We all know green spaces are good for us, but could they offer a cure for loneliness? Tune in to this panel discussion and hear more about how our city-makers (and others) have contributed to a “lonelygenic environment” that makes connection difficult, and hear about ways that could change this. Hear from panelists like epidemiologist Thomas Astell-Burt, who shared research he co-authored with fellow epidemiologist Xiaoqi Feng—that suggests that more quality green spaces could reduce our chances...
May 05, 2023•59 min
How can we collectively shift away from widespread experiences of exploitation in the architecture industry to that of a new, empowered and future-proof profession? Architecture and related design fields are professions where ‘passion’ is sometimes used to excuse an exploitative workplace culture. In light of emerging movements around the world to counter the worsening plight of architectural workers, Professional Architects Australia presented a talk between local and international practitioner...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Tune in to hear a panel discussion with regards to speculating our shared futures, the contemplation of possible urban trajectories, and the ways that diverse and creative perspectives intersect to imagine future environments. Learn as we explored new possibilities that emerge from interdisciplinary, artistic and experimental approaches. This was the final event in The Excellent City Series, listen in for an opportunity for both individual and collective interrogation on the future of our city. ...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 22 min
Aldo Rossi, in The Architecture of the City, describes the urban artefact as a permanence, “a past we are still experiencing.” Rossi proposes permanence’s present two aspects: “they can be considered as propelling elements or as pathological ones: artefacts that enable us to understand our city in its totality, or artefacts that appear as a series of isolated elements that we can link only tenuously to an urban system.” Tune in to a discussion that focused on our built heritage and how it can be...
Apr 28, 2023•59 min
What makes good architecture or a good architect? Tune in as we dove behind the scenes of the architectural profession and examined the roles and responsibilities of those who work in the field. Architecture is often judged by aesthetics, but this does not always distinguish one architect from another, nor a good one from a bad one. What does the licensure, the regulations and contractual systems that surround architecture actually cause? How do these legal mechanisms allow architects to be acco...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Held within a 140-year-old sandstone quarry in Beech Forest within the Otway Ranges, on the traditional lands of the Gadubanud people, Quarry Pedagogies Camp brought together a community of designers and creative professionals to consider the site and its post extractive condition, rehabilitation as an expanded practice and how to foster cultures through place. This inaugural Quarry Pedagogies Camp included a program of talks, workshops, daily activities and group discussions. Participants were ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Design thinking shapes responsive, problem-solving, entrepreneurial thinkers and doers who can rise to the challenges and opportunities of complex issues; it’s an approach that has benefits beyond creative and technology-driven disciplines. Understanding and teaching the knowledge required for design thinking is akin to learning to swim from a book. Tune in and hear from an advocacy panel of design professionals and education leaders who discussed how to better understand and teach the skills re...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 2 min
In a time of radically accelerated cultural and ecological change, four emerging landscape architecture educators come together to discuss: How can learning environments cultivate the practices of students to be ethical, critical and attentive to the future? Pedagogies developed by landscape architecture educators empower and equip students to shape future landscapes that are largely invisible to the public. Tune in to a discussion with four emerging landscape architecture educators exploring cr...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 7 min
There was a time when the single-family home was the dominant form of architecture. Apartment design played a poor, compromised support act. That day is now over. New award-winning apartment buildings are grabbing front pages, and more architects are diving into the opportunity. Yet what do we really know about their quality? Are they genuinely family-friendly? Are they long-term propositions, or just a make-do until something better comes along? The answers to these questions lie in a range of ...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr
Tune in to a a special a special conversation with engineers and makers as they reflect on the film, Frei Otto: Spanning the Future, a documentary about the incredible life and work of Frei Otto. As an architect and engineer, he laid the foundation for contemporary lightweight architecture and his ideas are still awe-inspiring decades after he revealed them. This fact was cemented when he was named the 2015 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
Apr 28, 2023•23 min
Circular innovation is already paving the way to better outcomes for the environment and planetary health, as brands implement circular design concepts and move from a take-make-waste linear economy towards a circular economy. Hear from a series of experts and leaders on this topic who discussed the rise of biomaterials and biophilic design, circular design principles to design out waste and pollution, and regenerative design as a business model highlighting social enterprises with a focus on pe...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Recognised as a single living entity, the Birrarung (Yarra River) has shaped and formed the landscape over millennia, unifying this landscape that we all live within. Our river lives, breathes and supports the life of the community. In return, its life has been supported by the custodianship of Traditional Owners for thousands of generations. The Birrarung is more than just water. It is the layers in the landscape that the river has formed, the soils, the trees, the plants, and the animals. It i...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 43 min
