Abedian School of Architecture Review Yearbook 2017 by Bond University

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Contents

Foreword p22 Introduction p26 Welcome p28 Program Overview p30 Selected Projects p32 Undergraduate Postgraduate Masters Masters Design Thesis Course Components p144 Contributors p160 ——Dr Soheil Abedian

—— Dean Raoul Mortley

—— Professor Adrian Carter

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Portrait of Dr Soheil Abedian Paul Newton, 2015 Oil on Belgian linen 196cm x 122cm

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Statement by artist, Paul Newton: The portrait of Dr Abedian took some months to create. The first practical step in the process was to acquaint myself with the building where the portrait would hang, and look for interesting scenarios that might work as a background for the portrait. While the body language was primarily meant to suggest his introspective demeanour, it also created a visual link to the background where the building’s interior was comprised of a series of diagonal elements. The first things I noticed about the building were the textures and shapes of its primary elements. The clever use of concrete, timber and glass, and the unorthodox angles and shapes of the concrete elements. I liked the idea of bringing the outdoors into an indoors picture, the courtyard with it’s contemporary sculpture, recognisable to those familiar with the building’s location, and the coastal headland just visible in the distance. I think Architecture is vitally important to the cultural life of a nation. An architect has not only a wonderful opportunity for artistic expression, but also a responsibility to create something beautiful and inspiring as well as functional since the work the architect creates will be on display and in use for generations to come, as perhaps a home, a work place, a place of worship, or a museum. See image on previous page.

2014 2015 2016 2017

Award recipients of the Dr Soheil Abedian sponsored awards: Highest Achievement Award by an Undergraduate Student in the area of Architecture: Sofia Zuccato Highest Achievement Award by a Postgraduate Student in the area of Architecture: Amoz Wu Quan Boon Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Jordan Mulherin Medal of Excellence, Undergraduate: Sofia Zuccato Medal of Excellence, Postgraduate: Amoz Wu Quan Boon Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Amoz Wu Quan Boon Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Rochel Don Medal of Excellence, Undergraduate: Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Abbey Eglington Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Sofia Zuccato Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Rachel Don Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Peter Brown Medal for Excellence, Undergraduate: Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Samara Hayes Certificate for Excellence in Postgraduate Architectural Studies: Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Foreword

Since its official opening in 2013 the Abedian School of Architecture has gone from strength to strength and is well regarded nationally and internationally as an innovative and energetic centre of learning. The adventurous and visionary nature of the program offered by the School is a testimony to the open and inclusive ethos embodied in the design of its building and by the collaborative design studio culture fostered by the distinguished staff that guide and mentor the students. Designed by Sir Peter Cook and Crab Studio (London), the building offers both inspiration and an uplifting illustration of the power of architecture to enhance and embody the principles of openness and inclusiveness that are so distinctive of the School. Since the publication of the previous review in 2015, the School has enriched its program of public lectures and professional seminars and has attracted a large number of leading architects to contribute to its programs. The opportunity for our students to work closely with some of these architects enhances their education and reinforces their ambition for their future contributions to the profession and to society. As previously expressed, the vision of the School is best explained in the words of Karim Rashid: ‘Design is about the betterment of our lives poetically, aesthetically, experientially, sensorially and emotionally’. Although focussed on the future we are also guided by precepts and principles established by the protagonists of modernism who will be remembered for fostering new ways of thinking. They encouraged an adventurous stance to meeting the challenges of their day with a clear eye on the needs of the future. It remains my ardent hope that the graduates of our School will also come to be regarded amongst the ranks of the great creators and for their contribution to society through the quality of their architecture. I offer my deep felt congratulations on the publication of the second edition of the Review and express sincere gratitude to all the academic personnel, graduates and students for their dedication and commitment to the School and to the advancement of architecture. Dr Soheil Abedian Patron, Abedian School of Architecture

Introduction

“Bond University greatly values the contribution the architecture students and staff make to the life and culture of the campus…”

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Bond University greatly values the contribution the architecture students and staff make to the life and culture of the campus, both in terms of creativity and practical application. The University has benefited enormously from the generosity and advice of Dr Soheil Abedian, and continues to do so: his unflagging support is a great encouragement, and as the Abedian School grows in stature and achievement, we gladly acknowledge his contribution. Since its inception 28 years ago, Bond University has cultivated the conditions necessary to produce high-quality education in a small-scale and intimate environment, with a highly favourable staff-to-student ratio. The Abedian School of Architecture follows this Bond tradition and provides for a studio-based design education, with space and time for student projects to develop as they will, and with much access to staff expertise. The School is housed in a building that is itself a tribute to creative design. The building adds to the University’s noteworthy stock of architecture and acts as an encouragement and inspiration to students throughout the campus. Raoul Mortley AO FAHA Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean Faculty of Society and Design

Welcome

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Abedian School of Architecture has one of the lowest student to staff ratios of any architectural program offered in Australia, ensuring that; students are treated as individuals, have unrivalled access to state of the art equipment, and enjoy personalised attention and mentoring. â&#x20AC;?

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Welcome to the Abedian School of Architecture in the Faculty of Society and Design, at Bond University. As Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest school of architecture, we aim to be at the forefront of developments in architecture, and nurture the emerging leaders and practitioners within the profession who will take us forward in the future. This book seeks to communicate something of the life and creative dynamic of the school, as well as explain the benefits of our exceptional studio-based course structure. The work included here has been created by our students over the last two years, since the publication of the inaugural 2015 Review book. Housed within a remarkable and award winning, purpose built building, designed by renowned British architect and educator Sir Peter Cook and CRAB Studio, the school actively encourages a dynamic, collaborative studio environment and is itself an example of the potential of innovative architecture, which serves as a daily inspiration to our students. An atmosphere of experimentation is fuelled by open discussion, supported by the close personal guidance of experienced Australian and international practitioners and academics. The School is characterised by its small class sizes, and a dedicated studio environment that is accessible to the students round-the-clock. It has one of the lowest student to staff ratios of any architectural program offered in Australia, ensuring that students; are treated as individuals, have unrivalled access to state of the art equipment, and enjoy personalised attention and mentoring. The small size of the classes also allows for unparalleled possibilities for site visits, engagement with architectural firms, national and international study tours, and global engagement. The Abedian School of Architecture is very much a professionallyorientated undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD architectural education, with a focus on design excellence in aesthetic, functional, spatial and experiential terms, with a strong emphasis on cultural, environmental, social and economic considerations in relation to a given context. The School is known for its studio based curriculum that cultivates a creative, experimental and exploratory approach to architectural design, involving the physical making of ideas, using both conventional craft skills and the latest technology, within our advanced digital fabrication laboratory. As a real world orientated and research based education, we are fortunate to be located in South-East Queensland, in one of the most dynamic regions of urban growth and transformation, not only within Australia, but also internationally. This provides us with direct access to a remarkable living laboratory for the latest developments within architecture and the built environment. We are at the edge not only strategically of the Pacific Rim, but also at the frontline of many of the challenges facing the world, in terms of rapid urbanisation, technological change and environmental considerations. For students in an ever changing world where technology will replace many roles and introduce new possibilities in society, it will be those with creative vision and the ability to utilise the potential of emerging technology, combined most importantly with an interest in humanity and a desire to improve society, who will continue to be needed in the future. We encourage students to be curious, socially concerned and reflective, to develop their creative and critical intelligence and seek to develop a passion for architecture and the role one can play in making a better world. Professor Adrian Carter MAA (Denmark), PhD (AAU) Head of Discipline, Professor of Architecture

