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Dean's Message
 

Farewell Message from
Professor Alec Tzannes AM,
Dean, UNSW Built Environment


Dear alumni and friends of the faculty,

After seven years’ holding the extremely privileged position of Dean of UNSW Built Environment, I have decided that it’s time for me to pass the baton to a new custodian.

We have made a farewell video with  Kara Lena Virik, a Landscape Architecture student and Hugo Chan, an Architecture student, to reflect on the ethos of the Built Environment programs and some of the distinctive experiences of being a current student here. 

I also hope this video gives some insight into what we strive to do as educators and how we are preparing our students to become global citizens in leadership positions.  The video also reflects on  some of the milestones in my time as Dean. 
 
To all the students, alumni, staff and colleagues of the Built Environment faculty, I  express my deepest gratitude for your counsel, support and friendship. I am enriched for this experience and I look forward to returning my support by staying connected to UNSW and the faculty in the years ahead.
 

Best regards,
Professor Alec Tzannes AM
Dean, UNSW Built Environment

UNSW Built Environment Announces Postgraduate Developments 


Enrolments for postgraduate degrees are now open for 2016 commencement.
We are pleased to announce some key changes made to existing postgraduate degrees, and the introduction of a new degree, Master of Urban Renewal and Housing.

Master of Architecture; We now offer Architecture PLUS. UNSW Architecture is distinctive. We offer well-rounded architectural education PLUS the choices of four distinctive streams of specialisation, each with a specific focus on how architecture responds to social and environmental challenges: High Performance Technology, Housing, Urban Conditions and Social Agency. Click here for more information.

Master of City Planning replaces the Master of Planning. Building upon the strengths of its predecessor and enhancing the core qualities that underpin planning education at UNSW Built Environment, the new Master of City Planning represents a restructuring of our postgraduate degree to meet the needs and opportunities of our changing city and increasingly urbanised world. Click here for more information. 

New postgraduate degree announced:

Master of Urban Renewal & Housing
 is a program designed for all those looking to play a part in the equitable reshaping of Australia’s cities. Hosted by UNSW Built Environment, this 1.5 year program plays into the growing centrality of urban renewal in debates on Australia’s metropolitan future. Click here for more information.
 
Please email fbe@unsw.edu.au if you have any questions about our degrees. For enrolments, simply click here

New Appointments

 

UNSW Built Environment is pleased to announce two new key appointments

 
International disaster risk-reduction expert Professor David Sanderson has been appointed the inaugural Judith Neilson Chair in Architecture at UNSW. 

The Chair, the first of its kind in Australia, was established earlier this year with a $10 million endowment from philanthropist and White Rabbit Gallery founder Judith Neilson. It aims to lead research and education to support disadvantaged communities displaced by natural disasters, geo-political conflicts, socio-economic exclusion and environmental factors.  Professor Sanderson will take up his position in February 2016. 

We also welcome Professor Christopher Pettit, Professor of Urban Science, Associate Director - City Futures, to join the Built Environment faculty. Christopher's Ph.D. examined the use of GIS and mapping technologies for undertaking scenario planning at the land parcel level across municipalities.  
Postgraduate Scholarships


Are you considering returning to UNSW Built Environment to further your professional development and career?



New postgraduate scholarships are being offered for the first time. City Futures Research Centre with UrbanGrowth NSW have initiated two new 'top-up' research scholarships for the MPhil degree. UrbanGrowth is providing a stipend of $20,000 over two years for research that advances understanding of urban renewal processes, practices and outcomes with relevance to contemporary challenges in Sydney.




Cox Richardson NSW and the City Futures Research Centre have come together to offer one top-up research scholarship tailored to support candidates for the MPhil Degree in Urban Planning and Design who are in receipt of an Australian Postgraduate Scholarship (APA) or the University Postgraduate Award (UPA).

Applications for these scholarships close 30 November 2015.
See more at http://www.be.unsw.edu.au/degrees/CoxRichardsonScholarship

Research News


Urban Analytics Supporting Decision-Making Across NSW Government
 

On Friday 21 August, Professor Chris Pettit, together with City Futures Research Centre hosted a workshop attended by NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, led by UNSW alumnus Graham Pointer Acting Director (1999). The aim of the workshop was to collectively explore urban analytics made possible through the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network online (AURIN) workbench.

The workshop focused primarily on the issue of housing affordability and how the data holdings available via the AURIN portal can be analysed and visualised to show longitudinal and spatial trends and hotspots across Sydney. The workshop also introduced participants to an array of spatial decision support tools available via the workbench which included Housemod, the Economic Impact Assessment tool, and the walkability, employment clustering tools. All of these tools were explored in the context of Sydney.

The workshop was supported by the AURIN outreach and training team (Dr Jack Barton and Xavier Goldie).
 

Click here to find out more about UNSW Built Environment's research or to receive the City Futures newsletter please click here.
 

