, villas and cottages are often protected by heritage controls, the Post-War walk-up has not been recognised as a significant housing typology. Review of heritage conservation controls in the City of Sydney demonstrates that this typology is in fact classified as ‘detracting’, and is therefore suitable for replacement.

Image: Photograph of an architectural model, 1930s-1980s, Max Dupain

This research seeks to investigate the contribution of Post-War walk-ups to Sydney’s historic inner- suburbs, specifically in the suburbs of Glebe and Forest Lodge. The suburbs can be considered ‘well-located’, being located close to Sydney’s CBD and in close proximity to several tertiary education institutions and hospitals. The suburbs are also characterised by a large proportion of heritage listings, with the majority of their land area covered by heritage conservation areas.

This research will be structured around the following research question and sub-questions:

• What is the contribution of Post-War walk-ups to heritage conservation areas in Glebe and Forest Lodge?

• What is their assessed contribution to the heritage significance of these conservation areas?

• What is the context of this assessment?

• How else could their contribution be assessed?

Approach

To address these questions, it will look at how heritage significance, and the contribution of each element within a heritage conservation area, is assessed in NSW. Relying primarily on Smith’s Authorised Heritage Discourse (2006), Brett’s aestheticisation of heritage (1996) and Spennemann’s intergenerational bias (2022), it will suggest that the NSW heritage framework prioritises built form that is traditionally considered aesthetically pleasing, and in particular is inherently prejudiced against built form that both dates from the Post-War period.

It will then posit that the prioritisation of form over function in relation to historic housing typologies has diminished the progressive social intent of early heritage conservation action in NSW (Burgmann and Burgmann 2016; Logan 2016). It will demonstrate that Post-War walk-ups are a valuable source of diverse and affordable housing, and their retention should be prioritised in the same way as historic workers housing was in the Post-War period (Palm et al. 2020, City Futures Research Centre 2023, Roseth 1971).

Using spatial and document analysis, it will investigate the current and former planning controls in Glebe and Forest Lodge, and their classification of, and attitude towards, Post-War walk-ups. It will establish that all PWWUs in Glebe and Forest Lodge’s Heritage Conservation Areas are classified as ‘detracting’ elements, and therefore encouraged for redevelopment. It will analyse these findings through the lens of intergenerational bias, and discuss the context and the implications of this assessment.

Overlooked and underappreciated?

This research will establish that heritage conservation area controls in the City of Sydney classify Post-War walk-ups as ‘detracting’ elements, and encourage their demolition and replacement. It will demonstrate that the loss of these dwellings would be detrimental to both the heritage significance of these conservation areas, and to their ability to provide diverse and affordable housing.

Housing affordability, particularly in the private rental market, is a key concern for the NSW government, as it is for many local

and state governments nationally and internationally. However, proposed solutions are almost universally supply-side and reliant on the concept of filtering – that the construction of new housing increase supply and therefore decrease prices (Palm et al. 2020, 809). This approach is evident in the NSW Government’s intended housing reforms, and filtering is explicitly discussed in the NSW Productivity Commission’s Building more houses where people want to live, to which the EIE repeatedly refers.

Though dismissed by the dominant heritage discourse, as a typology the PWWU can be seen to be of historical and representative value. As a typology it is demonstrative of the unique conditions of housing supply in the Post-War period, associated both with the Post-War population boom, and the distinctly social attitude towards housing provision in both the public and private sectors. Further, the historic context in which these buildings were constructed has resulted in them being inherently affordable, a characteristic that would be unable to be achieved by new construction without government subsidy (Palm et. al 2020).

In the suburbs of Glebe and Forest Lodge, PWWUs play a vital role in providing housing diversity and affordability. However, they are also particularly vulnerable. Existing planning controls encourage their demolition, and proposed housing reforms will increase the potential capacity of replacement development. This is likely to result in a greater supply of housing that fewer people can afford, as well as the removal of a significant layer of development in these suburbs.

