Paul Pholeros Foundation • Taps, toilets, training and health...

Paul Pholeros Foundation

The Paul Pholeros Foundation was established in 2018 to honour the life and work of Australian architect and humanitarian Paul Pholeros. Paul dedicated much of his life to improving the housing and environmental conditions of Indigenous people in Australia and disadvantaged communities in other countries.

The Foundation continues his legacy through investment in the people who can bring about real change and who will raise sanitation and environmental living conditions in communities.

We have 2 main focus areas: sanitation improvement in Nepal, and supporting emerging Architects and Landscape Architects to pursue research into an issue or topic related to the social impact of Architecture in Australia.

In 2025 the Bhattedanda Village Stupa Sanitation and Caretaker Project, a collaboration between PPF, the community of Bhattedanda village in Nepal and Australian Architects, received a Commendation in the ArchitectureAu Award for Social Impact.

The jury commented “This initiative stands out as a model of socially engaged architecture. It advances the discipline by fostering self-determination, improving environmental health outcomes, and significantly enhancing the community’s sense of dignity and ownership.”

You can read more about this award in the links below.

ARCHITECTUREAU AWARD

Paul Pholeros Living Environment Scholarship 2026

PPF is happy to announce the recipients of the Paul Pholeros Living Environment Scholarship (PPLES) 2026.

The Scholarship supports Architecture and Landscape Architecture graduates, within 5 years of graduation, to explore an issue related to improvements in health and living conditions of Australian society.

Sam Torre from Melbourne will explore how custom building outcomes can be democratised so that a distinct expression of place within the built environment has the support to emerge and encourage identification with local shared spaces.

Angela Xu from Sydney aims to investigate how buried hydrological systems continue to influence housing vulnerability and urban life within low-lying and rapidly densifying areas.

You can read more about the Scholars’ study outlines in the link below.

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Jul 17

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PPF happily announces the launch of the new Scholarship menu on our website. A new format, easier to access info about our amazing scholars and their projects. Huge thanks to Fabricio from @jaladesign for your patience, skills and forever positivity. Link in bio 🙏🏽

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Jul 17

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Introducing Sam, PPLiving Environment Scholar 2026. Sam’s study Building Together: What Can We Learn From Each Other? focuses on how custom building outcomes can be democratised so that a distinct expression of place within the built environment has the support to emerge and encourage identification with local shared spaces. His case studies will examine: How can architecture and landscape architecture creatively negotiate, manoeuvre and circumvent the political and economic frameworks of our built environment? As professionals, how can we harness maintenance, adaptation and participatory forms of spatial production in our design processes? How can temporary and participatory forms of spatial production present an important opportunity to reengage people in the making and maintenance of their environments? What opportunities and barriers exist when these case studies are compared with their specific local regulatory and statutory mechanisms? Welcome Sam! 🙏🏽
Link in bio.

Introducing Sam, PPLiving Environment Scholar 2026. Sam’s study Building Together: What Can We Learn From Each Other? focuses on how custom building outcomes can be democratised so that a distinct expression of place within the built environment has the support to emerge and encourage identification with local shared spaces. His case studies will examine:

How can architecture and landscape architecture creatively negotiate, manoeuvre and circumvent the political and economic frameworks of our built environment?

As professionals, how can we harness maintenance, adaptation and participatory forms of spatial production in our design processes?

How can temporary and participatory forms of spatial production present an important opportunity to reengage people in the making and maintenance of their environments?

What opportunities and barriers exist when these case studies are compared with their specific local regulatory and statutory mechanisms?

Welcome Sam! 🙏🏽
Link in bio. ...

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Jul 17

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Introducing Angela Xu our PPLiving Environment Scholar 2026. Angela’s study Buried Landscapes: Learning from Gumbamorra Swamp aims to contribute to more informed approaches to climate-responsive housing and urban development by understanding the city as a landscape composed of interconnected watersheds, wetlands and catchments. Her research will benefit not only communities living within flood prone urban areas but also redefine how planning and inhabitation might become more landscape-led, responsive to the rhythms, movements and memory of water. Welcome Angela!🙏🏽

Introducing Angela Xu our PPLiving Environment Scholar 2026.

Angela’s study Buried Landscapes: Learning from Gumbamorra Swamp aims to contribute to more informed approaches to climate-responsive housing and urban development by understanding the city as a landscape composed of interconnected watersheds, wetlands and catchments.

Her research will benefit not only communities living within flood prone urban areas but also redefine how planning and inhabitation might become more landscape-led, responsive to the rhythms, movements and memory of water.

Welcome Angela!🙏🏽 ...

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May 24

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Our alumnus @tibballs_ will be moderating a panel discussion for Urban Design Forum Australia. The topic “Density without Amenity” ties in with Matthew’s 2025 scholarship research. Details and tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/forum-forum-density-without-amenity Congratulations Matthew!

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May 10

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Introducing PPF’s founder Sandra Meihubers AM

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May 10

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Introducing our scholarship selection panel member, Jane Irwin.