MUDD23 Acknowledgements

The MUDD23 staff and students would like to thank our many friends and supporters for the time and effort they have provided in continuing to make our program an outstanding success. The list below includes key intellectuals, administrators, designers and developers who have contributed to the program throughout the course of the past year in Sydney, Lisbon and Boston. 

For contributions to the UDES0001 City & Cinematic Space Studios (Semesters 1 & 2, 2017), Professor James Weirick thanks Dean Utian from the FBE Teaching & Learning Team for his enthusiasm and special knowledge of film and the built environment;  Michael Gheorghiu (Consultant Planner & Urban Designer) for his commitment and expert guidance; Brendan Randles (Senior Architect & Urban Designer, Architectus) for his advice and creative ideation during desk crits and his participation in the Design Jury; Oliver Ju (MUDD 2015 – Landscape Architect, Johnson Pilton Walker) for the introductory workshop on mapping techniques; and Design Jury members: Arlene Segal (Adjunct Senior Lecturer, BE UNSW); and Tim Schwager (Architect & Principal, Schwager Australia). 

For the UDES0002 VFT Sydney Studio (Semester 1, 2017), we thank Peter John Cantrill (Consultant Architect & Urban Designer, City of Sydney), Jesse McNicoll (Urban Design Coordinator, City of Sydney) and Amy Bendall (Landscape Architect & Urban Designer, City of Sydney) for the idea and realisation of the VFT Studio, which inspired so much of the design work and critical studies of the MUDD23 year. 

For contributions to the UDES0002 Aerotropolis Studio (Semester 2, 2017), Dr Scott Hawken thanks Michael Gheorghiu (MUDD 2016, Consultant Planner & Urban Designer) for his commitment as design tutor; Maryam Litkouhi (Development Manager, Commercial Property, Stockland) for her guidance on urban feasibility studies; guest lecturer Jonathan Knapp (Director, Urban Design, SJB Sydney) for his presentation on the development process; Joe Catania, Managing Director, Direct Freight Express, Warwick Farm for the special tour of his logistics facility during the ‘aerotropolis’ field trip to Western Sydney; Dajon Veldman (Principal, Urban Design, Scott Carver) and Vanessa Trowell (MUDD 2009) for their insightful Design Jury comments. 

For contributions to the UDES0011 Design Research Studio (Semester 2, 2017), Professor Weirick thanks tutors Mike Brown (Consultant Planner) and Trent Middleton (Consultant Architect) for their rigorous direction of research, ideation and design development throughout the semester; Jodi Lawton (Principal, Lawton Design) and Andrew Sweeney (Principal, Sweeney Palfreeman Architects) for their guidance on final production, and Design Jury members Dr Sunil Dubey (Senior Advisor, Metropolis), Chris Johnson (Chief Executive Officer, Urban Taskforce) and Arlene Segal (Adjunct Senior Lecturer, BE UNSW) for their critical assessment of the Bays Precinct projects. 

For the highly informative, stimulating lectures on the political and economic contexts necessary for our understanding before undertaking the UDES0003 International Studios in Lisbon and Boston, we thank good friend of the MUDD Program, urban economist John Zerby. 

For our Boston Experience, Professor Weirick and Michael Gheorghiu express deep appreciation to our hosts at Sasaki Associates. In particular, we thank Christian Vitulli (MUDD 2016) for initiating and facilitating the magnificent support we received from Sasaki, the opportunity to work out of their head office in Watertown, Massachusetts and the special insights we received by engaging with their master-planned Seaport Square project.  For the formal invitation to Boston, we thank Sasaki Urban Design Principals Martin Zogran and Dennis Pieprz, with a special thanks to Martin Zogran for his introductory briefing, chairing of the Interim and Final Reviews, and masterful contribution to the MUDD23 Yearbook. 

For our return brief, interim and final presentations at Sasaki, we thank for their commitment and incisive comments Martin Zogran, Isabel Zempel, Christian Vitulli, Lachlan Hunter Hicks, Ethan Lay-Sleeper, Zhu Siqi, Rosa Herrero de Andrés and Alykhan Mohamed.  For the final presentation, we were privileged to be joined by Dennis De Witt (Consultant Architect & Architectural Historian), and two MUDD Alumni – Geoffrey Morrison-Logan (MUDD 1998 – Principal, Planning, Design & Landscape Architecture, Vanasse Hankin Brustlin, Watertown, MA) and Max Stember-Young (MUDD 2012 – Planner, VHB NYC office, who came from New York for the event). 

