People

The SBi Lab has a team of experts in building climate and energy engineering, building science, sustainable building design, education and policy, and construction.

Research team

Professor Ron Wakefield BE(Hons), MSE, PhD, MASCE, CPEng, MIEAust, FRICS
Ron is Professor of Construction and Head of the School of Property, Construction and Project Management.

Professor Priya Rajagopalan BTech.Arch.Eng, MBldSc, PhD - (Director)
Priya is an expert in building energy efficiency and energy benchmarking, indoor environmental performance and urban microclimate. Professor Rajagopalan is currently working on the Citizen Science Project and Climate Change Innovation Grant. Her previous projects include The Australian Housing Conditions Dataset

Dr Mary Myla Andamon BScArch, PhD - (Assistant Director)
Myla is a lecturer and a building scientist with expertise in indoor and outdoor thermal comfort studies, urban microclimate and building environmental monitoring and performance assessments.

Associate Professor Guillermo Aranda-Mena BScArch, MSc, PhD
Guillermo is Associate Professor with expertise in design practice and management, education systems, architecture, business and management.

Mr Andrew Carre BE(Hons), BEc, ME
Andrew is a lecturer and an energy engineer with expertise in life cycle assessment. He has considerable experience in research and client management.

Dr Ruwini Edirisinghe BE, PhD
Ruwini is a Vice Chancellor’s research fellow with expertise in digital innovation (BIM), information and communication technologies (ICT) and smart technologies in building and construction field.

Mr Matthew Francis BE, ME
Matthew is a research fellow with expertise in building energy efficiency, particularly in the relationship between building performance and occupant productivity whilst enhancing workplace sustainability.

Dr Sarah Holdsworth BEd (Env Sci), MEnvSci, PhD
Sarah is Senior Lecturer in sustainability with expertise in sustainable education for the building industry; specifically, notions of sustainability in relation to curriculum development and professional education.

Dr Trivess Moore BSc (Env), PhD
Trivess is a research fellow with expertise in energy efficiency, renewable energies, the built environment and transitioning to a low carbon future.

Dr Nicola Willand BArch, PhD
Dr Nicola Willand is a lecturer at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management. Nicola aims to develop strategies for the built environment that will minimise environmental impacts and life cycle costs while maximising productivity, health and social equity.

Dr James PC Wong BScArch, BArch, MBldSc, PhD
James is a lecturer and a building scientist with expertise in building performance assessment and sustainability rating (AccuRate,FirstRate5, NABERS and GreenStar Office).

Dr Jin Woo BS, MS, MPD, PhD, Green Star AP
Jin is a lecturer in building science with expertise in post-occupancy evaluation of buildings.

Dr Rebecca Yang BSc, MSc, PhD
Rebecca is a senior lecturer and scholar of building, construction and social practise, She undertakes pure and applied research that can provide innovative solutions to the industry by integrating theories with cutting-edge technologies.

Dr Tom Simko PhD, MIEAust, CPEng, NER
Tom is a Senior Lecturer with expertise is in heat transfer, HVAC and solar energy. He is currently researching heat transfer in vacuum insulating glazing

Dr Nigel Goodman
Dr Nigel Goodman is a Vice-Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow. He is investigating indoor air quality as well as strategies and technologies to create healthier indoor environments.

Higher Degree by Research Candidates

Adisa Alawode
Topic: Towards Net Zero Energy (NZE): Strategies for achieving NZE high rise high-density residential buildings in Australia.

Matthew Francis
Topic: Engineering sustainable performance: Assessing the impact of building performance on academic research productivity.

Prachi Garnawat
Topic: Developing an integrated framework for assessment of indoor environmental quality in healthcare facilities: a multi-stakeholder approach.

Yashar Jamei
Topic: Urban growth and climate of the city.

Felipe Esteban Jara Baeza
Topic: Indoor environmental quality in multi-residential social housing

Karishma Kashyap
Topic: Closing feedback loop: The link between post occupancy evaluation and management styles to optimise building performance.

Yee Sir Joey Loh
Topic: Indoor air quality in high-rise residential apartments

Bob Njoroge Muhia
Topic: Thermal comfort in passive-designed elderly housing in Nairobi, Kenya

Completed

Charles Kwarteng Asafo-Adjei
Topic: Accessibility and Transport Challenges Facing Rural People Living along Feeder Roads in Ghana

Jonathan Duverge
Topic: Benchmarking energy performance and water usage of aquatic centres.

Oanh Ho
Topic: Establishing a multi-criteria decision making framework for selecting green features and technologies to achieve expected Green Star certification from building development cost premium perspectives.

Andrew Law
Topic: Building Evaluation: The Decay Method as an evaluation tool for analysing thermal performance

Salman Shooshtarian
Topic: Evaluation of microclimates and thermal perceptions in urban precincts.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.