Mediated Intelligence in Design Lab

Professor Tuba Kocaturk is the founding director of MInD Lab at Deakin University, where she leads research on circular and intelligent transformations of the built environment. A transdisciplinary design researcher, her work combines design thinking, systems thinking, and innovation methodologies to address complex challenges shaping the future of urban systems. She collaborates closely with government, industry, and academia to translate research into real-world impact. Kocaturk serves on the editorial board of Building Research & Innovation and on various national and international advisory panels.

Maycon Sedrez is a lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Deakin University and deputy director of MInD Lab. His research focuses on computational design and sustainability, with particular interest in parametric design, Scenario Planning methods and advancing SDGs. He has worked in Brazil, Germany in China in architecture and urban design projects and research, and his recent work includes the book AI-Aided Design for Sustainability. Sedrez’s broader contributions span on sustainable design studios, digital design and sustainability, and recently advising the Geelong’s Environment and Circular Economy Advisory Committee.

Gregory Pitts is an architect and academic whose work is driven by a deep interest in the intersection of design, technology, and sustainability. With a background in both professional practice and architectural research, he explores how digital tools, design processes, and environmental strategies can shape the future of the built environment. His approach is grounded in curiosity and innovation, continuously questioning traditional design methods to find new ways of engaging with space and form. As both a practitioner and educator, Gregory values the integration of theory and hands-on experimentation. He sees architecture as an evolving conversation—one that requires collaboration across disciplines and an openness to emerging ideas.

Professor Paul Sanders is the Professor/ Chair of Architecture in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Deakin University. Paul has experienced three career phases in architecture and rich working experiences in three continents; studying in the UK and later as a registered practicing architect for fifteen years in South Africa, through which he gained extensive knowledge of the built environment professions, construction industry, and importantly the social dimension of architecture. His interest in teaching was the catalyst for a transition into academia that developed from beginnings as a lecturer through to various roles as an academic leader in Australia. through academic management, inter-disciplinary collaboration, as well as engagement with industry and the profession.

Dr Abdul-Manan Sadick is a Senior Lecturer in Construction Management at the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Deakin University. He holds a PhD in Civil Engineering with a specialisation in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Manitoba, Canada, where he also earned a Certificate in Higher Education Teaching. His earlier qualifications include a Master of Science in Project Management from Northumbria University, United Kingdom, awarded through a Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, and a Bachelor of Science in Building Technology from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. Dr Sadick’s research investigates building performance, indoor environmental quality, occupant wellbeing, and sustainable construction practices

Dr Angad Nayyar is an Associate Teaching and Research Fellow in the School of Architecture and Built Environment at Deakin University. His work spans research and industry practice across digital engineering, parametric design, extended reality, and game engines, with a focus on spatial user experience through spatial computing and human building interaction in healthcare, dementia empathy training, and relaxation in VR. He has contributed to projects including the Spatially Intelligent Geelong Arts Centre and dementia empathy training in VR research with the University of Adelaide and received a Teaching Impact Award for innovation in built environment education at Deakin University. He has lived, studied, and worked in Bombay, Kuala Lumpur, and London, and is currently based in Melbourne, Australia.

Professor Sarah McGann focuses on applied interdisciplinary research, working with significant industry partnerships. Her central research objective is to investigate the impact of architectural design and lived experience on health, wellbeing, aged and palliative care across different building types. Her research has informed international policy and has been reviewed across the world. A key achievement has been to demonstrate the value and strategic impact the built environment can have in developing systemic change for better population health and wellbeing. Current research includes investigating the use of cutting-edge smart wearable technologies for the interpretation of diverse lived experiences. This project continues the interdisciplinary research investigating how the design of different aged care models, including the small-household model, can impact resident Quality of Life and staff wellbeing. Sarah has led the ongoing ‘Active Workplace Design’ projects, funded by Healthway and HBF, investigating the impact of workplace design on sedentary behaviours. Sarah is an internationally recognised expert in hospice and palliative care design and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.