APrf Katharine Bartsch
Associate Professor
School of Architecture and Built Environment
College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
My research examines how human mobility shapes the built environment, specifically Islamic architecture. The emergence and diffusion of Islam can be traced along routes of migration, pilgrimage, trade, or travel in pursuit of knowledge. Given this context of mobility and the cultural encounters that it engenders, the goal of my research is to interpret the complexity and diversity of Muslim communities that is materialised in the built environment, with increasing emphasis on the Australian context. Thus, my research is interdisciplinary, reaching beyond conventional discourses of architecture, to obtain rich insights from cultural geography, world systems theories, postcolonial theory, and the history of travel. This approach enables a critical understanding of the production and transformation of the predominantly hybrid architecture of Muslim communities. My PhD examined the Aga Khan Award for Architecture which required critical scrutiny of hundreds of projects that have been nominated or awarded. Of these, two key project themes continue to resonate in my research: Contemporary projects informed by the history of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design in the Islamic world; and, Humanitarian projects focusing on underprivileged communities. These two themes continue to influence my research and the HDR topics that I supervise:1. Human mobility (migration, displacement, pilgrimage, diaspora) and the ways that this shapes architecture, landscapes and settlements, historically and today.2. A humanitarian focus on migration (rural>urban, displacement, resettlement [forced and voluntary]) and settlement in the context of large scale infrastructure projects or urbanisation.Katharine is the Academic Coordinator (University of Adelaide) of the Joint Education Program with Nantong University, Jiangsu Province, China. This 9 year Bachelor program in Architecture is approved by the Ministry of Education, PRC. Students enrolled in this exciting program graduate with parchments from both institutions. Courses are taught by University of Adelaide staff (including Katharine), in China, in Stage 1 (3.5 years) and in Adelaide in Stage 2 (1.5 years). The program caters to approx. 250 students.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 - ongoing | Discipline Lead, Architecture and Landscape Architecture | University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - 2022 | Interim Head of School | University of Adelaide |
| 2022 - ongoing | Associate Professor | University of Adelaide |
| 2018 - 2021 | Associate Head, School of Architecture and Built Environment | University of Adelaide |
| 2014 - 2021 | Senior Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| 2005 - 2013 | Lecturer | University of Adelaide |
| 1997 - 1997 | Graduate Architect | Philips and Pilkington Architects |
| 1995 - 1998 | Graduate Architect | Cielens and Partners |
| 1994 - 1995 | Architect Intern | Abhikram |
| 1994 - 1994 | Architect, Intern | Lapsys and Keam Architects |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Research Award | ARC Linkage Grant | Australian Research Council | Australia | - |
| 2013 | Fellowship | Faculty Women’s Fellowship | University of Adelaide | Australia | $15,000 |
| 2007 | Teaching Award | Executive Dean of the Professions’ Prize for Excellence in UG Teaching | University of Adelaide | Australia | $2000 |
| 2006 | Award | Innovation Funding Bid | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2005 | Research Award | Small Faculty Research Grant | University of Adelaide | Australia | $6500 |
| 2003 | Research Award | Brenda Nettle Grant: Australian Federation of University Women | Australian Federation of University Women | Australia | $1000 |
| 2003 | Research Award | Samuel H. Kress Foundation | Society of Architectural Historians | United States | $1000 |
