Professor Esther Charlesworth

Research

Research areas

• Architecture after disaster

• Sustainable Urban Design

• Architecture and Social Justice

Research awards

• 2010   Architecture on the Edge: Designing Sustainable Housing Systems for Vulnerable Communities. ARC Future Fellowship 2011–2015. $601,000

• 2009   Building the Community Project. Hoi An, Vietnam: Stage 2. LTIF, RMIT. $60,000

• 2009   Architecture Without Frontiers. Lonely Planet Foundation. $50,000

• 2008   Architecture Without Frontiers. Lonely Planet Foundation. $66,000

• 2008   Building the Community Project. Hoi An, Vietnam: Stage 1. LTIF, RMIT. $53,000

• 2008   Design of Indigenous Culture Centres, Oenpelli and Maningrida. Thomas Foundation. $17,000

• 2008   Design Like you give a damn. Emerging Researcher Grant. RMIT. $15,000

• 2008–2011   More than a roof overhead: Improving remote Indigenous Housing. ARC Linkage. $420,000

• 2007   A Decision-Support tool for remote Indigenous housing Northern Territory Government. $53,000

• 2007   Establishment of CODE Office. RMIT. $24,000

• 2006–2007   Flexible Guidelines for the Design of Remote Indigenous Community Housing. AHURI, with John Fien (RMIT), Doug Baker (QUT) & Gini Lee (UniSA). $155,000

• 2003   REDR Post-Disaster training workshop for architects. Griffith University Multi Faith Centre. $15,000

• 2000   No Man’s Land: A Spatial Anatomy of War Divided Cities. Macarthur Foundation Security and Sustainability Research Scheme (USA). US$85,000

• 1999   Architects without Frontiers: Community Engagement. American Federation of University Women. US$17,000

• 1996   MIT International Symposium on Post-War Reconstruction. Aga Khan Trust for Culture. US$10,000

• Australian Research Council Future Fellow – Architecture on the Edge Designing Sustainable Housing Systems for Vulnerable Communities

• Director, RMIT – Architects Without Frontiers Design Research Bureau

• PhD Supervisor

B.Arch, MAUD (Harv), D.Phil (York)

Dr Esther Charlesworth is the founding Director of Architects without Frontiers (Australia), a design non-for-profit organization who have undertaken over 20 projects in 12 countries for communities affected by disaster. Esther has lectured in architecture at QUT, Brisbane and the University of Melbourne was Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the American University of Beirut between 2000–2002.

Between 1995 and 1999 Esther was Senior Urban Designer with the City of Melbourne. She completed her Masters Design of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard University in 1995 and her Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of York (UK) in 2003. She has published widely on the theme of social justice and architecture including: ‘CityEdge: Contemporary Case Studies in Urbanism’ (2005), ‘Architects Without Frontiers, War, Reconstruction and Design Responsibility’ (2006), ‘Divided Cities’ (2009) and ‘The EcoEdge’ (2011).

Awards

2003

• President’s Award. Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Victoria) for CITYEDGE International Urban Design Conference Series.

2000–2002

• Scholarships for Doctoral studies.

• Commonwealth-British Council Fellowship

• American Federation of University Women International Fellowship

1993–1995

• RJ Menzies/Harvard Club Scholarship

• Harvard University Snitzler Scholarship

• Australian Federation of University Women (AFUW) Commemorative Award

• Dyason Bequest (Trustees of the NSW Art Gallery)

1994

• Harvard University Community Service Fellowship

• Aga Khan Foundation for Islamic Art and Architecture Travel Award

1991

• Dulux Architectural Colour Award 

Professional memberships

• Australian Institute of Architects – Reconciliation Action Plan Committee

• Architects Sans Frontiers (ASF) International – Committee Member,  2003–present

• ARBV (Architects Registration Board Victoria) – Registered Architect, 1993–present

• Committee member Harvard Club of Melbourne, 1995–2000

Professional work

Architects Without Frontiers (AWF)