Thursday, 11th June World Sustainable Built Environment Conference 2026

• Cities as Transformative Agents for Global Sustainability - Xuemei Bai
• Circular construction, digitalization and the potential of international collaboration - Huub Keizers
• Thermal Security: From Lived Experience to Equitable Retrofit and Urban Regeneration - Àlex Boso

• Using City Wastewater Networks for Sustainable Heating & Cooling of Buildings. The Multiple Benefits. Energy & Urban Planning Factors. - Nick Meeten
• Data-driven Modelling of Mould Growth and Hygrothermal Relationships Towards Net Zero in UK’s Housing Stock - Chukwuemeka (Chuks) Oti
• Unlocking the sustainability retrofit potential of apartment buildings - Denise Ryan
• Evolutionary algorithms for the optimal selection of façade materials according to their level of thermal insulation. - Arturo A Martínez García
• *Ventilative cooling as a solution for climate-resilient European buildings – a case study for night cooling - Ryan Bondar

• Assessing the Thermal Performance of Rice Husk Ash Masonry Units as Alternatives to Core-Filled CHBs in Philippine Residential Design using the Passive House Planning Package - Juven Marius Cruz Mirano
• Optimising Retrofit Interventions in Pre-2006 Housing: A Low-Carbon Pathway to 7-Star NatHERS Performance - Mohammad Pishdad
• Climate-Based Low-Carbon and Zero-Energy Wooden Building Design Strategy - Hongmin Yan
• *Beyond Energy Saving: A Reliability Energy Management System Framework for Digital Building Retrofits - Linna GENG
• *Energy, carbon, and cost information requirements for multi-criteria decision making in energy retrofitting - Wahhaj Ahmed
• Cultivating Future Sustainability Leaders through Experiential Learning at Construction Industry Council - Zero Carbon Park - Tony Ip

• Advancing Nature-Positive Outcomes: Integrating Biodiversity and Community Resilience into Green Star Buildings - Jorge Chapa
• Rural spatial planning regarding residential zones - Efrat Adv. Aviram Vas
• Rethinking Park Accessibility Beyond Distance: Integrating Perceived Experience and Policy Practice in Western Sydney - Yuan Qi
• *Traditional Local Knowledge in Adaptive Delta Urbanism: Pathways to Flood-Resilient Urban Futures in the GBM Delta - Sazdik Ahmed
• Can blue-green infrastructure increase the flood resilience of cities? - Pui Kwan Cheung
• *Design, Performance and Effectiveness of Rain Gardens as a Sponge City Feature in Urban Stormwater Management: A Systematic Literature Review - Umar Farooq

• Chasing the green unicorn: finding high density, high canopy cover neighbourhoods in 20+ global cities - Thami Croeser
• *A Model for Delivering Resilience and Adaptive Capacity in the Built Environment.  - Mark Mulville
• *Innovative Industrial Zone Renewal Strategies based on Local Climate Zone Transformation - Kexin Zhang
• *Green Infrastructure as a tool for urban water resilience: a case study in the Congo watershed, São Paulo - Kárita Viana
• *Pathways to repurpose Soil-Like Material(SLM) from mined dumpsites - Disha Arora
• *Renewal strategies for heat acclimatization in old residential areas in a post-urbanization era: A case study of a riverside residential neighbourhood - Songlin Liu

• The effect of relative humidity during cultivation of Aspergillus niger on the release of fungal particles and ochratoxin A into the air - Shu-An Lee
• Volatile organic compounds in prefabricated timber buildings – implications for sustainability and health - Nigel Goodman
• Using Biometrics to Measure Workplace and Human Experience - Laurie Aznavoorian
• *A Study on the Renovation Assessment of Existing Housing for the Elderly in Taiwan - MEI-FANG WU
• *Study on Characteristics of Sound Transmission Loss of Domestic Timber in Taiwan - Yi-Chen MA
• *Estimating neutral temperature under mixed-mode ventilation using multilevel ordinal logistic regression - Shiro Arata

• Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for SDG-Aligned Healthy Cities: Experience from Taiwan’s Post-COVID and One Health Surveillance - Kun-Hsien Tsai
• Investigating the relationship between airtightness, cooking fuel and indoor air quality in dwellings through in-situ CO₂, NO₂ and PM_2.5 measurements - Muthukumar Maragathamayil
• Social accessibility and environmental sustainability as the key pillars in achieving more resilient affordable housing outcomes. - Dominika DR Richards
• *Optimizing Indoor Air Distribution and Thermal Comfort through Furniture Layout: An Integrated Empirical and CFD Study in a University Meeting Room - Neeraparng Laohaviraphap
• *A Study on Optimal Observation of Distance by Sensing and Impression Evaluation thought Crowd Flow - Risa Kagaya
• *Verification of the applicability of the Vernacular Architecture of the 21^st century concept: the Naturdorf Bärnau. - Francesco Stassi

• *Mapping the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Educational Skills Gap in Australia - Jean-Paul Rollo
• Counting on Quality: Centring Resilience in Housing Policy - Sarah Buckeridge
• Educating the Next Generation of Professionals in Indoor Environmental Quality: A Review of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning - Pippa Soccio
• *An SDG-driven performance framework to integrate urban digital Twin technology to enhance sustainable urban regeneration - Mark A Allan
• *Advancing Circular Economy Through Training and Capacity Building for Built Environment Practitioners in the Global South - Janappriya Jayawardana
• *Case study of Government Initiatives to provide Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Educational Opportunities - Jean-Paul Rollo

• *Delivering Circular economy in the built environment educational courses for industry practitioners - Akvan Gajanayake
• *Mapping competencies in Construction Management programs in Australia based on professional accreditation requirements - Chayakan Siamphukdee
• *Building Sustainable Futures Through Human Capability and Learning Systems: A Development Education Approach to Advancing the Built Environment Beyond the SDGs   - Caleb Boadi
• *Sustainable Architecture Prompt - SAP: a tool for integration of Sustainable Development Goals’ targets into architecture design studios - Maycon Sedrez
• Closing the performance gap in Australia’s commercial office sector: Updated insights from Green Star and NABERS Integration - Helen Bell

11:00am - 12:00pm 
A technology-driven approach to value chain decarbonisation  

Run by: Arcadis & Autodesk

Speakers:

• Mark McKenna - Global Sustainability Director, Arcadis
• Joe Speicher - Chief Sustainability Officer, Autodesk

Description:

This session features Mark McKenna, Global Sustainability Director for Arcadis, joined by Joe Spiecher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Autodesk, for a live Q&A on how AI and digital intelligence are transforming the construction industry with a particular focus on decarbonization. In light of Autodesk’s recent $3.6B acquisition of MaintainX, Joe will discuss how their expanded digital capabilities across the full project lifecycle can help projects and organisations speed up decarbonisation. As long-term partners, Mark and Joe will also share practical examples of collaborative best practice between Arcadis and Autodesk that are driving measurable sustainability impact.

Skills for a Circular and Sustainable Economy

Run By:
Melbourne Polytechnic, College of Vocational Education (VE), RMIT University, Sustainable Builders Alliance, Holmesglen

Speakers:

• Trent McCarthy, Director Clean Economy, Engagement & Experience, Melbourne Polytechnic; Founder, Climate Emergency Australia
• Florian van den Corput, Circular Economy Expert
• Terry McEvoy, Director, Built Environment & Sustainability, VE, RMIT University
• Elizabeth Jansz, Dean, Building, Construction, Design and Electrotechnology, Holmesglen
• Bec Kempster, Chief Operating Officer, Sustainable Builders Alliance

Description:

As Australia transitions to a circular, sustainable and net zero economy, the demand for new skills and workforce pathways is accelerating. This session will highlight insights, initiatives and partnerships driving transformation across vocational education and the built environment sector. Presentations include Sustainability Victoria’s Circular Jobs and Skills Report, the Sustainable Builders Alliance Roadmap, Melbourne Polytechnic’s Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence and Clean Economy Skills Labs, Holmesglen's experience collaborating across clean economy and trades education, and RMIT’s Trades Innovation Centre. Participants will take part in roundtable discussions to identify emerging needs, share insights and explore practical actions to support the transition to a sustainable built environment.