Chapter conclusion

This chapter has discussed the findings of the spatial and document analysis with reference to the historical context of the Post-War period, of using the theoretical lenses of intergenerational bias and form over function. It has established that current planning controls carry biases from the Post-War period, and do so through an over reliance on aesthetic concerns. Implications and possible solutions to this problem are addressed in the following chapter

Image: Glebe (Sydney’s Carlton) in Walkabout June 1971 ed., Australian National Travel Association

Philip Le, The Child-friendly Compact City

The concept of the “child-friendly city” was first conceived at the United Nations Habitat II Conference in 1996, where it was declared that recognition of children’s unique insight into their environments was crucial to achieving the long-term sustainability of cities (Malone, 2006, 15-16). Since this time, the shaping of urban development, particularly in cities of the Global North, has rapidly shifted to a more compact model of spatial growth, commonly known as ‘urban consolidation’. Moving away from historic patterns of suburban sprawl, the mobilisation of highdensity infill development has inevitably demanded a reassessment of how policymakers think about the relationship between the development of children and the shaping of the urban environment.

Moving house in the Compact City

It has been projected that more than 68% of the world’s population will be living in cities and other urban areas by 2050 (United Nations, 2018). In response, urban consolidation has been proposed as the most effective strategy for accommodating this exponential growth, concentrating development in key strategic centres to reduce the economic and environmental costs of developing new land and infrastructure. Its promoted merits as a healthier alternative to a car-oriented built environment has also marked a renewed interest in the “the urban formhuman health nexus”, which ironically, first began with the creation of low-density suburbs as a solution to the inner-city slums of the Industrial Revolution (Paine et al., 2021, 39).

Given this, the housing preferences of families living in metropolitan cities in Australia and similar nations have traditionally favoured lowdensity housing typologies situated on large suburban lots (Andrews and Warner, 2020, 264). Yet, more than 44% of apartments in Australia are now occupied by households with children (Andrews and Warner, 2020, 264). While in Sydney, where more than 28% of residents in apartments are currently families with children, it is predicted that this will rise to more than 40% by 2031 (Krysiak, 2018, 7, 13). Research, such as Tyrrell and Wood’s (2023) study on Lane Cove in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, have identified a wide range of motivations for these families, from the locational benefits of accessible employment centres to affordability constraints which prevent consumption of lower-density housing types.

Historically, the location of high-density housing in Australian cities has been concentrated in the inner-city. However, the urban consolidation trend in metropolitan strategic planning has resulted in the unprecedented expansion of this housing type to middle and outer suburban town centres (Woolcock et al., 2010, 184). The year 2015 marked the first year where more apartments were constructed than detached single dwellings (Kerr et al., 2021, 422). While in Sydney, more than half the population of over 100 suburbs were living in medium- to high density housing (Krysiak, 2018, 7-8). Consequently, as higher densities come to dominate the housing stock of cities, it is inevitable that an increasing number of households with children will find themselves living in this type of housing, regardless of their personal preferences or specific needs.

Metropolitan strategic planning for whom?

Prior to its dissolution in 2023, the responsibility for coordinating strategic policy in Sydney was overseen by the Greater Cities Commission, which provided housing targets that were implemented by councils through local housing strategies. At a fundamental level, the purpose of such planning frameworks is to ensure that market investment is strategically directed to help achieve an overall balance in housing demand and supply at the metropolitan scale. Yet, such policy mechanisms operate through a complex interplay within wider modes of neoliberal governance, which

often see the needs of the community increasingly subsumed by growthdependent paradigms of private sector interests (Pinnegar et al., 2020, 321-322). We may also see the current development of high-density housing as not only the spatial and built outcome of urban policy, but also as the product of a specific set of investor logics (Pinnegar et al. 2020, 321-322).

More than 55% of high-density housing is owned by investors in New South Wales, all of whom are driven by a desire to capture the largest possible segment of the housing market (Cook et al., 2023, 28). Consequently, decisions made about the design, amenities, and facilities provided by such housing are based on this need, resulting in small, undifferentiated one- and two-bedroom apartments appropriate for single or couple households only (Cook et al., 2023, 28). Yet, while developers may have a specific target group in mind, the spatial transformations required to facilitate such development, often involving the renewal of established areas with ageing housing stock, has meant a cross-section of households, including families with children, have ended up taking residence as well (Easthope and Tice, 2011, 427-428). As such, current housing policy at the metropolitan scale is not reflecting the realities of housing consumption at the local scale.