Tune into an evening at MPavilion that delved into the power of unseen architecture through post occupancy evaluation. What is the potential to improve or diminish lives, to create community or sow division—and the obligation of the architect, if any, to inform it? Join us SONA (Student Organised Network for Architecture) and EmAGN (Emerging Architects and Graduates Network) as we highlighted the potential lessons learned from post occupancy, under the roof of MPavilion. Explore the works of bud...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Tune in to a conversation about colour in architecture with Matthias Sauerbruch—director of internationally recognised, Berlin-based architecture firm Sauerbruch Hutton. From their earliest projects such as the “L House” in London (1990 – 1992), to their award-winning “GSW Headquarters” in Berlin (1995 – 1999) to their more recent “M9 Museum District” in Venice-Mestre—Sauerbruch Hutton have not been shy or restrained in their use of vibrant and sophisticated colours as part of their architectura...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Technology’s relationship to sex is complex and ever-changing. Dating apps, the pill, and digital mass porn are only a few of the technological innovations that have radically impacted our sexual lives and how we relate to each other. So, how should we design technologies related to human sexuality and intimacy? What sexual dilemmas can be solved using technology and which can’t? Why do technological solutions so often feel like a bandaid for more profound issues of connection and intimacy? Host...
Apr 13, 2023•59 min
The design of memory-making experiences is often undervalued in our everyday places and cities. But as narrative environment theorist Tricia Austin says, spaces speak and spaces narrate. So how might we apply this formula to create more memorable and meaningful places and experiences in our city? Tune in to learn more about various research theories that look at how the memory of place is created and reinforced, and why it matters. Join in on a magical aural journey deep into the history of stor...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Architecture operates within colonial systems. These systems are often at odds with caring for Country practices, genuine participatory design practices and equity of opportunity. If you trace the systems back to their core, the problem is often a misalignment in the values that govern decision making. Some work has been done to align Aboriginal and Western systems more closely, but it is by no means perfect, and we certainly aren’t done. While one might find themselves thinking ‘just burn it al...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Listen to an engaging discussion that explored the relationship between design and worldview—and how they both influence, shape and transform each other. The talk delved into concepts like ontological design, eco literacy and a systems-informed view of life. It investigated how the language we use shapes our reality—which, in turn, informs the beliefs and values that make up our worldview. As part of the discussion, the panelists shared their insights and experiences, providing practical tips an...
Mar 23, 2023•59 min
Renting is the fastest growing tenure in Australia, and is increasingly a way of life. Today, more than half a million households rent their homes in metropolitan Melbourne. Tune in to this interactive open mic session, where you’ll hear the stories of other Melbourne renters as they examined the past and future of renting in our big city. How do we navigate the complexities of the renting lifestyle? How do we forge meaningful connections with our neighbours and build communities of trust? These...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 23 min
How can we ensure the perspectives of women and gender-diverse people are factored into residential building design? Equity in gender representation is essential at all stages of the process, from the earliest architectural plans, to decorating, to engaging with communities in need of affordable housing. Tune in to hear about the important subtleties of creating spaces that improve the lives of women and girls. The panel discussion featured people working in community housing, policy and archite...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 27 min
Melbourne prides itself on its parks, gardens and waterways, but with biodiversity loss threatening our quality of life, how is the private sector stepping up to care for our natural assets? When the Global Biodiversity Framework emerged from COP15 in December 2022 it was a huge moment for nature. Business and finance had its strongest presence yet, so now is the time for leadership and Victoria—’The Garden State’—to play a unique role. Tune in to a gathering that brought together some of our ci...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 23 min
Tune in to a keynote lecture, presented by Dr Leanne Zilka of ZILKA Studios, as she explained her research and practice on ‘Floppy Architecture’. The premise of ‘Floppy Architecture’ is focussed on light weight fabric-based structures that look at techniques embedded in fashion and textile design in order to develop novel approaches to the fabrication of architectural elements. The combination of practice and research has produced installations, architectural projects, and been published nationa...
