Timothy O'Rourke

Dr. Timothy O’Rourke is a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at The University of Queensland. He holds a PhD and Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) from UQ. His research focuses on cross-cultural design, Indigenous housing histories, and sustainable architectural practices, with a particular emphasis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. He has contributed to projects such as the Discovery Project on healthcare architecture, exploring design improvements for Indigenous healthcare settings, and studies on Indigenous housing from the 1950s to 2000s.

Education: PhD (The University of Queensland, 2012), Bachelor (Honours) (The University of Queensland).

Research interests include evaluating Indigenous housing design, histories of Indigenous housing policies, and the adaptation of traditional building techniques to modern challenges. His work intersects architectural history, cultural studies, and sustainability, with notable publications in journals like Environment and Behavior and Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review.

Dr. O’Rourke is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and active in professional organizations like the Society of Architectural Historians Australia and New Zealand. His teaching covers architectural technology, design, and research methodology in the Master of Architecture program.

His research has led to technical reports, conference papers, and book chapters on topics such as Indigenous housing policy, climate change adaptation, and cultural tourism. He has collaborated on projects funded by bodies like the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility and the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre.