Rosangela Tenorio

Rosangela Tenorio is an Associate Professor at the UWA School of Design’s Discipline of Architecture. She holds over 25 years of academic and architectural practice experience, focusing on sustainable design and bio-based materials. Previously, she served at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China, the University of Auckland, and the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil. Her research emphasizes affordable housing, passive cooling in tropical climates, and biomaterials for disaster resilience.

Education: PhD in Environmental Design (University of Queensland, 2002), BArch (Honours) from Federal University of Pernambuco (1994), and Postgraduate Diploma in Education (University of Waikato, 2014). She has led projects in Timor-Leste, Japan, and Australia, including the Bio-Based Materials Design Lab (BBMLab) and initiatives like the Life-Cycle 5 Nottingham Campaign.

Research interests span bio-based materials, remote community design, thermal performance studies, and cultural preservation in CPLP countries. Awards include the Japan Foundation Fellowship, A’Design Awards, and Malka Foundation Grant. She actively contributes to equity initiatives, including leadership roles in WINSET and UN-HABITAT partnerships.

Her teaching focuses on integrating creative thinking with real-world environmental and cross-cultural challenges, earning a Teaching Excellence Award for Collaboration in New Zealand. Current projects include circular ecological economies in the Kimberley region and biomaterial applications in school design.