12:40pm - 1:25pm
Beam Lunch Workshop: The Hong Kong’s State of Sustainable Built Environment (SDG 9, SDG 11)

Run By: BEAM Society

Speakers: 

• Mr. Ricky CHONG - Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney
• Dr. Raymond KL CHAN - Honorary Treasurer, BEAM Society
• Ir CS HO - Chief Executive Officer, BEAM Society
• Prof KK LING - Chairman, Hong Kong Housing Society
• Dr. Tony IP - Founder, Tony Ip Green Architects
• Mr. Felix KIOE - Assistant Engineer, Arup

Description:

From buildings to communities to mega-scale infrastructures, Hong Kong has long prioritized sustainability in the built environment. The building sector is encouraged to adopt innovative solutions to further elevate Hong Kong’s sustainability standards. In this session, our Hong Kong speakers will share with the participants the policies, standards, incentives, design intervention techniques and innovative solutions being adopted across the building sector — from private to public developments — highlighting what makes Hong Kong a uniquely sustainable Asia's World City. Drawing on case studies and hands-on experience from Hong Kong, speakers will encourage participants to think beyond conventional approaches, exploring environmental, social, and smart solutions to advance the sustainability of the built environment in global cities. By the end of the session, participants will walk away with fresh ideas to help global cities progress to the next level of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Industrial Ecology and Urban Provision Systems: Advancing Sustainability Transitions in Housing and Mobility in Australian Cities - Heinz Schandl
• Green infrastructure: long-term perspective - Tim Flannery
• From Honiara to the World: Small Island Cities, Youth, and Education in Building a Just Sustainable Future Beyond the SDGs - Transform Aqorau

• *Evaluation of Solar Energy Potential in Tando Allahyar District Case of Missan and Recommendations for energy policy implementation in rural Sindh- Pakistan SDG 7: Clean Energy - Rafia Kashan
• *Assessment of Energy Performance Index of IGBC Certified Business Buildings with 24 X 7 operation in India - Sivakumar Palaniappan
• *Improving energy efficiency in building mechanical ventilation systems using green infrastructure - Brian Considine
• *Mitigating Energy Consumption in Singapore Commercial Buildings through Skyrise Greenery - Md. Samiur Rahman Bhuiyan
• *Design Optimisation for Low-Carbon and Affordable Buildings: A Systematic Review - Dinithi Piyumra Raigama Acharige
• *A Study on Local Energy Production and Consumption through Mobile Transport of Hydrogen Cartridges and Batteries Part2 Demonstration Experiment Utilizing Hydrogen Cartridges - Keita Mizuno

• Rethinking LST in Urban Heat Studies: Mischaracterizations Relative to Physiological Human Heat Stress - Yuan Wang
• *Urban Climate Adaptation Actions: Experience and way forward of China's 22 Supercities and Megacities - Lingxi Xiao
• *Regional Planning of Green Infrastructure for Urban Heat Island Mitigation - Yirui Chen
• *Quantifying the impact of urban densification on outdoor environmental quality across different climates - Han WANG

• *Beyond the Horizontal: Vertical Integration as a Contested Adaptation for Agricultural Survival in High-Density Cities - Tony Ip
• Beyond SDGs: Intergenerational Play as a Catalyst for Land Optimisation, Healthy Ageing, and Sustainable Urban Communities - Karen N Lee
• *Thermal comfort inequality in high-density public housing: An equity-aware, measurement-calibrated simulation workflow - Jia Jing Chew
• *Daylight and Ventilation Performance of Standard Government Classrooms: A Field and Simulation Study in Malaysia - FATHIN NOOR AQILAH ARIFF
• *Using RapidRate to identify upgrade options for Australian dwellings and measure their impact on energy consumption - Melissa James

• Crafting Change: Women’s Voices and Climate Awareness through Art, Craft and Design in Pakistan - Irha Ali
• *A Three-Dimensional Symbiotic Framework for Regenerative Urbanism: Integrating Biodiversity and Well-being in High-Density Cities - Tony Ip
• *The Effect of Wall Cavity on the Airborne Sound Insulation Performance of Lightweight Partition Wall - Hao-Ting HSU
• *Development of a Composite Index for Thermal Comfort and Biodiversity - Felix Felix
• *Understanding Social Acceptance of Offshore Wind Farms - A Global Review and Implications for Australia - Dilan Weerasooriya Arachchige
• *ORIGIN OF SUSTAINABILITY - The Nature's Wonder of Algae. Biological Role of Algae in Humanity. - KIAN HENG LIEW

