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Research
Research on the future of buildings and cities: healthier, climate-resilient, nature-positive and digitally informed.
How do buildings affect the people inside them?
Indoor environments, sick building syndrome and neuro-architecture: designing spaces that protect wellbeing and productivity.
Urban microclimateHow can cities stay liveable as the climate changes?
How buildings shape heat, air and energy at street and neighbourhood scale.
Nature-positive designHow can the built environment give back to nature?
Regenerative approaches linking people, buildings and natural systems.
Digital twins and AIHow can we test a city before we build it?
Digital twin and AI-enabled decision-making for councils, designers and developers.
How do buildings affect the people inside them?
Indoor environments, sick building syndrome and neuro-architecture: designing spaces that protect wellbeing and productivity.
How can cities stay liveable as the climate changes?
How buildings shape heat, air and energy at street and neighbourhood scale.
How can the built environment give back to nature?
Regenerative approaches linking people, buildings and natural systems.
How can we test a city before we build it?
Digital twin and AI-enabled decision-making for councils, designers and developers.
Impact on society and communities
- Healthier places to live and workResearch on indoor environments informs how buildings protect wellbeing and productivityHealth
- Climate-resilient, liveable citiesMicroclimate and nature-positive design research to reduce heat stress, energy demand and environmental harmClimate
- Better public decisionsDigital twins let councils and developers test decisions before building; applied on Auckland Council's Urban Design PanelPolicy
- Public and industry engagementNational programmes with NZGBC, including Green Building Week and the Future Thinker AwardIndustry
- Knowledge into the workforceDoctoral graduates apply this research at Beca, WSP, Vector and across industryPeople
Research funding
Amir has led more than NZD 2 million in national and international research funding as principal investigator and international adviser on large-scale proposals, including funded, practice-linked doctoral research with industry and public-sector partners.
As a member of the MBIE College of Assessors and an assessor for national research funders in more than eight countries, he brings direct insight into what makes research competitive.
Partners
Beca · NZGBC · NZIA · CIBSE · Auckland Council · APRU · Université de Lorraine · KAIST · University of Malaya
AG++ studio
The experimental platform for design, art, research consultancy, education and technology ideas.
Lab · Director since 2016R+G UBE Lab
Responsive + Green Urban Built Environment Lab: an interdisciplinary research group on future cities.
Lab · AUT · since 2018AE Lab
The AUT Architectural Engineering Lab: building performance, simulation and digital methods.