During a career spanning more than 40 years, Dr Steve Burroughs has protected and enhanced the Indigenous communities in which he has lived and worked by placing sustainability at the core of building design and construction.  During this time, he has been at the forefront of community engagement, working partnerships, and research and education in the sustainable building sector.  Aspects of sustainability of the built environment of interest to Dr Burroughs include the environmental design and performance of buildings, construction material technology, and ethno-scientific approaches to sustainability. His expertise has been applied to various projects both overseas (particularly in Africa) and in Australia.

In Australia, Dr Steve's’ work has focused on delivering environmentally sustainable buildings which meet the cultural and social needs of Indigenous people.  When designing buildings, he uses an innovative procurement model in which the community is extensively engaged in the design process.  Dr Steve has the ability to develop meaningful partnerships with various stakeholders including aboriginal communities, government agencies, and organisations.   With his network of professional colleagues, and as Principal of his consultancy firm, Dr Steve Burroughs and Associates, collaboration with these groups and the investment of expertise have produced inventive built environment design solutions that promote the wellbeing of communities.