| 2002 | Research Award | Clive E. Boyce Fellowship | University of Adelaide | Australia | $2500 |
| 2001 | Research Award | Adelaide University Research Abroad Scholarship | University of Adelaide | - | - |
| 1999 | Award | The Kenneth and Hazel Milne Travelling Scholarship | University of Adelaide | Australia | $8000 |
| 1998 | Research Award | Australian Postgraduate Award | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Italian | Can read, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD | |
| University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Architecture (Hons I) | |
| University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor of Architectural Studies |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Ibrahim, A., Bartsch, K., & Sharifi, E. (2024). Waterways transformation and green stormwater infrastructure: enabling governance for Adelaide’s River Torrens Catchment, Australia. International Journal of Water Resources Development, 40(1), 33-56. Scopus7 WoS7 |
| 2024 | Wang, Y., Ma, X., Zuo, J., Bartsch, K., Sun, X., & Tang, Y. (2024). Investing in the benefits. Exploring the effect of public participation on willingness to pay in China’s Sponge City Program. Urban Water Journal, 22(1), 1-12. |
| 2023 | Ibrahim, A., Bartsch, K., & Sharifi, E. (2023). Overarching barriers to mainstream green stormwater infrastructure in Ghana: towards good green governance. Environmental Science & Policy, 147, 15-28. Scopus12 WoS11 |
| 2022 | Wang, Y., Tang, Y., Zuo, J., & Bartsch, K. (2022). Exploring rumor combating behavior of social media on NIMBY conflict: Temporal modes, frameworks and strategies. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 96, 1-12. Scopus21 WoS17 |
| 2022 | Wang, Y., Li, Q., Zuo, J., & Bartsch, K. (2022). How Did Balance Loss Occur? A Cross-stakeholder Analysis of Risk Misallocation in a Sponge City PPP Project. Water Resources Management, 36(13), 5225-5240. Scopus5 WoS5 |
| 2021 | Wang, Y., Shen, C., Bartsch, K., & Zuo, J. (2021). Exploring the trade-off between benefit and risk perception of NIMBY facility: A social cognitive theory model. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 87, 1-10. Scopus52 WoS50 |
| 2021 | Wang, Y., Cai, J., Zuo, J., Bartsch, K., & Huang, M. (2021). Conflict or consensus? Stakeholders' willingness to participate in China's Sponge City program. Science of The Total Environment, 769, 1-13. Scopus40 WoS35 Europe PMC5 |
| 2021 | Bartsch, K. (2021). The British Mosque: An Architectural and Social History, Shahed Saleem (2018). International Journal of Islamic Architecture, 10(2), 495-497. |
| 2020 | Ibrahim, A., Bartsch, K., & Sharifi, E. (2020). Green infrastructure needs green governance: lessons from Australia's largest integrated stormwater management project, the River Torrens Linear Park. Journal of Cleaner Production, 261, 121202-1-121202-14. Scopus67 WoS57 |
| 2020 | Wang, Y., Gao, M., Zuo, J., & Bartsch, K. A. (2020). Social capital and social integration after project-induced displacement and resettlement: exploring the impact on three life stages in the Three Gorges Project. The Social Science Journal, 60(1), 56-74. Scopus5 WoS4 |
| 2020 | Li, H., Lv, L., Zuo, J., Bartsch, K. A., Wang, L., & Xia, Q. (2020). Determinants of public satisfaction with an Urban Water environment treatment PPP project in Xuchang, China. Sustainable Cities and Society, 60, 13 pages. Scopus40 WoS37 |
| 2018 | Malaque, I., Bartsch, K., & Scriver, P. (2018). Thriving in the slums: progressive development and empowerment of the urban poor to achieve secure tenure in the Philippines. Architectural Science Review, 61(5), 313-318. Scopus4 WoS4 |
| 2017 | Bartsch, K. A. (2017). Mutable Architecture. Transfers: International Journal of Mobility, 7(2), 132-134. |
| 2017 | Bartsch, K. (2017). The Paradox of Body, Building and Motion in Seventeenth-Century England. TRANSFERS-INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF MOBILITY STUDIES, 7(2), 132-134. |
| 2016 | Scriver, P., Bartsch, K., & Rashid, M. (2016). The space of citizenship: drifting and dwelling in “imperial” Australia. Fabrications, 26(2), 133-157. Scopus4 WoS2 |
