Post-Carbon Research Centre

Post-Carbon Research Centre

Transforming infrastructure and the built environment​

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The Post-Carbon Research Centre tackles complex challenges of decarbonising the built environment and infrastructures to transition to a sustainable, equitable and resilient future.

The Centre brings together multi-disciplinary research capabilities across the built environment and infrastructure sectors, combining expertise from Design, Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Computer and Geospatial Science, and the Social Sciences.  ​

With the aim of generating transformative action, the Centre translates across context by integrating creative, technical, socio-cultural, and industry sector knowledge. ​

Researchers from the Centre execute real world applications that enable both innovation and impact and stay connected to social and political context for implementation at scale. Using a whole life cycle approach, the Centre strives for innovation across full life cycle, value and supply chain.

The Centre’s work is organised around three research themes: transition, design and production.

Key research areas

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Transition

This theme looks at how policies across different areas and institutions can be aligned for creating carbon-positive and climate-adaptive buildings and infrastructure. It focuses on the mandates of different levels of government for enabling uptake of existing technologies and practices at scale, aiming for creating a socially just society.​ This theme also looks at pathways for advancing the skillsets, health and well-being of the workforce to build infrastructure that will create positive impact on the human and natural systems.
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Design

This theme assumes a life cycle approach to design using advanced measures of sustainability in the built environment. It encompasses innovation and creative practice methodologies for decarbonisation and shared ideas to create better places worldwide. ​ This research area involves planning and financing in partnership with the community and invites a range of approaches including the use of digital tools to model energy optimization and visualize alternate futures. This will embrace the integration of smart sensor technologies, artificial intelligence and creation of digital twin tools for managing energy systems and infrastructures.​
House building with insulation visible

Production

This theme is about the material and technology required for the production of decarbonised infrastructure and built environment. This theme deals with environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional construction and involves processes such as offsite construction for reducing production cost and materials waste.​ ​ It involves digital tools and techniques in construction such as additive manufacturing, 3D printing and robotics and will explore alternatives such as biomaterials.​ ​ This theme will also deal with sustainable procurement and project management practices in the delivery of projects.​

Clusters

Research clusters cross-cutting the Centre’s key research themes

Housing

Buildings

Precincts

Infrastructure and systems

Featured projects

Digital Twin enabled Sustainable Sunshine Precinct Development
This project aims to help implement the Sunshine Precinct Opportunity Statement by providing a comprehensive analysis of sustainable urban design strategies including urban heat, water supply, embodied energy and renewable energy transition opportunities.
Find out more about the Sunshine Precinct Development project
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The cost to deliver climate resilient housing in Australia

This project investigates the extent of resiliency deficit across the Australian housing stock, and the costs and benefits (financial and non-financial) to retrofit this stock to resiliency best practice by 2050.

A construction worker installing insulation into the ceiling on a building.

Enhancing home thermal efficiency

Opportunity Assessment Enhancing home thermal efficiency” was prepared for and published by RACE for 2030 CRC, a 10-year cooperative research centre funding research towards a reliable, affordable, and clean energy future.

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Fostering a just transition in Europe: BOLSTER

Bridging Organisations and Marginalised Communities for Local Sustainability Transitions in Europe (BOLSTER) will deliver new scientific evidence on decarbonization transition strategies and how they intersect with various dimensions of inequality, such as gender, race, age and class

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Climate and cultural based design and market valuable technology solutions for Plus Energy Houses

CULTURAL-E aims to define modular and replicable solutions for Plus Energy Houses (PEHs), accounting for climate and cultural differences, while engaging all key players involved in the building life cycle; to create comfortable, efficient, and affordable indoor environments.

Green circular economy concept

Transformation of reclaimed waste into engineered materials and solutions (TREMS)

TREMS is an interdisciplinary research project led by RMIT’s College of Engineering. It brings together researchers from across universities and stakeholders who investigate possibilities of decarbonising the built environment through circular economy, waste management and recycling.

Events

Upcoming event

A man is using a ladder to work on a window, undertaking retrofit improvements to improve the home’s energy efficiency.

Learning from Research and Policy: Delivering Affordable Retrofit

1 May 2025, 5pm - 6:30pm

Retrofit of existing homes features heavily on the policy agenda, with initiatives like the Victorian Energy Upgrades and Social Housing Energy Performance Initiative (SHEPI) for social home energy upgrades and the likely introduction of a Mandatory Disclosure at point of sale or lease in the coming years. 

This panel conversation explores the latest policy debates and research outcomes of retrofit activities of existing homes in Australia and internationally. Our discussion will showcase the latest evidence and consider how that might influence retrofit policy. 

This event is organised by RMIT University's Post-Carbon Research Centre in collaboration with Sustainable House Day, Renew Magazine. 

Past event

A diverse group of people examining an urban planning model, engaged in discussion and observation.

Retrofitting urban precincts: creating liveable post-carbon communities

19 March 2025

The focus on improving sustainability and post-carbon outcomes in the built environment has largely focused on individual buildings. This approach potentially misses opportunities of scale which could be achieved with a focus on precincts. This not only includes shared efficiencies across buildings but also using the spaces between buildings more effectively. While there is an increasing focus on how to make new precincts more sustainable we need to find ways to retrofit existing precincts and urban areas. A coordinated approach will be required to retrofit existing precincts to deliver affordable post-carbon precincts. 

This panel discussion explores the importance of retrofitting precincts, and the planning and building system changes required to ensure good outcomes.

People

Professor Priya Rajagopalan

Director

Associate Professor Jonathan Tran

Deputy Director

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Contact us

Email us at postcarbon@rmit.edu.au

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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