Managing Urban Heat

Scientia Professor Matthaios Santamouris, the Anita Lawrence Professor of High Performance Architecture at UNSW, is a globally recognised expert in urban heat mitigation and sustainable architecture. Recently honoured with the 2024 PLEA Lifetime Achievement Award, he is one of the most cited researchers in his field. Prof. Santamouris has authored 15 books, published nearly 290 scientific papers, and serves as the editor of several prestigious journals. With over 30 years of experience, he has played a key role in advancing renewable energy, urban cooling technologies, and energy conservation in cities worldwide.

Lan Ding is an Associate Professor in the School of Built Environment. She received her PhD at the University of Sydney's Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning. Prior to joining the Faculty of Built Environment at UNSW, Lan held the position of Senior Research Scientist at CSIRO (2000-2011) and Senior Lecturer at the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong (2011-September 2013).

Associate Professor Riccardo Paolini by training is a building engineer and he received a Ph.D. in Building Systems Engineering from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, in 2011. He joined UNSW Built Environment in February 2017. He is an Associate Professor in the High Performance Architecture research cluster, where he is also the manager of the HPA Lab. Riccardo is also an affiliate of the Heat Island Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. Previously, he had an appointment as post-doc at Politecnico di Milano, Italy (2011-2017). He had been teaching heat and moisture transport in building envelope applications at Politecnico di Milano at postgraduate level for six years. He now teaches in the Architecture Program at the School of Built Environment.

Professor NG Yan Yung Edward is a Professor of Architecture at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Yao Ling Sun Endowed Chair in Architecture. Specialising in green building, sustainable design, and urban climatology, he has been an environmental consultant for the Hong Kong government, developing key guidelines on daylight design, air ventilation, and urban climatic mapping.

Professor Ng has published over 500 papers and three books, and his work has earned international recognition, including two RIBA International Awards and the 2017 World Building of the Year Award. He is also known for his humanitarian efforts, founding the Wu Zhi Qiao (Bridge to China) Charitable Foundation and the One University One Village Project Initiative to improve living conditions in rural China.

Dr. Chao Ren is a Professor in the Division of Landscape Architecture at the University of Hong Kong. She specialises in applied climatology and climate responsive design, who uses GIS, and spatial modelling methods and remote sensing techniques to study urban environmental performance and develop climate responsive design strategies and guidelines. She serves as the Chief Editor of Urban Climate (2024-)

Dr Shamila Haddad is an architect with a PhD in Architectural Sciences from the University of New South Wales (2016). She specialises in architectural science and technology, design for health and wellbeing, environmental sustainability, urban overheating, heat mitigation, indoor air quality, and energy poverty.

She is currently a researcher and lecturer at the University of Sydney. Previously, she was a Postdoctoral Researcher at UNSW's High Performance Architecture lab, focusing on heat mitigation, urban climate change, energy poverty, and indoor environmental quality in low-income housing and schools.

Shamila serves on the editorial boards of “Urbanisation, Sustainability and Society” and “Frontiers in Built Environment”, and is an editor for “Energy and Buildings”.

Associate Professor Paul Osmond has been involved in sustainable development since the 1980s, with experience spanning practice, teaching, and research. Since joining UNSW’s Built Environment in 2010, he has contributed to environmental management and sustainable urban design. Previously, he managed UNSW’s Environmental Management Plan and led pioneering environmental programs in local government. Paul's diverse background includes roles in consultancy, forestry, and journalism. He holds qualifications in applied science, environmental management, and landscape design, and is a Certified Environmental Practitioner, Green Star Accredited Professional, and member of several international sustainability organisations.

The course provided relevant and much-needed information for my day-to-day practice as a Landscape Architect in managing urban heat. It went further by demonstrating the applicability of that knowledge and techniques, making it relatable and engaging.

This is a timely and relevant course that all professionals in the building and design industry should consider, especially given the challenges we face due to climate change.