Urban Transformation Summer School
‘Western Sydney University is proud to partner with Holdmark and Powerhouse Parramatta to deliver this innovative summer school program, which will simultaneously develop students’ design thinking capability and advance practical solutions for issues directly identified by the local Western Sydney community.’
Urban Transformation Summer School
The Urban Transformation Summer School is an annual multi-disciplinary program for Western Sydney University Master of Architecture students presented in partnership with Holdmark and Powerhouse Parramatta. The school focuses on urban design and transformation with a holistic approach to the built form.
Each year, the school engages a Western Sydney council to develop a real-world design ‘challenge’ for students to solve, using the local urban area as a model. Working in multi-disciplinary groups, students design interventions to improve the spatial, environmental and practical amenity of the selected urban space.
During the program students have direct access to leading industry experts from world renown engineering, architectural, planning, design and advisory firms.
2025
For 2025, the Western Sydney University Urban Transformation Summer School invited students to investigate the intricate and multicultural urban landscape of Bankstown. Masters of Architecture and Industrial Design students were challenged to propose design solutions that enhance social connectivity along the Appian Way, which connects the eastern and western sides of Bankstown. The program culminated in an exhibition and symposium at Bankstown Arts Centre, with student projects presented alongside professional architectural projects that are set to shape Bankstown’s future.
2024
The Urban Transformation Summer School collaborated with Blacktown City Council to develop the program’s design challenge for 2024. The challenge focused on a critical thoroughfare in Mount Druitt: a pedestrian path from Mount Druitt train station to Mount Druitt Hospital. Students were challenged to assess the pedestrian journey and explore how small interventions could be located along the walking route, facilitating opportunities for rest, engagement, environmental protection and communication.
2023
The inaugural Urban Transformation Summer School engaged the City of Parramatta Council to formulate the program’s design challenge for 2023. Over seven days, students were tasked with addressing the influence of the design for Powerhouse Parramatta on the local area’s urban environment. Industry experts delivered presentations and led discussions around Parramatta’s rich built environment, including the role of art and culture in the city, designing for livability and climate change, and the Parramatta River interface.
‘The Urban Transformation Summer School course was an incredibly immersive experience that exposed me to the various stages of design. It particularly intrigued me to learn in depth the significant role designers and planners play in shaping prominent projects like the Powerhouse that will aid in transforming the Parramatta precinct and greater Central River City into a place celebrated for its rich and diverse community.’
‘As our cities continue to grow and evolve, it is more important than ever to have a new generation of professionals who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges and opportunities of urbanisation.’
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