| 2015 | Bartsch, K. (2015). Building identity in the colonial city: the case of the Adelaide Mosque. Contemporary Islam, 9(3), 247-270. Scopus10 WoS4 |
| 2014 | Bartsch, K., & Rashid, M. (2014). Historical Fabulation: A Framework to Rethink The Islamic Architecture Outside Islamic World. International Journal of Architectural Research, 8(1), 120-132. Scopus3 WoS1 |
| 2014 | Bartsch, K., & Kamleh, E. (2014). Karbala in Lucknow: an itinerary of architectural mobility. International Journal of Islamic Architecture, 3(2), 267-302. WoS2 |
| 2014 | Rashid, M., & Bartsch, K. (2014). Architecture of the Adelaide mosque: hybridity, resilience and assimilation. Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, 25(2), 65-75. |
| 2014 | El Ashmouni, M., & Bartsch, K. (2014). Egypt's age of transition: unintentional cosmopolitanism during the reign of Muhammad ‘Alī (1805–1848). Arab Studies Quarterly, 36(1), 43-74. WoS4 |
| 2006 | Bartsch, K. (2006). Tectvs realises a Corbusian vision on the park. Place, 1(6), 14-16. |
| 2006 | Bartsch, K. (2006). Cult of the Fountainhead and the Culture of our Architectural Community [2006 RAIA Architecture Awards; Critique].. Place, 2(1), 12-14. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Rashid, M. M., Bartsch, K., Alic, D., Faleh, M., Gusheh, M., & Rajabitanha, M. (2026). Building Faith in Walter Burley Griffin's National Capital: The Diplomatic Mosque and Other Architectural Narratives. In Muslim Minorities (Vol. 47, pp. 132-168). BRILL. DOI |
| 2026 | Rajabitanha, M., & Bartsch, K. (2026). The Arabesque Patterns through the Lens of Historical Persian Texts.. In A. Ismail Kahera, & E. Filiz Kölmek (Eds.), Aesthetics of Monotheism: Islam & the Hermeneutics of Art and Architecture. |
| 2024 | Bartsch, K., Rashid, M. M., & Scriver, P. (2024). The First Aussie Mosques: Mediating Boundaries despite the ‘White Australia’ Policy. In F. Karim, & P. Blessing (Eds.), The Making of Modern Muslim Selves through Architecture (pp. 77-110). Intellect. |
| 2019 | Bartsch, K. A., & Scriver, P. (2019). The House of Stars: Astronomy and the architecture of new science in early modern Lucknow (1831-49). In S. Akkach (Ed.), 'Ilm: Science, Religion and Art in Islam (pp. 59-77). Adelaide, South Australia: University of Adelaide Press. DOI |
| 2016 | Kamleh, E., & Bartsch, K. (2016). Karbala in Lucknow: An itinerary of architectural mobility. In C. Gruber (Ed.), Islamic Architecture on the Move (pp. 26-59). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. |
| 2016 | Bartsch, K. (2016). Roots or Routes?<sup>1</sup>: Exploring a New Paradigm for Architectural Historiography Through the Work of Geoffrey Bawa. In Travel, Space, Architecture (pp. 167-188). |
| 2009 | Bartsch, K. (2009). Roots or routes? Exploring a new paradigm for architectural historiography through the work of Geoffrey Bawa. In J. Traganou, & M. Mitrasinovic (Eds.), Travel, Space, Architecture (pp. 167-188). Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Scopus2 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2019 | Ibrahim, A., Bartsch, K., & Sharifi, E. (2019). Green Infrastructure and Green Governance: A Retrospective Analysis of Flood Mitigation at Adelaide’s Linear Park. Poster session presented at the meeting of Unknown Conference. |
National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 2412162). Research on Resilience Governance Mechanisms and Enhancement Strategies for Social-Ecological Systems in Coastal Cities. Key Project of International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Projects. RMB 2 million / $440,000 AUD. Professor Jian Zuo, Prof Michael Goodsite (Pro Vice-Chancellor, Res. Ops & Comclsn), Prof Scott Smith (Deputy Dean International, SET), A/Prof Katharine Bartsch, A/Prof Ruidong Chang.
Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2021 New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant, Future Builders: Collaborative Design in the Yangtze Delta. $66,000.