Mar 23, 2023•45 min
Australia prides itself on its multiculturalism, yet the diversity of culture, character and community is not often reflected in its media landscape—or felt by the many minority populations that comprise the nation’s identity. How do we change this? We know it’s a problem, but there is widespread apathy about the path to evolution. What are the steps to take to from here? How can we work together to make sure we understand systemic change? By taking stock of what we take for granted, and the inh...
Mar 23, 2023•46 min
Tune in to the launch event and discussion around Kummargi Yulendj (Rising Knowledge Project)—an urban adventure leading you through lost markers, with Boon Wurrung elder N’arweet Carolyn Briggs. Connections between a tree, a rock and a beach are remade through increasing awareness of the ways in which Indigenous knowledge is central to the regeneration of our natural environments. This Indigenous-led cross-cultural walking and listening experience is part of Kummargi Yulendj (Rising Knowledge P...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 37 min
Wellness lifestyle real estate—or homes designed to build and support their residents’ health in a holistic manner—is emerging as the next frontier in housing trends. As more people question where and how they want to live, investors, developers and city-makers are awakening to a powerful opportunity to build homes and neighbourhoods that put residents’ wellness at the centre of their conception and design. Curated by Neometro, this conversation explored how our recent reshuffling of priorities ...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 1 min
It takes a village to build a better city! Listen in to short presentations from various designers and experts who spoke about their experiences in urbanism and the future potential of their disciplines. Following this, the discussion moved onto a ‘citizen-sourced’ design workshop where people and panellists worked together to draw, model and list the future city they wish to see and why. It’s easy for individual experiences of cities to go unheard, yet people experience cities in many different...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 30 min
Tune in to a special evening at MPavilion as we brought together the brilliant minds behind the MPavilion 2022 design, fabrication and build, in conversation with the founder and commissioner of the MPavilion project Naomi Milgrom AC. Hosted by architect and Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison, the stellar panel lineup featured all(zone) design director Rachaporn Choochuey, architect and founder of ZILKA studios Leanne Zilka, AECOM engineer Nigel Burdon, director of TENSYS Peter Lim and ...
Mar 23, 2023•46 min
Does collective housing deliver on its promises? Over the last ten years, collective housing through deliberative development has emerged in Melbourne as an alternative model to speculative, for-profit housing. As a model, it promises better sustainability, affordability, and social connections, but still, many discussions tend to prioritise the perspectives of architects and developers. Listen in and learn about the latest research from RMIT PlaceLab’s ‘Living Together’ Research Project and hea...
Mar 23, 2023•59 min
How can we create jobs that support people of all ages? Tune into a panel discussion that considered how we can advance age equality at work. Hear the voices of young people, older people and their advocates come together to consider how we can build intergenerational fairness at work. Let's generate creative ideas that can end age discrimination and age inequality once and for all.
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr
Since 2016, Victoria has become the “knockdown and re-build capital” of Australia, with concrete the largest contributor to construction and demolition waste. Yet most of this material is down-cycled and used as backfill; the very ubiquity of concrete allows us to undervalue it. How can we think differently about how we use and value this resource? Tune into this panel discussion between builders, artists and designers as they explored the opportunities and challenges of reusing concrete in ways...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 2 min
