Associate Professor Paola Leardini

A/Prof Paola Leardini leads the Technology and Sustainability stream at the University of Queensland's School of Architecture, Design and Planning. She is also a key researcher within the Centre for Future Building Structure and a former member of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. With a diverse educational background in Architecture that spans Milan, Berlin, Leicester, and Copenhagen, she holds a PhD in building energy efficiency and environmental quality from Politecnico di Milano (Italy); her doctorate work was undertaken under the guidance of Prof. P. Ole Fanger, a global authority in the field of thermal comfort.

Before joining UQ in 2015, A/Prof Leardini worked extensively as an ESD (Environmentally Sustainable Design) designer, consultant, and educator in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and New Zealand. Her professional and academic work strives to bridge the gap between design and performance, advocating for smart, healthy, and resilient built environments. Her research focuses on developing innovative solutions for achieving net-zero targets through building decarbonisation, enhancing urban resilience, and fostering a circular economy in the construction sector.

A/Prof Leardini's research explores the intersection of building diagnostics, retrofitting, urban regeneration, and resource optimisation. Her applied research tackles environmental challenges with a focus on global and local impacts. Early in her career, she contributed to major urban regeneration projects, including the retrofitting of the "Quartiere Mazzini" historical district in Milan (2003), New Zealand's state housing eco-retrofitting (2010-2015), and more recently, a monitoring campaign of state housing in Brisbane, focusing on the relationship between energy consumption, thermal comfort, and public health.

Her extensive collaborations span international networks of academics, public agencies, and industry partners. Notably, she has served on the Queensland Government's Design Excellence Panel for social and affordable housing, established by the Department of Communities, Housing, and Digital Economy in partnership with the Office of the Queensland Government Architect.

As a certified Passivhaus designer, A/Prof Leardini co-founded the Passive House Institute New Zealand (PHINZ) in 2012 and later joined the Australian Passive House Association (APHA) in 2018. Her research has since expanded to explore how the Passive House standard can be adapted for hot and humid climates, especially in Queensland.

In 2015, A/Prof Leardini coordinated UQ Architecture's contribution to the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, a government-funded initiative involving over 80 research, industry, and government partners. The project sought to deliver urban water management solutions to make Australian cities more resilient to climate change. Since 2016, she has been an active member of UQ's Centre for Future Timber Structures, working on innovative timber construction methods. She leads research in circular timber design and heads an ARC Linkage project on adaptable housing. As a Chief Investigator in the ARC Advance Timber Hub, she coordinates the Design for Extended Building Life Node, fostering the use of sustainable materials in construction.

A/Prof Leardini's research has garnered international recognition, including publications through initiatives such as COST Action CA 20139, funded by the European Union. Her work has been featured at over 20 conferences since 2015 and regularly appears in leading Q1 journals. In addition to serving as a board member and peer reviewer for several scientific journals, she has been invited to participate in prestigious sustainable architecture competitions, including the MIT Climate CoLab hosted by the Centre for Collective Intelligence.

Memberships

• Design Excellence Panel: Queensland social and affordable housing (since 2020)
• Centre for Future Timber Structures (since 2016)
• Scientific Committee of New Zealand Academy of Applied Research (since 2016)
• Australian Passive House Association (since 2018)
• Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (2015-2021)