Dr Abby Mellick Lopes

• Biography
• Areas of Research/Teaching Expertise
• Publications
• Contact

Biography

Dr Abby Mellick Lopes is a Lecturer in Design Theory with the School of Engineering 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 focussed on design strategies for adaptation to climate change, and the ecological impacts of information technology. Her current research is in future scenario planning, irrigation futures for urban public space (she is currently involved in the CRC Irrigation Futures) and the significance of experiential judgement in design research. She is currently Deputy Convenor of the Society for Responsible Design. Abby has supervised several honours level and postgraduate research projects and has published widely on sustainable design issues.

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Areas of Research/Teaching Expertise

300309 Sustainable Design: Life Cycle Analysis
300306 Sustainable Design: Sustainable Futures
300206 Sustainable Design
300314 Designed Inquiry
85032 Industrial Design Project Commencement
85033 Industrial Design Project Completion

Abby has recently been involved in a major research partnership with Penrith City Council, Centre for Cultural Research and the Urban Research Centre exploring universal design, issues of accessibility and cultural context in public open spaces. She has also been a part of a College project entitled 'Enhancing Postgraduate Research and Training Opportunities in Sustainable Water Futures' (with CRC IF reserachers), which involved an industry scholarship for an honours project she supervised in 2007. Abby is engaged in scholarship on teaching and has recently produced a paper on design research methodologies and co-authored another on future scenario planning. Currently, she is collaborating on a theoretical paper exploring the idea of 'wearing' as an intentional act and sign of use and duration. Abby is involved in the supervision of four postgraduate research projects related to sustainable design education, global product development, culturally sensitive technological innovation and waterless sanitation.

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Publications

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.

Lopes, A M. & Desai, G. (2007). Humanitarian Architecture: Building Change? Design Philosophy Politics, vol 1 no 2.

Lopes, A M., S. Clune and T. Andrews. (2007). Future Scenario Planning as a tool for sustainable design education and innovation. Connected 2007 International Conference on Design Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney 9-12 July 2007.

Lopes, A M. (2008). Designed Inquiry: the significance of research education for designers. Engineering & Product Design Education Conference, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona 4-5 September 2008.

Mellick Lopes, A. (2004). Design as Politics; The Politics of Design Conversations, Design Philosophy Papers Collection 1, Willis, A (ed.), Team DES, Brisbane.

Mellick Lopes, A. (2008). On Sacred Childhood, Design Philosophy Politics, vol 1 no 3.

Mellick Lopes, A. (2005). Research Through Design: observational research for sustainability. Futureground international design research society conference, Monash University, Melbourne 17-21 November.

Mellick Lopes, A. (2003).Televisual Anaesthesia, Design Philosophy Papers Vol. 1, No.3, Team DES, Brisbane.

Mellick, A. (2004). Design for Sustainability Guide:
http://www.changedesign.org/DfSGuideWebsite/HomePage/Home.htm

For more information, contact Abby.

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