Clusters

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

The Post-Carbon Research Centre focuses on the built environment and infrastructures and is categorised into four clusters:

Housing

The Housing research cluster aims to develop sustainable, resilient, and energy-efficient housing solutions that address the pressing housing challenges of cost, supply, decarbonisation and affordability. The research focusses on implementing change at scales using futures thinking, systems thinking, ethical and social innovation and urban experimentation.

Key research areas

Housing policy & market

Housing quality and performance

Social and affordable housing

Home retrofitting

Climate resilient housing

Cluster co-leads

Professor Karien Dekker

Karien Dekker is Professor in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management. She is currently a Chief Investigator on a project on housing solutions for temporary migrants in Australia. Karien's life revolves around a greater desire to create inclusive communities in which everyone feels welcome. She is also passionate about affordable housing for all. To inform policy and public opinion, she interprets large datasets, while making sense of the findings with interviews and observations.

Dr Ben Milbourne

Dr Ben Milbourne is a Senior Lecturer and the Program Manager of the Master of Architecture in the school of Architecture and Urban Design where he is engaged in research on the application of advanced manufacturing in architecture and the future fabric of Australian cities. Ben is a co-author of ‘Practice Futures’, commissioned by the Architect’s Registration Board of Victoria, investigating the impact of the adoption of digital fabrication in construction on the practice of Architecture. He is a founding partner of Common ADR, an architecture and urban design practice focused on engaging in the common commission of the city through public and private projects. He is an inaugural member of the Design Excellence Advisory Committee for the City of Melbourne, co-chair of the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter Smaller Practice Forum and Australian representative to the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA), Professional Practice Commission.

Housing publications

Akinwande, T., Hui, E. and Dekker, K. 2024, 'Effective affordable housing strategies for the urban poor in Nigeria', World Development. 173. pp. 1-13. Article 106438. doi: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106438.
Farnes, K. et al. 2024, 'An exploratory study on the benefits of transit orientated development (TOD) to rail infrastructure projects', Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. 13(1), pp. 1-16. doi: 10.1108/SASBE-03-2023-0058.
Moore, T. 2024, *Our Housing Australia*, [Report]. Adelaide: University of Adelaide.
Rajagopalan, P., Woo, J. and Andamon, M. 2024, 'An Investigation of an Affordable Ventilation Retrofit to Improve the Indoor Air Quality in Australian Aged Care Homes', Journal of Architectural Engineering. 30(3), doi: 10.1061/JAEIED.AEENG-1700.
Jara-Baeza, F., Rajagopalan, P. and Andamon, M. 2024, 'Summer thermal performance of high-rise social housing in Melbourne', 6th International Conference on Countermeasures to Urban Heat Islands4 - 7 December 2023Melbourne, Australia. RMIT University, pp. 1117-1126.
Horne, R., Nelson, A. and Dorignon, L. 2024, 'Housing Narratives for Post-carbon Inclusive Societies', in Ralph, H.Ralph, H., Anitra, N., Aimee, A., Louise, D., Gordon, W. and Anitra, N.(eds.). Post-Carbon Inclusion Transitions Built on Justice. Bristol, England: Policy Press.
Moore, T. and Doyon, A. 2024, 'Victoria’s 2023 Housing Policy Agenda: Addressing Decades of Neglect or a Missed Opportunity to Reframe Housing Issues and Solutions?', Urban Policy and Research. doi: 10.1080/08111146.2024.2394217.
Rajagopalan, P., Chen, D. and Ambrose, M. 2024, 'Investigating envelope retrofitting potential and resilience of Australian residential buildings − A stock modelling approach', Energy and Buildings. 325. pp. 1-15. Article 114990. doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114990.
Jara, F., Rajagopalan, P., Andamon, M. M. 2024, ‘The impact of occupants’ window opening behaviour during summertime overheating in high-rise social housing’, Energy and Buildings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115331

Buildings

The Buildings research cluster encompasses non-residential buildings such as commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings. Research under this cluster will focus on intelligent implementation of automation and digital technologies in buildings and the enhancement of the circularity in construction processes and materials.

