Associate Professor Veronica Garcia Hansen

Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology), BArch (Other)

Veronica Garcia-Hansen is an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Built Environment. Her background is in Architecture design and building science. Her principal area of research focuses on the interplay between building design and performance, visual and thermal comfort and human health and wellbeing. She uses innovative research methodologies that facilitate the collection of large data sets of physical conditions (lighting levels, brightness, temperature, air velocity, occupancy), ethnographic approaches to study occupant behaviour and self-reported data (preferences, wellbeing) using ubiquitous sensors and technologies, finding patterns and solutions employing machine learning algorithms and optimisation procedures. A/Prof. Garcia-Hansen has specific expertise in high-performance building envelopes and control strategies (including the design of innovative daylighting devices), glare from daylighting, natural ventilation, indoor environmental quality monitoring, post occupancy evaluation (POE) of the luminous environment, lighting modelling, visual and non-visual effects of lighting on health and wellbeing, virtual reality (VR) for qualitative assessment of building occupants’ experiences and preferences. A/Prof. Garcia-Hansen is a 2020 Johnson & Johnson Scholar. She was acknowledged internationally by the prestigious WiSTEM2D (Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing, and Design) Scholar award by Johnson & Johnson (USA). The $250k grant to “create healing environments in hospitals through efficient lighting design” is one of only six awards across the globe awarded among 550 applications, identifying “global women leading in both their research fields and leading as mentors”.

Leadership in Research

• HDR training coordinator for the School of Design (2019-2021). Oversaw the research training of 110 postgraduate PhD and master research students in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Interior Design, Interactive Design, Industrial Design.
• Deputy Academic Lead Research (Architecture) School of Architecture and Built Environment (2021-Onwards)
• Program leader "Emerging Technologies program" Design Lab (Tier 2 research centre at QUT) (2020-Onwards) https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/programs/

International

• CIE (International commission of Illumination) Division 3 Australian Representative: Interior Environment and Lighting Design (2011- Onwards) https://cie.co.at/technical-work/divisions/division3
• CIE Division 3 leadership team: Division 3 Editor (2020-Onwards)
• Associate Editor "Architectural Science Review" Journal (Q1) (2014-Onwards)
• Australian Representative for the IEA (International Energy Agency) Task 61 Integrated solutions for daylighting and electrical lighting (2018-2021) https://task61.iea-shc.org/about

Additional information