2014 brings with it many exciting opportunities for the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. We are watching our new building take shape, welcoming new staff and students and embarking on new learning opportunities. And what better place to do this than Melbourne, a city that embodies design.

We've come to expect great things from our city's artists and designers and their creativity transformed the CBD for the festive season.

Whether your head was in the clouds or in your shopping list you couldn't miss Designer Danielle Lindqvist's neon take-over at Melbourne Central. Framed by over-sized tubing and kitsch hanging sculptures, Danielle's designs celebrated the joy of giving.

Mistletoe bridge was visible from Southbank again this year and City Square was once again transformed into Christmas Square for the Festive season, and Federation square housed a forest of Christmas trees and deck chairs.

Creativity abounds in Melbourne and provides an ideal landscape for students to learn, not only in class but also outside exploring the great City of Melbourne.

Third year Master of Architecture student, Danielle Mileo, has been awarded the Prime Minister's Australia Asia Outgoing Postgraduate Scholarship. Under the scholarship Danielle will travel to Japan in April where she will study for 6 months at the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

During this time Danielle will research Japanaese resilience and adaptability.

"I am particularly interested in exploring the role the architect plays in disaster mitigation, and how learnigns from developed countries, like Japan and Australia, can be translated into helping developing countries in similar circumstances."

Danielle is keen to integrate her three major passions - architecture, Japanese language and culture, and sustainable development - gradually through her study program and internships.

"The scholarship will enable me to stay for an extended period in Japan and offers support to research and explore my ideas in depth. As well as studying, the opportunity to take part in internships and build professional relationships is something I would otherwise be unable to do."

Scholarships enable many students to avail of study opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. For more information on scholarships visit the University's website.

The latest edition of Atrium is now available online. Published in late December 2013, the issue includes a round up of innovative studios and research projects, as well as alumni stories and expert comment.

Alan March looks at designing to live with bushfires in Australia. Gini Lee writes about the use of transect fieldwork in exploring vulberable island environments, using the Canary Islands as a case study. Alan Pert argues that Melbourne's Liveability ranking is under threat and Caroline Whitzman looks at disability inclusive road development in Papua New Guinea.

Philip Goad reviews the recent SIBLING Alumni survey exhibition and looks at the concept of a collective and Judy Turner speaks to Alumnus, Victoria Grounds about architecture landscape site planning.

Read Atrium now

Cameron Logan, Lecturer in Urban Heritage, ABP

The Ottobar in Baltimore - It is one of my favourite drinking places - and places full stop - because for several years it was very close to home and combined high quality live music with American dive bar aesthetics: heavily grafittied walls and toilets, rubbishy furniture and a scattering of self-conscious punk-rock youngsters. Situated in a classic Baltimore rowhouse neighbourhood, the building shakes periodically as freight trains rumble by below grade just ten or 15 metres away. Overshadowed by a large disused warehouse, the bar is the perfect tenant for the neighbourhood and seems very unlikely to be afflicted by the kind of asenine make-overs that, I think, blight so many of our licensed venues here in Melbourne. The bar is the subject of an excellent song by local act the Oranges Band - Ottobar Afterhours (2008) - and has been the scene of some of my most pleasurable evenings. It is still going strong as a live music venue though sadly my opportunities to enjoy it are very limited these days.