Australian Research Council, Special Research Initiative. The Australian Mosque Today: Architectural Collaborations, 2020-2023. $280,000 Chief Investigators Dr Katharine Bartsch, Dr Md Mizanur Rashid (Deakin), A/Prof Maryam Gusheh (Monash) and Dr Dijana Alic (UNSW) and Dr Majdi Faleh [Aga Khan Fellow (Alumnus) MIT], Senior Research Officer.
Australian Research Council Linkage Grant. The Architecture of Australia's Muslim Pioneers, 2014-2017. $180,000 Chief Investigators Dr Peter Scriver and Dr Katharine Bartsch with Research Associate Dr Mizanur Rashid, University of Adelaide, with Partner Investigator Dr Philip Jones, South Australian Museum, and Partner Investigator Dr Abdul Razak Sapian, International Islamic University of Malaysia.
I teach courses in Design and the Environment, History and Theory of Architecture and Landscapes, and Design Studio.
I am the Academic Coordinator of our Joint Education Program between the University of Adelaide (School of Architecture and Built Environment) and Nantong University, Jiangsu, China, approved by the Ministry of Education, China (established in 2018), 9-year program, 220+ students).
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Thermal performance of nineteenth-century buildings in South Australia: can we learn from them to achieve sustainable building design? | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Echo Chen |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Integrating Citizen Science and Bayesian Network to Support Sustainable Urban Renewal (SUR) in China: Taking Urban Village Living Environment Renewal as an Example | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Zheyi Xi |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Thermal performance of nineteenth-century buildings in South Australia: can we learn from them to achieve sustainable building design? | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Echo Chen |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Integrating Citizen Science and Bayesian Network to Support Sustainable Urban Renewal (SUR) in China: Taking Urban Village Living Environment Renewal as an Example | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Zheyi Xi |
| 2024 | Co-Supervisor | The impact of urban geometry and greenery on pedestrian comfort perceptions and outdoor activities | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Mina Safizadeh |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | The Mosque in Australia after 1945 | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Ahmad Tariq Hakimi |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | A Vulnerability Tourism Study: Resilient Coastal Tourism Landscape Model | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Era Nopera Rauzi |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Rethinking Design Guidelines for Australian Nursing Homes Maximising the Therapeutic Benefits of Outdoor Access for Patients with Dementia | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mrs Priya Rachel Boby |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | The Mosque in Australia after 1945 | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Ahmad Tariq Hakimi |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Rethinking Design Guidelines for Australian Nursing Homes Maximising the Therapeutic Benefits of Outdoor Access for Patients with Dementia | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mrs Priya Rachel Boby |
| 2024 | Principal Supervisor | A Vulnerability Tourism Study: Resilient Coastal Tourism Landscape Model | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Era Nopera Rauzi |
| 2024 | Co-Supervisor | The impact of urban geometry and greenery on pedestrian comfort perceptions and outdoor activities | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Mina Safizadeh |
| 2020 | Principal Supervisor | Aiming to establish an innovative and sympathetic way to undertake issues of abandonment in neglected heritage buildings. The objective is to overcome the barriers which have instigated these buildings to become dormant un-utilised and undeveloped. | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Ms Madeline Nolan |
| 2020 | Co-Supervisor | The houses of the architectural practice of F. W. Dancker & Son (1880-1944): An international perspective and the search for a South Australian style. | Master of Philosophy | Master | Part Time | Mr Kenan Reece Henderson |
| 2020 | Co-Supervisor | The houses of the architectural practice of F. W. Dancker & Son (1880-1944): An international perspective and the search for a South Australian style. | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mr Kenan Reece Henderson |
| 2020 | Principal Supervisor | Aiming to establish an innovative and sympathetic way to undertake issues of abandonment in neglected heritage buildings. The objective is to overcome the barriers which have instigated these buildings to become dormant un-utilised and undeveloped | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Madeline Nolan |