Also in Boston, Geoffrey Morrison-Logan (MUDD 1998) organised a comprehensive briefing on the South Boston Container Terminal and Seaport District traffic issues by his VHB colleagues, Transport Planners Laura Castelli and Albert Ng.  Ashley Bakelmun (MUDD 2017) organised a briefing from Todd Dundon AIA, Principal, Gensler on the design principles of the new global headquarters for General Electric on Fort Point Channel (we also thank Gensler Public Relations & Communications Manager Perrin McCormick for setting up this briefing, and subsequent tour of the Gensler Boston office).  At the Boston Planning & Development Agency, we were privileged to receive a detailed briefing on South Boston/Seaport planning and development issues from Planner Cecilia Nardi.  At Harvard Graduate School of Design we were hosted with great generosity by Professor Rahul Mehrotra, Professor of Urban Design & Planning, whose enthusiastic presentation and introduction to the spatial drama of Gund Hall were truly memorable. 

For their comments at the final Design Jury back in Sydney, we thank Professor Helen Lochhead; Dr Scott Hawken; Brendan Randles; Andrew Sweeney, John Zerby; Dajon Veldman (Principal, Urban Design, Scott Carver) and our special guest from Lithuania, Professor Skirmantė Mozūriūnaitė, (Vice Dean for Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University). 

Professor James Weirick extends sincere appreciation to Brendan Randles (Senior Architect & Urban Designer, Architectus) for taking on the challenge of convening and leading the UDES0003 International Studio in Lisbon. 

The Lisbon Studio would not have been possible without the outstanding generosity and support of our hosts at the Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias (UHLT), with whom we collaborated on the Tagus Mouth Workshop.  Brendan Randles would like to thank all of the staff at the Departamento de Arquitectura e Urbanismo (DAU – ULHT) who assisted us throughout the studio, providing endless advice and making us feel so welcome.  We especially thank Professor Pedro Ressano Garcia (Head of Architectural Design, UHLT) and convener of the workshop, Maria Rita Pais, (Associate Professor of Architectural Design, UHLT), Luís Santiago Baptista (architect and critic and design tutor UHLT), Professor Rui Simões (Associate Professor of Teconologies, UHLT) and António Velez (Teacher´s Assistant).  Special thanks to Marcelo Rafael (Teacher’s Assistant) who was tireless in his support and advice to both students and teachers at all hours.  For their insight and advice during studio and crit sessions, we would like to thank Associate Professors, Dr. Cláudia Oliveira, Dr.Vasco Pinheiro and Dr. Hugo Nazareth Fernandes.  

For his valuable lecture on the military installations around the Tagus and his insightful critique throughout the workshop, we thank Associate Professor, Bernardo Vaz Pinto.  We would also like to thank Dr. Flávio Lopes, ( Architectural Heritage,ULHT) for his informative and critical lectures about the histories of Oerias and Trafaria and his invaluable advice to student groups in the studio.  For his facilitation of the site visit at Oerias, where he gave a fascinating lecture ‘in situ’ and for his insightful advice during the final crits, we thank Colonel Alpedrinha Pires.  For their generous on site lecture and sharing of local insights, as well as their participation in the final crits, we thank Architect Paulo Pardelha and Architect Luís Bernardo of the Almada Municipality.  A special thank you to Dr. Piotr Lorens (Head of the Department of the Urban Design & Regional Planning, University of Technology Gdansk) who was able to attend an afternoon crit towards the end of the workshop.  Finally, we would like to thank Raul Hestnes Ferreira, Phd Architect and Architectural Design teacher, who sadly passed away in early February 2018.  

For our colleagues, we are especially grateful to Professor Karl Fischer (Visiting Professional Fellow, UNSW) for making the workshop possible.  His frequent visits to Lisbon, the many logistical matters he solved behind the scenes and the great support he provided throughout the studio are greatly appreciated.  Additionally, we thank Kevin Hoffman (retired Commissioner of the NSW Land & Environment Court), who provided great insight and advice, as well as practical reminders on a daily basis.  Special thanks to Jodi Lawton, whose marvellous communication and graphic design skills allowed the students to express their ideas clearly and powerfully.  For his invaluable design support and organizational assistance, we thank Andrew Sweeney, who was a marvellous help in the final months. 

