UNSW Researchers Recognised

UNSW was named as the world-leading research institution in the field of Architecture by The Australian newspaper’s 2025 Research Magazine, as part of their annual review of high performing researchers. The same magazine also named Associate Prof. Samad Sepasgozar from UNSW School of Built Environment as the world’s top researcher in the field of Architecture and Buildings.

In 2024, Anita Lawrence Chair in High Performance Architecture, Prof. Matt Santamouris, was also named as the number one researcher in the world in the field of Architecture over his lifetime by ScholarGPS.

In addition, seven UNSW Built Environment and City Futures Research Centre academics were included in the world’s top two percent of cited researchers as computed by Stanford University in 2024 – Prof. Hazel Easthope, Scientia Prof. Michael Ostwald, Scientia Prof. Chris Pettit, Scientia Prof. Matt Santamouris, A/Prof. Samad Sepasgozar, A/Prof. Riza Yosia Sunindijo and Prof. Sisi Zlatanova.

Prof. Matt Santamouris was recognised with two international lifetime achievement awards in 2024. Firstly, in July, he was awarded the prestigious 2024 PLEA Lifetime Award for “outstanding achievement in advancing the fields of architecture, urban planning, sustainability and resilience”.

In December, he was announced as the Lifetime Achievement winner for the 2024 Architecture & Design Sustainability Awards.

Scientia Associate Professor Negin Nazarian was awarded a 2024 NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award for her research and outreach in urban climatology. Run by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS), the Young Tall Poppy Science Awards honour up-and-coming scientists who combine world-class research with a passionate commitment to communicating science.

A/Prof. Nazarian was also named as a Chief Investigator for the new ARC Centre of Excellence for 21^st Century Weather, and selected as a Lead Author for the upcoming IPCC Special Report on Cities and Climate Change.

Dr. Luciano Cardellicchio (along with collaborators Dr. Paolo Stracchi from Sydney University and Prof. Paolo Tombesi from EPFL) was awarded the 2024 Colin Crisp Award from Engineers Australia, for the research project ‘Construction Heritage and the Missing Drawings of the Sydney Opera House’. This award celebrates excellence in conserving and recording heritage, documenting engineering accomplishments, and promoting awareness of engineering heritage. The team also won a 2024 National Trust Award in the Education and Interpretation category for the same project.

Dr. Cardellicchio was individually awarded the 2025 Dr AM Hertzberg AO Fellowship by the NSW State Library, which will allow him to undertake research exploring the history and technical evolution of plywood construction technology in the Australian post-war era.

At their 30^th Annual Conference, Prof. Chyi Lin Lee was awarded the Pacific Rim Real Estate Society Meritorious Service Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the organisation over the years. Prof. Lee has also been named President Elect of the International Real Estate Society and will take over as President in 2026.

At the same event, UNSW Built Environment PhD student Albert Agbeko Ahiadu was awarded the Best Presenter on the Day Award (PhD colloquium), in recognition of his research and presentation skills.

Scientia Professor and Director of the City Futures Research Centre Chris Pettit was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences for his research on city planning and digital technologies.

Head of School of the Built Environment Professor Philip Oldfield was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the Australian Institute of Architects, in recognition of his “long-term significant contribution for the advancement of the profession, through education, architecture and public advocacy.”

Finally, Deputy Head of School A/Prof. Catherine Evans was awarded an Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture (AILA) Fellowship. Her citation read “Dr. Catherine Evans’s contributions to the UNSW School of Built Environment, her leadership and contribution to AILA, and her impactful research and teaching make her a prominent figure in the field of landscape architecture. Her work continues to influence the design and planning of sustainable urban environments, bridging the gap between academic research and practical application.”

Associate Prof. Ainslie Murray has been named one of six Artists in Residence at the Joshua Tree National Park for 2024-25, and the only artist from outside the United States. As part of the role A/Prof. Murray will lead a creative research project investigating patterns of use across the park’s campgrounds and methods of ‘claiming’ sites.

A/Prof. Murray was also named a Powerhouse Associate  in 2024, where she will creatively visualise and document the public’s encounters with new architecture at the Powerhouse, capturing multiple voices and perspectives while highlighting the less visible aspects of architectural space.

Smart Regional Spaces: Ready, Set, Go! is a $2.24 million project funded by the Digital Restart Fund under the Smart Places Acceleration Program, and a collaboration between UNSW Built Environment, the University of Sydney and Regional NSW along with Parkes Shire Council, Lithgow City Council and Armidale Regional Council. Led by Associate Professor Kate Bishop and Associate Professor Christine Steinmetz at UNSW, the project creates resources and tools to enable equitable digital inclusion for communities across regional NSW.

The project was recognised with two major awards in 2024, winning both the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture Award for Research, Policy and Communications and the Planning Institute of Australia Award for Technology & Digital Innovation.

Scientia Associate Professor Joshua Zeunert was the winner of the Distinguished Creative Researcher Award at the inaugural Deans & Directors of Creative Arts Awards, 2024.

A/Prof. Zeunert’s research explores the dynamics between human activities, anthropogenic impacts, and landscape scale change over time. His work has contributed significantly to the field through his exploration of food, agricultural and landscape systems, acknowledging agriculture’s central role in making and remaking ecologies.

MapAI is an innovative Artificial Intelligence system designed to perform GIS tasks and spatial analysis through natural language processing, developed by the UNSW City Futures Research Centre with Frontier SI. Utilising state-of-the-art Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, this project has successfully developed a fully operational prototype, showcasing its practical applications for local government and industry.

MapAI won two prizes at the 2024 Geospatial Excellence Awards – the Innovation Award (Medium to Large Business), and the Technical Excellence Award.

The UNSW Women in Construction project received a High Commendation in the Research, Development & Technology category at the Australian Institute of Building (AIB) NSW Professional Excellence in Building Awards in June 2024.

The Women in Construction project is supported by a $2.3m grant from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s Office for Women, under the Australian Government’s Women’s Leadership and Development Program. Led by Associate Prof. Cynthia Wang and Associate Prof. Riza Yosia Sunindijo the project uses a lifecycle approach to engage high school students, women studying construction at universities, and women working in construction to promote in-depth understanding about the industry's diverse job opportunities, help women establish long-term career goals, and support them to progress their careers and obtain leadership roles.