Dr Warren Reilly
Lecturer
School of Engineering
- Email:warren.reilly@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 40 339140
Ethics and the architecture of objects
Dr Warren A. Reilly, Senior Practitioner Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, is a fearless innovator, and an unexpected beacon illuminating the intersection of equity, sustainability, creativity and form.
Before he began teaching at UON in 2010, Warren was involved in the private product design sector for more than twenty years.
He brings to his teaching role technical skill honed by designing and project managing the construction of everything from naval vessels, to medical implants, trains, and primate enclosures.
Through the synthesis of his extensive industry experience in managing people, projects and technology to the tune of more than two billion dollars, Warren has developed firm opinions about the ethics and future of design, and the skills necessary for the new generation of designers.
And he doesn’t pull any punches.
“Product design worldwide is no longer about pumping out plastic products that endanger sea turtles, increasingly it’s more about what should we make as opposed to what can we make.”
Building skills
As the program convener for Industrial Design, inside the School of Architecture and the Built Environment, Warren is in just the right place to be influencing the future of the design sector.
A deep practice background and late entry to academia have lead Warren to focus his efforts at UON on preparing its design graduates for life beyond academia.
But despite the course name, Warren isn’t making industrial designers so much as problem solvers, collaborators, translators, negotiators, innovators, and agents of social change.
And his innovative approach to education has been recognised by his students, colleagues and the University.
In 2015, Warren was awarded the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Teaching Excellence as well as the Vice Chancellors Award for Teaching Excellence and Contribution to Student Learning.
These awards were followed the next year, 2016, by the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Collaboration and Innovation.
Translators
From conceptual rendering to internal form studies, reverse engineering to rapid prototyping, Warren has a massive bank of practical skills to impart.
But he believes that the success of any collaborative project is also dependent on the designer’s ability to absorb, validate and synthesize sometimes wildly disparate needs.
An example would be his role with the recent Taronga Zoo Chimpanzee enclosure upgrades. “The engineer and the primate handler would have a very different idea of how a chimp enclosure should look and function, and probably use very different language to communicate that,” Warren says.
It is here the designer takes the role of translator and negotiator to ensure aesthetics, safety, reliability, functionality and affordability are all communicated and addressed.
Technical skill informs another form of translation as the designer utilizes traditional and digital means to translate ideation to prototype through the creation of an unambiguous, tangible object reflecting the needs of the team.
Students are taught skills all the way through to manufacturing and commercialisation, to increase their effectiveness within project teams or as solo operators.
Innovation
Innovation is an integral part of his practice, inspiring Warren to multidisciplinary collaboration. “Innovation is what happens when very different skill sets bump into each other and new eyes notice possibilities that have been undiscovered or discounted,” Warren says.
His talent at adapting Design Thinking methodologies to redress challenges has seen Warren become sought after at the University of Newcastle as a problem solver and content leader, developing new programs within his school and in partnership with others.
He was directly involved in the development of UON’s new Master of BioInnovation and Design, and is looking forward to evolving the relationship between his area and the revamped Creative Industries at UON.
Warren stresses that technical skill and Design Thinking is something you can learn regardless of your academic leanings and aims to make his courses available to everyone on campus.
“So, if you are in Business and Law or in nursing and you want to find out how designers think and what designers do, come over and have a design experience,” he says.
Designing for health
Health professionals are one group that Warren actively seeks out to work with his students.
Stroke recovery, architectural concessions for users with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and improving access for the vision impaired are topics Warren encourages his students to problem solve.
Teaching subjects such as Design for Innovation, and leading students through their Industrial Design Professional Projects, Warren isn’t interested in the constant reinvention of the wheel.
Not when there are real issues that need solutions.
Warren also teaches Sustainability in Design, advocates for the local economy and preferencing products that facilitate the replacement of separate components as opposed to those that wear makes prematurely redundant.
“Industrial design has been criticised for focusing on making executive bespoke toys for the richest 5% of the world’s population.”
“Globally, the discipline has ethically evolved. We hear from our students it is more important for them to focus on improving toilets for people in Nepal, than it is about making a more expensive watch,” Warren says.
“Fortunately, the students coming through, the 16 to 25 year olds, they are more interested in making a social change than just filling up a bank account somewhere,” Warren explains.
“So, what happens when you take this horsepower and apply it to the 90% of people on the planet who desperately need it? That's when awesome things happen”
Ethics and the architecture of objects
Dr Warren A. Reilly Senior Practitioner Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment,
Career Summary
Biography
Synthesising the influences of sustainability, creativity and technology, Dr Warren A. Reilly's research and practice has focused on the theory and practicalities of genuine design innovation.
Dr Warren A. Reilly is a Lecturer at the University of Newcastle, Australia. His research interests include; design theory, conceptual and ideation practices, dimensionless CAD and data management practices.
Since undertaking his PhD in 2005, he has specialised in digital design and innovation oriented towards those early stages of the design process -the conceptual and ideation phases.