Key research areas

BIM/digital twins

Fire and façade technologies

Artificial intelligence, AR/VR

Smart sensor technologies

Biophilic design

Energy-efficient Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)

Cluster co-leads

Professor Peter Wong

Professor Peter S.P. Wong is the Associate Dean (Construction Management) of the School of Property Construction and Project Management. He has expertise in immersive technology (VR/AR/MR) in construction, prefabrication, and modulation of construction, construction waste management and organisational change management. He has been awarded multiple competitive research grants, including from the Victorian Building Authority, for developing a virtual reality (VR) based online self-evaluation platform to reduce the compliance risk of building and plumbing works. His prestigious Australian Research Council Linkage project has helped guide the effectiveness of offsite manufacturing and improved project delivery.

Professor Sherman Cheung

Professor Cheung is an expert in building fire, heat and mass transfer and multiphase flow modelling. He believes that the main obstacle to decarbonising the Australian built environment and infrastructure is the lack of a holistic channel to facilitate cross sector collaboration and technological translation. Professor Cheung has received the prestigious Victoria Fellowship from the Victoria Government and International Young Scientists from the National Natural Science Foundation of China to recognise his research contribution. To date, he has published over 142 research articles and attracted over AUD$ 8 million in research funding from both national competitive grants and industrial collaborative schemes

Buildings publications

Baeza, F., Rajagopalan, P. and Andamon, M. 2023, 'A holistic assessment of indoor environmental quality perception in Australian high-rise social housing', Energy and Buildings. 284. pp. 1-19. Article 112859. doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.112859.
Weththasinghe, K. and Wong, S. 2023, 'Towards developing partnership models for leveraging design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) for school buildings', Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Management, Procurement and Law. pp. 1-16. doi: 10.1680/jmapl.22.00042.
Wong, S. 2023, 'The Role of Incentivization to Mitigate the Negative Impact of COVID-Related Disputes', in Shek, W.Sai, C. and , L.(eds.). Construction Incentivization: Beyond Carrot and Stick. Switzerland: Springer, pp. 215-229. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-28959-0_10.
Qi, L., Wong, S. and Holdsworth, S. 2023, 'Towards understanding the impact of the perceptions about construction innovation on advanced technology adoption', International Journal of Construction Management. pp. 1-9. doi: 10.1080/15623599.2023.2220519.
Yang, R. et al. 2023, 'Digitalizing building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) conceptual design: A framework and an example platform', Building and Environment. 243. pp. 1-14. Article 110675. doi: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2023.110675.
Shooshtarian, S., Maqsood, T. and Wong, S. 2023, 'Policy Intervention of Waste Management', in Salman, S.Suhaib, B., Tayyab, M., A, M. and Shek, W.(eds.). Waste Management in the Circular Economy. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, pp. 77-104. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-42426-7_5.
Shooshtarian, S. et al. 2023, Development of end-markets for recycled construction and demolition waste resources in Australia, Nova Science, United States. 10.52305/PZRQ5282.
Johannes, K. et al. 2024, 'Implementing organisational change in a digitalising facilities management organisation through stewardship interventions', Journal of Facilities Management. 22(1), pp. 144-159. doi: 10.1108/JFM-11-2021-0139.
Sandri, O. et al. 2024, 'Maintaining Industry Currency and Upskilling for Low-Carbon Technologies in Small Business Construction Trades: Study of Plumbing Practitioners in Australia', Journal of Management in Engineering. 40(3), pp. 1-17. Article 05024004. doi: 10.1061/JMENEA.MEENG-5526.
Sandri, O., Hayes, J. and Holdsworth, S. 2024, 'Upskilling trades for a low carbon future: a case study of gasfitting and hydrogen', Journal of Vocational Education and Training. 76(2), pp. 468-495. doi: 10.1080/13636820.2024.2312110.
Shooshtarian, S. et al. 2024, ‘Enhancing the use of products with recycled content in the Australian construction industry’, Nova Science Publisher, New York, US. 10.52305/KKEK0064.
Shooshtarian, S., Maqsood, T. and Wong, S. 2024, 'Policy Intervention of Waste Management', in S, B.Salman, S., Tayyab, M., F, M. and Shek, W.(eds.). Waste Management in the Circular Economy. Switzerland: Springer Nature, doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-42426-7_5.
Goodman, N. et al. 2024, 'Volatile organic compounds in regular and organic vaping liquids: a public health concern', Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health. pp. 1-9. doi: 10.1007/s11869-024-01645-9.

