Open Architecture Talk | Ivana Kumanovska: Putting Design Back Into DfMA

The School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Newcastle is delighted to be hosting Dr Ivana Kuzmanovska through our Open Architecture Talk series. These talks are free and open for students, practitioners, and the broader community to come together and ‘open up’ our shared places, practices and projects. This public programming is part of our Visiting Architects and Experts project, that draws in a diversity of voices and perspectives to discuss, workshop and critique the built environment.

Talk Title| Putting Design Back Into DfMA

DfMA (Design for Manufacture and Assembly) started out as product design approach in manufacturing - a data-informed method of streamlining production, cutting costs, and maximising efficiency. More than half a century later, it is beginning to shape discourse in the building industry, but somewhere along the way, design took a back seat. This talk examines the role of architectural thinking in DfMA, arguing that good design isn’t just a constraint on manufacturing—it’s an enabler. Through case studies in prefabrication, mass timber, and digital fabrication, we’ll explore how architects and designers might reclaim agency in a space increasingly driven by engineering and production logics.
By foregrounding the role of the 'D' in DfMA, we can move beyond myopic optimisation efforts toward more adaptable, sustainable, and integrated built environments. This session will challenge assumptions, highlight emerging opportunities, and spark discussion on how architects, engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, and builders can collaborate more effectively to achieve better outcomes.

Dr. Ivana Kuzmanovska is Co-CEO of Arch_Manu, a research and practice group at UNSW, and Manager of the ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing. With extensive experience leading interdisciplinary research teams in university settings, she has a strong track record of industry collaboration in applied research. Before joining Arch_Manu, Ivana was a postdoctoral researcher with the Future Building Initiative at Monash University, where she delivered several Building 4.0 CRC projects. Ivana's expertise lies in designing for prefabrication and mass timber construction, with a focus on bridging building design and production to drive more sustainable, efficient, and integrated outcomes. She has explored this relationship through over a decade of architectural research, practice, and teaching, earning recognition for her contributions. In 2020, Ivana was awarded the Mollie Holman Medal for her PhD thesis on this topic.

Venue| Room X321 Nuspace, Hunter St &, Auckland St, Newcastle NSW 2300

Time| 6pm

We look forward to seeing you there!