Senior Lecturer in Architecture
Overview
Tim O’Rourke's research is broadly concerned with past and present applications of cross-cultural design across different building types and settings. Such projects often require multi-disciplinary approaches to the study of architectural problems, informed by histories of buildings and the people that use them. A recent study of healthcare architecture combined different research methods to ask if design can improve the experience and participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in hospitals and clinics. Tim's PhD examined the history and use of Aboriginal building traditions in the Wet Tropics Region of Queensland. He has contributed to a range of research projects related to Indigenous housing, settlements and landscapes. Research topics include self-constructed dwellings and vernacular building technologies, cultural tourism, adaption to climate change and housing sustainability. Results from these studies have been published in technical reports, conference proceedings, journals and as book chapters.
Tim is a registered architect, having worked in architectural practices in Brisbane and Sydney, and he maintains an interest in timber construction and joinery. As a sole practitioner, he has designed residential projects and worked on a range of building types for Aboriginal communities. He teaches architectural technology and design, and has offered a range of research topics in the Master of Architecture program.
Memberships
Fellow Australian Institute of Architects, Environmental Design Research Association
Research Interests
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Cross-cultural design of healthcare architecture
A multi-disciplinary approach is used to elicit data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perceptions, experience and use of healthcare settings in urban, regional and remote locations. The aim of the research is to make evidence-based design recommendations on the spatial characteristics and architectural features that might improve participation in health services and ameiliorate stress associated with different types of care. -
The architectural design of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing
This research analyses and evaluates the architectural design, construction and use of Indigenous housing. The primary aim of this research is to add to the meagre empirical evidence on Indigenous housing, which can influence both policy and practice. -
Traditional Aboriginal built environments
This research examines the construction and use of dwellings and camps by different Aboriginal groups across periods ranging from early contact to contemporary self-constructed environments. These studies inform debates on material culture, identity and cultural heritage, and architectural history. Socio-spatial and behavioural analyses of these environments can be used to inform mainstream architectural practice.
Research Impacts
Ongoing research on the disparate histories of Indigenous housing seeks to identify precedents and design approaches relevant to improving the architectural design of social housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The aim of research on healthcare architecture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is to influence policies and design practices that improve the design of hospitals and clinics for Indigenous Australians.
Qualifications
- PhD, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Architecture (Honours), The University of Queensland
Publications
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Conference Publication: From rambling to elevated walkways: piecemeal planning histories in national parks
O’Rourke, Timothy, Sully, Nicole and Chaddock, Steve (2023). From rambling to elevated walkways: piecemeal planning histories in national parks. The 39th annual conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand; 16th conference of the Australasian Urban History / Planning History Group, Auckland, New Zealand, 25 - 27 November 2022. SA, Australia: SAHANZ. doi: 10.55939/a5034pmvqv
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Book Chapter: Camps, cottages and homes: an introduction to the exhibition
O'Rourke, Timothy, Mapar, Mandana, Memmott, Paul and Aird, Michael (2022). Camps, cottages and homes: an introduction to the exhibition. Camps, cottages and homes. (pp. 5-5) edited by Timothy O'Rourke and Mandana Mapar. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland School of Architecture.
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Journal Article: "Design"
Sully, Nicole, O'Rourke, Timothy and Wilson, Andrew (2021). "Design". M/C Journal, 24 (4). doi: 10.5204/mcj.2848
Grants
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Architectural design to improve Indigenous health outcomes
(2016–2022) ARC Discovery Projects
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How Meston's 'Wild Australia Show' Shaped Australian Aboriginal History
(2016–2022) ARC Linkage Projects
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Architecture and the aboriginal housing panel
(2016–2018) UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund - FirstLink
Supervision
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Cultural Displacement: Understanding how urban hospital architecture affects the participation of Indigenous patients in healthcare services
Master Philosophy
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Design for social and cultural practices of Indigenous residents in aged care homes, South East Queensland
Doctor Philosophy
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Embedding culture into architectural designs: an analysis of architecture, Indigenous storytelling, and Indigenous design principles across education and healthcare sectors
Master Philosophy
Available Projects
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Indigenous Australians and histories of housing
This project investigates the origins and practice of cross-cultural design through studies of local, state and national programmes for Indigenous housing. With a focus on the last four decades of the twentieth century, topics include approaches to architectural design, construction methods and different types of residential evaluation. This project is based on the premise that these histories of design, combined with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander householder narratives, are relevant to the current crises in social housing for Indigenous Australians this century.