Program Overview

* Undergraduate: Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BArch) Year 1 Studio 1

Architectural Design Design Communication: Architectural Drawing Critical Thinking and Communication History and Theory: Ancient to Enlightenment

Studio 2

Architectural Design Design Communication: NURBS Modelling History and Theory: Industrial Revolution to Present

Studio 3

Architectural Design Design Communication: Building Information Modelling Leadership and Team Dynamics

Year 2 Studio 4

Architectural Design Design Communication: Parametric Modelling Ethical Thought and Action

Studio 5

Architectural Design Architectural Technology: Structural Design Elective

Studio 6

Architectural Design Architectural Technology: Practice Methods Philosophy of Design

The Abedian School of Architecture offers accredited BArch undergraduate and MArch postgraduate programs. As with all educations at Bond University, the course is intensively structured according to three semesters per year, which allows students to be able to effectively gain their BArch degree within two, rather than the standard three years, followed by a professionally recognised MArch degree in one year four months, rather than two years.* Both of these qualifications are focused around the design studio, and are supplemented by a suite of parallel seminar-based subjects. These include: history and theory of architecture; technical studies; environmental studies; design communications; and professional practice and urban studies. Design studio activities are further complimented by two other features. Firstly, there are regular site visits and field trips to relevant works of architecture and places of production, and secondly, there is a particular emphasis on making, which is encouraged in all years, and is well supported by the extensive workshop facilities with dedicated staff. Another key aspect of the course is that close connections are forged and maintained with both the profession and industry, meaning that a high percentage of both the regular and visiting design tutors are also leading practitioners. As student numbers are limited, this ensures that all students have extensive personal discussions with and input from these architects. Between the first and second semester of each year, a combined international study tour and architecture workshop is offered. This is open to both second year undergraduate and postgraduate students. Lastly, in addition to the School of Architecture program are the Bond University core subjects and elective studies across a range of disciplines, which serve to provide a well-rounded education.

Postgraduate: Master of Architecture (MArch) Year 1 Studio 1

Supervised Independent Study Special Topics in Design Communication

Studio 2

Contemporary Theory of Architecture Special Topics in Design Technology

Studio 3

Professional Practice 1 Research, Analysis and Representation

Year 2 Studio 4 (4 months)

Master’s Design Thesis Professional Practice 2 Faculty Elective

“There is a particular emphasis on making, which is encouraged in all years, and is well supported by the extensive workshop facilities with dedicated staff.”

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Studio 1: People, Experience, Scale Matthew Eagle Peter Kuhnell Justin Twohill Marguerite Pollard Studio 2: Context, Interactions, Making Matthew Eagle Peter Kuhnell Justin Twohill Studio 3: Domesticity, Dwelling, Ritual Kicking off the White Shoes and Changing Places Vanessa Menadue Justin Twohill Studio 4: Landscape, Nature, Community Finding Common Ground Vanessa Menadue Justin Twohill Kerry Clare Lindsay Clare Base Camp Vanessa Menadue Ben Carson Kerry Clare Lindsay Clare Studio 5: Public, Materiality, Structure Lost in Transition Ben Carson Lachlan Nielson James Russell Jasper Brown High and Mighty Chris Knapp Jonathan Nelson Studio 6: City, Threshold, Place Kids in the City Matthew Eagle Jonathan Nelson Stuart Vokes Aaron Peters On the Waterfront Jasper Brown Adrian Carter Lindsay Clare Matthew Eagle Anita Morandini

Year 1 coordinator Matthew Eagle Year 2 coordinators Vanessa Menadue Jonathan Nelson Guest Critics Mark Bagguley Leah Gallagher Drew Heath Emma James Zuzana Kovar Grace Mortlock David Neustein Lachlan Nielson Anna O’Gorman Dan Plummer Jad Silvester Nicholas Skepper Kerstin Thompson David Twohill Guest Lectures Sascha Bohnenberger Lindsay Clare Stefan Gerber Rob Keen Leah Lang Undergraduate Students Arvin Abbassian Jinan Ahmed Abdullah Al Kindy Nicholas Allen Georgia Althoff Travis Armes Chloe Athans Steven Baleva Jaime Bass Braden Bloomfield Joshua Bowkett Morgan Brightman Alahni Brown Niesha Brown Thomas Brunton Carolina Carsjoe Maxwell Cartwright Shane Collins Herodotos Constantinides Grant Crighton-Williams Jake Dargan Shannon de Sousa Julienne Dime Alexander Ewart Lazuli Farrell Ryan Fell Amelia Fernandez de Viana Rebecca Freeman Amelia Gavilan Alec Gentile Roman Ghaemi Jonathan Gidas Ellie Gilchrist Kelsey Godwin-Smith Vivianne Goncalves Cordeiro David Gray Nathan Grimmond Logan-Maree Gunthorpe

Brooke Harris Enlong He Zhaoqiu He Anna Heath William Hickman Samuel Holland Mattea Horthy Rosabel Horthy Michelle Hsu Alvedin Hukicevic Mikayla James Bikram Kaler Suraj Khandve Megan King Stuart King Dana Kittel Michael Knight Kyle Loutit Jock Lovell Patrick Lovell-Davis Johnny Lukudu Corey McGilvery Sam McLintock Mia Medic Cameron Minear Jesse Moffa Amelia Mohajer Sara Mora Rodriguez Juliana Moreira Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire Nicholas Palmer Brittney Patterson Benjamin Perkins Thomas Puc Maedeh Rashedi Santiago Rendon Bechara Sidney Russell Ari Sandalciyan Laura Sayers Renae Scanlan Mitchell Schultz Tom Sefton Harrison Segat-Stallan Mikayla Simic Zarli Skinner Emily Smith Francois Sneeden Abbey Summerville Adam Svard Lily May Ingrid Templonuevo Shannon Thompson Jere Toivonen Russell Ward Brough Whibley Jake White Olivia Whitt Kazan Wilson Sam Wilson Ryan Wirth Joy Wong Lin Luke Wyatt Martina Zatta Jiehui Zhu

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

“Each studio researches and explores three broad architectural themes, which culminate in varied design propositions at a broad range of scales, situated in differing contexts.”

Our vision for the undergraduate program at the Abedian School of Architecture is to equip our students with the required tools and skills for both traditional and future practice models, as well as the critical mindset with which to use them. Pedagogically the program emphasizes a learning through making ethos that engages with local projects in addressing global issues. With unrivalled access to some of the country’s leading practitioners and academics, projects are designed to actively engage the imagination and encourage conversation on the enhancement of human experience and our built environment. Students are provided with 24-hour access to individual workstations in an inspirational studio space, the unique nature of which encourages dialogue and sparks debate amongst students and staff. As explained previously in the Program Overview section of this book, the undergraduate program is divided into six fourteen week semesters over two years. The cornerstone of each semester is a distinctly different design studio. Each studio researches and explores three broad architectural themes, which culminate in varied design propositions at a broad range of scales and are situated in differing contexts. These themes are as follows: Studio 1 people, experience, scale; Studio 2 context, interactions, making; Studio 3 domesticity, dwelling, ritual; Studio 4 landscape, nature, community; Studio 5 public, materiality, structure; Studio 6 city, threshold, place. Throughout the program, these design studio investigations are supported by several parallel subjects. For example, the digital modelling and making skills gained in design communications are utilized to analyse historical precedent in the history and theory of architecture subject. Material and construction understanding in the technical studies, coupled with passive design strategies in the environment studies, both inform and temper spatial design explorations. Matthew Eagle

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

People, Experience, Scale Studio 1

Projects this page: Braden Bloomfield Niesha Brown Kyle Loutit Cameron Minear Shannon de Sousa Maedeh Rashedi Laura Sayers Brough Whibley

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students are encouraged to respond to their immediate studio environment through the group design and fabrication of 1:1 installations.â&#x20AC;?

