Emerging leaders: Spotlight on early career researchers at UC Research Festival 2024

Description

https://www.canberra.edu.au/uncover/news-archive/2024/october/emerging-leaders-spotlight-on-early-career-researchers-at-uc-research-festival-2024

Subject

The future of architectural heritage: Dr Sally Farrah, Faculty of Arts and Design

Architecture lecturer Sally Farrah is on a mission to demonstrate the importance of design to the places we live. Her research looks to both the past – including Australia’s post-World War II architectural and urban heritage – and the future of sustainable architecture.

“The construction industry is a significant contributor to emissions and embodied carbon – to address this, I hope to conduct research and prototyping into alternative materials,” explains Sally.

Earlier this year, Sally worked with faculty colleagues, heritage and design advocacy group Canberra Modern, and the Australian Institute of Architects ACT on the Spectres of Architecture in Canberraexhibition, which shone light on the demolished and lost architectural and urban histories within the ACT.

“This exhibition demonstrated the alarming rate of demolition of exemplary buildings from the 1950s and 1960s, aiming to raise awareness of this issue to the public,” says Sally. The project had a strong impact and was the recipient of the 2024 National Trust ACT’s award for Heritage Education and Promotion.

Sally’s research is highly collaborative. She’s currently working with academics from Melbourne, Sydney, and Queensland on a book titled Canberra: A City by Design, which focuses on the National Capital Development Commission period (1957-1987) – which left a legacy of unique Brutalist architecture and urban design.

“My aim is to engage and educate the public in the wonderful histories of architecture in the twentieth century,” says Sally.