Publications
Book
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Mining and indigenous tourism in Northern Australia
Brereton, David, Memmott, Paul, Reser, Joseph, Buultjens, Jeremy, Thomson, Linda, Barker, Tanuja, O'Rourke, Timothy and Chambers, Catherine (2007). Mining and indigenous tourism in Northern Australia. Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.: Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) for Sustainable Tourism.
Book Chapter
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Camps, cottages and homes: an introduction to the exhibition
O'Rourke, Timothy, Mapar, Mandana, Memmott, Paul and Aird, Michael (2022). Camps, cottages and homes: an introduction to the exhibition. Camps, cottages and homes. (pp. 5-5) edited by Timothy O'Rourke and Mandana Mapar. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland School of Architecture.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander domestic architecture in Australia
O'Rourke, Timothy (2018). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander domestic architecture in Australia. The handbook of contemporary Indigenous architecture. (pp. 25-56) edited by Elizabeth Grant, Kelly Greenop, Albert L. Refiti and Daniel J. Glenn. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-6904-8_2
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Indigenous traditional knowledge and contemporary architecture in Australia
O'Rourke, Timothy (2018). Indigenous traditional knowledge and contemporary architecture in Australia. The handbook of contemporary Indigenous architecture. (pp. 413-432) edited by Elizabeth Grant, Kelly Greenop, Albert L. Refiti and Daniel J. Glenn. Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-10-6904-8_16
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O'Rourke, Timothy and Memmott, Paul C. (2009). Sustaining Indigenous cultural tourism: Aboriginal pathways, cultural centres and dwellings in the Queensland wet tropics. Indigenous/Aboriginal tourism research in Australia (2000-2008): Industry lessons and future research needs. (pp. 78-79) edited by Pascal Tremblay, Aggie Wegner and Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism.. Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia: CRC for Sustainable Tourism.
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O'Rourke, Tim and Memmott, Paul (2007). Constructing cultural tourism opportunities in the Queensland wet tropics: Dyirbalngan campsites and dwellings. Striving for Sustainability: Case Studies in Indigenous Tourism. (pp. 371-402) edited by J. Buultjens and D. Fuller. Lismore, NSW: Southern Cross University Press.
Journal Article
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Sully, Nicole, O'Rourke, Timothy and Wilson, Andrew (2021). "Design". M/C Journal, 24 (4). doi: 10.5204/mcj.2848
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Cross-cultural design and healthcare waiting rooms for Indigenous people in regional Australia
O'Rourke, Timothy, Nash, Daphne, Haynes, Michele, Burgess, Meredith and Memmott, Paul (2020). Cross-cultural design and healthcare waiting rooms for Indigenous people in regional Australia. Environment and Behaviour, 54 (1), 001391652095244-115. doi: 10.1177/0013916520952443
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Nash, Daphne, O’Rourke, Timothy, Memmott, Paul and Haynes, Michele (2020). Indigenous preferences for inpatient rooms in Australian hospitals: a mixed-methods study in cross-cultural design. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 14 (1), 1937586720925552-189. doi: 10.1177/1937586720925552
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Uses of the vernacular in the design of indigenous housing
O’Rourke, Timothy (2020). Uses of the vernacular in the design of indigenous housing. Fabrications, 30 (1), 1-24. doi: 10.1080/10331867.2020.1721104
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Designing hospitals for First Nations people
O'Rourke, Timothy and Nash, Daphne (2020). Designing hospitals for First Nations people. The Health Advocate (58), 18-20.