| 2018 | Principal Supervisor | Managing Flood Risks: Exploring Dynamics Between Green and Grey Infrastructure | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Alhassan Ibrahim |
| 2017 | Principal Supervisor | Building Modern Sri Lanka: New Town and Mahaweli Architectural Unit | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Nirodha Kumari Meegahakumbura Dissanayake |
| 2017 | Co-Supervisor | Relearning the Limits of Growth: An Inter-disciplinary Coherence of Urban Planning and Water Cycles in Dhaka City | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Mehbuba Tune Uzra |
| 2017 | Principal Supervisor | Building Modern Sri Lanka: New Town and Mahaweli Architectural Unit | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Mrs Nirodha Kumari Meegahakumbura Dissanayake |
| 2017 | Principal Supervisor | Building Modern Sri Lanka: New Town and Mahaweli Architectural Unit | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Nirodha Kumari Meegahakumbura Dissanayake |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Creative City Making: Public Art and Urban Development in Contemporary China | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Han Cheng |
| 2019 - 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Design Making. An Interlocutory of Culture and Craft. | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | APrf Francesco Bonato |
| 2019 - 2023 | Principal Supervisor | Towards a More Inclusive Educational Space: A Study About Wayfinding for an Autism-Friendly Learning Environment in South Australian Primary Schools | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Mrs Farjana Rahaman |
| 2018 - 2021 | Principal Supervisor | Governance of Waterways and Flood Adaptation: Implementing Sustainable Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Ghana | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Alhassan Ibrahim |
| 2017 - 2022 | Co-Supervisor | Purity, System, Comfort: A Micro-historical Study of Change in Built Form and Cultural Practice, with Particular Respect to Water Use in the Modern Residential Architecture of the Bengali Muslim Upper-Middle Class (1950 – 2000) | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Ms Mehbuba Tune Uzra |
| 2016 - 2023 | Co-Supervisor | Provoking Consciousness Towards a Bioregional Understanding of Local Character: Urbanisation of the Fringe at Willunga Basin, South Australia |
Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Mrs Pragathi . |
| 2013 - 2016 | Principal Supervisor | Building Modern Sri Lanka: New Town and Mahaweli Architectural Unit | Doctor of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mrs Nirodha Kumari Meegahakumbura Dissanayake |
| 2013 - 2016 | Co-Supervisor | The Rise of Modern Urbanity (tamaddun) in the Arab World Education, Journalism, and Enlightenment | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Mrs Kinda Alsamara |
| 2013 - 2018 | Co-Supervisor | Botanic and Poetic Landscapes: A Reading of Two Persian Texts on Early Safavid Gardens | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mrs Zahra Ranjbari |
| 2012 - 2012 | Co-Supervisor | Gardens of Damascus: Landscape and the Culture of Recreation in the Early Modern Period | Master of Landscape Architecture | Master | Full Time | Miss Georgina Hafteh |
| 2012 - 2017 | Principal Supervisor | Multi-step Transition in Housing Provision and Progressive Development of Urban Settlements: Case of Davao City, Philippines | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Isidoro III Malaque |
| 2010 - 2013 | Principal Supervisor | The Rationale of Architectural Discourses in Post-Independence Egypt: A Contrapuntal Reading of `Alam Al-Bena'a (1980-2000) | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Marwa Moustafa El-Ashmouni |
| 2008 - 2010 | Co-Supervisor | Sustainable Water Management in Semi-Arid India: Learning from the Gond and Kohli Indigenous Communities | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Dr Namrata Vishwasrao |
| 2008 - 2012 | Co-Supervisor | Architectural Exchange in the Eighteenth Century A Study of Three Gateway Cities: Istanbul, Aleppo and Lucknow | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Miss Elise Kamleh |
| 2008 - 2017 | Principal Supervisor | Conservation of Heritage Curtilages in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Mrs Nadiyanti Mat Nayan |
| 2007 - 2022 | Principal Supervisor | Warning, patrons ahead! A development assessment framework for public space for landscape architects drawing on lessons from the Festival City of Adelaide, Australia | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Miss Janelle Arbon |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 - ongoing | Member | Uniting Communities Redevelopment Steering Committee | Uniting Communities | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 - ongoing | Member | Australian Institute of Architects | Australia |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 - 2023 | Member | International Journal of Islamic Architecture | Intellect Books | United Kingdom |