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About Laura
Dr Laura Harper is a senior lecturer in the Department of Architecture at Monash University’s Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. As a practicing architect and director of the research-led practice Snook+Harper, she possesses over 15 years of experience in architectural design and construction across Europe and Australia, including roles at DTA Architects in Dublin, Lyons Architects, and NMBW Architecture Studio. Harper earned her Bachelor of Architecture from RMIT University in 2005, focusing on Housing for Jeparit, and completed her PhD, "The Urbanism of Material," at Monash University in 2018. Her research spans architecture and urbanism, examining material and construction in relation to broader processes, structures, and histories of the built and natural environments. Affiliated with the Monash Urban Lab’s Atlas of the Underground and Regional and Rural groups, her work addresses the influence of geology, extraction, gold, stone, clay, and underground elements on urban landscapes, aligning with SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. She serves as a graduate research supervisor and has directed the two-year Master of Architecture program.
Harper leads several funded research projects, including the ARC Linkage project "Repairing memory & place: An Indigenous-led approach to urban water design" in collaboration with the Boon Wurrung Foundation, Melbourne Water, and local governments; Building 4.0 CRC initiatives such as "Componentised Internal Wall Systems for multi-residential Applications," "Flexible wet cores for volumetric housing construction," and "Building Productivity—Product, Process, People." Her key publications encompass "Goldrush Urbanism" (2016), "Urban Fringe Quarries" (2018), "Afterlife of Mines" (2019), "The Undergrounds’ Underground" (2020), "(Un)regulated wetlandscapes – laang tageek baany in Boonwurrung Country, Nairm" (2026), and "Artefact 14 (geological bodies)" (2024). Notable awards include the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing (2009/2010) for Santry Demesne Social Housing, AIA Urban Design Award (2014) for Box Hill Gardens, AIA Architecture Award for New Residential (2016) for Point Lonsdale House, National Architecture Awards Winner for Residential Houses (New) (2016), Victorian Architecture Award for Multiple Housing (2022) for St Albans Housing, and ArchitectureAU Award for Social Impact Commendation (2023). These achievements underscore her impact on architectural practice, research, and education.
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