24 March 2014

Professor Richard Blythe Dean, School of Architecture + Design RMIT is pleased to formally announce Associate Professor Vivian Mitsogianni as the new Deputy Dean and Head of RMIT Architecture + Urban Design. Vivian comes to the role with extensive practice experience and after 4 years as founding research leader of the Future Fabric of Cities Flagship in the RMIT Design Research Institute, bringing strong expertise in integrating experimental and venturous design practice research and ‘real world’ industry linked projects.

Dr Mitsogianni said “RMIT Architecture is interested in ideas-led venturous design exploration and design innovation. Experimentation is important at RMIT and we will keep developing the pedagogical models to support students diving into the uncertainty of design innovation with the understanding of the immense possibility of failure, and to be brave enough to do so anyway. I am interested in a high level of design experimentation, speculation and discourse at the level of ideas, as well as the build-ability of that experimentation and those ideas. We are fortunate to have a strong community of practitioners on staff and in the wider architectural community who want to engage with RMIT and I am very honoured to take this position”.

The new leadership team is part of the School’s “Design Futures” restructure which will also see a series of changes at research level. Vivian has been joined by Dr Graham Crist as Program Manager, Master of Architecture, Dr Richard Black as Program Manager, Bachelor of Architectural Design, and Dr Gretchen Wilkins, Program Manager of the new Master of Urban Design program. More news coming soon.