Faculty of Engineering and Design, the University of Auckland

03/06/2026

At the University's Structures Test Hall, engineers have carried out one of the country's most demanding full-scale earthquake tests to understand how modular timber buildings behave under real-world shaking.

The team, led by Dr Ashkan Hashemi and Professor Pierre Quenneville, along with PhD student Rajnil Lal, tested a two-storey structure made from cross-laminated timber. They developed a novel system which allows the building to move in a controlled way during an earthquake, reducing the forces that typically cause damage before returning the building to its original position.

At an open day with more than 60 industry professionals looking on, the structure withstood a hundred strong shakes without structural harm. "They were surprised because they’re not used to seeing a building sustain even one major earthquake, let alone a hundred," Dr Hashemi says.

Read more by clicking the link below.

A timber building that kept itself centred through major shaking has aced a full‑scale earthquake test with no damage, with more than 60 industry professionals looking on.

03/06/2026

Jitendra Bothara has worked on the frontlines of some of the world’s worst disasters – from floods in Pakistan to devastating earthquakes in Turkey, Syria, and Nepal. As a structural and seismic engineer he's helped in the aftermath of these disasters, contributing to long recovery efforts – including in Christchurch, where he lives.

After deciding he wanted to do more with the experience he'd acquired over his career, Jitendra has now, at the age of 64, graduated with a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Auckland.

Jitendra featured on RNZ's Nine To Noon podcast to share more about his journey and research in the field.

Jitendra Bothara's research focused on challenges he believes are overlooked in modern engineering.

02/06/2026

In 1921, a professor at Otago University, George Edward Thompson, completed a thesis on the emerging New Zealand accent. This work was only rediscovered in the Hocken Collections by one of our University of Auckland team members in 2022.

Thompson’s work provides one of the earliest and most comprehensive first-hand descriptions of how early New Zealanders spoke. One of the things that stood out was a suggestion the accent was developing most strongly in the North Island, particularly in Auckland.

Find out more in this opinion piece from Postdoctoral Fellow, Brooke Ross, from the Department of Electrical, Computer and Software Engineering, in the New Zealand Herald.

OPINION: Archivists are using early 1900s Auckland voices to track how Kiwis spoke.

01/06/2026

Dr Tim Welch, Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Planning, recently shared his views on the growing issue of homelessness, sharing that begging and rough sleeping aren’t crimes of disorder, but rather symptoms of an under-resourced, under-performing security net. This isn’t a nuisance to be tidied away, but a growing part of our population, he says.

Read more by clicking the link below.

Commentary: Begging and rough sleeping aren’t crimes of disorder. They’re symptoms of an under-resourced, under-performing security net, says Tim Welch.

28/05/2026

We’re pleased to share that the Faculty of Engineering and Design Annual Report 2025 is now live!

Explore the people, partnerships, and projects that shaped our faculty throughout 2025 – from research impact and industry collaboration through to student engagement and strategic priorities.

See how this work is helping shape the future of our faculty and the impact we’re making in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond.

Read the report by clicking the link below:
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/engineering/about-the-faculty/our-faculty/faculty-of-engineering-and-design-annual-report.html

06/05/2026

Discover your path of possibilities with the Faculty of Engineering and Design at the University of Auckland.

Take a look at our recent video created for our upcoming Engineering and Design Info Evening events, inspiring the next generation of engineers, architects, urban planners and designers.

If you know someone who is considering studying an undergraduate programme with us, the Engineering and Design Info Evening is an awesome opportunity to learn more and connect with staff and students directly. See below for more details:

Session 1 (also available via livestream)
Date: Thursday, 14 May
Time: 6-7pm
Location: University of Auckland - Faculty of Engineering and Design, 20 Symonds Street, Auckland

Session 2 (also available via livestream)
Date: Thursday, 21 May
Time: 6-7pm
Location: University of Auckland - Faculty of Engineering and Design, 20 Symonds Street, Auckland

Session 3
Date: Tuesday, 26 May
Time: 6-7pm
Location: Engineering New Zealand, Level 6, 40 Taranaki Street, Wellington

Register for Engineering and Design Info Evening 2026:
https://response.auckland.ac.nz/edie?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook-organic&utm_term=engdes

30/04/2026

Facilitated by UniServices, a research collaboration between the University of Auckland and Road Science has removed a critical operational barrier to the wider use of BioBind – a low‑carbon bitumen replacement for road construction.

The collaboration focused on the specific and practical challenge of a strong and polarising odour generated during the production of BioBind. While the product itself was already technically proven, the odour raised concerns around community acceptance, and long‑term wider adoption.

The University’s role was to identify the source of the odour observed during production and to develop practical strategies to materially reduce it.

“The solution integrates into existing production processes without new equipment, major capital investment, or additional labour. That’s what makes it viable in an operational environment,” says Professor Saeid Baroutian, who led the University's chemical engineering research team.

Read more by clicking the link below.

Chemical engineers have developed methods to reduce the odour of BioBind, a low‑carbon, plant‑based bitumen replacement for greener road construction.

27/04/2026

A flood-prone courtyard at One Tree Hill College – which often forces students into cramped concrete corners – is about to be transformed through an innovative design project involving University of Auckland Design Programme students and the school’s Trade Academy.

Design students at the University will reimagine the space, and Trade Academy students will build the final designs to create a new space that meets their needs.

Led by Professional Teaching Fellow in the Design Programme, Xin Cheng, and Head of the Trade Academy and alumna of the University’s School of Architecture and Planning, Charlotte McKeon, these designs will incorporate cultural knowledge linked to the site’s whānau names.

"We wanted to hear directly from them – what works, what doesn’t, and what they imagine this courtyard could be. It’s an example of designing for and making with local communities, and a chance for our students to apply their skills to a real-world context,” says Xin.

Read more by clicking the link below.

From muddy bottleneck to community hub, design and trade students are teaming up to redesign a school courtyard in One Tree Hill.

25/03/2026

Geothermal energy has quietly powered parts of New Zealand’s economy for decades.

And now, as the country grapples with energy security concerns, the value of a reliable, baseload, low-emission, indigenous and secure energy resource that operates around the clock will only grow, Associate Professor John O’Sullivan, co-director of the University’s Geothermal Institute, writes.

Read more by clicking the link below.

Geothermal is a reliable, low-emission, homegrown energy source that runs around the clock - and as energy security concerns grow in New Zealand and globally, demand will only rise, writes Dr John O'Sullivan.

24/03/2026

The government’s $373 million fuel relief package gives $50 a week to about 140,000 families. Dr Timothy Welch, from the School of Architecture and Planning, says a three-month fare-free period would cost roughly a quarter as much, while reducing our dependence on imported oil.

He points to evidence from the 2022 half-price fare trial, which showed measurable uptake among lower-income households, the people hit hardest by fuel costs.

“A $50 tax credit doesn’t change anyone’s transport behaviour. Free public transport does. It gives people a real alternative, at a fraction of the cost,” Timothy says.

Read more by clicking the link below.

The Green Party’s proposal to make public transport free for three months would cost a fraction of current fuel relief spending, while cutting reliance on imported oil, says Dr Timothy Welch.