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Haynes, Michele, O'Rourke, Timothy, Nash, Daphne, Baffour, Bernard, York, Sue, Chainey, Carys, Betros, Georgia and Memmott, Paul (2019). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander preferences for healthcare settings: effective use of design images in survey research. Australian Health Review, 44 (2), 222-227. doi: 10.1071/AH18196
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Aboriginal yards in remote Australia: adapting landscapes for indigenous housing
O'Rourke, Timothy and Nash, Daphne (2019). Aboriginal yards in remote Australia: adapting landscapes for indigenous housing. Landscape and Urban Planning, 182, 124-132. doi: 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.10.013
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The architectural politics and practice of Indigenous housing in Australia
O'Rourke, Timothy (2018). The architectural politics and practice of Indigenous housing in Australia. Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Working Paper Series, 304.
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Sharing plans for Aboriginal housing
O'Rourke, Timothy (2016). Sharing plans for Aboriginal housing. Architecture Australia, 105 (5), 37-38.
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The construction of Aboriginal dwellings and histories in the Wet Tropics
O'Rourke, Timothy (2015). The construction of Aboriginal dwellings and histories in the Wet Tropics. Fabrications, 25 (1), 4-25. doi: 10.1080/10331867.2015.1006760
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The mining sector and indigenous tourism development in Weipa, Queensland
Buultjens, Jeremy, Brereton, David, Memmott, Paul, Reser, Joseph, Thomson, Linda and O’Rourke, Tim (2010). The mining sector and indigenous tourism development in Weipa, Queensland. Tourism Managment, 31 (5), 597-606. doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2009.06.009
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Memmott, Paul, Hyde, Richard and O'Rourke, Tim (2009). Biomimetic theory and building technology: Use of aboriginal and scientific knowledge of spinifex grass. Architectural Science Review, 52 (2), 117-125. doi: 10.3763/asre.2009.0014
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O'Rourke, T. (2006). Architectural traditions a product of tourism: Reproducing Aboriginal built environments in the twenty-first century. Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 18 (1), 75-75.
Conference Publication
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From rambling to elevated walkways: piecemeal planning histories in national parks
O’Rourke, Timothy, Sully, Nicole and Chaddock, Steve (2023). From rambling to elevated walkways: piecemeal planning histories in national parks. The 39th annual conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand; 16th conference of the Australasian Urban History / Planning History Group, Auckland, New Zealand, 25 - 27 November 2022. SA, Australia: SAHANZ. doi: 10.55939/a5034pmvqv
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Architecture as Indigenous heritage: extant and virtual dormitories in Cherbourg
O'Rourke, Timothy and Loy, Wei Win (2021). Architecture as Indigenous heritage: extant and virtual dormitories in Cherbourg. What If? What Next? Speculations on History’s Futures. 37th Annual Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand, Perth, WA, Australia, 18-25 November 2020. SAHANZ.
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The Goorawin Shelter: Ed Oribin's contribution to the Aboriginal Housing Panel
O'Rourke, Timothy (2017). The Goorawin Shelter: Ed Oribin's contribution to the Aboriginal Housing Panel. Quotation: 34th Annual Conference of the Society of Architecutural Historians, Australia and New Zealand, Canberra, 5-8 July 2017. Canberra, Australia: SAHANZ.
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Architectural experiments in Aboriginal housing in the early 1970s
O'Rourke, Timothy (2014). Architectural experiments in Aboriginal housing in the early 1970s. Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ) Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 2-5 July 2014. Gold Coast, QLD, Australia: SAHANZ.
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O'Rourke, Timothy and Memmott, Paul (2014). Rejection and reuse of traditional building technologies: case studies of two Aboriginal thatching materials. IASTE 2014: Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 14-17 December, 2014. Berkeley, CA, United States: International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments.
