2022 RTP An investigation of luxury and the circular economy in West Australian Architecture in small towns

Status: Open

Applications open: 12/07/2021
Applications close: 30/08/2021

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

Following the rise of environmental consciousness, the reuse of building spaces and their remnant landscapes is emerging as a promising approach to achieve sustainable luxury in Australian architecture. Today there is an ongoing debate about luxury, architecture and the circular economy. On the one hand, luxury has transformed from something material into an aesthetic of experience and as a type of intelligence in the form innovation to improve public and private spaces. On the other hand, architecture is a luxury from the standpoint that it is a salvageable luxury from demolition. Despite these schisms, remnant buildings that seem worthless are threatened to being demolished. There is a need for resurrecting buildings in urban and regional communities, ones that continue to exist, especially in small towns. Sustainable luxury is concerned with “a return to the essence of luxury with its ancestral meaning” and preserving the cultural heritage of different nations” (Gardetti and Torres 2013). As an environmentally acceptable form of luxury, sustainable luxury is increasingly important as it affects a town or city’s architectural durability and longevity.
The main aim of this project is to understand the meanings associated with sustainable luxury and the mineral character of existing spaces to be conserved. In rethinking the way a number of Australian regions and towns have experienced a growth in population and mineral wealth as a consequence of mining, agriculture and fisheries, new strategies are required to reassess how a town’s prosperity can flourish further in the built environment and improve people’s lifestyles. This investigation on luxury and the circular economy will provide diverse strategies for upcycling innovative schemes by observing a series of specific architectural cases that demonstrate thoughtful public spaces with ease of maintenance. 
As the theoretical framework for this research to reconsider the multifaceted history of the mining industry in Australia from the perception of its future cultural tourism outlook, its impact on the forming of urban communities and environmental degradation. Less attention focuses on the architecture of infrastructure formed by this remnant landscape. There is a need to investigate the Australian built environment history in a global and comparative context, considering the role of luxury and the circular economy  within the constructed landscape as a more permanent material network that brought together the process of remnant cultural exchange. 

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Humanities

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

Total value of the annual scholarships (stipend and fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a. Curtin PhD Stipends are valued at $28,597 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years.

Successful applicants will receive a 100% Fee offset.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses

Eligibility criteria

- a Research Masters degree or a Bachelors with First Class honours is essential
- an outstanding research track record in the field of Architecture and/or Landscape Architecture and the Arts is essential
- have a strong passion for architectural design and demonstrated some related industry experience in the urban design field is essential
- Demonstrated considerable research training in the area of design thinking and cross-cultural topics is desirable. 

Application process

If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should email the project lead, expressing your interest (EOI) in this project.

Your EOI email should include your current curriculum vitae, a summary of your research skills and experience and the reason you are interested in this specific project.

Enrolment Requirements

Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2022

Enquiries

To enquire about this project opportunity contact the Project lead (listed below).

Name: Dr Annette Condello 

Email: [email protected]

Contact Number: 9266 7855

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