Precincts

The Precincts research cluster aims to adopt a progressive approach to placemaking at scale through integrating infrastructure, open and green spaces to create socially, financially and environmentally sustainable environments and thriving communities.

Key research areas

Placemaking and community experience

Sustainable urban planning, development and infrastructure

Adaptive reuse

Sustainable mobility

Urban greenery, air quality, and microclimate

Cluster co-leads

Professor Joe Hurley

Joe Hurley is a Professor in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. He is an expert in urban sustainability, policy and governance. He has led several projects examining the intersection between urban heat, urban forest management, and urban planning and development, funded by the National Environmental Science Program, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Horticulture Australia Ltd, and several Australian state and local governments. His current Australian Research Council Discovery Project, in partnership with the University of Western Australia, titled “Why is (re)development hot?: Measuring cumulative heat in Australian cities”, aims to causally identify the warming effect of residential development and investigate the impact of planning policies that control changes in the built form associated with increased heat exposure. Joe takes a particular interest in research-practice exchange and collaboration. He is founding academic editor of Cities People Love, a research-practice communication publication; technical advisor to the Council Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments; and regularly provides expert comment and research evidence to media.

Associate Professor Trivess Moore

Trivess Moore is Associate Professor in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management. He is an expert in sustainable housing and urban environments. His recent research has been around exploring how to scale up retrofit of existing housing, implementing circular economy outcomes across the housing sector, and the role of policy and industry in delivering a sustainable and equitable housing and urban future. Trivess has been a lead CI on ARC Linkage grants, AHURI projects, CRC projects and worked with a range of policy and industry stakeholders in Australia, Europe and North America.

Precincts publications

Hurley, J. and Sun, Q. 2023, 'Private-led land assembly and urban consolidation: The relative influence of regulatory zoning mechanisms', Land Use Policy. 134. pp. 1-15. Article 106904. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2023.106904.
Liu, C. et al. 2023, 'Community-Focused Renewable Energy Transition with Virtual Power Plant in an Australian City—A Case Study', Buildings. 13(4), pp. 1-21. Article 844. doi: 10.3390/buildings13040844.
Liu, C. et al. 2023, 'Supporting virtual power plants decision-making in complex urban environments using reinforcement learning', Sustainable Cities and Society. 99. pp. 1-21. Article 104915. doi: 10.1016/j.scs.2023.104915.
Duhr, S., Berry, S. and Moore, T. 2023, *Sustainable housing at a neighbourhood scale, AHURI Final Report No. 396*, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
Farnes, K. et al. 2024, 'An exploratory study on the benefits of transit orientated development (TOD) to rail infrastructure projects', Smart and Sustainable Built Environment. 13(1), pp. 1-16. doi: 10.1108/SASBE-03-2023-0058.
Mcevoy, D. et al. 2024, 'Localized nature-based solutions for enhanced climate resilience and community wellbeing in urban informal settlements', Climate and Development. 16(7), pp. 600-612. doi: 10.1080/17565529.2023.2277248.
Stanford, H. et al. 2024, 'Finding the forgotten spaces: Using a social-ecological framework to map informal green space in Melbourne, Australia', Land Use Policy. 141. doi: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107114.
Torquato, P. et al. 2024, 'Spatially analysed expansion of individual street tree crowns enables species-specific crown expansion predictions in different rainfall zones', Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 94. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128268.
Stanford, H. et al. 2024, 'Exploring the secret gardens of the city: An assessment of human-nature interactions on informal green space using citizen science data', Urban Forestry and Urban Greening. 98. pp. 1-10. Article 128414. doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2024.128414.
Horne, R. and Dorignon, L. 2024, 'Inclusion in Post-Carbon Urban Experiments', in Ralph, H.Ralph, H., Louise, D., Aimee, A., Gordon, W. and Anitra, N.(eds.). Post-Carbon Inclusion: Transitions Built on Justice. Bristol, England: Policy Press.
Nazareth, I. and Gargano, L. 2024, 'Zero Carbon Precinct: Designing The Protocols, Overrun and Domain Of Energy Transition', New York – Livable Cities A Conference on Issues Affecting Life in Cities. United Kingdom:AMPS, pp. 9-19.
Martin, D. et al. 2025, 'Zoning and urban restructuring: long-term change in the location of manufacturing in industrialised city-regions', Regional Studies. doi: 10.1080/00343404.2024.2438316.