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O'Rourke, Timothy and Greenop, Kelly (2014). Self-constructing sovereignty: Aboriginal housing and rights to land on Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia. 23rd IAPS Conference, Timisoara, Romania, 24-27 June 2014. Timisoara, Romania: Universitatii de Vest.
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Timothy O'Rourke (2014). The influence of culture on reducing energy consumption: Aboriginal housing in arid regions of Australia. 30th International PLEA Conference 2014, Ahmedabad, India, 16-18 December 2014. Ahmedabad, India: CEPT University Press.
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Aboriginal camps and ‘villages’ in Southeast Queensland
O'Rourke, Tim (2013). Aboriginal camps and ‘villages’ in Southeast Queensland. Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ) Annual Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 2–5 July 2013. Gold Coast, Australia: Society of Architectural Historians Australia & New Zealand.
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Water quality in Dajarra, Northwest Queensland
O'Rourke, Timothy (2013). Water quality in Dajarra, Northwest Queensland. WSUD 2013: 8th International Water Sensitive Urban Design Conference, Gold Coast , Australia, 25 - 29 November 2013. Gold Coast, Australia: WSUD 2013 / Engineers Australia.
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Mining Aboriginal building traditions: a spinifex case study
O'Rourke, T. (2012). Mining Aboriginal building traditions: a spinifex case study. The 6th International Seminar on Vernacular Settlements - ISVS, Farmagusta, North Cyprus, 19–21 April 2012. Famagusta, North Cyprus: Eastern Mediterranean University Press.
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Skill in Aboriginal building traditions: The wellcrafted mija
O'Rourke, Timothy (2011). Skill in Aboriginal building traditions: The wellcrafted mija. Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ) Annual Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 7-10 July 2011. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ).
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Green building materials from spinifex
Gamage, H., De Silva, S., Flutter, N., O'Rourke, T., Memmott, P., Martin, D. and Schmidt, S. (2010). Green building materials from spinifex. XXIII IUFRO World Congress, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 23-28 August, 2010. United Kingdom: Commonwealth Forestry Association.
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Prototyping spinifex as thermal insulation in arid regions of Australia
O'Rourke, Tim, Flutter, Nick and Memmott, Paul (2010). Prototyping spinifex as thermal insulation in arid regions of Australia. Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA) Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 24-26 November 2010. Auckland, N.Z.: Architectural Science Association.
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Memmott, Paul, Hyde, Richard and O'Rourke, Timothy (2009). Biomimetic theory and building technology: use of Aboriginal and scientific knowledge of Spinifex grass. 42nd Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Architectural Science Association (ANZAScA), Newcastle, NSW, Australia, 26-28 November 2008. Sydney, Australia: Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning, University of Sydney. doi: 10.3763/asre.2009.0014
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The continuity and loss of Girramay building traditions
O'Rourke, Timothy (2009). The continuity and loss of Girramay building traditions. Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand (SAHANZ) Annual Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 2-5 July 2009. Auckland, New Zealand: University of Auckland.
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Notes on Dyirbalngan dwellings ethno-architecture in the rainforests of northeastern Queensland
O’Rourke, Tim (2002). Notes on Dyirbalngan dwellings ethno-architecture in the rainforests of northeastern Queensland. XIX Annual Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand, Brisbane, Australia, 4-7 October 2002. Brisbane, Australia: SAHANZ: Society of Architectural Historians, Australia & New Zealand.
Edited Outputs
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M/C Journal, "design" Special Issue
M/C Journal, "design" Special Issue. (2021). 24 (4)
Other Outputs
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Making space: how designing hospitals for Indigenous people might benefit everyone
O'Rourke, Timothy and Nash, Daphne (2019, 12 06). Making space: how designing hospitals for Indigenous people might benefit everyone The Conversation
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Memmott, Paul, Reser, Joseph, Head, Brian, Davidson, James, Nash, Daphne, O'Rourke, Tim, Gamage, Harshi, Suliman, Samid, Lowry, Andrew and Marshall, Keith (2013). Aboriginal responses to climate change in arid zone Australia: regional understandings and capacity building for adaptation. Southport, QLD, Australia: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility.
