The business of architecture
Sir Thomas Gresham by Anthonis Mor van Dashorst (1565) What is it? A paraphrasing of Gresham's Law, an economic principle proposed in the 16th Century by adviser to Queen Elizabeth I, Sir Thomas Gresham. The law, bad money drives out good, described the devaluation of the precious metal content in circulating coins. When new, low... Continue Reading →
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre What was it? The Australian Institute of Architects' national architecture conference, held two weekends ago at NH Architecture's polished Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Creatively directed by Sandra Kaji-O'Grady and John de Manincor, it explored the subject of material, asking questions like: is fog an architectural material? What would a... Continue Reading →
What was it?A round-table discussion held at BMW Edge last Thursday, part of the Agenda series courtesy of the University of Melbourne’s faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. It followed on from Gregg Pasquarelli's excellent Dean's Lecture held earlier in the week, discussed here, and addressed the changing role of technology in design and construction.Chaired by Professor Donald Bates,... Continue Reading →
Dunescape by SHoP Architects, New York, 2000 What was it? The second Dean's Lecture for 2013, courtesy of the University of Melbourne’s faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Held on Tuesday night last week, the speaker was Gregg Pasquarelli, one of the five founding directors of SHoP Architects based in New York. He presented a selection of... Continue Reading →
What are they? As part of the annual Australian Institute of Architects awards, architects gather in each state and territory for a weekend to present their projects to category juries. Categories include residential new, residential renovation and residential multiple, public, heritage, small project, public new and public renovation, interior, commercial and urban design. Entrants have 7 minutes... Continue Reading →
Paul Kruger Street, the major arterial route of the Pretoria central business district Hello, my name is Jake Taylor. I am in my final year of the Master of Architecture course at the University of Melbourne and was given the opportunity this summer to attend a travelling studio to Pretoria, South Africa. The subject was coordinated... Continue Reading →
What was it? The first in the new Agenda series of lectures and discussions courtesy of the University of Melbourne's faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning. Keynote speaker at the first event held last Thursday was Alexandra Lange, freelance architectural critic and blogger for Design Observer, Architectural Record and The New York Times among others. Joining... Continue Reading →
What is it? An approach to architecture practice offered by Brian Donovan, principal architect of the former Donovan Hill. Donovan presented his work last week in the first instalment of a new lecture series, Zeitgeist. The series is a collaborative effort between the Centre for Cultural Materials Preservation and Robin Boyd Foundation, and will be... Continue Reading →
Palace of the Soviets by Boras Iofan (1932) What is it? Michael Gurr wrote an opinion article in The Age recently condemning the Footscray Station Precinct development by SJB and McBride Charles Ryan as Stalinist. "If the communist bloc still existed, Footscray's apartment buildings are what their security headquarters would look like. These buildings are big,... Continue Reading →
Paradigm Hill, Merricks What is it? An idea as yet largely untested within the architecture profession, but well practiced in other industries. One such industry is winemaking, no better exemplified than by the Mornington Peninsula region in southern Victoria. Comprising a large number of very small wineries run by ex-city professionals who have relocated to the... Continue Reading →