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The Department of Architecture & Building dates back to the formation of the university itself on 1 July 1949, as it was one of the departments that had much of its origins in the Sydney Technical College. This included the first head of the department, Professor F. E. A. Towndrow, whose appointment from the college to the university was simply transferred on the date of the university's establishment. When the first three university faculties were established by Council on 8 May 1950 (resolution 54), Architecture & Building became the sole department within the Faculty of Architecture. On 10 September 1951 Council changed the designation of all departments to schools and so the School of Architecture & Building came into existence (resolution 153). On 10 May 1971 Council approved a re-establishment of the Faculty of Architecture, whereby the School of Architecture & Building became the School of Architecture and a separate School of Building was created (resolution 71/53). At the meeting of Council on 13th September, 1993, the name of the faculty was changed to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). On 25 August 1997 Council disestablished all schools within the Faculty of the Built Environment - including the School of Architecture - and created in their place a single School of the Built Environment effective from 31 December 1997 (resolution CL97/66/9c). Subordinate agency: Department of Industrial Arts - 01/01/1981 - 31/12/1990 Subordinate agency: Department of Landscape Architecture - 01/01/1974 - 16/01/1978 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/07/1949-31/12/1997

The Department of Computer Science became the School of Computer Science and Engineering on 1/1/1991 with Professor John Hiller becoming the first head of school. Council at its meeting on 10 December 1990 resolved by CL90/108 (v) Proposed division of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science into two schools: 1. That a School of Computer Science and Engineering be established in the Faculty of Engineering from 1 January 1991; and 2. That the School of Computer Science and Engineering be based upon the present Department of Computer Science in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; 3. That the balance of the existing School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science be renamed the School of Electrical Engineering. Computer Science was established as its own school to give the Department greater academic, financial and management autonomy in order to pursue its range of academic interests and enterprises. Computer Science was by far the largest department within the School of Electrical Engineering and was teaching over half of the student load. Its student body was comprised not only of students of the Faculty of Engineering but also of the Board of Studies in Science of Mathematics. Staff of the Department of Computer Science felt the need for greater autonomy and thought that other departments of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science could feel stifled and constrained by the needs of the Department. Growth in computer engineering and the graduate teaching and research areas of the Department was certain and the Department would be larger than many schools in the university. The range of its activities and interests and the discipline of computer science had grown rapidly and the Department also was active in areas not especially closely related to electrical engineering, eg psychology, philosophy, computer literacy, and other areas of cognitive science. One of the largest schools of its kind, in 2004 research was grouped in the following areas: algorithms, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computer architecture, computer systems, database systems, networks, and software engineering. That year the school attracted over $4.5 million in research funding including Australian Research Council grants and grants from industry, both local and international. The school at that time was also partner in a number of external research centres including the Smart Internet Technology Cooperative Research Centre, and the national ICT Australia (NICTA), a research Centre of Excellence in Information and Communications Technologies. In 2008 the School of Computer Science and Engineering and the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications had joint responsibility for the curriculum of the Computer Engineering program. Staff of the school was grouped into research groups of Artificial Intelligence, Computer Systems and Software Engineering. Courses in these areas were offered to students taking major studies in computer science or computer engineering, while introductory-level computing courses were available more generally to students studying Science, Arts or Engineering. Computer science had links with discrete mathematics, which furnished the theory behind the algorithms that computer software implemented, and electrical engineering, which supplied the then present technology underlying physical computing devices. Graduate employability was enhanced by CSE's strong and growing industry links. The Computer Science degree had a Co-op Scholarship program that gave students extensive industry experience from their second year; all Engineering degrees required industrial training experience. The School ran an Industry Liaison Office whose primary aim was to link students and employers both for in-course experience and for graduate employment. The head of school in January 2008 was Professor Paul Compton. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/01/1991-

