Introduction and Background

The Centre of Sustainable Design and Built Environment (COSBE) is a research centre under the Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering & Science. Previously known as COSA (Centre of Sustainable Architecture), it was established in 2016 with a purpose to promote and support research and teaching in sustainable design. In 2023, the RC underwent an expansion to enable a more synergistic research environment, linking fields of sustainable design with other specialties in the built environment.

Our members are active in the areas of sustainable building material and technologies, bamboo design and construction, housing and behavioral studies, urban swiftlet farming, traditional Malay and vernacular architecture. Aside from this, we are building up our capacity of research in construction economics, Building Information Modelling and sustainable construction management.

 Vision and Mission

The research center functions as a node of research excellence, in facilitating research and developing innovative and sustainable solutions in architectural design and other fields of built environment and construction industry, with applications to the tropical conditions. This is carried out through a synergistic and inter-disciplinary environment combining strength of members from the fields of architecture, surveying, construction management, civil engineering and construction economics. Besides this, the center organizes activities and events for staff and students, and acts as a platform for collaboration with various institutions locally and abroad.