Professor Janis Birkeland
This person does not currently hold a position at QUT.
Personal details
Keywords
Design tools, Eco-design, Eco-retrofitting, Ecosystem services, Green building, Sustainable architecture, Sustainable development, Urban design, Urban planning
Research field
Architecture, Design Practice and Management, Urban and Regional Planning
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2008
Qualifications
- PhD (University of Tasmania)
Professional memberships and associations
1. National Co-President, Australian National Sustainability Initiative (ANSI) last 3 years
Its role is to initiate exemplars of Positive Development and to advance sustainability education.
This organization has members from a range of institutions, agencies, community organisations and businesses, such as ARUP, SSEE, AGDF, FWR, etc. The team includes Yasu Santo, David Nielsen and Susan Loh from QUT. Birkeland designed the Australian National Sustainability Centre proposed for the ACT and wrote the website materials. See www.sustainability.org.au
2. National Council Member, Australian Green Development Forum (AGDF) last 1 year
A balanced, non-profit coalition of members from development industries, government organisations and community groups interested in fostering sustainable development.
I helped convene and gave presentation at a joint SSEE, DEEDI and AGDF seminar on Positive Communities (derived from Positive Development) for 60 invitation only professionals and practitioners. This should lead to a number of DEEDI supported ‘technical clinics’ on topics relevant to built environment sustainability and innovation to be run with QUT. I was their representative to the Business Leaders Forum in 2010 in Canberra. see http://www.agdf.org.au/
3. National Board Member, Zero Waste Australia (ZWA) last 3 years
ZWA promotes healthy communities without waste and meeting human needs through infrastructure design and resource use that works in harmony with natural systems. Note that the website advertises that “members of Zero Waste Australia are leaders in net positive systems design” (ie reference QUT). See http://www.zerowasteaustralia.org/ Affiliated with http://www.zerowasteaustralia.org/international/
4. Vice President Canberra Environment Research and Sustainability Centre (CERASC) last 3 years
Wide range of board members representing other organizations in southern NSW and ACT. Will resign this year due to travel required.
5. National Council, Green Infrastructure Network GINA last 1 year
Conducting a major conference in 2012 in Brisbane
http://www.gina.org.au/index.php Affiliated with http://www.worldgreenroof.org/
Its role is to initiate exemplars of Positive Development and to advance sustainability education.
This organization has members from a range of institutions, agencies, community organisations and businesses, such as ARUP, SSEE, AGDF, FWR, etc. The team includes Yasu Santo, David Nielsen and Susan Loh from QUT. Birkeland designed the Australian National Sustainability Centre proposed for the ACT and wrote the website materials. See www.sustainability.org.au
2. National Council Member, Australian Green Development Forum (AGDF) last 1 year
A balanced, non-profit coalition of members from development industries, government organisations and community groups interested in fostering sustainable development.
I helped convene and gave presentation at a joint SSEE, DEEDI and AGDF seminar on Positive Communities (derived from Positive Development) for 60 invitation only professionals and practitioners. This should lead to a number of DEEDI supported ‘technical clinics’ on topics relevant to built environment sustainability and innovation to be run with QUT. I was their representative to the Business Leaders Forum in 2010 in Canberra. see http://www.agdf.org.au/
3. National Board Member, Zero Waste Australia (ZWA) last 3 years
ZWA promotes healthy communities without waste and meeting human needs through infrastructure design and resource use that works in harmony with natural systems. Note that the website advertises that “members of Zero Waste Australia are leaders in net positive systems design” (ie reference QUT). See http://www.zerowasteaustralia.org/ Affiliated with http://www.zerowasteaustralia.org/international/
4. Vice President Canberra Environment Research and Sustainability Centre (CERASC) last 3 years
Wide range of board members representing other organizations in southern NSW and ACT. Will resign this year due to travel required.
5. National Council, Green Infrastructure Network GINA last 1 year
Conducting a major conference in 2012 in Brisbane
http://www.gina.org.au/index.php Affiliated with http://www.worldgreenroof.org/
Teaching
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
CURRENT SUBJECTS:
Professor Birkeland set up and teaches the 4 subjects in a Minor in Sustainability which includes the following units.
Birkeland has also been teaching:
- Architecture and sustainability at QUT 7/2007 to present
- Visiting Fellow, Australian National University 4/2004 to 6/2007
- Taught professional development courses (UC and ANU) 8/2002 to 2/2007
- Senior Lecturer, Architecture, UC 7/1996 to 3/2004
- Guest lecturer, US Environmental Protection Agency, Chicago 2/2000 to 5/2000
- Director, Centre for Environmental Philosophy, Planning and Design, UC 6/1995 to 2/2000
- Lecturer Architecture, UC 1/1994 to 7/1996
- Lecturer, Architecture, UTAS 1/1992 to 12/1993
CURRENT SUBJECTS:
Professor Birkeland set up and teaches the 4 subjects in a Minor in Sustainability which includes the following units.
- Greening the Built Environment (BEB902) looks at the basics of ‘passive systems’ and how to generate net Positive Development solutions, primarily at the building/landscape level; an architectural background is not required, but the focus is on buildings.
- Eco-innovation (BEB901) looks at the ‘creative process’ itself in terms of sustainability, across the different design disciplines; we focus on integrated approaches to environmental problem solving.
- Retrofitting for Sustainability BEB904 looks at ‘eco-logical design concepts’ from the products to bioregional scale; we concentrate on generating multi-functional solutions that increase ecological and social capital.4
- Greenhouse Solutions (BEB903) looks at what the different sectors can contribution in terms of business ‘solutions’, ‘appropriate’ energy and government policy; this may be run again as a guest lecture series with greenhouse experts from 12 different professions.
Birkeland has also been teaching:
- Sustainable Practice (BEN710) which is a postgraduate cross-disciplinary unit.
Publications
- Birkeland, J. & Miller, W. (2010). Green energy: sustainable energy sources and alternative technologies. In T. Yigitcanlar (Ed.), Sustainable Urban and Regional Infrastructure Development: Technologies, Applications and Management (pp. 1–16). Information Science Reference. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/34298
- Birkeland, J., (2009). Design for eco-services. Part B - Building Services. Environment Design Guide, 2009(78), 1–9. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/42180
- Birkeland, J., (2009). Design for eco-services. Part A - Environmental Services. Environment Design Guide, 2009(77), 1–13. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/42179
- Birkeland, J., (2009). Communicating ecologically positive development. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of the Association of Architecture Schools in Australasia (AASA), 1–10. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/28467
- Birkeland, J., (2005). Solar core. Presented at: Solar core. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/21223
- Birkeland, J., (2002). Design for Sustainability - A Sourcebook of Integrated Eco-Logical Solutions. Earthscan Publications Ltd. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/9092
- Desha, C., Birkeland, J. & Pears, A. (2005). Greening the built environment. In M. Smith & K. Hargroves (Eds.), The Natural Advantage of Nations (pp. 346–370). Earthscan Publications. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/21209
- Birkeland, J., (2008). Positive Development from vicious circles to virtuous cycles through built environment design. Earthscan Publications. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/25986
- Birkeland, J., (2007). Positive Development: Designing for Net Positive Impacts. Environment Design Guide, 1, 1–9. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/19291
- Birkeland, J., (2007). Ecological Waste: Rethinking the Nature of Waste. Environment Design Guide, 1, 1–9. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/19289
QUT ePrints
To find publications by Janis, visit QUT ePrints, the University's research repository.