The Faculty of Architecture was established by Council on 8th May, 1950 (resolution 54). Under Dean F. E. Towndrow the Faculty included just the single School of Architecture and met for the first time on 25th July, 1950. At the meeting of Council on 13th September, 1993, the name of the Faculty was changed to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). The list of Deans below was compiled for an enquiry in 2011. Dates listed as years are approximate only based on Calendars and should be double-checked. 1 July 1950 - 30 June 1963 (on a leave of absence from 3 December 1962) - Professor Frederick Edward Anthony Towndrow 3 December 1962 - 31 December 1963 - Professor John Maxwell Freeland (Acting Dean) 1 January 1964 - 1 September 1972 - Professor Henry Ingham Ashworth 1972 - 1984 - Professor Gareth Roberts 1984 - 1985 - Professor Eric Charles Daniels 8 July 1985 - 11 July 1986 - Professor Richard Clough 1986 - 1995 - Professor Arthur Raymond Toakley 1996 - 2002 - Professor Chung-Tong Wu 2002 - 2008 - Professor Peter Murphy (initially as Acting Dean) 2008 - present - Professor Alec Tzannes Subordinate agency: Department (1949 - 51) / School of Architecture & Building (1951 - 1971) / Architecture (1971 - 1997) - 08/05/1950 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: School of Town Planning (1971 - 1995) / Planning & Urban Development (1995 - 1997) - 10/05/1971 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: School of Building - 10/05/1971 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: School of the Built Environment - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: School of Landscape Architecture - 16/01/1978 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: Department of Industrial Arts - 24/07/1978 - 31/12/1980 Subordinate agency: Graduate School of the Built Environment - 24/07/1978 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: Department of Industrial Design - 03/02/1992 - 31/12/1997 Subordinate agency: Centre for Health Assets Australasia (CHAA) - 01/01/2005 Subordinate agency: City Futures Research Centre (CFRC) - 24/05/2006 Subordinate agency: Building Research Centre - 01/08/1998 - 02/02/1999 Subordinate agency: Australian Centre for Construction Innovation (ACCI) - 02/02/1999 - 19/12/2003 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 08/05/1950-

The School of Town Planning came into being on 1 July 1971 (File 26695, CN1160 Bx81). The Personnel Sub-Committee of the Executive Committee of Council had recommended on 13.4.1971 H. (i) that the Faculty of Architecture be re-established with separate Schools of Architecture, Building and Town Planning; (ii) that the two latter Schools come into being on the filling of the vacant chairs; and (iii) that the School of Architecture and Building become the School of Architecture on the filling of the Chair of Building. The recommendation was considered by the Executive Committee of Council on 27.4.1971. The recommendation was approved by Council at its meeting on 10 May 1971 (Resolution 71/53) when it appointed Professor John H Shaw as Professor of Town Planning and Head of School thus creating the School of Town Planning. At the meeting of Council on 13th September, 1993, the name of the faculty was changed to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). On 30 October 1995 Council altered the name of the school to the School of Planning & Urban Development (CL95/84). On 25 August 1997 Council disestablished all schools within the Faculty of the Built Environment - including the School of Planning & Urban Development - and created in their place a single School of the Built Environment effective from 31 December 1997 (resolution CL97/66/9c). Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 10/05/1971-31/12/1997

On 17 January 1977 Council gave approval in principle to the establishment of the Graduate School of the Built Environment within the Faculty of Architecture, with the determination of the date from which the school would become operational delegated to the Vice-Chancellor (resolution 77/4). At the 19 July 1978 meeting of the Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee, approval was given for the school to become operative on 24 July 1978. Professor J. M. Freeland took up the position as head of school (file 028479). On 12 December 1991 a restructure of the school was approved by the Vice-Chancellor. As a result, the school's existing academic staff were deployed elsewhere in the faculty, the dean carried out the functions of a head of school and the school was to be concerned with the co-ordination and development of multi-disciplinary activities in the faculty, which will be undertaken by staff who are formally members of other schools in the faculty. At the same time an Advisory Committee was created, which was to assist the Dean with development and delivery of multi-disciplinary activities in the school (file 028479). At the meeting of Council on 13th September, 1993, the name of the faculty was changed to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). On 25 August 1997 Council disestablished all schools and departments within the Faculty of the Built Environment - including the Graduate School of the Built Environment - and created in their place a single School of the Built Environment effective from 31 December 1997 (resolution CL97/66/9c). Subordinate agency: Department of Industrial Design - 17/08/1989 - 03/02/1992 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 24/07/1978-31/12/1997

