School of Built Environment, University of Technology Sydney

A big thank you to our speakers and students for making this year’s Property Fund Management & Career Sharing event such a success.

We gained valuable industry insights into property fund management, the role of the fund manager, and practical guidance on career and life design after graduation. These sessions were extremely informative and highly valuable for students considering careers in fund management and property finance.

Many thanks to Daniel Stiffe (GPT Group), Christina Jiang (Co‑Founder, Wealth Pi Fund), and Michelle Tanti (UTS Careers) for generously sharing their expertise and perspectives, and to our students for their strong engagement and thoughtful questions.

New article by Associate Professor Song Shi in The Conversation: One street tree can boost Sydney house prices by $30,000 – or cost $70,000 if it’s too close

One street tree can boost Sydney house prices by $30,000 – or cost $70,000 if it’s too close: new study In the first study of its kind, researchers matched more than 1,500 Sydney house sales with data on nearly 50,000 public trees. They found location is crucial.

Teaching & Learning Workshop - Generative AI
Continuing the workshops from last year, the UTS School of Built Environment recently hosted its Autumn Teaching and Learning Workshop on Generative AI, delivered online. This was led by the School’s AI Lead, Dr Biyanka Ekanayake.
The workshop focused on practical, discipline-relevant strategies for integrating Generative AI into curriculum design and assessment in ethical and innovative ways. Drawing on authentic assignment examples and applied prompt engineering techniques, the session demonstrated how GenAI can be embedded meaningfully to enhance learning outcomes while upholding academic integrity. The discussion that followed created a valuable forum for colleagues to share experiences, challenges, and emerging practices in this rapidly evolving space.

A huge congratulations to Professor Shankar Sankaran for receiving the PMI Fellow Award! 🎉

The PMI Fellow Award is the highest and most prestigious individual award presented by the Project Management Institute (the world’s pre-eminent project management association). The significance of this award is best demonstrated by the fact that there are only 69 living PMI fellows out of a membership base of over 700,000 professionals.

Further details about the award can be found at: https://www.pmi.org/about/awards/professional/fellow

Well done Shankar, and very well deserved.

Dr Song Shi, Associate Professor of Property Economics, was recently quoted in an article in the Sydney Morning Herald. The article is titled 'The problem with building more homes near Sydney’s train stations'.

The problem with building more homes near Sydney’s train stations Increasing housing supply is a very good idea, an academic says, while questioning where that supply should be.

More of our Built Environment staff in The Conversation!

Associate Professor Song Shi and Senior Lecturer Mustapha Bangura authored this article from last week, "Many rooftops are perfect for solar but owners and renters can’t afford it. Here’s our answer".

Many rooftops are perfect for solar but owners and renters can’t afford it. Here’s our answer Solar panels can be a low priority for cash-strapped homeowners – but a ‘use it or lend it’ program could help

Professor Sara Wilkinson was recently quoted in an article in The Conversation, "The dream of turning empty office blocks into apartments appears over. What went wrong?"

Read it here:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/oct/12/converting-empty-office-blocks-apartments-appears-over

The dream of turning empty office blocks into apartments appears over. What went wrong? Strict planning rules and soaring refit costs are deterring landlords and developers, amid calls for government intervention to alleviate housing crunch

Check out this article by Associate Professor Janet Ge, posted today in The Conversation: "House or apartment? City or country? The big things to consider when buying a first home"

House or apartment? City or country? The big things to consider when buying a first home A housing expert unpacks three of the biggest questions facing prospective first-home buyers.

🌐 Exploring the Future of Construction with Digital Twins 🏗️✨

Dr Biyanka Ekanayake recently organised a guest lecture on “Digital Twin for Construction”, as part of the Construction Futures subject at the UTS School of Built Environment. This subject focuses on emerging technologies in the construction industry.
We were delighted to welcome Stefan Mordue, Senior Manager of Education Programs & Partnerships at Bentley Systems, who joined us online from the UK to deliver an engaging and thought-provoking session. Stefan shared valuable insights into the evolving role of digital twins in the construction industry from data-driven decision-making to lifecycle optimisation and smart asset management.
A heartfelt thank you to Stefan for generously sharing his time, knowledge, and global perspective with our students. We would also like to thank our good friend Marc Rietman from Bentley Systems for his ongoing support and collaboration. A big thank you to our lovely students, who joined this session and created a great conversation around digital twin.

We look forward to building further collaborations between the UTS School of Built Environment and Bentley Systems, helping to equip future professionals with the skills and insights needed in a rapidly changing construction landscape.

Dr Biyanka Ekanayake, AI Lead for the UTS School of Built Environment led an interactive workshop on “Leveraging Generative AI for Teaching, Assignments, and Administrative Tasks.”
The session explored how GenAI is transforming the disciplines of construction, property, planning, and project management, offering practical strategies and discipline-specific examples for integrating GenAI tools into academic practice ethically and effectively. The workshop equipped participants with insights and tools to embrace AI-enhanced learning, improve assessments, and streamline administrative work.

A special thank you to:
Dr. Melinda Lewis (UTS Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Unit) for outlining the broader UTS GenAI landscape and our university-wide commitment to responsible use of AI.
Our fantastic colleagues Mona Salam, Pernille Christensen, Gabriela Quintana Vigiola, and Shankar Sankaran, for sharing discipline-based GenAI examples from their teaching experiences.


UTS: Design, Architecture & Building UTS: University of Technology Sydney