NUS x UQ Joint Symposium on Climate Resilience for Healthy Urbanism
Researchers from NUS Department of Architecture and the University of Queensland’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning came together on Thursday, 13 March for the inaugural joint symposium on Climate Resilience for Healthy Urbanism.
The online event, attended by staff and PhD and research candidates, included twelve 15-minute presentations by leading researchers from the two institutions. Presentations were grouped into four primary themes that align with shared research interests: Social Resilience, Tropical Design, Climate Resilience and Digital Twin.
The event was created as a platform for future collaboration between the two departments, a priority shared by Professor Jeffrey Hou, Head of the NUS Department of Architecture and Professor Ali Cheshmehzangi, Head of the University of Queensland’s School of Architecture, Design and Planning.
Professor Hou opened the symposium with a welcome and an overview of the symposium’s purpose. He thanked Assoc. Professor Yuan Chao and Adjunct Assoc Professor John Achari for organizing the symposium and arranging the content.
Professor Hou gave a brief overview of the NUS Department of Architecture and outlined the Department’s nine programmes and mentioned that over the years the approach has been to encourage more interdisciplinary collaboration to identify strategic areas of focus that can bring people together.
“While the nine programmes are organized around six research clusters, due to their hybrid nature staff are able to cross over into more than one cluster which I believe will come across in the discussions today. I hope today will be a starting point for collaboration between our two institutions and I look forward to hearing from my colleagues and University of Queensland presenters.” Professor Hou said.
Professor Cheshmehzangi thanked NUS and University of Queensland staff who were instrumental in organizing the symposium and all the presenters for their participation and contributions. He briefly described the University of Queensland’s School of Architecture and Planning courses and highlighted the general alignment of the programmes between the two institutions.
“The symposium and broader collaboration initiative between our institutions is a valuable opportunity for our researchers to make meaningful connections and work together on shared research interests. I am excited about the future collaborations we will have with the National University of Singapore.” Professor Cheshmehzangi said.
NUS presenters were Professor Hou, Associate Professor Chao Yuan Associate Professor Emi Kiyota, Associate Professor Rudi Stouffs, Associate Professor Shinya Okuda, Assistant Professor Filip Biljecki, Assistant Professor Qi Jingda, and Dr Terrence Tan.
Associate Professor Emi Kiyota presenting her research on building resilience and social capital: empowering Elders and strengthening communities through design.
Presentations were under the following topics followed by discussions and the presenters fielding questions from the audience:
• Guerrilla resilience (Prof Jeff Hou)
• Liveable and resilient city planning (Dr. Sara Alidoust)
• Building resilience and social capital: empowering Elders and strengthening communities through design (Assoc. Prof Emi Kiyota)
• Challenges and possibilities of mass timber architecture in the tropics (Assoc. Prof Shinya Okuda)
• Healthy timber construction in tropical/subtropical climates (Assoc. Prof Paola Leardini)
• Landscape design optimisation (Dr. Terrence Tan)
• Climate modelling and analytics for urban heat risks mitigation and adaptation (Assoc. Prof Yuan Chao)
• Modelled and actual thermal comfort and indoor air quality in Queensland public housing (Dr. Paul Matthew)
• Multi-objective assessment of urban heat mitigation techniques (Asst. Prof Qi Jingda)
• Research insights and perspectives of urban digital twins (Asst. Prof Filip Biljecki)
• UQ Digital Twin Campus (Dr. Fred Teixeira)
• City modelling for low-carbon urban planning and design (Assoc. Prof Rudi Stouffs)
Dr Sara Alidoust presenting her research on liveable and resilient city planning.
Presenters from University of Queensland were Associate Professor Paola Leardini, Dr Sara Alidoust, Dr Paul Matthew and Dr Fred Fialho Teixeira.
The symposium was moderated by Assoc. Professor Yuan Chao and Adjunct Assoc. Professor John Achari from NUS.
NUS Assistant Professor Filip Biljecki presenting ‘Research Insights and Perspectives of Urban Digital Twins’.
The development of this collaboration was initiated in August 2024 following an introductory meeting between Professor Hou and Professor Cheshmehzangi. This laid the groundwork for a visit to NUS by a delegation from University of Quensland led by Professor Cheshmehzangi with meetings between DOA and the NUS Cities Institute.
Dr Fred Teixeira of UQ presenting his research at the UQ Visualisation Lab on the UQ Digital Twin Campus.
Both institutions are planning follow-up discussions in the specified research areas, with the aim of co-creating new opportunities for research, teaching and exchange.
Associate Professor Rudi Stouffs presenting city modelling for low-carbon urban planning and design.