Curtin University has been awarded a $500,000 grant by the Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) to set up a node of excellence in research into the low carbon built environment focusing on its Greater Curtin Master Plan.
The grant will fund five PhD scholarships to work on research aspects of green innovation for the Greater Curtin Master Plan as a part of the CRCLCL node of excellence and living labs project. The funding was announced at a seminar this week by Curtin Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry.
The Greater Curtin Master Plan is the University’s vision to transform its Bentley Campus through urban renewal and sustainable design to create a 21st century innovation centre. Earlier this year, the Master Plan was awarded Australia’s first 5 Star Green Star – Communities rating by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).
Curtin Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the grant will be used to ensure the Master Plan delivers an innovative, low or even zero carbon, high-performing development.
“The Greater Curtin Master Plan aims to rebuild the Curtin campus as a city of innovation,” Professor Terry said.
“Central to this is the notion of it being a model of low carbon development as well as enabling research and development to be built into every feature of the building process.”
The research node will be based within the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP), in the Faculty of Humanities, and be led by CUSP Professor of Sustainability, Peter Newman.
“CUSP will develop detailed plans and projects in partnership with Curtin’s planners, the private sector, local and State government, the local community, as well as the University’s academic staff and students,” Professor Newman said.
Several new projects will be initiated and eight CRCLCL projects will be expanded to move them from low carbon to no carbon.
“The vision of the node is to extend Curtin’s work in low carbon living through a focus on regenerative cities and regions,” Professor Newman said.
Developing the necessary tools for predicting low carbon outcomes from built environment projects is a major part of the CRCLCL and a focus of CUSP.
“The application of these tools will help other precinct-scale developments to use the latest innovations in low carbon, high-performance buildings, infrastructure, and land development processes,” Professor Newman said.
The node will be similar to other ‘living laboratories’ being developed on campuses around the world, including one at Chalmers University in Sweden, developed by Professor Greg Morrison.
The Greater Curtin Master Plan will see 114 hectares of the University’s Bentley Campus transformed
through urban regeneration over a 20-year period. It supports an urban economy based on education,
business, technology, housing, public transport, the arts and recreation.
About the CRC for Low Carbon Living Ltd
The CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL) is a national research and innovation hub that supports
Australian industry to be globally competitive in the low carbon built environment sector.
It brings together property, planning, engineering and policy organisations with leading Australian
researchers. CRCLCL develops new social, technological and policy tools for reducing greenhouse gas
emissions in the built environment.
Ultimately the CRCCLC will help unlock barriers to cost-effective carbon reduction opportunities,
empower communities and facilitate the widespread adoption of integrated renewable energy. This will
enable the sector to transition and contribute to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions targets while
maintaining industry competitiveness and improving quality of life.
It is supported by the Cooperative Research Centres program, an Australian Government initiative.
