Monash University appoints new head of architecture

Monash Artwork, Design and Structure (MADA) has introduced the appointment of professor Erik L’Heureux as the brand new head of the college’s Division of Structure. Based on a communique from Monash College, the appointment adopted “a aggressive worldwide search” to additional the college’s agenda to develop climate-responsive and socially accountable structure.

Dean of MADA professor Mel Dodd commented, “Erik’s appointment will additional improve our worldwide status in impactful climate-adaptive architectural design. His distinctive integration of artistic observe with tutorial instructing and analysis throughout the Indo-Pacific is completely aligned to our function and values, in addition to with the Monash world campus footprint.”

Recognised for its modern integration of climate-responsive design, cultural analysis, and architectural observe, L’Heureux’s work focuses on growing sustainable net-zero and adaptive reuse methods tailor-made to the distinctive environmental challenges of densely populated, sizzling and humid equatorial cities in areas throughout Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Ghana and Brazil.

L’Heureux joins Monash College from the Nationwide College of Singapore (NUS), the place he served as dean’s chair affiliate professor, having beforehand held roles as vice dean and Grasp of Structure programme director. Throughout the NUS campus, L’Heureux has led award-winning initiatives, together with the net-zero adaptive reuse of each the College of Structure and the Yusof Ishak Home/Equatorial Pupil Commons.

Working in observe, L’Heureux’s profession spans greater than 40 important initiatives throughout scales starting from inside renovations to massive developments, together with a just lately accomplished 54-storey housing challenge in Kuala Lumpur named Park Place.

“As we navigate the pressing environmental and social challenges of our time, structure should play a crucial position in shaping extra resilient, inclusive and decarbonised futures,” L’Heureux mirrored. “I’m excited to contribute to MADA’s ongoing efforts in anticipating and addressing these challenges – advancing design, analysis and training that not solely reply to the current however actively think about new potentialities for our shared planetary future.”

Combining tutorial analysis and artistic observe, L’Heureux was awarded Harvard College’s Wheelwright Prize for his investigation into mid-twentieth century equatorial structure in 2015. In 2020, he was inducted into the Faculty of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of his contributions “to advance the science and artwork of planning and constructing by advancing the requirements of architectural training, coaching and observe.”

L’Heureux will start the position of head of the Division of Structure at MADA, which was beforehand held by Dodd, on 14 July 2025.