Faculty/School

Faculty of Engineering

School of Architecture and Built Environment

Topic status

We're looking for students to study this topic.

Research centre

Centre for Environment and Society

Primary Supervisor

Dr Dan Nyandega
Position
Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering

Other QUT supervisors

Dr Dan Nyandega
Position
Lecturer in Landscape Architecture
Division / Faculty
Faculty of Engineering

Overview

Urban coastal areas are increasingly emerging as the first line of adaptation and defence against extreme weather events, including sea-level rise, flooding, and storm surges, while simultaneously becoming sites of urban intensification to accommodate growing populations.  Under these pressures, shore and foreshore water infrastructures can no longer afford to segregate habitation from infrastructure. This research reconceptualises coastal shores and foreshores as territories where water infrastructures and human and non-human habitation are intricately entangled in future urban conditions. It explores a new concept of habitable coastal water infrastructure at the building, infrastructure, and landscape scales, focusing on its strategies, techniques, materiality, and experimental prototyping to test form, materials and performance within specific contexts.

Research engagement

Literature review, analysis of precedent projects,

Research activities

Analysis, diagramming, 3D modelling and prototyping.

Research skills

Develop an understanding of coastal water infrastructure, design for adaptation to sea-level rise and storm surge, and design for coexistence (human and non-humans) in the context of a rapidly changing climate.

Outcomes

To analyse precedent projects and extract design strategies for developing habitable coastal water infrastructure. Develop site-specific strategies and typologies of coastal habitable water infrastructure at building, infrastructure, and landscape scales.

Skills and experience

From design disciplines, Architecture, landscape architecture or urban design, skills in analysis of precedent projects, diagramming of strategies, 3D modelling and prototyping.

Start date

2 November, 2026

End date

19 February, 2027

Location

D-Block D514

Additional information

The research will be aligned with your study discipline to maximise learning. The research findings will be further developed into a publication, and the student is welcome to continue with the project for publication.

Keywords

Contact

Dan Nyandega

+61 7 3138 4397

daniel.nyandega@qut.edu.au