Architecture, Building and Planning

Learn how we’re making a difference

Graduate researchers in our faculty engage with industry, policymakers and the community. This collaboration helps to achieve real-world outcomes, and encourages a broad and multidisciplinary focus. We carry out innovative research into the past, present and future of built and natural environments.

We researched the effect of design on children in healthcare and wellbeing settings. This project led to resources to assist architects and government agencies to provide more supportive care environments for children and their families.

We determined how to design safe streets that prevent injuries. Together with Columbia University and the Barcelona Institute of Global Health, we analysed 1700 cities worldwide. The outcomes promote better data-based urban design for fewer road accidents.

We’ve worked alongside schools to evaluate learning spaces. The research findings then informed the re-design of these spaces across different school systems and hundreds of schools. We collaborated with the State Government of Victoria and independent schools organisations.

We’ve promoted greater attention for urban equality in planning and policymaking in cities around the world. To achieve this, we teamed up with the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at University College London, one of more than 10 international partners.

This is only a snapshot of research in architecture, building and planning. We’re continuing to push the boundaries of built environment inquiry, on a global scale.

To learn about current and past projects, visit the research projects page.

Explore the research

Research hubs, centres and institutes

The faculty hosts research groups that bring together internationally recognised experts. They are leaders in built environment research across a variety of areas.

• Australian Centre for Architectural History, Urban and Cultural Heritage – specialising in historical and cultural analysis of the built environment
• Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network – focusing on spatial analysis and datasets of Australia’s cities
• Connected Cities Lab – working with international partners on the key drivers of urban development and city leadership
• Informal Urbanism Research Hub – focusing on the informal side of cities
• Learning Environments Applied Research Network to understand and improve the way learning and built environment intersect
• Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute – convening the University’s collaboration on sustainability and resilience
• Thrive Research Hub – focusing on the interplay of buildings and ecosystems
• Transport, Health and Urban Design Research Hub – driving research on wellbeing in cities, via urban analytics.

Research directions

Our research directions address the University’s three broad research grand challenges: to understand our place and purpose, to foster health and wellbeing, and to support sustainability and resilience. Our research directions include:

• Architectural and Urban Past
• Cultural and Sustainable Landscapes
• Data and Value
• Design and Creative Research
• Future Cities
• Healthy Communities and Infrastructure
• Indigenous Place
• Practice and Construction Innovation

To learn about current and past projects, visit our research projects page.

Work with experts from other disciplines

Hallmark Research Initiatives

As a graduate researcher, you will have the chance to engage with the University’s Hallmark Research Initiatives. These initiatives support the development of multidisciplinary research. They are led by key staff from across the University.

The Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning is involved in several of these, including:

• Affordable Housing –  facilitating research into the quality and sustainability of housing. It brings together researchers from a large range of disciplines.
• BioInspiration – exploring how knowledge of biology can be used to respond to technological and design challenges. It brings together researchers in science, engineering and design.
• Creativity and Wellbeing – investigating the relationship between creativity and wellbeing, and the impact of creativity across the lifespan. This initiative brings together researchers from seven faculties.
• Economic and Social Participation – investigating the accessibility of social, economic and political institutions.

Melbourne Interdisciplinary Research Institutes

Our interdisciplinary research institutes strengthen and spark interdisciplinary research at the University. They connect industry, governments and communities in areas of importance to society.

The faculty hosts the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. This Institute solves challenges of climate change, water and food, with cross-faculty ‘clusters’ focused on future cities and climate. It also hosts the City of Melbourne Professorial Chair in Urban Innovation and Resilience, in partnership with the University and the city.

Other institutes involving architecture, building and planning include:

• Melbourne Energy Institute – investigating how to transition to a low carbon energy system
• Melbourne Disability Institute – improving the social and economic wellbeing of people with disability
• Melbourne Social Equity Institute – addressing disadvantage across health, education, housing, culture, work and transport.

Multidisciplinary PhD Programs

PhD Programs enrich your core PhD studies. They create the opportunity to extend your networks beyond your own faculty. Through these programs, you can also attend seminars and workshops with researchers from other relevant disciplines.

Work in a stimulating environment

Melbourne School of Design

You will be based in an inspiring building that enables multidisciplinary engagement. It also supports the exploration of complex built environment issues.

Graduate researchers have dedicated spaces to study and work. You can access contemporary facilities within our building and across campus to support your research. These include the faculty’s FabLab, NeXT Lab, Makerspace and MicroStudio.

Precincts

When you research with us, you’ll be in the heart of Australia’s leading scientific and cultural precincts. All of these will inform your research within the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning.

Opening in 2024, our new engineering and design campus at Fishermans Bend will bring research to life at an industrial scale. Purpose-built facilities will allow researchers and students to collaborate with industry to tackle real-world challenges. Together, we will turn groundbreaking ideas into market-ready solutions. And we will create a globally connected and thriving public realm in the heart of Fishermans Bend.

See industry and research precincts to learn more about scientific, cultural and entrepreneurial precincts close to our campuses.