UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture

Thanks to every alum, partner, student and colleague for being part of our creative, collaborative and inclusive community, solving problems to improve life on 🌏

It’s good to be team yellow. Today, and all days.

Our work: https://www.unsw.edu.au/arts-design-architecture/engage-with-us/our-impact

The rankings: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/unsw-claims-australias-top-spot-for-the-first-time-in-preeminent-world-university-rankings

#1

Will plans to fast-track apartment construction fix Australia’s housing affordability crisis?

New research suggests the answer is complicated.

Study coauthor Professor Chyi Lin Lee from ADA's School of Built Environment says an analysis of house and unit price data across five major Australian cities over 30 years shows the detached house market and unit market operate differently.

And the data shows detached houses drive price movements, rather than the other way around.

What's more, nearly 80% of price spillovers (the way prices changes are transmitted across markets), occur between cities rather than within them, a pattern the researchers say cannot be explained by normal housing demand.

For policymakers, the findings are clear: supply-side solutions on their own are unlikely to address the root causes of the crisis. Tackling investor-driven demand and coordinating policies across states may be just as critical.

Read more: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/building-more-apartments-wont-ease-housing-crisis-new-research

🎓 Double degree – double opportunity 🎓

Marlene Cai is a fourth-year Bachelor of Design/Commerce student, a UNSW student ambassador and a member of the School of Art & Design Board, representing the undergraduate student cohort.

“The most rewarding part of studying a double degree has been gaining access to the skills, knowledge, and connections across two very different faculties. It’s broadened my perspective and exposed me to a wide range of opportunities and career insights across diverse industries,” she says.

Her advice to anyone considering a double degree?

“Study what you’re passionate about! Even if the disciplines seem unrelated, you’ll often find more connections and transferable skills than you expect.”

Find out more about Marlene’s experience: https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2026/06/double-degree-double-opportunity

Medical history is fascinating - and we don't mean sharing our personal stories.

Rather, how progress is made in diagnosis, treatments and understanding of disease.

ADA's Dr Michelle Bootcov's research on the history of hepatitis B diagnosis uncovered an unexpected link to the COVID-19 pandemic. As RAT and PCR tests became part of everyday life in 2020, she realised her PhD was also a history of the medical discoveries that made those technologies possible.

"Both the rapid antigen tests (RAT tests) and the variant sequence analysis (PCR tests) that became common knowledge to the general public during COVID had historical antecedents in hepatitis B research of the 1960s to 1990s," she says.

Now, the American Association for the History of Medicine has selected Dr Bootcov for the 2026 Pressman-Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Development Award, in recognition of her outstanding work in twentieth-century history of medicine, and the potential for her thesis to be published as a book.

Read more about her award winning work: https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/07/its-world-hepatitis-day-heres-how-hepatitis-b-research-helped-when-covid-hit

Will changes to the NDIS deepen inequality for women and girls?

Public hearings this week are highlighting a long-standing issue: Women make up just 38% of NDIS participants.

Molly Saunders, who is undertaking a PhD at UNSW on gender and the NDIS, says the proposed reforms could have unintended consequences for women and girls with disability.

Read more: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/tightening-ndis-eligibility-will-disproportionately-affect-women-in-more-ways-than-youd-expect

Join us at our Paddington campus on 16 June for the Jenny Birt Award exhibition and winner announcement!

Celebrating emerging artists, the Jenny Birt Award is the longest-running and most prestigious award for painting at UNSW's School of Art & Design. Explore the finalists' works and be there as this year’s winner is announced.

Register here 👉🏻 https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/2026-jenny-birt-award-tickets-1989064906680?aff=IGStory

📆 Tuesday 16 June, 2026
🕜 6pm – 8pm
📍 AD Space & Courtyard, UNSW Paddington campus

📸 Anna Kucera (pictured: Jenny Birt and 2025 Award winner Aarhon Silver with the winning work ‘Feeling anxious?... there that's better’)

Huge congratulations to UNSW Scientia Professor Matthaios Santamouris on being recognised in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours 👏

Prof. Santamouris has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to architecture, energy and environmental quality.

UNSW community recognised with King’s Birthday Honours Distinguished members of the UNSW Sydney community have been honoured for outstanding contributions across research, education, industry and public service.

What are the drivers that help students complete Year 12?

Professors Rebecca Collie and Andrew Martin, from ADA’s School of Education, say research points to three factors schools can influence from as early as Year 7:

• Teaching that helps students see progress
• Well-managed classrooms that support focus and motivation
• Strong student–teacher relationships that keep students connected.

Read more on what makes the difference 👇
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/06/almost-20-of-australian-students-dont-finish-school-these-3-things-can-help-them-stay

Xi Jinping’s recent back-to-back meetings with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin weren’t just diplomatic theatre, they were a clear signal of a global power shift.

“China is not trying to pit Washington and Moscow against each other. Instead, it is positioning itself as the system’s centre: the place where major-power diplomacy must pass,” says Dr Alexander Korolev, UNSW ADA Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations.

For policymakers, this matters. It suggests a world where influence is no longer anchored in Washington and where strategic decisions increasingly run through Beijing.

Read more: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2026/05/playing-host-to-putin-and-trump-china-sends-a-message-its-now-in-the-drivers-seat