Enhancing building performance and simulation

Designing, understanding, and predicting how buildings function and researching and testing how to manipulate performance for maximum effectiveness.

Research streams

  • People and Designed Environments

Academic staff

Name Research interests

Nabil Allaf

  • Integration of seismic structure and architecture
  • Architectural assessment and evaluation of seismic retrofit design solutions in existing buildings including heritage-listed buildings
  • Technical, societal and environmental challenges of high-rise buildings

Nilesh Bakshi

  • How human behavior can be measured and simulated in energy modelling and work with BIM (Building Information Modelling)
  • Passive conservation measures
  • How active systems, such as sustainable engineering technologies can be implemented or designed; life cycle analysis
  • Energy use and generation
  • Environmental and sustainable engineering systems design
  • Practice/industry Research development

Mike Donn

  • Studies of the performance of buildings as enhancers of people’s health and well-being, including the impact of building design on wind in the city and evaluating environmental quality indoors
  • Quality assurance in building performance simulation
  • Practice involvement, including auditing wind environment impact statements and performance analysis of building performance

Wallace Enegbuma

  • Automated green rating systems
  • Sustainable 3D printing shelter design for disaster management
  • 6D BIM frameworks for improving facilities management in healthcare facilities
  • Location Based Management (LBM) and IOT

Nigel Isaacs

  • Energy and environmental performance of buildings
  • Understanding the how’s, why’s, where’s and when’s of energy and water use in residential and non-residential buildings
  • Post-occupancy evaluation (POE)
  • Documenting and contextualising the history of building technologies
  • Use and reuse of historic and heritage buildings
  •  

Chitrakala Muthuveerappan

  • Project management
  • Real estate management and pricing

Robyn Phipps

  • Performance of homes and schools including heating, ventilation, and energy efficiency
  • Finding sustainable and low-cost solutions for healthy indoor environments
  • Low carbon homes and schools
  • Universal design, and health and safety
  • Environments that promote wellbeing for the occupants and the workers that make the buildings.

Study options

The following postgraduate programmes allow you to pursue this research:

Master of Architectural Science (MArchSc)

Become an expert in the science of the built environment and increase your understanding of the connections between architecture, engineering, testing, and building research.

The MArchSc is professionally recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Building (NZIOB).

Find out more about the Master of Architectural Science (MArchSc)

Master of Architectural Science (Research) (MArchSc[Res])

Research and write a thesis within the broad field of architectural science, under the expert supervision of our academic staff.

You must complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Science before you can enrol in this Master’s.

Find out more about the Master of Architectural Science (Research) (MArchSc[Res])

Master of Architecture (Professional) (MArch[Prof])

Prepare to work as a professional architect. Hone your skills as a designer, develop your ability to think visually and in three dimensions, and learn how to best meet your clients’ needs through practical, real-life experiences.

Graduates with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies in Architecture and a Master of Architecture (Professional) will have met the academic requirements to register as a professional architect.

Find out more about the Master of Architecture (Professional) (MArch[Prof])

Master of Interior Architecture (MIA)

Become a specialist in the architectural design of interior spaces. Examine the relationships between materials, people, and space. Make a difference to people’s wellbeing through the innovative design of interior spaces.

Our MIA is internationally recognised through two professional bodies.

Find out more about the Master of Interior Architecture (MIA)

PhD

On our PhD programme, you'll produce an original body of research that expands the discipline. Your work will be largely independently driven, with two supervisors available to advise you. Typically the PhD is studied on-site, but in suitable cases it may be studied by distance.

Find out more about the PhD.