On 16 January 1978 Council re-classified the Department of Landscape Architecture as the School of Landscape Architecture with Professor Peter Spooner as Head of School. (resolution 78/7 - 26445; Focus 31 May 1978: 1) On 13 September 1993 the name of the faculty was changed from the Faculty of Architecture to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). At its meeting on 25 August 1997 Council resolved to disestablish the School of Landscape Architecture along with the Schools of Architecture, Building, and Planning and Urban Development, the Graduate School of the Built Environment and the Department of Industrial Design within the Faculty of the Built Environment, effective from 31 December 1997 and establish as of 31 December 1997 the School of the Built Environment. (resolution CL97/66 Item 9 (c)) Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 16/01/1978-31/12/1997

Annual report to the visiting committee of the School of Architecture & Building and School of Building by the head of School to the Schools' Visiting Committee. This Visiting Committee was initially known as the Visiting Committee for Building and Quantity Surveying, but from 1972 became the Visiting Committee for the School of Building. In the previous year, a re-establishment of the Faculty of Architecture had resulted in the creation of the new School of Building. The reports were presented to the Visiting Committee prior to its annual meeting and has also sometimes has the notice for the meeting of the Visiting Committee attached. The Archives' holding of this series are incomplete, but further reports, along with the minutes of the Committee, can be found in series 2198.

On 10 May 1971 Council approved a re-establishment of the Faculty of Architecture, whereby the School of Architecture & Building became the School of Architecture and a separate School of Building was created (resolution 71/53). At the meeting of Council on 13th September, 1993, the name of the faculty was changed to the Faculty of the Built Environment (resolution CL93/73g). On 25 August 1997 Council disestablished all schools within the Faculty of the Built Environment - including the School of Building - and created in their place a single School of the Built Environment effective from 31 December 1997 (resolution CL97/66/9c). Subordinate agency: Building Research Centre - 05/12/1984 - 31/03/1990 Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 10/05/1971-31/12/1997

In 1963 the Faculty of Architecture offered an extension course in Landscape Design for architects, engineers and town planners with the intention that a more comprehensive program would follow. The driving force behind this course was Associate Professor Peter Spooner, a long-standing staff member who in addition to his architectural qualifications held a Graduate Diploma in Landscape Design from the University of Durham. The following year the faculty introduced a part-time postgraduate diploma in Landscape Design. (BRF - Spooner, Peter) On 12 September 1973 the Vice-Chancellor's Advisory Committee approved the creation of a Department of Landscape Architecture within the School of Architecture, effective from 1 January 1974. On 8 July 1974 Peter Spooner was appointed as the department's foundation chair. (CN968/11 File: 4601013E) In that year the Department offered for the first time its four year undergraduate degree course in Landscape Architecture. (UNSW Annual Report 1974: 19; Uniken 3 -16 June 1978: 1), a first for an Australian university. (SRF - UNSW - Architecture) On 16 January 1978 Council re-classified the Department of Landscape Architecture as the School of Landscape Architecture with Professor Peter Spooner as Head of School (resolution 78/7 - 26445; Focus 31 May 1978: 1) and the department therefore ceased to exist from this date. Controlling Organisation: UNSW - 01/01/1974-16/01/1978

This series consists of the subject files of the Department / School of Architecture & Building / Architecture. The material covers a range of topics including various architecture courses and accreditation, school memoranda, commitees and student projects.