For participating in the final crits in Sydney, we would like to thank Professor Helen Lochhead (Dean, Faculty of Built Environment), Dr Scott Hawken, Kevin Hoffman, Jodi Lawton, Professor Karl Fischer, Andrew Sweeney, John Zerby, Professor Dr Skirmante Mozuriunaite, Michael Gheorghiu and Dean Utian for their insightful comments on the quality and depth of the urban design proposals. 

For UDES0004 History & Theory of Urban Development & Design (Semester 1. 2016) Professor James Weirick thanks Professor Karl Fischer for his lecture on the evolution of the European city; and Ian Perlman (Consultant Architect) for his presentation on the Asian city.  For his in-depth and brilliantly challenging lectures on spatial political economy and urban design, a profound thank you to Emeritus Professor Alexander Cuthbert.  For valuable assistance and knowledgeable guidance throughout the weekly tutorials, we thank Ashley Bakelmun (MUDD 2016), Dr Samir Mahmoud (MUDD 2005) and Vanessa Trowell (MUDD 2009). 

Professor Weirick thanks the following professionals and FBE colleagues for their Urban Development & Design Case Study Presentations in our UDES0006 Summer Term course: Emeritus Professor Jon Lang; Jesse McNicoll & Tim Wise (City of Sydney); Arlene Segal; Emeritus Professor Alec Tzannes AM (Director, Tzannes Associates); David Wolski (Director, Wolski Coppin); Jonathan Knapp (Director, Urban Design, SJB Sydney); Ivan Ip and Katrina Burley (Urban Design team, Architectus); Jan McCredie, (Director of Urban Design, Parramatta City Council); and Professor Skirmantė Mozūriūnaitė, (Vice Dean for Studies, Faculty of Architecture, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania).  Professor Weirick also expresses sincere appreciation to Emeritus Professor Jon Lang for his work in reviewing and assessing the Case Study presentations. 

For their contributions to UDES0008 Planning & Urban Development (Semester 2, 2016), we thank Jeremy Dawkins as convenor; tutors Kathleen McDowell (MUDD 2008) and Vanessa Trowell (MUDD 2009); and Guest Lecturer Kevin Alker (Corporate Advisor Hill, PDA & Lecturer UNSW) for his engaging and knowledgeable lecture on the planning and development context in Sydney. 

For contributions to UDES0009 Urban Landscape & Heritage (Semester 2, 2016), Dr Scott Hawken would like to gratefully thank Co-convenor Dr Anne Warr (Director, Anne Warr Heritage Consulting) for her lectures on urban heritage and tutorials, and tutors Professor Weirick and Sarbeswar Praharaj (FBE Ph.D student). 

For critical assistance during UDES0010 Communications in Urban Design, guest workshops and during the final deliverables of each of the studios and for being a delight to work with at all times, a sincere thank you to Jodi Lawton, Principal of Lawton Design for the countless hours of her professional and personal time that is dedicated to the MUDD Program; and to Andrew Sweeney (Principal, Sweeney Palfreeman Architects) for his editing, English-language support for our international students and overall enthusiasm for the MUDD23 venture. 

For convening the BE module of BENV7020 Research Seminar and assisting the MUDD (Extended) students, we thank Dr Laurence Troy (FBE City Future Futures Research Centre) and Associate Professor Catherine Bridge (FBE Associate Dean, Research).  In addition, we thank Emeritus Professor Jon Lang, Michael Gheorghiu, Arlene Segal, Andrew Sweeney and Dr Anne Warr for their contributions to the MUDD module of BENV7020 and UDES0011 Urban Design Research Project. 

An important thank you for their continuing support and goodwill towards the MUDD program to Professor Helen Lochhead (Dean, Faculty of Built Environment); Personal Assistants to the Dean, Margaret McInnes and Racheal Slade; Professor Alan Peters (FBE Deputy Dean & Head of School); Bruce Watson (FBE Acting Head of School); Monica McNamara, Julia Wibowo, Li San Chew and their colleagues in the FBE Student Centre; Graham Hannah, Raelene Solomons and the BECU team; Dean Utian of the Built Environment TELT team; Marie Caccamo, Business Partner External Relations; Danielle Peek, Events Coordinator External Relations; and Christina Goranitis, Team Leader in the FBE Discipline Directors Unit and her fellow Administrative Assistants.