The UNESCO Chair Holder

Professor Steffen Lehmann, PhD, holds the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Urban Development for Asia and the Pacific, as well as the Professorial Chair in Architectural Design at The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Professor Lehmann is a widely published author and scholar and is Executive Director of the s_Lab Space Laboratory for Architectural Research and Design. A German-born architect and urban designer, he is editor of the US based Journal of Green Building and an advisor to government, city councils and industry. Since the early 1990s he has researched, built and taught in the area of energy-efficient buildings and cities, work which he has presented at more than 180 conferences in 12 countries. He holds 3 post-graduate degrees and worked with both James Stirling in London and Arata Isozaki in Tokyo, after graduating from the Architectural Association School in London. Prior to his appointment to a Professorship in December 2002, he ran his own ideas-driven practice in Berlin for over 10 years. In recognition of the international significance of his built and theoretical work he has been invited as Visiting Professor to conduct design studios at leading universities in six countries. His latest books include: ‘Back to the City. Strategies for Informal Urban Design’ (2008); and ‘The Principles of Green Urbanism. Regenerating the Post-industrial City’ (2009). For further information, go to: http://www.slab.com.au/

Our cities need to change and grow in a more sustainable way. Density, climate and renewable energy sources are hereby key criteria. Installing green systems from the ground-up is easier than retrofitting the existing quarters.