Why should planners care about children?

In order for urban consolidation to achieve its purported environmental, economic, and social goals, it must address the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations (Malone, 2006, 14-15). Hence, as Easthope, Tice, and Randolph (2011, 20) suggest, the question is not in whether high-density housing can accommodate a more sustainable form of urban living, but whether an increasing number and range of households can be sustained in this type of housing into the future. As planners implement policies which shape the everyday environments of children, their success will ultimately be measured by how well the developmental trajectory of these children will be facilitated as they grow into adulthood and reach their potential across various domains, including in cognitive, socio-emotional, and communication skills (Freeman, 2006, 69). Therefore, only in engaging with the specific needs of children might we begin to reframe how the conceptualisation and practice of urban consolidation can better reflect a more nuanced understanding of human wellbeing within the built environment.

Research statement

While urban consolidation policies aim to address the social, economic, and environmental costs of previous rounds of urban development, it has yet to adequately consider the needs of households with young children within wider concerns about the health and wellbeing of the community and the liveability of the city.

Subsequently, the report aims to develop planning mechanisms which can deliver better outcomes for young children living in high density housing, with particular focus on the development control process in New South Wales. To address this aim, the research answers three interrelated research questions:

1. How have households with young children been impacted by the transition to urban consolidation?

2. What environments do young children need to thrive in high density housing?

3. How can new dimensions of liveability and wellbeing be integrated into policy to improve the design of high-density housing for households with young children?

Comparative review of planning systems and lessons for NSW

This unit introduces principles for contemporary planning practice; systems for land use planning and environmental management in Australia; and, the practice of statutory planning and development assessment in NSW. It covers the key legal and institutional processes for environmental planning and development control and builds familiarity with state and local planning instruments in NSW and planning proposal process. In preparing for professional practice, the unit also develops students’ understanding of the principles, techniques and requirements for public participation in environmental planning and assessment; and, the ethical responsibilities of planners in decision-making processes. For Assignment two, students were asked to compare the local plan, and the wider planning system it operates within, for a local government area in NSW and a jurisdiction elsewhere in Australia or internationally. After comparing the role different levels of government play in planning; the source of legal power for the planning system; and comparing local planning instruments and approaches to development control, students are asked to focus their comparison on a chosen theme. Students examined degrees of vertical integration between higher level and local plans; the accessibility of the planning system to non-planners; and the management of specific issues such as flooding, heritage and biodiversity protection. In conclusion, students are asked to identify learnings and make recommendations for the planning system in NSW. Extracts from students’ thematic analyses follow.

PLANNING SYSTEMS, PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE

COORDINATOR

Catherine Gilbert

TUTOR

Amit Bhattarai

GUEST SPEAKERS AND CONTRIBUTORS

Giovanni Cirillo, Planning Lab

Elle Davidson, Zion Engagement and Planning/ADP

Stacey Miers, Shelter NSW

Mary-Lynne Taylor, Bartier Perry Lawyers

Yolande Stone, Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure

Image: Whittlesea from above. Source: City of Whittlesea, 2021.

Shayla Nguyen, Comparing Planning in Liverpool NSW and

Hume Victoria

This report presents a comparative analysis of the local planning approaches in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, focusing specifically on the Liverpool Local Environmental Plan 2008 and the Hume Planning Scheme. The comparison considers similarities and differences between the two jurisdictions. Despite variations in local context, both Liverpool City Council and Hume City Council face similar planning challenges, including considerations around airport impacts and sustainable development.

In terms of governance, NSW follows a planning framework consisting of State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs), Local Environmental Plans (LEPs), and Development Control Plans (DCPs) which shape planning decisions. Its overarching planning framework is governed by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). Victoria’s planning framework, governed by the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (PE Act), employs Victorian Planning Provisions (VPPs) as a template for planning schemes, emphasising integration of state and local policies. Both jurisdictions aim to promote sustainable development, economic growth, and community wellbeing through their legislative frameworks.

