Rate My Professor Perez Lopez

Dr. Irene Perez Lopez is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her research examines the future vulnerability and immense challenges of adaptation and mitigation that coastal and estuary cities face due to the climate emergency, framing the climate crisis as a water crisis involving flood risks and droughts. She reconceptualizes estuary urbanism to accommodate water and natural systems, using water narratives to unite stakeholders for ecological urbanism, risk reduction, new amenities, active living, and enhanced liveability. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the university's strategic direction to 'Build a Sustainable Future', her work generates evidence-based design guidelines addressing urban sustainability, security, resilience, and the unique characteristics of estuarine environments. Fields of Research: Architectural design (100%). She coordinates innovative design studio courses emphasizing 'deep sustainability' and speculative scenarios for inhabiting coastal and riverine waterfronts, with students awarded the NSW Institute of Architecture Undergraduate State Award, Commissioner Hoffman Urban Design Award, and NSW Architects Registration Board Medallion (2020-21). In 2022, she received the University of Newcastle Women in Research Fellowship ($30,000).

Prior to the University of Newcastle, Perez Lopez was Lecturer in Urban Design and Planning at Universidad del Bio Bio, Chile (2014-2016); Director and Head of Research, Centre for Urban Studies, Universidad Mayor, Chile (2013-2014); Guest Lecturer, Master of Architecture and Interior Design, Universidad de Salamanca, Spain (2012); and Research Assistant, School of Architecture, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Spain (2006-2008). Professionally, she served as Senior Landscape Architect at Grant Associates, UK (2017-2018), Director of the Pan-American Observatory of Landscape, Territory and Architecture (OPPTA), Spain (2011-2013; President and co-founder), and Director of Local Landscape architecture practice since 2005, leading projects including the EU-funded Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cordoba (€9.3M). Through OPPTA and TerritorioMayor, she worked with Latin American communities and intergovernmental bodies such as UNESCO Chair for Intermediate Cities, UN-Habitat, ECLAC, UNDP, CAF, and UN-FAO on environmental protection and restoration amid climate impacts. Key publications include 'Inhabiting Liminal Zones: Design in Urbanised Estuaries in the Climate Emergency' (2024), 'Water Imprints: Experiments unfolding history and landscapes' (2024), 'Raise Your Voice: A Community Forum on Talking Back to Monuments' (2023, co-author), 'WaterLines. Speculative design in the threshold between land and water' (2022), and 'Proyecto ARA: Plan estratégico municipal integral para la incorporación de medidas de adaptación al Cambio Climático en Chimalhuacán (Mexico)' (2016).