Design Expertise:
Warren has extensive design practice experience in a range of disciplines including; Rail Vehicle and Rail experience design, marine vessels for commercial and defence force projects, architectural design and fabrication, medical prosthesis and consumer products. He has provided industry specialist services for projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region in design development and configuration management.
He has held Leading Design or CAD system management roles for national and international projects with combined project values in excess of $2B AUD. It is this expertise and knowledge of the design community, synthesised over more than 20 years, that has lead Warren to focus his efforts at the UON on preparing its design graduates for life beyond academia.
Teaching Expertise:
Warren has been lecturing and tutoring at UON since 2010. Before joining the UON, he was a professional trainer/educator for a variety of high-end CAD software providers in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. He has experience in the delivery of content including; research methods, ideation / conceptualising, design development and tracking, preparation for manufacture and product branding and promotion.
His innovative delivery methods and positive student engagement with single and multi-cohort programs was recognised by the UON in 2015, by awarding him with both the 2015 Faculty Teaching Excellence Award (Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment) and the 2015 Vice-Chancellors Award for Teaching Excellence and Contribution to Student Learning.
Administrative Expertise:
Warren has demonstrated leadership capabilities in both program administration and individual course coordination. He has been Course Coordinator for a variety of design-based courses within the School of Architecture and Built Environment including; ARBE3521 Design for Innovation, ARBE3520 Industrial Design Professional Projects, ARBE3501 Computational Design and Modelling, ARBE6521 BioInnovation and Design, ENGG3500 Managing Engineering Projects, ENGG4500/6500 Engineering Complexity, PGTD Unravelling Complexity and ARBE2505 Sustainable Design.
He has previously lead the management and administrative teams in commercial practices ranging from boutique design houses to SME engineering companies with more than 80 employees.
Beyond Design;
Warren's broader interest in creative works beyond those destined for mass-production, has lead him to have exhibitions of his art/design works in commercial and public gallery spaces.
Qualifications
- PhD (Design), University of Newcastle
Keywords
- Additive Fabrication / 3D Printing
- CAD Simulation
- Design Philosophy
- Design Thinking
- Design for Sustainability
- Industrial / Product Design
- Public Transport Design
- Reverse Engineering / Scanning
Languages
- English (Mother)
Fields of Research
Code | Description | Percentage |
---|---|---|
330306 | Design practice and methods | 30 |
330309 | Industrial and product design | 40 |
401002 | Engineering education | 30 |
Professional Experience
Professional appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
10/1/2006 - 8/1/2013 |
Design Manager Leading Designer for Architectural, Public Transport, Marine vessels and consumer products. Configuration Management, Company technology management conventions, company pre-sales and branding, customer liaison and administration resource management. |
Chilli Engineering and Design Pty Ltd Australia |
10/1/1995 - 30/6/2015 |
Director Design Consultancy services including; develop and implement design software into existing companies, procedural and practise-based auditing, design dataset repair and CAD implementation strategies |
Cadalyst Consulting Pty Ltd Australia |
Awards
Award
Year | Award |
---|---|
2021 |
DVC(A) Educator Innovation and Impact Award Discipline of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment- The University of Newcastle |
2020 |
Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning (Australian Awards for University Teaching) Australian Awards for University Teaching, Universities Australia, Government of Australia |
2020 |
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Teaching Excellence University of Newcastle |
2019 |
BOLD Award for Innovation in Course Design University of Newcastle - Centre for teaching & Learning (CTL) |
2019 |
NUPSA Supervisor of the Year Award Newcastle University Postgraduate Students' Association (NUPSA) |
2018 |
DVC(A) Educator Innovation and Impact Award Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
2016 |
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Collaboration and Innovation Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment |
2015 |
Vice Chancellors Award for Teaching Excellence and Contribution to Student Learning The University of Newcastle |
2015 |
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment Award for Teaching Excellence Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
Teaching
Code | Course | Role | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
ARBE3501 |
Computational Design and Modelling The University of Newcastle - School of Architecture and Built Environment |
Course Coordinator / Lecturer / Tutor | 23/6/2014 - 30/12/2017 |
ARBE6521 |
BioInnovation and Design Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
Course Coordinator / Lecturer / Tutor | 19/2/2018 - 30/12/2019 |
ENGG3500 |
Managing Engineering Projects The University of Newcastle |
Course Coordinator / Lecturer | 2/1/2020 - 7/10/2021 |
ARBE3521 |
Design for Innovation University of Newcastle - Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment |
Lecturer / Tutor | 11/1/2010 - 30/12/2016 |
ENGG4500 / 6500 |
Engineering Complexity Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment - The University of Newcastle (Australia) |