Public Participation

The EP&A Act sets the public exhibition period in NSW for public participation. The duration of public exhibitions is dependent on the type of development being proposed, with determinations only made once exhibition periods have concluded. While both states are required to consider community submissions, Victoria’s PE Act prescribes stronger emphasis on how exhibitions are required to communicate notices to the public, including mandatory newspaper and Government Gazette announcements. The PE Act goes further to prescribe post exhibition processes for considering submissions in the determination of a plan or development.

Thematic evaluation

The PE Act establishes clear, stepped guidance for planning processes and decision-making. This structure can be described as an order of workflow and process, clearly laid out in a succinct manner – in some instances clauses are termed as a frequently asked question, thereby improving accessibility to legislation, especially for members of the public. Furthermore, the integration and consistency in development standards set out by the PE Act for Victoria’s planning system allow for more streamlined processes and a singular point of reference for guidance.

Most notably where the PE Act demonstrates its strength in comparison to the EP&A Act is through its detailed consultation process. The EP&A Act provides a high-level account of what the consultation process should entail – namely the length in which applications or plans should be exhibited. However, the PE Act offers more detailed guidelines for who should be notified, when they should be notified and in what format this notification should take. The PE Act also stipulates detailed guideline procedures following the public exhibition period and how submissions should be considered through a stepped process. This level of detail provided in the PE Act gives greater weight to enforce consistent procedures across the state while ensuring community voices are heard and considered. This level of detail is lacking at a significant scale in NSW legislation.

Recommendations

There are certain nuances that exist between both the NSW and Victorian planning systems which provide each respective planning systems certain strengths over the other. Through the exploration of these two planning systems, the following recommendations can be applied in NSW:

1. Legislate local planning policies, plans, and strategies into the LEP to give them more authority and ensure they are closely aligned with the development standards, while integrating regional and district strategic plans. This alignment promotes collaboration across government levels to achieve shared visions and objectives state-wide.

2. Integration of the above-mentioned plans will necessitate amendments to the Standard Instrument and EP&A Act, further prioritising strategic planning to streamline processes and ensure greater development outcomes.

3. Provide further guidance within the EP&A Act for public participation and consultation to ensure fair and transparent community engagement approaches are conducted throughout the planning process.

Therefore, in prioritising strategic planning, development approval processes can be streamlined and thus translate envisioned goals into tangible outcomes on the ground.

Gabriella Taylor Helme, Snowy Monaro Regional Council Area and

Innsbruck District Authority

This comparative review assesses the merit of the different planning systems in Australia and Austria at a municipal level. Systems for plan-making, development assessment and planning appeals can vary in structure, and therefore outcome of development, although there are many features common to spatial planning systems throughout the world.

Case Study Local Areas

Snowy Monaro Regional Council

The Snowy Monaro Regional Council (SMRC) is a Local Government Area (LGA) in the Snowy Mountains and Monaro regions of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia, covering a land area of 15,161 sqm. The SMRC population is 22,132 (2023 ABS ERP), though the area attracts many visitors throughout the seasons for recreation and relaxation.

Land use is primarily primary production and parkland owing to the area’s rural setting. Residential makes up just over a quarter of land use, which is mostly utilised for tourism stays, especially during the winter ski season. $500 million is contributed to the regional area’s economy yearly through tourism.

Innsbruck District Authority

The Bezirk Innsbruck-Land or Innsbruck District Authority (IDA) is an administrative district authority in the state of Tyrol, Austria. The land area is 1,990 sqm, with a population of 181,698 as of January 2021. Like SMRC, the district area of Innsbruck, Stubaital, and Seefeld is dominated by valleys, mountains, and alpine areas, and is one of the most popular tourist and health resort locations globally.

There are 11 Planning Associations which support the various communities within the IDA. Planning Associations engage in cross-community planning and cooperation on behalf of the state government, participating in creating the regional programs and plans to support the local spatial planning and the major infrastructure focuses.

Comparison

The planning systems were compared in depth through the below categories. This section of the report has been omitted here, but is discussed in the Thematic Evaluation.

