Materials Research

Innovations in Materials

As one of its research streams, Monash Architecture is developing design research into housing materials that could impact on the sustainability and affordability of housing. It is developing a program of design-based research that will lead to innovative designs which responds to contemporary advances in the discipline. As part of this program a research group is developing to explore new opportunities within architectural design through advances in material technologies and advanced fabrication processes. This group has already been successful in gaining funding support from VESKI (Victorian Endowment for Science, Knowledge and Innovation) to advance architectural design through the following themes: - material morphologies – the investigation of material properties in relation to advanced fabrication techniques - composite materials – the development and application of new composite materials - smart materials – the development of new material technologies with embedded intelligence ESD – environmentally sustainable materials including recycling, high thermal performance and reduced embodied energy parameters.