Projects opposite page: Maxwell Cartwright Logan-Maree Gunthorpe Patrick Lovell-Davis Santiago Rendon Bechara Sam Wilson Morgan Brightman Herodotos Constantinides Nathan Grimmond Johnny Lukudu Mia Medic

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

The projects undertaken during this first studio of the program expose students to ideas about making, experience, personal space, place, narrative, collaboration and critical and conceptual thinking. Students are invited to propose and construct small scale interior installations as well as pieces of wearable architecture. They then take on the challenge of designing a small building within a landscape context.

Steven Baleva

Shannon de Sousa

Kyle Loutit

Project this page: Arvin Abbassian Carolina Carsjoe Samuel Holland Amelia Mohajer

People, Experience, Scale Studio 1

Emily Smith

Mikayla Simic

Shannon de Sousa

Brough Whibley

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Context, Interactions, Making Studio 2

Santiago Rendon Bechara

Megan King

William Hickman

Sidney Russell

Megan King

Juliana Moreira

Shane Collins

Juliana Moreira

Sidney Russell

Jere Toivonen

In the second studio, the main design project introduces students to ideas about the city, the section, hybrid buildings, fine grain urbanism and small scale models of densification. Each student is provided with an individual site in the Gold Coast suburb of Palm Beach, and is given an individual brief for a small scale mixeduse urban intervention.

Russell Ward

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Juliana Moreira

Context, Interactions, Making Studio 2

Megan King

Patrick Lovell-Davis

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Domesticity, Dwelling, Ritual Studio 3

Megan King

Shane Collins

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Shane Collins

Megan King

Domesticity, Dwelling, Ritual Shane Collins

Studio 3

Megan King

Juliana Moreira

Megan King

Patrick Lovell-Davis

Juliana Moreira

Megan King

Santiago Rendon Bechara

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Travis Armes

Kicking off the White Shoes and Changing Places: Design Studio three explores alternative dwelling models to accommodate the rapidly expanding city of the Gold Coast. A brown-field site within an established neighbourhood is selected on which to test new configurations of dwelling densities and public space. Students undertake detailed precedent analysis and collaborative group master-planning exercises, prior to taking on the challenge of individually designing dwelling configurations. Projects are explored through both manual and digital techniques, and seek to address prevailing climatic and environmental conditions. The studio work is linked directly to concurrent studies in design communications and technical subjects, while deepening the understanding of architectural history and theory.

Russell Ward

Undergraduate

Landscape, Nature, Community Studio 4

Herodotos Constantinides

Nathan Grimmond

Alec Gentile

Zhaoqiu He

Logan-Maree Gunthorpe

Finding Common Ground and Base Camp: The fourth design studio shifts to a nonurban scenario with a greater degree of programmatic complexity, and considers the relationship of built-form to an existing landscape context. The projects explore civic and public building types, while investigating: social and cultural issues; connection to environment; site and place; experiential qualities and appropriate climatic design strategies. The selected sites were: the Tyalgum Public Recreation and Preservation of Native Flora and Fauna Reserve located in the Northern New South Wales village of Tyalgum; and the Gold Coast hinterland plateau of Mount Tamborine.

Jake White

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Landscape, Nature, Community Studio 4

Alexander Ewart, Abbey Summerville

Juliana Moreira

Megan King

Mikayla James

Santiago Rendon Bechara

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Design studio five engages students in complex urban scale projects that confront issues of architectural design in civic scenarios of collective public space. Projects in this subject involve complex sites and institutional programs. In the High and Mighty studio, students explored the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;high-riseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; typology through a non-standard program. With substantial anticipated increases in population density on the Gold Coast, opportunities will arise to explore and propose new urban forms. Consequently students were asked to explore a range of technical, programmatic, environmental, and urban possibilities for this type, on a series of sites in the Southport district of the Gold Coast.

Travis Armes, Santiago Rendon Bechara, Russell Ward

Public, Materiality, Structure Studio 5

Travis Armes, Santiago Rendon Bechara, Russell Ward

Arvin Abassian, Nathan Grimmond, Sam Wilson

Carolina Carsjoe, Amelia Mohajer, Adam Svard

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Carolina Carsjoe, Amelia Mohajer, Adam Svard

Logan-Maree Gunthorpe, Mia Medic, Benjamin Perkins

Shane Collins

The Lost in Transition semester offered students the chance to propose buildings within the tight low-rise urban fabric of the Gold Coast suburb of Burleigh. The brief for a community centre and library required students to carefully consider the existing context, and challenged them to provide a design response whose scale, materiality and public circulation strategy all served to benefit the surroundings.

Juliana Moreira

Megan King

Shane Collins

Megan King

Public, Materiality, Structure

Mattea Horthy

Studio 5

Megan King

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

City, Threshold, Place Studio 6

Joshua Bowkett

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

In the sixth and final semester of the undergraduate program, themes of densification, programmatic hybridisation, civic presence and urban threshold conditions are explored.

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

In the Kids in the City design studio, students were invited to critically examine contemporary cultural practices, urban morphology and the role of the architect in city. The design studio also introduced students to the working methodology of Brisbane practice Vokes and Peters, and their particular focus on ideological conviction as a framework for critical practice, specifically the architect as custodian, and the use of narrative in design methodology. The major design project of the semester was a junior school campus on the northern periphery of Surfers Paradise. Students were invited to examine the broader social and cultural role of schools in the city and prepare speculative studies for the organisation of a campus.

Mitchell Schultz

City, Threshold, Place Studio 6

Mitchell Schultz

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

City, Threshold, Place Studio 6

David Gray

Olivia Whitt

Juliana Moreira

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Thomas Puc

Kelsey Godwin-Smith

Joshua Bowkett

Juliana Moreira

Joshua Bowkett

Juliana Moreira

Shane Collins

Juliana Moreira

City, Threshold, Place Studio 6

The On the Waterfront studio investigated alternative waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge conditions, and challenged prevailing suburban densities and dwelling configurations for the Gold Coast. It also undertook an appraisal of global precedents from Vancouver to Venice to Varanasi, and in doing so analysed: the differing waterway widths; the pedestrian connectivity; and the distribution of public and private waterfront space. The existing Gold Coast suburb of Florida Gardens was then considered in terms of how it might more effectively relate to our contemporary changing patterns of transportation, technology and living. The ambition for the projects was for them to become widely adopted templates for future suburban development.

Megan King

Shane Collins

Megan King

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Undergraduate

Postgraduate Masters

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Architecture and Film Vanessa Menadue Architecture between Oracle and Cipher Jasper Brown Adrian Carter Annabel Lahz Andrew Nimmo Fabricating Atmospheres Chris Knapp Jasper Brown Architecture and Theatre Vanessa Menadue Jonathan Nelson Kerry Clare Lindsay Clare Form Follows Fabrication Chris Knapp Jonathan Nelson Architecture of Air and Water Jasper Brown Adrian Carter Eleri Smith Architecture, Food and Detail Jasper Brown Vanessa Menadue

Master’s coordinators Chris Knapp Marja Sarvimäki Guest Critics Kim Baber Richard Hassell Tory Jones Rob Keen Barry Lee Tersius Maass Doug Neale David Pledger George Taran Visiting Tutors Kim Baber Richard Hassell Lance Herbst Alberto Perez-Gomez David Pledger Ron van Sluys Postgraduate Master’s Students Dhruv Arora Alex Bogdanova Matthew Brabeck Peter Brown Bianca Bujaroski Rachel Don Abbey Eglington David Gray Samara Hayes Mattea Horthy Rosabel Horthy Richard Jedryas Patricia Manyuru Melanie Miller Andrew Morris Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire Nicholas Palmer Steven Palomo Anthony Pannalino Siddarth Paulraj Sidney Russell Rory Spence Matthew Wadham Sophia Zuccato

Abedian School of Architecture

“The three core design semesters offer the integral co-development of studies in design technology, design communication and contemporary architectural theory.”

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

The Master’s program at the Abedian School of Architecture is conducted over four semesters, the last semester of which is devoted to the Master’s design thesis. The intensity of the integrated studio program underscores the commitment at Master’s level to the building of each student’s confidence in their capacity, judgement and critical skills. The open structure of the program offers flexibility of the commencement semester and in the pathway through the program that allows for the integration of practice-based experience with part-time enrolment. The three core design semesters offer the integral co-development of studies in design technology, design communication and contemporary architectural theory. The design program embraces projects focussed on place making, complex civic and urban building types, the investigation of typologies and precedent, of material and detail resolution within a framework which encourages both social and cultural responsibility and innovation and the thorough investigation and implementation of design ideas. Selected work from seven Master’s design studios is included here, which is followed in the next section of the book by the work from our graduating Master’s design thesis students. The Master’s design thesis is the culmination of the design program and invites each student to define an individual research topic to be pursued and resolved through design. The integral relation between the research analysis and representation subject and the design thesis course allows the design research topic to be supported by a thorough literature review, leading to a cogent proposal and underpinning argument. The program is delivered by the core staff and embraces interaction with nationally and internationally recognised architects and critics who contribute through keynote presentations and as specialists in the design typologies involved in the principal projects. As a relatively young program in architecture, the graduates of the program are to some extent forging the way for those that follow. The nature and quality of their achievements as they shape their careers will be the best testament to the effectiveness of the Abedian School of Architecture Master’s program and of the undergraduate program on which it is founded. Michael Keniger

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Rachel Don, Abbey Eglington

Peter Brown, Matthew Wadham

Alexandra Bogdanova

Steven Palomo

Alexandra Bogdanova, Melanie Miller

Richard Jedryas

Alexandra Bogdanova

Architecture and Film

Richard Jedryas

Spatial, Temporal and Narrative Constructs in Architecture and Film: Students undertook architectural investigations which drew inspiration from the art of film, a powerful medium with which to explore and illustrate future urbanisms. The first assignment was a movie-making project which examined relationships between body, light and atmosphere. This was followed by the design of a building within an existing Gold Coast urban context, which sought to embody an intensified sense of both dramatic atmosphere and choreographed spatial sequence.

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Architecture and Film

Steven Palomo

Abbey Eglinton

Rachel Don

Abbey Eglinton

Steven Palomo

Abbey Eglinton

Steven Palomo

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Civic Design Propositions for the Gold Coast, and Reflections on Metaphor, Analogy, Abstraction, and Narrative in the Architectural Design Process: Students looked at the creation of architecture and public space which symbolised the civic and political heart of the Gold Coast. By integrating such considerations as narrative, allegory, abstraction and metaphor into the design process, it was hoped to enrich architectural outcomes at all scales, and forge a strong connection to each buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specific context. A further goal of the design studio was to investigate the communicative and symbolic potential of a significant piece of public architecture, one that responds to its particular morphological, social, political, economic and climatic context.

Architecture between Oracle and Cipher

Alexandra Bogdanova

Rachel Don

Alexandra Bogdanova

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Rachel Don

Steven Palomo

Architecture between Oracle and Cipher

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Fabricating Atmospheres

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Building Envelope Tectonics as Filter, Frame, Fabric and Form, and Architectural Investigations into Four Gold Coast Ecologies: Students sought to strengthen the muscle of the architectural imagination through further local design conjecture and speculation. The Gold Coast is defined by an inspiringly unique range of contrasting adjacent landscape conditions, onto which have been grafted an array urbanisms and buildings during the last six decades or so. To better understand and appreciate these prevailing environments, the lens of literature was used in the form of multiple texts, including the classic Reyner Banham text ‘Los Angeles: The Architecture of 4 Ecologies’ to provide a framework and direction for design enquiries. The studio also gave careful consideration to how façade articulation can generate internal atmospheres.

Peter Brown

Matthew Wadham

Fabricating Atmospheres

Richard Jedryas

Steven Palomo

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Richard Jedryas

Steven Palomo

Fabricating Atmospheres

Sophia Zuccato

Rachel Don

Sophia Zuccato

Rachel Don

Abbey Eglington

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Rachel Don

Architecture and Theatre

Matthew Wadham

Siddarth Paulraj

Sophia Zuccato

Theatre Field Trip

Peter Brown

Spatial Choreographies of Line and Light: Students tackled the considerable challenge of a designing a complex theatre building in an existing suburban coastal location. The projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s site was a large piece of brownfield water front land at Tweed Heads, towards the southern end of the Gold Coast. Discussions about approach, scale, presence, circulation and articulation recurred during design development.

Sophia Zuccato

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Form Follows Fabrication

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Form Follows Fabrication

Samara Hayes, Abbey Eglington

Peter Brown, Matthew Wadham

Samara Hayes, Abbey Eglington

Patricia Manyuru, Sofia Zuccato

The Form Follows Fabrication studio was preoccupied with the evolution of the architect, as influenced by changes in the available toolkit which are impacting how buildings are now conceived and made. Through digital design, parametric tools, and digital fabrication, the architect can now potentially act as both designer and fabricator â&#x20AC;&#x201C; bridging back into the territory once occupied by the architect but relinquished for most of the 20th century to builders and more recently, construction managers. Through this process, the efficacy of the architect can be expanded and re-defined. Investigations throughout the semester focused upon the use of timber and timber construction. The two main projects were the group design and construction of a small experimental pavilion, and the development of proposals for a medium-rise building with a complex urban program.

Patricia Manyuru, Sofia Zuccato

Peter Brown, Matthew Wadham

Patricia Manyuru, Sofia Zuccato

David Gray

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

David Gray

Peter Brown, Matthew Wadham

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

David Gray

Form Follows Fabrication

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Abbey Eglington, Samara Hayes

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Abbey Eglington, Samara Hayes

Architecture of Air and Water

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

The Architecture of Air and Water studio explored design proposals which heightened the experience and understanding of air and water by means of architectural responses to selected landscapes on the Gold Coast. These landscapes included Purlingbrook Falls, Coombabah Lake and the Burleigh Headland. Design proposals had their origins in a four minute movie that each student made at their chosen site, and were developed through a series of subsequent discussions and pin-ups. From these, building programs and sites were selected, and buildings of very different scales and atmospheric conditions were generated.

David Gray

Architecture of Air and Water

David Gray

Dhruv Arora

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Anthony Pannolino

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Architecture of Air and Water

Anthony Pannolino

Abedian School of Architecture

Review 2017

Postgraduate Masters

Samara Hayes

Architecture of Air and Water

Samara Hayes

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Architecture, Food and Detail

David Gray

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

David Gray

Anthony Pannolino

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

Gold Coast Gesamtkunstwerk: This studio involved the design of an exclusive restaurant, bar and cooking school, located within an urban context on the Gold Coast. The program also included a private residence for a worldfamous chef who has appeared on the Netflix TV series ‘Chef’s Table’. Each student was given a different chef as their hypothetical client. The resolution of selected parts of the building to a high level of detail was a requirement for the project. The development and refinement of an architect’s detailed design language is a fundamental part of their early career, and should be an exciting and enjoyable exploration which has its roots firmly in the experimental testing ground of architecture school.

Dhruv Arora

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Architecture, Food and Detail

Sarah Kukkiriza Ndagire

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Masters Design Thesis

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Master’s Design Thesis Students Alexandra Bogdanova Matthew Brabeck Peter Brown Rachel Don Abbey Eglington Samara Hayes Patricia Manyuru Melanie Miller Siddharth Paulraj Steven Palomo Joao Douglas Ramos Emma Raunik Collette Skinner Rory Spence Matthew Wadham Sofia Zuccato

“The focus of the design investigation is driven by the concerns and interests of the individual student and the ambition held by that student for the contribution they wish to make as they move towards the initial stages of their career.”

Advisers Sarah Aldridge Jasper Brown Ben Carson Adrian Carter Matthew Eagle Michael Keniger Chris Knapp Jonathan Nelson Brian Toyota Invited Guests Brit Andresen Kim Baber Mark Bagguley Rob Keen Tersius Maass Doug Neale Katherine Rickard Narelle Urquhart

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Masters Design Thesis

The Master’s design thesis is the capstone course of the Master’s program and is driven by design based architectural enquiry and proposition founded on the studies in the underpinning courses. Study areas and the design questions are defined prior to commencing the subject and each student is allocated a mentor to guide the development of the design proposal and the shaping of the supporting argument and reflective text. The focus of the design investigation is driven by the concerns and interests of the individual student and the ambition held by that student for the contribution they wish to make as they move towards the initial stages of their career. Although the Abedian School of Architecture program is young there is already a pattern to the theses studies that suggests a common ethos to contribute to the well-being of the wider community and an implicit critique of materialist culture. Recent design theses have focused on the needs of particular community groups including the representation and remaking of indigenous cultural space in a peri-urban setting, and the consideration of appropriate architectural forms for cultural settings in New Caledonia. The making of enduring symbolic structures to evoke a spiritual sense of place over an extended time frame resonates with an attempt to generate architectural strategies and spatial typologies for schools and learning spaces for autistic children. A quiet and calm study of a more contained problem considers the needs and possibilities of specific additions and reordering of existing residential types to offer more dignified habitation for those with special needs within their existing neighborhood settings. More dramatic is the outcome of the investigation of interrelation of the spatial imperatives of architecture with the representational dynamics of space as evoked through film. Characteristic of these kinds of design theses is that they are driven by the rigour of the questions they ask rather than seeking a defined form. This is especially true of the provocative proposal to unite mindfulness and an awareness of our place caught in the pattern and dynamics of natural phenomena through the appropriation and revaluing of a remediated waste site. The intersection of the fluid mantra bounding an excision in the site and the orchestration of movement around and between enigmatic funnel-like vessels provokes speculation as to the possibility of remediating the excesses of our society and our culture through improved understanding and imaginative speculation. Michael Keniger

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Emma Raunik

Matthew Wadham

Steven Palomo

Sofia Zuccato

Samara Hayes

Joao Douglas Ramos

Rory Spence

Matthew Brabeck

Melanie Miller

Siddharth Paulraj

Collette Skinner

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Rachel Don

Abbey Eglington

Peter Brown

Patricia Manyuru

Alex Bogdanova

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Matthew Wadham Inter-generational Housing

This thesis hypothesised a new response to the growing demand of multidwelling housing. Situated in the void between high density and detached single dwelling housing typologies in Australian Architecture, the design turned to an appropriation of the granny flat, utilising typically left-over space as the architectural device to control privacy and permeability, while adding valuable shared garden space.

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Abbey Eglington Fortifications of Light and Silence

Fortifications of Light and Silence: Thresholds of Universal Human Spirituality was an investigation into how we can acknowledge and celebrate our innate human spirituality in an era in which the majority of architecture that is built everincreasingly disconnects people from places where they can feel a part of something greater, submerse themselves in a moment of silence, or connect with nature and the universe. From a phenomenological theoretical paradigm, this research considered how we can redefine a new spiritual bottom line for architecture, and hypothesised that an architecture of universal human spirituality can anchor, sustain and enrich civilisations for millennia in a way that cannot be substituted by any other human endeavour.

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Emma Raunik

What kind of a place might a Gold Coast ferry terminal strive to be? A place for the community to meet, journey through or stay a while; a place for architectural and environmental experience; and an acupunctural insertion that catalyses positive change throughout its immediate urban environment. The proposed ferry terminal could be used as a prototype design to be adapted to each site for the overall system. While each siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual characteristics would dictate the designs, a programmatic kit of parts ensured that a unified design language could be followed.

Gold Coast Ferry Terminal

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Intangible places via virtual and augmented realities are a real part of our future and architects and designers alike have a responsibility to ensure these spaces are well designed and provacative.

Rachel Don RESET: Our Dystopian Future

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The starting point for the design investigation was at the intersection of the disciplines of architecture and film. By targeting the popular discourse of dystopia within the genre of sci-fi, this endeavour aimed to highlight the opportunities designers have within the newly growing markets of virtual spaces. Intangible places experienced via virtual and augmented realities are a real part of our future, and architects and designers alike have a responsibility to ensure these spaces are well designed and provocative.

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Rachel Don RESET: Our Dystopian Future

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Collette Skinner

Joao Douglas Ramos

Inter-generational Integration

Maputo Modular

It is predicted that by 2050 the number of people over 65 years old will be greater than those less than 15 years for the first time in history. The urban design implications of this significant demographic shift are explored in this design for an aged care facility in the Gold Coast suburb of Southport. The buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s splayed wings enclose a semi-public landscaped courtyard, which mediates between the private modular dwellings and the wider urban context.

Can an affordable modular construction system be applied to the Maputoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s slums and act as a catalyst for change to existing community structures? A filigree of dense courtyard dwellings formed the prevailing urban context of the chosen site near the centre of Maputo city, the Capital of Mozambique (population 1.2 million). The project sought to provide self-build dwelling assembly kits with which families within the existing community could incrementally add to and improve their dwellings through the use of locally available building materials and fabrication techniques.

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Sofia Zuccato Alternative Tourism Models for New Caledonia

Located in New Caledonia, a series of architectural interventions explored local traditional methods of construction, promoting indigenous fabrication savoir-faire and the use of natural materials. The buildings adopted an alternative model to develop the tourism activity in New Caledonia and included gathering, sleeping and observatory spaces that aimed to enhance the natural beauty and assets of the site. The project also consisted of a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hybrid modelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; which suggested a sustainable approach that was based on mixed principles of ecotourism, agritourism and voluntourism.

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Siddharth Paulraj

An ambition to form a contribution to the body of knowledge on rebuilding after natural disasters was a motivating factor in choosing this thesis topic. The design proposal was for a new lecture theatre and student common room for the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Vanuatu. Through the use of shipping containers, it sought to achieve a contextdriven outcome, which was resilient to natural disasters.

Jellurgal Cultural Centre, Burleigh Heads

Melanie Miller Locally Responsive and Sustainable Shipping Container Architecture

The Kombumerri people of the Gold Coast are considered to be one of the oldest living cultures in the world, with a heritage that dates back to between 60,000 to 80,000 years. These Indigenous people of Australia have a strong tradition that ties their culture to the landscape of the South-East Queensland coastline. They are a part of the larger Yugambeh language group. The Jellurgal Cultural Centre proposal was a study into the possibilities of how this rich culture can be revitalised and given an identity through an architectural intervention, in the spiritual Kombumerri location of the Burleigh headland in the heart of the Gold Coast.

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Matthew Brabeck Surferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise Law Courts

A new Law Courts building was proposed in the heart of Surfers Paradise, as part of a masterplan proposal for the Cypress Avenue area, between the Nerang River and the Pacific Ocean. The suspended jury deliberation chamber became the focal point of the proposed building.

Patricia Manyuru Re-visualising Realities

An investigation into the integration of mixed reality technology and architectural education was undertaken. The project looked at the application of Mixed Reality (MR) as a device for design analysis and design communication in learning. It explored the relationship between architectural education, future technologies, and video games, and the indispensable link that mixed reality has the potential to provide between these fields.

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Peter Brown Architecture for Autism Autism is characterised by a difficulty with verbal and non-verbal communication, challenges with social interaction, and repetitive and routine behaviour. The project involves the design of a school for autistic children on the Gold Coast. The autistic condition was researched in depth, and informs the architectural proposal at all scales, with the aim of achieving the most suitable possible suite of environments for the occupants.

1:200

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Alexandra Bogdanova Architecture and Wilderness

What is wilderness? How do we behave in the wilderness? Do we need to protect wilderness from human impact? How can we protect it? Can architecture enhance the experience of being in the wilderness? The thesis explores the creation of a route and associated structures through a coastal national park to the south of Sydney.

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The project investigated potential new models for the education system in Papua New Guinea. An analysis of vernacular building traditions sought to underpin propositions for both new timber building typologies, and organisational strategies on the selected terraced coastal site.

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Rory Spence New Education Building Models in Papua New Guinea

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Steven Palomo Skin

Cellulose is the most abundant material in the world, and it can offer unexplored opportunities for the built environment. The work sought to investigate new spatial paradigms and situations whereby a bacterial culture was a catalyst for the development of a culture in a community. Acetobacter Xylinium, the material that the investigation is focused on, can be grafted, dyed, stitched and cut to create an array of enclosures whose light transmittance can be calibrated by means of varying its growth. The research progressed through a sequence of different scales, from the macro to the micro. Roosevelt Island in New York City provided a socially charged backdrop for the design research. The aim was to shelter selected communities who are searching for their place in this city by providing them with a kit of parts. The juxtaposition between these different communities demanded the design of hybrid occupations that were ephemeral and grew on already existing structures.

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Steven Palomo

ADAPTORS These elements extend from the node to allow further connections to other modules, creating larger clusters

Skin ACETOBACTER XYLINUM The bacterial cellulose can be draped over and grafted to the skeletal structure. Its thickness is varied by the amount of nutrients flowing through the rods. It can be grafted again, cut, stitched and dyed

PERFORATIONS Since the bacteria is alive, it is in constant need of nutrients. This is achieved by perforations in the rods emitting steam to keep the cellulose wet, ensuring that the skin is kept malleable and stronger

RADIATE Heat flows through the tubing keeping the cellulose alive and thicker

NODES These nodes can be 3D printed and then snapped to the corresponding rods

RODS Basic structural rods can be 3D printed from various materials and are used to create a skeletal structure

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Samara Hayes Making ‘The Away’ a Place: Exploring the Catalytic Capacity of Architecture and the Natural Realm

The selected site was a covered landfill area at the north end of the Gold Coast, which contained a grid of off-gassing pumps that audibly discharged at irregular intervals. The architectural proposal placed a sequence of embedded ‘celestial funnels’ throughout this surreal landscape, which sought to forge an intensified connection between the occupant and both the compressed waste below ground and the orbiting heavens overhead.

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Samara Hayes Making â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Awayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; a Place: Exploring the Catalytic Capacity of Architecture and the Natural Realm

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Course Components

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Architecture Study Tour Marja Sarvimaki: Coordinator Brit Andresen Adrian Carter Michael Keniger Case Study Trips Jasper Brown Ben Carson Matthew Eagle Chris Knapp Peter Kuhnell Vanessa Menadue Jonathan Nelson Justin Twohill

“The pedagogical philosophy of the School is not to extend dogmatic ideologies of the past for their own sake, but to firstly provide students with a critical framework that enables them to select the right tool for the job.”

Design Charrette All staff Design Communications Jonathan Nelson: Coordinator Rachel Don Tim Jensen Peter Kuhnell Thomas Puc Rory Spence Brian Toyota Fab Lab Robotics Laboratory Peter Brown Nathan Freeman Jonathan Nelson Nicholas Palmer Ryan Wirth History and Theory of Architecture Marja Sarvimaki: Coordinator Adrian Carter Supervised Independent Study Haig Beck Chris Knapp Technical Studies Matthew Eagle: Coordinator Ben Carson Peter Kuhnell Vanessa Menadue Justin Twohill

A 21st Century Toolkit for Making Architecture: This Review captures and celebrates a broad range of architecture design studio endeavours across the undergraduate and masters programs. Significantly, this work is not produced in a vacuum of ‘pure creativity’ but rather the studio is a laboratory for the application of intellectual and technical skills that are cultivated in other curricular streams of the School’s degree framework. These subjects include studies in the history and theory of architecture, design communications, environmental and technical studies, professional practice, urban design, and further elective activities – all of which augment the architect’s toolkit for addressing the complexities of contemporary design challenges with an awareness of how things are conceived and made. The complimentary subject streams are not additional to the design endeavour, but rather are highly integrated to allow students to test and apply their skills through design scenarios. Whether constructing a double brick wall at full scale, modelling that same wall using parametric design software, or prototyping a new kind of wall altogether with a multi-axis robotic arm, students are given direct access to tried and true methods and conventions of the discipline, while being simultaneously exposed to advanced and emerging approaches. The pedagogical philosophy of the School is not to extend dogmatic ideologies of the past for their own sake, but to firstly provide students with a critical framework that enables them to select the right tool for the job. That tool can be a 3D printer, an arc welder, a pencil, or a theory – but what is important is having direct experience with these implements that can be utilised in future practice. Overall, achieving high quality, well-reasoned and well-crafted design outcomes is a collective passion of the School. Beyond coursework, architectural study tours and case field trips locally, nationally, and internationally provide first-hand experience of enduring and contemporary exemplars of the discipline, as well as exposure to manufacturers, suppliers, architects’ and consultants’ offices, and construction sites. Within the School, a regularly occurring public lecture and seminar series injects a broad international conversation and forms a locus for discussion on matters relevant to both students, practitioners, and an interdisciplinary audience. Chris Knapp

Environmental Studies Vanessa Menadue: Coordinator Matthew Eagle Urban Studies Brian Toyota: Coordinator Professional Practice Sarah Aldridge Ben Carson

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Architecture Study Tour

Megan King

The architecture study tour subject, offered in both undergraduate and postgraduate level, complements the on-campus studies by providing direct personal experiences of built environments, which is an integral part of architectural education and a major way of learning to understand architecture. The goal of this subject is to provide the students with opportunities to experience buildings in their context, meet architectural practitioners, visit other architecture programs, and engage in other off-campus activities both nationally and internationally. The visited sites, including traditional and contemporary buildings, provide a broad overview of world architecture in order to support the architecture curriculum and to inspire design excellence. The architecture study tour has been organised in 2016 and 2017 to Japan, including not only travelling but also a one-week workshop at the Tokyo National University of Arts (Geidai) in collaboration with local and international architecture professors and students. Besides Bond University academic staff, Professor Brit Andresen and Professor Tom Heneghan have been instrumental in offering an exceptional learning experience in Japan for the students. The Geidai workshop is an intensive ‘charrette’ type of design studio, in which the transnational teams of students are given a site and a brief, for which they propose a design solution based on their understanding of Japanese culture that they delve into prior and during the tour. Special attention is paid to the context in terms of culture and site-specific design. In addition to the workshop and students’ travel sketchbook journals, the assessment includes pre-tour reading and drawing assignments preparing them for the tour, followed by a post-tour essay assignment reflecting their tour learning outcome. The last deliverable is an exhibition at the Abedian School of Architecture with which the students share their travel experiences and workshop proposals with a wider audience in Australia. Marja Sarvimäki

“The Japan tour introduced students to unique and exciting architectural concepts, experiencing the culture, the traditions and the architecture, which was fundamental from a student’s perspective, as it helped develop the thinking, considerations and analysis required to appreciate the experience and evolve as young architecture enthusiasts.”

Peter Brown, Nathan Grimmond

Excerpt from the post-tour reflection essay by Santiago Rendon Bechara, Year 2 student

Team Fukamonz Ryokan

Peter Brown

Team Fukamonz Ryokan: David Gray, Logan-Maree Gunthorpe, Rod Constantinides

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Case Study Trips

The unrivalled small class sizes of the Abedian School enable various case study trips to be undertaken as part of the design studio curriculum. The travel distances involved range from being local to statewide to interstate. Works visited include projects by Vokes and Peters, James Russell, Nielson Workshop, Brit Andresen, Donovan Hill, Cox Architecture, Hassell, Anna Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Gorman, John Ellway, Kerry and Lindsay Clare, Marc and Co, Baber Studio, Kerstin Thompson, Lyons and Richard Kirk amongst others. Additionally, the technical and environmental streams feature various site visits to under construction and completed projects, and manufacturing and fabrication facilities. These include precast concrete, steel fabrication, glass system manufacturing, timber milling and brick making facilities. All of these trips are complemented by the international study tour which exposes our students to a deeper cultural and social discourse. Whilst didactic methods of teaching play a role in the pedagogical strategy of the school, visiting projects and experiencing them first hand is fundamental to any strong and progressive architectural education. This is clearly evident in the outcomes and experience of our current students and graduates. Matthew Eagle

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Design Charrette

Architecture is a creative endeavour that always requires close collaboration with others. For this reason, and as an excellent introduction for new students, we have established a tradition of starting every academic year with an intense three-day design charrette. This involves all students working in design teams that span all levels of the education, from first semester undergraduates just commencing their studies, through to final semester Master’s thesis students. These annual design charrettes are led by renowned practitioners and architectural educators as a form of Master Class. In January 2016 the design charrette was led by leading architect and academic, Peter Skinner, who was previously Professor of Architecture at the University of Queensland and President of the Australian Institute of Architects in Queensland. The brief for the 2016 design charrette was an actual design competition for public amenities on the Sunshine Coast. The 2017 Abedian School of Architecture design charrette, was entitled Vantage Points and was led by Peter Stutchbury, recipient of the Gold Medal for Architecture in 2015 and one of Australia’s leading architects, recognised nationally and internationally for his lyrical and innovative approach to sustainability and design across a wide range of educational, industrial and residential projects. The brief that he presented to the students was to design modest structures that articulate the experience of Burleigh Heads, and provide appropriate basic amenities at certain selected vantage points. The design proposals were also to provide framed views of the landscape, and took into consideration the indigenous cultural narratives and significance of their location. Adrian Carter

“Collaboration across the various student levels is very important – it’s a healthy thing for the school to do. There’s a wonderful sharing of knowledge and friendship that ensues.” Peter Stutchbury

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Design Communications

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In the Design Communications curriculum students explore a wide range of topics from traditional hand drawing and sketching through to the most recent developments in building information modelling, computational design, digital fabrication, and virtual and augmented reality. Within each course students examine the history and future of representation and the role it plays in architectural practice. Students are also encouraged to develop new skills and simultaneously experiment with workflows in drawing, software, fabrication, and assembly. The Design Communications program is tightly integrated into the larger curriculum. It relates closely to work done in the design studios, as well as the technical subjects, and is also strongly tied to the fabrication laboratory. Jonathan Nelson

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Fab Lab and Robotics Lab

Fab Lab: Located between the architecture building and the robotics laboratory is a fully-equipped and full-service workshop which features cutting edge digital technology, including 3D printing, CNC laser and routing, as well as a fully equipped analogue workshop for timber, plastics, polymers, and metals. Integral to the teaching philosophy at the School is the idea of Design Through Making, which is why we strongly encourage experimentation, prototyping, and building as part of the design process. Students produce artifacts at all scales, from 3D printed custom parts to architectural models, to full scale mockups and entire display pavilions. Robotics Laboratory: In establishing ourselves as pioneers in innovation, the Abedian School was one of the first architecture schools in Australia to embrace the vast potential of robotics in the fields of design and construction. In 2014 we brought our first multi-axis industrial robot, and we have been expanding the capabilities of the laboratory ever since. Our current setup includes a fit-for-purpose robot room, including three robots of varying sizes from a 6kg payload to 185kg, each with a wide range of end effectors. The largest of the three robots is mounted on a five metre mobile track. The robotics laboratory gives students access to cutting edge equipment, with which they can drive innovation in architecture by exploring the space between design and construction. Jonathan Nelson

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History and Theory of Architecture

“The goal of the lectures is to familiarise the students with the wide range of examples and theories interrelated to the global architectural heritage, including vernacular traditions, in order to develop the students’ design thinking skills.”

Supervised Independent Study

The teaching of History and Theory at the Abedian School of Architecture begins in the very first semester with the subject covering architectural history from ancient times through to the 1800s. It then continues in the second semester, and ends up with the most recent architecture across the world. The goal of the lectures is to familiarise the students with the wide range of examples and theories interrelated to the global architectural heritage, including vernacular traditions, in order to develop the students’ design thinking skills. The teaching is linked to concurrent design studio, architectural technology, environmental studies and design communication subjects. In the history subject, each student produces critical analyses of a given building by the means of individual research, which leads to a presentation, a physical model and an essay on its primary features. Engagement with architectural precedents and their informing ideas is intended to encourage critical thinking and to inspire design excellence. This ability in critical analyses and investigation of these themes is reinforced in the philosophy of design subject in the final semester of the undergraduate program, which develops competencies, both in theoretical understanding and design synthesis on a higher level of application. Through the analytical study of selected architects and canonical works of architecture, with particular focus on their experiential qualities, tectonic attributes, morphological conditions, and underlying theories, the students form their own critical strategies as architectural designers. In the postgraduate theory subjects, the focus is on deepening the students’ understanding of architecture within its interdisciplinary realm. Contemporary architectural theory therefore includes lectures on the various schools of thought during the late-20th and early-21st centuries as they relate to the discipline of architecture. Most importantly, the aim is to develop each student’s own design methodology through individual and literary circle readings, which each of them applies to reflecting, writing, presenting and diagramming. This supports their quest to contextualise a proposal for a possible thesis inquiry by providing a theoretical foundation for it. Finally, the research analysis and representation subject entails the many paradigms of design research, also called evidence-based design or practice-based research, by introducing the primary methods of architectural inquiry with both quantitative and qualitative data generation. The ultimate objective is to provide the students with skills in research, representation and visual communication needed to justify their design solutions in the forthcoming Master’s design thesis and to produce the majority of its written component prior to the thesis semester. Marja Sarvimäki

Supervised Independent Study acts as a research seminar for students to pursue and develop an approach to speculative enquiry using the agency of architectural design and representation techniques. Iterations of the seminar have been run with an instructor-led emphasis upon technology and its impact upon society and the discipline. In the most recent offering of Supervised Independent Study, students were asked to examine the emergence of a specific technological influence looking five decades into the past, and then responding to this technology by forecasting its potential role and impact five decades into the future. Drones, additive manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, vertical agriculture, and surveillance systems are examples of topics explored under this framework, which resulted in provocative results and were demonstrated through the making of designed artefacts such as drawings, models, constructs, and animations. Chris Knapp

Samara Hayes

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Technical Studies

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Collectively the subject aims to equip our graduates with a broad construction vocabulary and critical thinking skills which can be equally valued both in traditional and future models of practice.â&#x20AC;?

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A learning through making pedagogy strongly underpins the technical studies stream of the curriculum. Exercises include: full-scale wall constructions; brick laying and making workshops; carpentry demonstrations; scale models and visits to construction sites, and fabrication and manufacturing plants. The work of the students in this subject is undertaken in a collaborative manner, and often utilises the fully equipped and staffed Fab Lab workshop. Guest lecturers form a key component of the content delivery. These people are specialists in the such domains as: structural and services engineering; construction and project management; carpentry; furniture making; brick laying and making; glass and steel. Additionally, the advancement of learning and teaching methods has been a strong focus for the technical studies subjects, with the use of contemporary social media and online platforms to further enhance the student learning experience and outcomes. In the context of the wider program, the communications, technical, and studio subjects are highly integrated to enable the application of relevant knowledge and skill development in digital programs such as Rhino, Revit and Grasshopper and more traditional analogue model making and drawing techniques. Collectively the subject aims to equip our graduates with a broad construction vocabulary and critical thinking skills which can be equally valued both in traditional and future models of practice. Matthew Eagle

Environmental Studies

Environmental studies embodies key topics associated with society, climate, culture, experience and materiality, and is regarded as a critical aspect of the design process. Exercises vary from fundamental experiential aspects and basic passive design methods in the formative years of the degree to more complex quantitative simulations and calculations utilising digital, physical and analogue methods of representation in the latter. Services design is also integrated into the coursework to provide a broad knowledge base and vocabulary to equip graduates with the ability to converse and collaborate with consultants. The hands-on and practice based nature of the curriculum is reinforced with site visits to exemplary built work, and guest lectures from eminent practitioners and industry experts. This enables our students to gain knowledge in a traditional studio environment and apply it first hand in the real world. Environmental studies is also highly integrated with the communications, technology and design studio subjects to enable critical application of the coursework and integration with digital and analogue methods of building simulation. It aims to provides a variety of skills that underpin a broad knowledge base for use in both traditional and emerging forms of practice. Vanessa Menadue

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Contributors

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Afterword

Architecture has such a profound role to play in the well-being of society, that it is ever more important that the coming generation of architects have the ideals, creative vision and skills to rise to increasing challenges ahead. Good architecture provides all of us with an inspiring frame for human experience and interaction, cultural identity and a sense of belonging in time and space. To achieve that, design in architecture needs to be engaged not only with resolving the basic functional needs of humanity, but also the equally essential need to touch and raise the human spirit. To echo the school defining sentiments of our patron Dr Soheil Abedian, architecture is concerned with the poetic, aesthetic, experiential and emotional betterment of our lives. To be a good architect therefore requires a deeply humane idealism and cultural understanding, combined with a creative, aesthetic and spatial imagination, as well as practical knowledge of how to actually realise oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visions. Many of those qualities are innate in our students and have been further engendered by the inspiring quality of our own poetically sculptural building and the collaborative social camaraderie of the studio culture that it encourages, together with the engaged teaching of our talented staff. Other aspects of our graduatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; potential as future architects will develop and more fully emerge as they go out into the world, gaining necessary first-hand experience of significant architecture and practical expertise, through professional practice. With the idealism, creative vision and architectural skills demonstrated in this review, we can all have high hopes of the architecture to come from our graduates. Professor Adrian Carter MAA (Denmark), PhD (AAU) Head of Discipline, Professor of Architecture

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RICHARD HASSELL

thingsmatter

Abedian School of Architecture

SAVINEE BURANASILAPIN & TOM DANNECKER

Special Guest Lecture

9:00am Thursday 3 March 2016

LECTURE SERIES 2017 All talks at the Abedian School of Architecture are free admission and open to the public. Alternate locations are as noted. Refreshments at 6:00 for a 6:30 start for all events unless noted otherwise. To register for an event, please visit bond.edu.au/archlectureseries. Abedian School of Architecture, Building 3B, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia.

bond.edu.au/archlectureseries

The Forum Abedian School of Architecture

21/01

19/02

04/03

10/03

PAUL PHOLEROS, PAUL PHOLEROS ARCHITECTS & HEALTHHABITAT, SYDNEY

LANDSCAPE SEMINAR

RICHARD HASSELL, WOHA, SINGAPORE

THIBAULT SCHWARTZ, HAL ROBOTICS, PARIS AND LONDON

SPEKTRUM ARKITEKTER SUE ANNE WARE KEVIN O’BRIEN MARIANNE KRISTENSEN CARTER PLUMMER & SMITH GERARD MCCORMICK

Presentation at the Asia Pacific Architecture Forum, GOMA, Brisbane Sponsored by BatesSmart