About us
The aim of the Centre is to engineer building systems whose elements work together to reduce airborne infection transmission by improving indoor air quality while maintaining comfort and efficiency.
Improving Outcomes
The ARC Training Centre for Advanced Building System against Airborne Infection Transmission (THRIVE) was established in 2023 and is officially hosted by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This Centre is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), QUT, The University of Melbourne and prominent industry partners spread across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The centre is supported by two more ARC grants focussing on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The aim of the Centre is to design and develop a building system whose elements work together to reduce indoor airborne infection transmission by improving IAQ and at the same time maintaining comfort and energy efficiency.
The Centre will support this aim, and complementary objectives to ensure the medium- and long-term competitiveness of national and international manufacturing industries. The Centre will also develop an extensive training program consisting of regular seminars presented by scientists and industry to advance training and profession development in all areas related to the Centre’s work, as well as hands-on and laboratory training sessions.
Challenging Obstacles
The novelty of THRIVE is ultimately in advancing the design of a “brain” behind the building system that supports its operation, and a network of “nerves” and “sensors”, providing information on the operation of the system and allowing control of the system to ensure clean indoor air with minimal energy consumption.
While complex buildings normally have a building management or automation system (BMS/BAS) that may use integrated sensors, these systems are not yet sufficiently advanced to support clean indoor air. This goal will be achieved by bringing together, for the first time under THRIVE, a body of academic experts and industries representing all elements of the building and connecting these elements to operate as an efficient and effective system.
Over 2.7 Million Deaths
Every year acute respiratory illnesses, such as colds and influenza, result in more than 2.7 million deaths and economic losses of billions of dollars. Respiratory infectious diseases spread mainly by airborne transmission.
Post Covid 19 Society
The pandemic has affected our society and the economy on an unprecedented global scale. however, viral and bacterial respiratory infections have always been a major cause of morbidity and mortality internationally.
More Time Indoors
Australians spend 90% or more of their time indoors – working, studying, enjoying entertainment, resting, undergoing medical care, and in fact living.
Advancing Technology
Prior to 2020, ventilation/air-conditioning systems were never designed to protect the public from infectious disease. Our job is to shift the paradigm to combat indoor airborne infection transmission.
Dedication To Innovation
The aim of the Centre is to engineer building systems whose elements work together to reduce airborne infection transmission by improving indoor air quality while maintaining comfort and efficiency.
Our Vision
Our vision is to lead the advancement of knowledge and technological infrastructure development, in pursuit of clean and healthy indoor air environments, that improve mental cognition and foster productivity. To achieve this, we are committed to building collaborative and innovative partnerships with the scientific community, governmental bodies, industry stakeholders, and the public.
Our Mission
Our mission is to design and engineer building systems which facilitate high quality indoor environments. These systems will effectively control airborne pathogens and pollutants, while enhancing thermal comfort and optimising energy efficiency, and ultimately, will empower building occupants to reach their full potential.
Constantly innovating
The aim of the Centre is to engineer building systems whose elements work together to reduce airborne infection transmission by improving indoor air quality while maintaining comfort and efficiency. The significance is in establishing clean indoor air as the norm, with Australian industry being the forerunner in this process.
The outcomes include new intelligent building systems, improved building technologies, quantitative methods for building control, evidence for policymaking and recommendations for operational guidelines. Wide-ranging benefits include reducing the health and economic burden of inadequate indoor air and increasing the competitiveness of Australian industry in the face of increasing demand for next-level building systems.
Stakeholder engagement
A true strength of THRIVE lies at the intersection of the individual expertise of all our staff and industry partners, and our singular focus on addressing the current IAQ problem. Our research programs and projects are designed to maximise collaboration among the research team and industry, as well as increase collaboration among industry to:
- Reduce production costs;
- Increase value differentiation;
- Increase market focus;
- Advance knowledge in R&D;
- Advance knowledge in business improvement.
Through collaboration with industry, the scientific community, the public, and the government, THRIVE is uniquely placed to bridge the gap between research and real-world technology that will deliver clean indoor air potentially affecting billions of lives globally.
Meet our team members
We are a passionate and dedicated team of experts on a mission to create safer and healthier environments in indoor air quality through cutting-edge research and innovation. We have partnered with a range of national and international scientists and prominent industry partners committed to the well-being of individuals and communities.
Our centre specialises in developing advanced building systems that mitigate the transmission of airborne infections. By combining our diverse backgrounds in aerosol science, physics, fluid dynamics, architecture, engineering, medicine, and environmental sciences, we aim to revolutionize the way we design, construct, and maintain buildings to combat the spread of infectious diseases. Join us on this transformative journey as we strive to build a healthier future for all. Together, we can make a significant impact in safeguarding public health and enhancing the well-being of society.
Industry Partners
Interested in Current opportunities with Thrive?
