‘What if Safety Becomes Permanent? Architecture and Music as a Site of Transing’ is awarded Chancellor’s Prize 2023

Melbourne School of Design Research Fellow Simona Castricum has been awarded the Chancellor’s Prize 2023 for her PhD Thesis titled ‘What if Safety Becomes Permanent? Architecture and Music as a Site of Transing’.

Simona’s thesis explores the rights, safety, and relationships gender-nonconforming people experience within the context of architecture and public space.

“Within the context of the global discourse on transgender civil rights, where cisnormative institutions often determine the parameters of the discussion, my work centres on the lived testimony of trans and gender diverse people”, explains Castricum, “by exploring gender nonconformity through my personal narrative at the intersection of architecture, music and trans identity, I engage ‘world-building’ as a speculative, creative, and practical methodology in architectural and urban rendering offering pragmatic thinking to engage an accessible discourse of trans visibility in architecture.”

Professor Michele Acuto, Associate Dean (Research) at the Melbourne School of Design sees Castricum’s thesis as a much-needed addition to the discussion around gender-nonconforming people’s experience in public space. “Simona’s deeply personal account of the encounter of gender-nonconforming people with architecture and music, is an outstanding example of both innovative and creative scholarship aimed at making our built environment safer for all, but also a brilliant example of much needed advocacy for transgender civil rights” says Prof Acuto.

The Chancellor’s Prize is awarded each year for Excellence in the PhD Thesis, and takes into consideration the impact of the research, international recognition of the research, publications or other research outputs that arise from the thesis and recognition of the research by professional organisations and conferences.