Faculty of Engineering and Design, the University of Auckland

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.

22/03/2026

Housing in New Zealand isn't meeting the needs of our culturally diverse society, say Professor Deidre Brown and Dr Karamia Müller, directors of the Māori and Pacific Housing Research Centre – MĀPIHI.

Deidre (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) and Karamia (Sāmoa) say many Māori and Pacific families are larger, and several generations often want to live together. “Māori and Pacific people tend to live intergenerationally. They tend to find cultural resilience by living together – it’s mana-enhancing. But the majority of the housing stock isn’t designed to enable and empower intergenerational living."

Read more by clicking the link below.

Most houses in New Zealand have been designed with small, nuclear families in mind, and this doesn’t reflect our diverse society.

20/03/2026

For New Zealand, which imports most of its transport fuels, the fluctuating fuel prices in recent weeks due to conflict in key oil‑producing regions, quickly flows into household budgets, freight costs, and inflation pressures.

Leading energy systems expert at the Faculty of Engineering and Design, Professor Nirmal Nair says the latest volatility shows how exposed New Zealand is to global fuel shocks – and why the country needs to rethink how it powers its transport system.

Only about 130,000 of New Zealand’s 3.5 million light passenger vehicles are electric – around 3.5 percent. Nirmal says EVs offer clear advantages in a world where oil markets can shift overnight, especially when powered by New Zealand’s renewable electricity.

"Building a resilient, low‑carbon transport system will make New Zealand less vulnerable to global shocks and better prepared for the future."

Read more by clicking the link below.

Fuel market volatility is highlighting the risks of New Zealand’s dependence on imported fossil fuels and the need to accelerate EV‑ready infrastructure, says Professor Nirmal Nair.

19/03/2026

The University's Geothermal Institute has received $3 million from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund to investigate geothermal heat resources beneath the Whakatāne area.

Led by Associate Professor John O'Sullivan, co-director of the Geothermal Institute, the project will involve drilling a small number of exploratory temperature-gradient wells to better understand geothermal heat resources beneath parts of the Whakatāne area.

"Geothermal heat is one of New Zealand’s most reliable renewable energy resources. Projects like this help communities understand what resources exist beneath the ground so that informed decisions can be made about how they might be used in the future,” John says.

Read more by clicking the link below.

The University's Geothermal Institute has received $3 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to investigate geothermal heat resources beneath the Whakatāne area.

18/03/2026

Tech entrepreneurs who fund rockets and satellites often herald the 'democratisation of space'. On RNZ’s Our Changing World podcast, Dr Priyanka Dhopade questioned that framing. “The power to access space and provide critical services like internet is more concentrated than we think… a better term might be the commoditisation or transactionalisation of space – but it’s not as catchy."

Read more by clicking the link below.

New Zealand has made it to number three in the space race, but with that position comes new responsibilities.

12/03/2026

A new University of Auckland project aims to turn about 1200 Auckland houses destroyed by cyclones into a resource for a more sustainable future.

Launched by Associate Professor Mike Davis from the School of Architecture and Planning, the project identifies reusable materials in houses that have been deemed unsafe, after being hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and floods in 2023.

The aim is to turn cyclone-damaged houses into an “urban mine” that reuses as much as possible, saving the planet from the pressures of endlessly providing brand new materials.

“Building a knowledge bank of the reusable materials available from red-stickered houses will help the construction industry know what materials are likely to be available for reuse,” Mike says.

Read more by clicking the link below.

A new University of Auckland project aims to turn about 1200 Auckland houses destroyed by cyclones into a resource for a more sustainable future.