The Comfort Pursuit

Blended learning for design communication studio

From next year I will be teaching Design Communication at JCU. This subject is a core subject in the new Major in Urban Environments and Landscape Design.

This is not a new subject for me, as this was the very first experience I had as a tutor in Brazil when I was still an undergrad student. Then I lectured the subject at UFT also in Brazil, and later on in New Zealand.

Despite all these years, the way it will be delivered this time is completely new and challenging to me. Read more…

Cal Newport on the damages of social media

I am a big fan of Cal Newport since I read his Deep Work book. If you don’t know his work, check out the TED talk below. His message is a powerful one for our overwhelming information times. Read more…

Recently started research projects

I have recently started a couple of research projects which are listed on JCU’s ‘Available Projects’ for Higher Degree by Research. The aim of JCU’s website is to facilitate student’s access to available projects. But besides that, I am always open for collaboration with colleagues from elsewhere interested in these areas. Read more…

Month in review: July 2017

This month started with a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef. It was the prize for the winners of a school quiz, which happened in May and our team won. More photos of the scenic flight here. It was also the peak month of the high season here in Cairns, and we received a few friends from New Zealand, which was great. We also bought tickets to go to Brazil later on this year, the trip will include some work and conferences in my native country plus some holiday time with family. Besides that, below is what happened in the professional front. Read more…

Committing to a sustainable urban future in the Tropics

This post was originally published on JCU’s Brighter, and is available here.

Growing populations in tropical cities will face many challenges in the coming decades. Rethinking the way we build, manage and live in cities could be the way to cultivate sustainable development. JCU’s Dr Silvia Tavares is exploring what roles expanding cities and regional towns will play in the future.

Palm Cove Melaleuca Trees

Palm Cove is a very special place, and when I first arrived I had a discussion with a local trying to understand why is this beach so different and much more touristic than the others in Cairns. The response was: the Melaleucas! Although I am not sure if this is the dominant reason as there are so many other special things here, these are very special trees. Some of these Melaleucas are over 500 years old and very well looked after!

Built for comfort: Exploring how microclimates impact the economy

What’s your favourite local hotspot? Chances are you didn’t take any notice of the microclimate — you just knew that it felt good to be there. Examining what makes us feel comfortable in urban spaces could be the key to building more sustainable and vibrant spaces. Read more…

Month in review: June 2017

MASP (Museu de Arte de São Paulo). Image used under CC 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication

This is a rather belated post, but these monthly reviews are addictive and I feel like I need to somehow summarise and get the big picture of what has actually happened last month (or not!). June was a difficult month when I lost my 15 year old dog Lina Bo Bardi Read more…

Melbourne, Victoria

It has been over a month now since we were in Melbourne. I am skeptical of city rankings and have heard a lot about areas of Melbourne that are not that nice, but the city did leave some good impressions. Read more…

Month in review: May 2017

May went so quickly that when it finished I felt like I wouldn’t have anything to write here. But the reality is it probably went quickly because there was a lot going on. So here it is… This is how May presented itself. Read more…