Institute of Architecture areas of expertise
The overarching research themes of the institute are:
Low impact built environment
The low impact built environment theme deals with design strategies and building physics to promote and encourage sustainability, human thermal interaction with the built environment and computer modelling. It is currently working on methods aimed at improving alignment between houses, contexts, climates and energy performance. The current research projects investigate a range of topics including sustainable residential buildings and low-carbon retrofits in low income dwellings in developing countries.
Housing and dwelling
The housing and dwelling theme deals with housing policy, dwelling in terms of how we inhabit our homes and its effect on our wellbeing. In recent years, the research has sought a theoretical perspective to link housing to the broader built environment in terms of alienation and self-agency. It also intends to establish the issue of dwelling with the urban environment and our physical and mental health, under the cities and urbanism theme. There is a well-developed plan to with the faculty of Business and Law in relation to research in the field of housing and public policy.
Cities and urbanism
The cities and urbanism theme deals with architecture and urban design that span the architecture of the periphery and high-rise buildings. It focuses on how people engage with places and on the development of strategies to enhance their experience within the built environment.
Architectural geometry and fabrication
Architectural geometry and fabrication theme is an emerging research area. It deals with a rich lexicon of forms and shapes based on precise construction methods and potential prototyping and digital technologies to produce architectural and design objects including Islamic geometric patterns. Such digital fabrication could focus on competitions, artefacts, exhibitions and publications related to architectural design.