 He is both true to his different areas of interest, and crosses subjects seeking analogies that reveal hidden, shared structures.His engagement has been very wide and he has worked with many colleagues, helping develop and support their work, and the fields they work in.Amongst the most significant are the 8 years he worked with Professor Gerard de Zeeuw as co-director of the Dutch Government research programme in social action at the University of Amsterdam, "Support Survival and Culture" (1985–1993); and the dozen years working with Professor Leon van Schaik AO (1996–2008), at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University in Australia, and later with Professor Johan Verbeke and Burak Pak at Sint-Lucas School of Architecture in Belgium (from 1997 to his death), developing doctoral programmes based in architectural and design practice itself, rather than shaped from outside the field.