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O'Rourke, Timothy Charles (2012). The well-crafted mija: traditional Aboriginal building skills and knowledge in the Australian Wet Tropics. PhD Thesis, School of Architecture, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/284528
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Delivering drinking water to Dajarra, North West Queensland
O'Rourke, Timothy (2011). Delivering drinking water to Dajarra, North West Queensland. DKCRC Research Report Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre, Alice Springs, NT, Australia.
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Desert services that work: Demand responsive approaches to desert settlements
Fisher, Steve, Elvin, Ruth, McFallan, Stephen, Memmott, Paul, O'Rourke, Tim, Peter, Sonja, Porter, Rae, Stanley, Owen, Sullivan, Patrick, Tedmanson, Deidre and Young, Metta (2011). Desert services that work: Demand responsive approaches to desert settlements. Alice Springs, Australia: Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre; Ninti One Limited.
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Desert services that work; Demand responsive approaches to desert settlements
Fisher, Steve, Elvin, Ruth, McFallan, Stephen, Memmott, Paul, O'Rourke, Tim, Peter, Sonja, Porter, Rae, Stanley, Owen, Sullivan, Patrick, Tedmanson, Deirdre and Young, Metta (2010). Desert services that work; Demand responsive approaches to desert settlements. Alice Springs, N.T: Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre.
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Mining and indigenous tourism in Northern Australia: Summary of findings
Brereton, David, Reser, J., Buultjens, Jeremy, Memmott, Paul, Barker, Tanuja, Thomson, Linda, O'Rourke, Tim and Chambers, Catherine (2006). Mining and indigenous tourism in Northern Australia: Summary of findings. St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland.
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Memmott, P. and O'Rourke, T. (2004). Dyirbal sustainable tourism projects: Dyribalngan campsites and dwellings: Sustaining cultural tourism opportunities in the Wet Tropics. St Lucia, Qld, Australia: Aboriginal Environments Research Centre, University of Queensland.
Grants (Administered at UQ)
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Architectural design to improve Indigenous health outcomes
(2016–2022) ARC Discovery Projects
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How Meston's 'Wild Australia Show' Shaped Australian Aboriginal History
(2016–2022) ARC Linkage Projects
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Architecture and the aboriginal housing panel
(2016–2018) UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund - FirstLink
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Earth architecture in arid-zone Aboriginal settlements
(2011–2012) UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
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(2011–2012) UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
PhD and MPhil Supervision
Current Supervision
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Cultural Displacement: Understanding how urban hospital architecture affects the participation of Indigenous patients in healthcare services
Master Philosophy — Principal Advisor
Other advisors:
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Design for social and cultural practices of Indigenous residents in aged care homes, South East Queensland
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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Embedding culture into architectural designs: an analysis of architecture, Indigenous storytelling, and Indigenous design principles across education and healthcare sectors
Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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Square Transformations: Reading Frank Lloyd Wright¿s Plan in the Australian House of the 1950s and 1960s
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
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19th Century Architecture of the Goori Society: an investigation of a regional typology
Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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Future homes for a resilient and healthy Australia
Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Completed Supervision
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(2023) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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Re-Imagining Rural Places: An Examination of Rural Morphological Transformation in the Tehran Region
(2021) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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From Thatch to Concrete Block: Architectural Transformations of Tongan Fale
(2016) Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Possible Research Projects
Note for students: The possible research projects listed on this page may not be comprehensive or up to date. Always feel free to contact the staff for more information, and also with your own research ideas.
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Indigenous Australians and histories of housing
This project investigates the origins and practice of cross-cultural design through studies of local, state and national programmes for Indigenous housing. With a focus on the last four decades of the twentieth century, topics include approaches to architectural design, construction methods and different types of residential evaluation. This project is based on the premise that these histories of design, combined with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander householder narratives, are relevant to the current crises in social housing for Indigenous Australians this century.