Course Coordinator / Lecturer | 2/1/2018 - 31/12/2021 |
ARBE2505 |
Sustainable Design University of Newcastle - Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment |
Course Coordinator / Lecturer / Tutor | 7/1/2013 - 30/12/2017 |
PGTD 6004 |
Unravelling Complexity Office of the DVC(A), The University of Newcastle, Australia |
Course Coordinator | 26/8/2019 - 31/12/2019 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Conference (3 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 |
Reilly W, Gregg A, Cuskelly D, McBride W, ' Optimised Blackboard ; How first year students created their own pseudo-LMS', Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2021), Perth, WA (2021) [E1]
|
Nova | |||
2018 | Reilly W, McBride B, 'Human-centrics and Design Thinking in Engineering Practice', 29th Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, Wintec, Hamilton New Zealand (2018) [E1] | Nova | |||
2016 |
Chapman M, Nilsson M, Reilly W, Walker R, Ware S, Tucker C, 'Architecture and Recovery: Understanding the role of domestic residential spaces in assisting and enhancing stroke recovery', Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, Salk Institute, la Jolla, California (2016)
|
Creative Work (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 |
Ware SA, Flatman N, Sauni A, Reilly W, Chapman M, Martin K, et al., Honeysuckle Placemaking, Honeysuckle Precinct and Foreshore, Newcastle, NSW Australia (2018) [N1]
|
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 3 |
---|---|
Total funding | $281,408 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20182 grants / $140,797
Placemaking in Honeysuckle$135,797
Funding body: Hunter Development Corporation
Funding body | Hunter Development Corporation |
---|---|
Project Team | Professor Sue Anne Ware, Doctor Jane Shadbolt, Doctor Nicholas Foulcher, Doctor Warren Reilly, Professor Michael Chapman, Mr Nicholas Flatman, Ms Amber Sauni |
Scheme | Newcastle Port Community Contribution |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2018 |
Funding Finish | 2018 |
GNo | G1800360 |
Type Of Funding | C2300 – Aust StateTerritoryLocal – Own Purpose |
Category | 2300 |
UON | Y |
Creating an immediate sense of belonging for all students in SABE using Universal Online Induction$5,000
Funding body: Office of the DVC(A), The University of Newcastle, Australia
Funding body | Office of the DVC(A), The University of Newcastle, Australia |
---|---|
Scheme | Internal |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2018 |
Funding Finish | 2018 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | N |
20171 grants / $140,611
Developing a theoretical model for improving Waste Management$140,611
Funding body: NSW Environmental Trust
Funding body | NSW Environmental Trust |
---|---|
Project Team | Professor Peter Davis, Associate Professor Willy Sher, Doctor Warren Reilly |
Scheme | Environmental Research Program |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2017 |
Funding Finish | 2022 |
GNo | G1600460 |
Type Of Funding | C1600 - Aust Competitive - StateTerritory Govt |
Category | 1600 |
UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | PhD | Lessons from the Counterculture: Interior Architecture for Altered Perceptions | PhD (Architecture), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
2018 | PhD | When We Were There: Representation and Coercion from the Architectural Photograph to the Postcard | PhD (Architecture), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
2017 | PhD | Informal Public Space and Rodrigues Island Culture (Informal Public Space in Developing Countries) | PhD (Architecture), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Past Supervision
Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | PhD | The Design Brief Framework for a New Design in a New Market: An Autism Escape in the Public Environment | PhD (Architecture), College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Research Projects
Adelaide Class FFG Upgrade / Huon Class Minehunters, ADI, Lead Modeller / CAD system administrator 1994 - 1998
Newlands & Millenium Coal Handling Plants - Engineering Manager 2004 - 2006
Hunter Rail Cars, Transport NSW - Complete Interior Design - Leading Designer 2001 - 2003
Platinum Class Fleet Expansion, Great Southern Rail - The Ghan Rail Vehicles 2006 - 2007
Exterior and complete Interior design and installation for Australia's Premier Rail Vehicle Experience.
Design conceptualising, management and implementation.
Edit
News
News • 26 Feb 2020
Newcastle educators shine in Australian Awards for University Teachers
Two University of Newcastle lecturers have received national recognition for teaching excellence, each awarded a highly acclaimed 2019 Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT).
News • 13 Feb 2018
War on Waste: The 'Battle' to minimise waste in Construction Projects in NSW
Currently construction produces more than 19 million tonnes of waste, 45% of which is deposited in landfill. This results in increased energy consumption, contamination, landfill reliance and depletion of new finite resources.
To address this issue, Professor Peter Davis, Chair, Construction Management at the University of Newcastle is leading a team to challenge existing waste management strategies in construction.
News • 15 Nov 2016
Project grant to investigate challenges for managing waste in construction
Professor Peter Davis, Chair, Construction Management at UON will lead a team who aim to challenge existing waste management strategies in construction.
Dr Warren Reilly
Position
Lecturer
School of Engineering
College of Engineering, Science and Environment
Contact Details
warren.reilly@newcastle.edu.au | |
Phone | (02) 40 339140 |
Mobile | Not Applicable |
Fax | (02) 4921 6913 |
Office
Room | ES431 |
---|---|
Building | Engineering Science |
Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |