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NEW BUILDING VIDEO #3

Featuring John Wardle and Nader Tehrani

With our new building nearing completion, architects Nader Tehrani and John Wardle took the opportunity to visit the University of Melbourne site to view the project's progress. In this latest film in our new building video series, Nader and John discuss how their design vision has grown into its physical form. Speaking of the design choices that have created this living, learning building, the architects reveal key challenges encountered during the project.

For staff, students, researchers and visitors, this new facility will offer an enhanced environment for education, research and events. Design explorations and propositions will be visible throughout the building, reflecting the work of the Faculty. Central to the building's design is its users. Wayfinding, light and heat, flexibility and usability were pivotal factors in the architects' design choices, incorporated in signature elements such as the Y staircase, the library, the hanging studio and the coffered roof.

Visit the building blog for more project news.

MAD ARCHITECT IN MELBOURNE

Ma Yansong, Founding Principle of MAD will visit Melbourne in August to present a Dean's Lecture for the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning.

Ma is recognised as an important voice in a new generation of architects and was hailed as one of the world's most influential and creative young architects by ICON magazine (2008) and Fast Company (2009).

MAD is a progessive practice, developing futuristic architectures, based on a contemporary interpretation of the eastern spirit of nature. MAD was awarded The Best New High-rise Building in the America's by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) in 2012, and The World's Best New Skyscraper later in the same year.

In this exciting Dean's lecture, Ma will present a holistic account of what drives the firm's work, what makes MAD's architecture unique and how the practice is contributing to architecture globally.

This free public lecture will take place at the University of Melbourne on Tuesday 5 August. at 7pm. Keep an eye on our events calendar for further details and to register.

DIGITALLY FABRICATED FURNITURE

Students of the Digital Furniture Fabrication elective  - a new MSD subject exploring the use of digital design and fabrication tools to manipulate material  - will present a selection of furniture prototypes in this exciting exhibition. The use of digital design software and digital fabrication equipment has resulted in a diverse range of projects that explore fabrication techniques, formal outcomes and material qualities.

Check it out at the Wunderlich@757 gallery from May 13 to 19.

Further Information online.

ATRIUM #25 RELEASED

Meet an inspiring group of young ABP alumni in the newest edition of Atrium, including CoDesign Studio's Lucinda Hartley (pictured) and Beijing-based artist-architect Hong Yi (Red). The magazine also showcases the stories of several successful mid-career and retired alumni, reflecting the fact that an education in the built environment can take you in many career directions.

Check out the e-version of Atrum #25 here.

TOP DESIGN BLOGS

The online environment has become an ever-expanding space for architecture and design blogs, profiling the latest projects, news and events. Here's our pick of some of the best local and international offerings.

Architectureau.com
News and reviews from the fields of architecture, design, interiors and landscape, by magazine publisher Architecture Media.

australiandesignreview.com
Design and architecture related critique, videos, project reviews, practice profiles, jobs, news and opinion from the team behind an impressive suite of architecture and design magazines.

dezeen.com
Launched in 2006, Dezeen aimed to showcase a selection of the best buildings, design and interior projects from around the world. Now, it gets over 2 million visits a month.

designobserver.com
Design Observer delivers an impressive mix of design information, project reviews and original research.

eikongraphia.com
This website profiles essay-like meditations and interviews with architects and designers, as well as lots of gorgeous images.

contemporist.com
Contemporist delivers at least one image of some far-out, or beautiful building each day. But it's also a key source of news on innovative building and design.

unhappyhipsters.com
This is not your average architecture blog. It's also a send-up of the world of architecture commentary and magazines.

Image: Vault House by Johnston Marklee

NEW APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

The Integrative Design Process -
A new approach for sustainable design
by Bill Reed, President Integrative Design Collaborative

Integrative design is distinguished from conventional design by its use of a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary project team. It is not the sequential, relay-race model by which most buildings are designed today. In an integrative process, the team works as a collective to understand and develop all aspects of the design. The design can then emerge organically, with the full benefit of each expert’s input.

In order to achieve a sustainable condition our buildings, our communities will need to become reintegrated with and redevelop an understanding of the processes of life.  The beginning of this work in the design and building professions is to start the process of integrating the inter-relationships between subsystems in the building and the natural systems of which the building is part.

This presentation by Bill Reed introduces the practical concepts of integrating our technical perspectives with the living system processes that support life on Earth. This is not as hard as it may seem; but it is a real change in the way we think.

This lecture is part of the Australian Institute of Architect's National Seminar Series.

Visit the website for dates, locations and costs.

YOUR SHOUT

Hamish Hill, Workshop Manager, ABP

To ask me my favourite building or public space is like taking me into Koko Black and asking which is my favourite chocolate.

To put it simply, there isn’t one.

There are many buildings that fill me with happiness, irritation and even grief (as in ‘good grief!’). There are spaces that make me wonder why they exist; that are too small, so bland, not used, so busy, too noisy, too quiet etc etc.

I have always loved the ICI building (as was) particularly for the years it spent draped in scaffold to catch the falling panes, it is one of my first memories of Melbourne in 1962 when I first arrived here.

My favourite building is often the one I enjoyed last, so the State Library is current, perhaps I should add the space outside it, this is one that I see almost everyday when passing and I always take pleasure in the number and variety of people utilizing it for relaxation, entertainment, business or socializing.

Another part of me says my favourite building is the one I am working on now, and always has been, with much to do and more to enjoy.

This photo is my latest pleasure; a simple gabion wall.