• Levels and Roles of Government in Relation to the Environment and Land Use Planning

• Overarching Legislation/Legal Authority for Planning System

• Local Planning Instruments

• How Development is Controlled

• Consultation Approaches

Thematic Evaluation and Recommendations

Prescriptive Zoning for Compact Cities

Currently, in many Australian and NSW towns and cities, the lack of housing in the areas where it is needed is creating significant cost of living pressures, forcing people to move further away from where they work, or to move out of their city altogether. Ski towns of NSW are no exception, wherein they severely lack housing and accommodation (let alone affordable housing), especially during peak season, for holiday goers, locals, and staff.

Similar to the ‘priced out’ realities faced by essential workers in Sydney, the key operational staff in the SMRC alpine areas also struggle with salaries that do not afford for the high cost of living. This has a flow on effect to local businesses and the ski resorts, and the operation of the resorts overall.

The prescriptive zoning approach in Austria and Innsbruck is a core component of the planning system, which has allowed for a suitable level of housing density to create aptly compact cities that encourage a more sustainable use of land. The density of housing situated in the Innsbruck valley and the exceptional transport offerings, by both train and bus, permit a relatively affordable and accessible living experience, despite the area being one of the most popular ski resorts in Europe.

Understanding Australia’s appetite, or lack thereof, for compact and dense planning prompts us to look introspectively. Our cultural views and assumptions of the right to the expanse of our Australian land (i.e. a large house and a backyard) greatly affects our zoning policy across all levels and in all locations. This impacts on our collective success in protecting the natural environment by not continually building out, instead of up, or in more strategically beneficial ways, like improving transport and land use.

The similarities of Austria and Australia’s planning systems were noted throughout the study. It was also stressed in the review that the highly complex and complicated nature of cities, towns and regions does therefore not qualify a simple ‘copy and paste’ solution of ‘good’ planning systems or policy. Actionable recommendations for consideration in the local planning of SMRC include:

• Increasing the height of buildings to allow for greater density in many parts of Jindabyne and the ski resorts;

• Placing incentives on the uptake of the increased height policy changes, so that this development will take place;

• Ensuring that the current zoning is working with the goals and objectives for affordable housing and a thriving area/operation of ski resorts, by promoting R3 medium density residential in more areas; and

• Building more public housing that specifically is allocated for essential workers.

Image: Freeskier overlooking Innsbruck from the Nordkette, source: Skiline

Annabel Humphreys, Comparing Planning Systems in Coffs

Harbour NSW and Bunbury WA

This comparative analysis studies the local planning systems and approaches between the coastal cities of Coffs Harbour, NSW and Bunbury, WA, with a thematic focus on planning for tourism. The two systems are comparable in their hierarchy of authority and legislation, with the greatest disparity being the integration and relationship between statutory and non-statutory planning instruments. The WA Planning and Development Act 1979 (PDA) represents a broad and comprehensive approach to state planning policy, although the objectives are fairly limited and ambiguous. Social, economical, and heritage considerations are more apparent within the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EPAA). Environmental considerations are prevalent throughout both.

Local legislation is enacted through the Coffs Harbour Local Environmental Plan 2013 (LEP), and the City of Bunbury Local Planning Scheme No.8 (Scheme), respectively. The aims of the LEP adopt a more strategic lens and establish a focus on the development of the Coffs Harbour City Centre. Strategic concepts are less apparent within the Scheme, which focusses on development control and management. However, the Scheme is complemented by the City of Bunbury Local Planning Strategy (LPS), which establishes the strategic vision for the municipality.

Planning for Tourism

Both municipalities utilise land-use zoning to control tourism development, established by the LEP and Scheme. In Coffs Harbour, the SP3 Tourist zone establishes localised areas for more intense tourism activity and infrastructure. Only two SP3 Tourist zones are identified within the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area (LGA), located within the Coffs Harbour suburb boundary and towards the coastline. The zones are considerably small, and are largely surrounded by residential zones. Types of tourism development are also permitted with consent in various other zones. The LEP establishes additional provisions for eco-tourist facilities, and distinguishes types of tourism development between accomodation uses, recreation and eco-tourism uses, allowing for certain development types to be permitted under different land-use zones. Due to the dispersal of tourism development across different zones, varying development standards and controls apply, and are thus better suited to the type of development. Eco-tourism facilities are permitted across the widest range of zones, representing a tangible application of the Coffs Coast Tourism Strategy 2023 in its aim to promote the region as an eco-tourist destination.