Awards


UNSW Built Environment Alumni Clean Up At The NSW PIA 2015 Awards


Last week the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) held their annual New South Wales Awards for Planning Excellence 2015.   
It was at Doltone House in Sydney's Hyde Park, The Honourable Robert Stokes, Minister for Planning was a guest-of-honour and the event was hosted by PIA's NSW Executive Officer, Maurene Horder and CEO, Kirsty Kelly.  
UNSW Built Environment graduates who won awards are; 
  
(L-R) Andrew Wheeler, Young Planner of the Year (UNSW); Emma Clinton, Outstanding Student Project Award (UNSW Bachelor of Planning graduate); Laura Schmahmann, Young Planner of the Year Commendation Award (UNSW Research Student).

UNSW Graduate Lisa Hinde named 2015 Future Green Leader 
 

Lisa Hinde, Sustainability Analyst with JLL, has been named 2015 ‘Future Green Leader’ by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). 

“Lisa has made an extraordinary contribution to sustainability during her short career,” says the GBCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Romilly Madew.

(L-R) Jeff Oatman, GBCA; Paolo Bevilacqua, Frasers Property Australia; Lisa Hinde, JLL; John Richardson, Interface.

We congratulate all of our alumni on their 2015 successes and would love to hear from you.
Please let us know your success stories by emailing 
bealumni@unsw.edu.au

Congratulations


Congratulations to our recent UNSW Built Environment graduates and welcome to your first Alumni Newsletter.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
 

Events

Graduand Exhibitions 2015


Open now until 2 December 2015
Our Graduand Exhibitions showcase a broad range of creative works undertaken by soon-to-be graduates. 

We have put together a list of exhibitions spanning architecture, construction management, computational design, city planning, landscape architecture, industrial design and interior architecture for those who want to come along and be inspired!

Visit our website: https://www.be.unsw.edu.au/events/graduation-exhibitions for further information.

Photo by Reece McMillan.

 

Architecture by Hand and Mind: 60 Years of Architecture at UNSW 
 

The 60th Anniversary of UNSW Architecture was celebrated with a large and happy gathering of Architecture alumni on 21 October.

The evening commenced in Leighton Hall with talks from Professor Alec Tzannes, Dean of UNSW Built Environment, and Professor Iain Martin, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), followed by personal reflections from four generations of alumni including Felicity Stewart and Matthias Hollenstein (Directors, Stewart Hollenstein), Annie Tennant (Senior Development Manager, Public Domain and Public Art, Lendlease), Harry Stephens (Educator and Architect), and Professor Glenn Murcutt (The Seidler Chair of Architecture).

Professor Xing Ruan, Director of Architecture at UNSW, offered concluding remarks and briefly introduced the new curriculum, set to commence in 2016. The crowd then migrated to the Red Centre to view the exhibition Architecture by Hand & Mind, curated by Dr Ainslie Murray, which featured diverse contributions from 26 alumni practices.
Photo by Ian Hobbs.
 

Lectures

2015 Utzon Lecture Series


Utzon Lecture - The Tipping Point: Cities on the Edge was held on Wednesday October 14 2015.
Director of Urban Policy & Strategy Professor Sue Holliday, discussed 6 key things that we need to do urgently if we are not to lose our reputation as a liveable, sustainable and workable city.
If you missed Sue's lecture click below.
Utzon Lecture - The Tipping Point: Cities on the Edge

Vale Dr KC Ben Chng


1937-2015
Dr Ben Chng & his wife LilyWe were deeply saddened to hear that our UNSW Built Environment almunus Dr Ben Chng died suddenly from a heart attack in January 2015.
Ben was a quiet achiever who loved his family and worked tirelessly for his local community and friends. He was one of our dearest graduates, grateful for the opportunities his UNSW qualifications afforded him during his career.

Professor Alec Tzannes, Dean of Built Environment, said he was filled with both sadness and admiration. “Ben was a distinguished alumnus and one of our first Singaporean students in what was then called the Bachelor of Building. Following the completion of his studies with us, Ben returned to Singapore and enjoyed a long and very successful career.”

We will remember Ben with great fondness as an outstanding, yet humble and gracious man, who did all he could to make a positive difference every day in his own unique way. Ben is survived by Lily and their children John, Joanne and Angeline, and their partners and seven grandchildren.

Written by Stergitsa Zamagias-Hill, Director Alumni and external Engagement.
 

Thank You

We have received a tremendous response to our recent Alumni Profile questionnaire. Many thanks to those who have submitted their responses, your feedback is greatly appreciated. If you are yet to participate please access the survey here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8BW5DJ3 

Keep in Touch


As a valued UNSW Built Environment alumnus, we want to make sure your email details are current and inform you of events and news.

Update your contact details before 30 November 2015 and receive a UNSW Built Environment iPad/tablet sleeve.
 
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