Doctor Abby Mellick Lopes
- Biography
- Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
- Grants / Current Projects
- Selected Publications
- Contact Details
Biography
Dr Abby Mellick Lopes is a Senior Lecturer in Design with the School of Communication Arts at UWS. She received her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2005 and has a background in design and cultural theory. Her primary academic and industrial experience is in design for sustainability, which was nurtured in her work as a researcher, consultant and educator with the EcoDesign Foundation from 1996-2004. Her research at the Foundation focused on design strategies for adaptation to climate change, and the ecological impacts of information technology. Her current research explores the role of design in supporting socio-cultural change and she has an ongoing interest in fostering experiential judgment through design research, studies of material culture, image ecologies, design futuring and design for sustainability education.
Abby has supervised several honours level and postgraduate research projects and has published widely on sustainable design issues. She is currently on the Committee of the Society for Responsible Design and the UWS Sustainability Taskforce.
Areas of Research / Teaching Expertise
Design for Sustainability
(theory, methods, practices, education and research)
Design Research Methods
Design and Cultural Theory
Design Philosophy
Design Futuring
Grants / Current Projects
2010 – 2011 Transitioning to sustainable sanitation futures: a transdisciplinary pilot project of urine diversion, phosphorus recovery and reuse in agricultural applications. UTS Challenge Grant with Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS (External Partner).
2009 – On Wearing: a multidisciplinary research project with Alison Gill exploring practices of use and creative extension with already existing designed things.
2007 – 2008 Universal Design and Cultural Context: Accessibility, diversity and recreational space in Penrith. UWS Research Partnerships Program with Penrith City Council and Centre for Cultural Research (Chief Investigator).
Selected Publications
Mellick Lopes, A., Gill, A. (2011). On Wearing: a critical framework for valuing design’s already made, Design and Culture, vol 1 no 3.
Lopes, A and Andrews, T (2010). Earth Hour, Every Hour: how effective is Earth Hour in promoting behaviour change according to existing behaviour change theory? Available online.
Fam D, Mellick Lopes A, Willetts J, Mitchell C (2009). The Challenge of System Change: an historical analysis of Sydney’s Sewers, Design Philosophy Papers, vol 3. Re-published in Design Philosophy Papers Collection 5, Willis, A (ed.), Team D/E/S Publications, Ravensbourne.
Mellick Lopes, A. (2009). Ecology of the Image: the matter of ideas in design. VDM Verlag, Saarbrucken.
Fam, D., Mosley, E., Lopes, A., Mathieson, L., Morison, J. and Connellan, G. (2008). Irrigation of Urban Green Spaces: a review of the Environmental, Social and Economic Benefits. CRC for Irrigation Futures Technical Report no 04/08. Available online.
Mellick Lopes, A. (2008). On Sacred Childhood, Design Philosophy Politics, vol 1 no 3. Available online.
Lopes, A M. & Desai, G. (2007). Humanitarian Architecture: Building Change? Design Philosophy Politics, vol 1 no 2. Available online.
Mellick, A. (2004). Design for Sustainability Guide. EcoDesign Foundation/Change Design.
Mellick Lopes, A. (2004). Design as Politics; The Politics of Design Conversations, Design Philosophy Papers Collection 1, Willis, A (ed.), Team D/E/S Publications, Ravensbourne.
Mellick Lopes, A. (2003).Televisual Anaesthesia, Design Philosophy Papers Vol. 1, No.3, Team D/E/S Publications, Ravensbourne.
Refereed Conference Presentations
Huda, S., Allen, J., Sinclair, C., Andrews, T., Lopes, A., Duarte, F., Bambrick, H. and Craig, D. (2010). Climate Change: Building Leadership Capacity within a Higher Education Institution, Climate Change: Agriculture, Food Security and Human Health. Paper presented at the 9th European International Farming Systems Association Europe Group Conference, 4-7 July, Vienna, 1357-1367
Mellick Lopes, A., Fam, D., and Williams, J. (2010). Designing Sustainable Sanitation through transdisciplinary research: a pilot project of nutrient recovery and reuse. Paper presented at Cumulus Shanghai Conference 2010: Young Creators for Better City, Better Life, 7-10 September. Available online.
Andrews, T., Mellick Lopes, A., Allen, J. (2010). Design and the University: a partnership for sustainable design. Paper presented at ConnectED design education conference, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 28 June– 1 July. Available online.
Ramirez, M., Marosszeky, A., Campbell, G., Mellick Lopes, A., Campbell, C. (2010). SRD Change: showcasing graduate projects that provoke sustainable changes in design thinking and practice. Paper presented at ConnectED design education conference, University of New South Wales Sydney, 28 June– 1 July. Available online.
Mellick Lopes, A. and Gill, A. (2009). On Wearing: a critical interpretive framework on design’s already made. Presented at Bringing Interpretative Worlds to View AAANZ Conference, Australian National University, Canberra, 27- 28 November.
Allen J., Mellick Lopes A., Andrews T. (2009). Futures West: A Design Research Initiative Promoting Sustainable Futures for Western Sydney. Paper presented at Cumulus 38° South 2009: Hemispheric Shifts Across Learning, Teaching and Research, Melbourne 12-14 November. Available online.
Lopes, A M. (2008). Designed Inquiry: the significance of research education for designers. Paper presented at Engineering & Product Design Education Conference, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona 4-5 September.
Lopes, A M., S. Clune and T. Andrews. (2007). Future Scenario Planning as a tool for sustainable design education and innovation. Paper presented at Connected 2007 International Conference on Design Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney 9-12 July.
Mellick Lopes, A. (2005). Research Through Design: observational research for sustainability. Paper presented at Futureground international design research society conference, Monash University, Melbourne 17-21 November.