Within Bunbury, the Tourism Zones defined by the Scheme are dispersed across the LGA, covering small areas which allows for concentrated localities of tourism activity. The only other zone to allow for tourism development is the Regional Centre Zone, which is situated between the coast and Koombana Bay. The dominant concentration of land-use zoning which allowing for tourism development is to the north coast and the bay. The inland Tourism Zones are positioned in relation to urban development, and private community purposes. The majority of land-uses associated to tourism activity are classed as discretionary - requiring planning approval from the LGA. Whilst this lengthens the approval process, it ensures council can regulate the development, and provides them with an opportunity to sustain and enact Bunbury’s strategic policies.

Both the Coffs Harbour LEP and Bunbury Scheme make little effort to consider the cumulative environmental and cultural impacts of tourism development and activity. The Scheme maintains a further emphasis on the economical benefits of tourism development and its contribution to the tourism industry. This is supported by the LPS, which establishes tourism as a “significant contributor to the State and local economy” (LPS 2018). The dispersal of tourism development throughout different land-use zones in the LEP may complicate the overarching planning strategy for Coffs Harbour as different zone objectives would apply, and tight regulation of development might be diffused.

Recommendations for Coffs Harbour, NSW

Taking into account the differing planning approaches between Coffs Harbour and the City of Bunbury, the following recommendations to improve the Coffs Harbour LEP are made:

1. Integration of statutory and non-statutory instruments: to support a cohesive and consistent approach to planning, ensuring strategic visions are implemented through development controls.

2. Clarification of land-use zoning: to address the dispersion of tourism development across land-use zone and refine differing land-use objectives and regulations.

3. Cumulative impact management: to ensure environmental and cultural impacts are considered.

Top image: Coffs Harbour, Source: City of Coffs Harbour, coffscoast.com.au

Bottom image: Bunbury, Source: City of Bunbury, www.bunbury.wa.gov.au

Jolie Francis, Comparing Planning Practices in CanterburyBankstown, NSW and

Georgetown, Texas

This comparative analysis researched the local planning systems of Canterbury-Bankstown Council in NSW and Georgetown, Texas in the United States to determine the process and main goals of each. Both governmental areas rest outside of the main recognisable city centres of Sydney and Austin, respectively, and have similar land area sizes and population density. Overall, Canterbury-Bankstown and Georgetown have very similar planning processes and land use controls, but stronger legislation in Australia encourages Canterbury-Bankstown to cover a wide range of development concerns more inclusively.

Comparison of planning systems structures and priorities

Both the national planning systems have a decentralised planning framework that allocate most of the planning responsibilities to the smaller scale governments. Australian state-wide regulations outline local planning objectives and local government areas adopt their local environmental plans to expand on these goals while remaining within the scope of state regulations. In the United States, there is no federal or Texas state planning departments, so state statutes have outlined objectives and delegated all of the planning responsibility to the municipal governments.

New South Wales Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW EPAA) and the Texas Constitution and Statutes both outline objectives for local governmental planning, but the Australian plan has a much stronger focus on environmental and cultural development. With no environmentally focused points, the Texas Constitution states that the general purpose of their outline is to promote the economy and efficiency in development. Along with having different priorities, NSW’s plan is much more extensive and specific.

The local objectives of the two municipalities are more alike, with Georgetown introducing environmental development. The aims of the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Environmental Plan 2023 (LEP) and DCP are in accordance with any applicable State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) and the NSW EPAA. Mitigating environmental concerns appears to be the largest concern in these documents.

Although there are no local planning instrument requirements in the Texas Constitution, the city of Georgetown created their 2030 Comprehensive Plan and outlined their development controls in their Unified Development Code (UDC). The plan follows the Texas objectives and includes environmental preservation.

The United States and Texas governments have entirely divided departments, and the planning language in relevant land use legislation is so vague that no strong requirements are clear. Since so much of the decision-making and planning framework has been allocated to the local level, Georgetown has been able to embed what they would like in their comprehensive plan and UDC. While this can be beneficial by allowing cities to closely develop planning to their distinct needs and vision, broader objectives like heritage and environmental protection have been minimised in favour of economic development.