• *Measurement Model Validation using Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Ageing-in-Place of the Elderly in Auckland - Ma Katrina Raneses
• *Enhancing Well-being in Windowless Rooms: How Artificial Windows and View Content Influence Stress Recovery - YUKINO KURODA
• *Daylight and Faculty Office Occupancy: Evaluating the Impact of Natural Light on Academic Work Environments - Fida Isam A.Elhafiz
• *Linpan–a heritage complex settlement unit–with climate adaptability benefits and spatial configuration decisions - Zichao Yan
• *Business and Financing Models for Distributed Solar PV: A Systematic Review of Trends - Mathanky Sachchithananthan

• The Living Building Challenge: Exposing Practical Barriers to the Future of Circular and Regenerative Design - Lachlan Booth
• *Implementing the UN SDGs through the STARfish Net-Positive Design App - Janis L Birkeland
• *Sustainable Behaviour Goals for everyday life: a case study from Swedish Campuses - Holger Wallbaum
• *A practitioner-informed framework for cultivating integrated sustainability capability across built environment professions - Laura L Gutierrez-Bucheli
• *Cost, Carbon, Choice: A Serious Game for Circular Construction Public Engagement - Bianca Hettinger

• *How does a Low-impact Educational Development be a dynamic live showcase of SDGs? - Sylvia Fung
• Activity-based participatory design: interactive public intent collection and design generation via graph theory  - Lujia Zhu
• *Community Perspectives of Social and Ecological Shifts on the Livelihood of Small-Scale Fisheries in Marine Protected Areas of Malaysia - GAZI MD NURUL ISLAM
• Building Bridges: Transdisciplinary Design Networks for Regenerative and Circular Economy Collaboration in Higher Education - Seán McCarthy
• *Towards Community-Driven Resilience Visual Tools: Early Integration of Modelling and Imaginaries in Indonesia Living Lab - Bintang Prabowo
• *Advancing Education Practices in High Performance Buildings: Bridging the Skills Gap Between Academia and Professional Careers through Practical BEAM Plus Project Experience - Tim Lo

Driving Sustainability in Australia’s Built Environment

Run by: The Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre (SBEnrc)

Speakers:

• Will Hackney, Chief Operating Officer, SBEnrc, Australia
• Soheila Ghafoor, Research Fellow, RMIT University; Project Leader, SBEnrc Social and Affordable Housing Research Project
• Jude Munro AO, CEO, Brisbane City Council; Industry Chair,SBEnrc Social and Affordable Housing Research Project
• Yingbin Feng, Professor and Head of Discipline, Building and Infrastructure, Western Sydney University; Project Leader, SBEnrc Sustainable Procurement Research Project
• Atiq Zaman, Associate Professor, Curtin University; Circular Economy Theme Research Leader, SBEnrc; Co-Director, Global South Nexus (GSN)
• Heinz Schendel, Senior Principal Research Scientist and Circular Economy Lead, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO); Member of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) International Resource Panel (IRP)
• Waco Tao, Executive Chair & Founder of Prefab Council Australia (PCA)

Description:

Australia's built environment is ready for transformation — and this roundtable is where that conversation gets serious. Bringing together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers, the session explores how circular economy thinking, prefabrication, and Modern Methods of Construction can solve the housing challenge, cut construction waste, and accelerate decarbonisation. Grounded in SBEnrc research and national industry experience, it is a working conversation about turning sustainability ambition into built reality.

World Cafe focusing on Global South and Emerging Economies

Run by: RMIT University and GlobalABC Circular Built Environment

Speakers:

• Usha Iyer-Raniga - WSBE26 Co-Convenor; Professor Sustainable Built Environment, RMIT University; Co-Lead Materials Hub, hosted by UNEP
• Trent McCarthy - Director Clean Economy, Engagement & Experience, Melbourne Polytechnic; Founder, Climate Emergency Australia
• Mohammed Giasuddin Haider - Director General of the Housing and Building Research Institute (HBRI), Bangladesh
• Missaka Hettiarachchi, Senior Fellow/Lead - FGG Training Programme, World Wildlife Fund - USA; Adjunct Professor, James Cook University - Australia

FULL PAPERS 
Please note: An asterisk (*) at the beginning of an abstract title indicates that the presentation is based on a full paper.