Professor Philip Francis Oldfield

My Expertise

My expertise is the sustainable design of buildings, with a particular focus on strategies to reduce embodied carbon, tall building architecture and high-density housing.

I use life cycle assessment methods to measure the environmental impact of innovative design approaches such as adaptive reuse, circular design and the use of timber and bio materials. I also use methods such as interviews and surveys to better understand and improve the lived experience of people in the built environment, and in particular, in high-density and high-rise housing.

Overall, my ressearch seeks to understand how we can meet the needs of society by creating housing, buildings and infrastructure, while also reducing the environmental impact of our built environment to mitigate climate change and achieve net zero outcomes.

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Architecture, Architectural science and technology, Sustainable architecture

Biography

I am Head of School at UNSW Built Environment and a Professor of Architecture.

My research examines how we can meet the needs of society by creating housing, buildings and infrastructure, while also reducing the environmental impact of our built environment to mitigate climate change and achieve net zero outcomes. This includes special interests in embodied carbon, tall building architecture, high-density housing, and climate literacy in architectural education. I am an active member of the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), and sole author of the book “The Sustainable Tall Building: A Design Primer” published by Taylor and Francis in 2019. I have led over $800k of funded research projects with diverse inter-disciplinary teams from industry, government and academia, tackling issues varying from how built environment leaders use evidence in the creation of buildings, to measuring the reduction of embodied carbon possible in the Australian office sector. Research i have led on embodied carbon has contributed to national methodologies and industry-wide guidance.

I have a passion for teaching in higher education, across both architectural studio and science courses, recognised with an appointment as a Scientia Education Fellow at UNSW (2017-2021). In addition, i am passionate about science communication, being a former British Science Association Media Fellow (2015). I write regularly about my research and the need for a more sustainable, equitable and resilient built environment for The New York Times, The Guardian, Dezeen, Architecture Australia and more.

My Grants

2023 - How low can we go? Approaches to reducing embodied carbon in office buildings in Australia. Lead CI. Funding from the Australian Department of Industry, Science Energy and Resources and industry collaborators.

2022 - The environmental impact of prefabricated timber fit-out systems. Lead CI. Funding from the Australian Department of Industry, Science Energy and Resources and industry collaborators.

2022 - NABERS Embodied Emissions – Technical analysis. CI. Funding to contribute to the development of a consistent embodied carbon calculation method for commercial buildings in Australia

2019 - Low carbon commercial buildings. Lead CI. Funding from the CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL). The project developed an industry design guide on low carbon performance for commercial buildings. A collaboration with mechanical engineers LCI and GHD.

2018 - Offset core research project. Lead CI. Funding from the CTBUH.

2017 - Carbon value engineering. Lead CI. Funding from the CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL). The project measured the embodied carbon impact of value engineering, and developed new strategies to reduce embodied carbon and cost simultaneously in multistorey buildings in the early design process. Collaboration between UNSW Built Environment, UNSW Civil Engineering and Multiplex.

2016 – Closing the loop. Lead CI. Funding from the CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL). The project documented how evidence is used in the creation of low-carbon commercial buildings, and developed better mechanisms for evidence-based-design. The project was a collaboration between UNSW, CRCLCL and Curtin University and funded two full time PhD studentships, a full-time post-doctoral researcher, and a part-time research assistant.

2012 – Roadmap on the future research needs of tall buildings. CI. Funding from the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) and CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction). The Roadmap was a joint initiative led by the University of Nottingham and Università IUAV di Venezia, with contributions from the CTBUH, CIB and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

My Qualifications

PhD (Architectural Science), DipArch (Distinction), BArch (First Class)

My Research Supervision

Areas of supervision

I am interested in supervising students in the areas of embodied carbon reduction strategies, adaptive reuse, tall building environmental performance, lived experience of high-density housing and comparable topics.

Currently supervising

Linda Romanovska: Evaluation of urban green infrastructure from a whole-of- life perspective

Florence Wong: Mass Engineered Timber (MET) Construction - Opportunities & Barriers of its development in Asian Pacific cities

Noni Nuriani: Energy Modelling in Australia's Commercial Buildings: Practices, Processes and Performance to Minimize Energy Performance Gap

Louise O'Brian: How can Utzon's study of nature inspire contemporary and interdisciplinary practice for a low-carbon future?

My Engagement

Professional / Academic Engagement roles

Honorary Fellowship, Australian Institute of Architects
Editorial Advisory Board and Section Editor (Embodied energy and carbon), Energy and Buildings
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, Advisory Group
James Martin Institute for Public Policy, Research Advisory Group
British Science Association, Media Fellow (2015)
UNSW Scientia Education Fellowship (2017-2021)

Media engagement and Op Eds

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