Infrastructure and systems

The Infrastructure and Systems cluster adopts whole-of-life approach and state-of-the-art technologies to develop climate resilient infrastructure solutions (eg: energy, transport, water and waste) for meeting population’s essential needs.

Key research areas

Intelligent monitoring and maintenance of civil infrastructure

Smart grids

Digital twins and big data analytics

Net zero infrastructure

Sustainable water and waste systems

Roads, railways and bridges

Solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuels

Cluster co-leads

Dr Mojtaba Mahmoodian

Dr Mojtaba Mahmoodian is a Senior Lecturer in Civil and Infrastructure Engineering and is leading research in intelligent monitoring and maintenance of civil infrastructure. He integrates advanced structural assessment techniques with Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to create novel solutions for automated and remote monitoring and maintenance of infrastructure. His novel methodologies have been implemented on a wide range of civil infrastructure including bridges, pipelines, roads, ports and energy infrastructure. Mojtaba's strong track record within the field of smart infrastructure has been the result of continuous and efficient collaborations with industry.

Dr Payam Pirzadeh

Dr Payam Pirzadeh is a Lecturer in the School of Property, Construction and Project Management. He undertakes applied research in collaboration with private and public sector construction organisations. Payam’s research has explored design for construction health and safety (safety in design), measuring and managing health and safety performance on large infrastructure projects, and mass-haul environmental impact minimisation on road and rail construction projects. He has received prestigious awards including the RMIT Prize for Research Excellence (2019) and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Research Award.

Information and systems publications

Gharehbaghi, K., Farnes, K. & Hurst, N. 2024a. ‘A novel method of refining the performance of rail systems: an evaluation of system dynamics using discrete event simulation’. Smart and Sustainable Built Environment.
Shahrivar F., Sidiq A., Mahmoodian M. Jayasinghe1 S., Sun Z., Setunge S. 2025. ‘AI-based bridge infrastructure maintenance management: A comprehensive review’, Artificial Intelligence Review, Springer Nature
Gharehbaghi, K., McManus, K., Georgy, M., Farnes, K., Pagliara, F., & Myers, M. 2024b. ‘Verifying the sustainability factors of mega transportation infrastructure: Sydney Metro’s commissioning through the “significance matrix” methodology’. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 22, 22-41.
Jayasinghe S.C., Mahmoodian M., Sidiq A., Nanayakkara T.M., Alavi A., Mazaheri S., Shahrivar F., Sun Z., Setunge S., 2024, ‘Innovative Digital Twin with Artificial Neural Networks for Real-time Structural Health Monitoring: A Port Structure Case Study’, Ocean Engineering (Q1 in Ocean Engineering and Environmental Engineering), 312, 119187
Jayasuriya, S., Zhang, G. & Yang, R.J. 2024. ‘Towards successful economic infrastructure partnership project delivery through effective stakeholder management’. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 26, 101173.
Johannes, K., Voordijk, H., Wakkee, I. & Aranda-Mena, G. 2024. ‘Implementing organisational change in a digitalising facilities management organisation through stewardship interventions’. Journal of Facilities Management, 22, 144-159.
Mahmoodian, M.; Shahrivar, F.; Li, C., 2022. ‘Maintenance Prioritisation of Irrigation Infrastructure Using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methodology under a Fuzzy Environment’. Sustainability (Q1 in multidisciplinary research), 14, 14791. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214791
Nazareth, I. & Schwarzman, D. 2024. ‘Pattern Recognition—The Big Smart Transactional City’. The Physical and the Digital City. Intellect.
Yan, X., Di Shu, K. & Bao, D.W. ‘Architectural Topological Form-Finding Integrating Solid and Fluid Structural Performances.
Zhao, H., Liu, C., Yang, R.J. & Sun, C. 2024. ‘Large-scale prediction of solar irradiation, shading impacts, and energy generation on building Façade through urban morphological indicators: A machine learning approach’. Energy and Buildings, 323, 114797.