Recommendations for the Texas planning system

By comparing plans and legislation, this report determined that Canterbury-Bankstown has a stronger top-down planning systems approach that encourages better coverage of socioeconomic and sustainability issues in the built environment. For Georgetown, state and federal guidance is too broad and loose to clearly define local development requirements. This has allowed the vital inclusion of cultural and environmental issues to be left out of planning practices.

Since there is no national or state planning department, the City of Georgetown should initiate new goals by following the descriptiveness and extensiveness of Canterbury-Bankstown’s LEP, in particular, expanding cultural heritage and environmental protection legislation in their UDC and comprehensive plan.

Top image: Map of Canterbury-Bankstown Council, Source: Google Maps

Bottom image: Map of Georgetown, Texas, Source: Google Maps

Matthew Crotty, A Comparative Review of the Planning Systems

of Campbelltown City Council and the City of Whittlesea with Regards to Heritage Management

This assignment compared the planning systems of Campbelltown City Council in NSW and the City of Whittlesea in Victoria. Campbelltown City Council was established in 1882 on the traditional lands of the Dharawal People (Campbelltown City Council, 2024). Its population was recorded as 176,519 in the 2021 census, up by 11% from 2016 (ABS, 2016; ABS, 2021). The City of Whittlesea was established in 1862 on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Willum Clan and Taungurung People (City of Whittlesea, 2024). Its population was recorded as 229,336 in the 2021 census, up by 10.6% from 2016 (ABS, 2016; ABS 2021). These Local Government Areas were selected for comparison because of their similar population sizes, growth rates, and times at which they were established. As they undergo considerable change, their planning mechanisms are in the process of being tested, particularly when identifying and protecting heritage sites.

Heritage value can be defined in simple terms as a quality that warrants preservation for future generations due to aesthetic, historic, social, or some other variety of particular importance. The planning system of any jurisdiction should manage and conserve heritage items and areas for their significance to the identity of the public it serves. Analysis of the aforementioned jurisdictions revealed that:

• National protections for Indigenous heritage are severely limited and do not seem to be paying enough attention to the voices of Traditional Owners, particularly in Victoria where there are fewer advocacy groups.

• Appeals to the judiciary regarding planning and heritage matters cannot be made by anyone but the proponent in NSW (except for procedural errors), which seems to prioritise the rights of developers over the rights of community members. In Victoria, anyone is allowed to appeal on merit.

• NSW’s planning system seems marginally more codified. This sets clearer expectations but limits possibilities for creativity.

Upon reflection, the following three recommendations were formulated for the improvement of the planning system in NSW:

• NSW should continue to encourage and pay attention to groups advocating for the preservation of Indigenous cultural heritage to guarantee its presence at a national level. The more tiers heritage is protected at, the less likely the failure of one is to lead to an adverse impact.

• Everyone who is affected by a development proposal should be allowed to appeal determinations through the judicial system, not just proponents. Heritage is of great importance to members of the community, and if it is to be properly considered, they should be given the opportunity to question a decision on its merits.

• The extent to which planning decisions in NSW are codified should be challenged. There is room for a degree of merit-based assessment in the current system, but allowing more ingenuity may benefit heritage management as it interacts with other considerations such as growing populations.

Top image: Whittlesea from above. Source: City of Whittlesea, 2021. Bottom image: Campbelltown from above. Source: Airview, 2019

Fariz Hazmi, Comparing Vertical Integration in the Planning Systems of NSW and Victoria

This study compares the planning systems of New South Wales and Victoria, focusing on the vertical integration of their planning instrument framework, with the case study of Parramatta and Whitehorse Local Government Areas (LGA). Both LGAs are designated as metropolitan centers in their respective metropolitan scale strategic plans, with a similar population density of 2,600 to 3,000 people per square kilometre. The comparative analysis reveals that Victoria’s planning scheme demonstrates a more robust vertical integration between state and local planning policies and objectives of the instruments compared to NSW’s planning system, where the separation of planning instruments – State Envir