FORM section of the February 2013 Adelaide Review

the adelaide REVIEW FEBRuary 2013

FORM DESIGN

PLANNING

INNOVATION

Daniel Emma

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects

daniel emma The local design couple on their global achievements

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rethinking cities Steffen Lehmann will direct the new OzChina sustainable urban research centre

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this month Your guide to this month’s design, planning and innovation events

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the adelaide REVIEW february 2013

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Daniel To and Emma Aiston

Daniel Emma Leanne Amodeo

W

hen Daniel Emma won the prestigious Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award (BSDDA) in 2010 it made a lot of people stand up and take notice; not that anyone should have been surprised. Since graduating from the University of South Australia’s industrial design course in 2007 the husband and wife design duo of Daniel To and Emma Aiston were already appearing on international design radars. In 2009 Wallpaper* magazine had them picked as emerging designers to watch and in that same year they were runners up in the BSDDA. Their 2010 win was a watershed moment from which commissions followed. “Winning the award was a stepping stone for us,” To says. “And it was a goal that we were adamant we needed to achieve.”

It also generated a lot of media interest in the Rosewater-based designers, with much of the attention focusing on their decision to remain in Adelaide. “We lived in London for two years following graduation and we came back to get married,” Aiston explains. “We were going to go away again but stayed. Living in Adelaide allows us to have a comfortable lifestyle while still being able to save that little bit of extra money, which means we can travel.” The decision to remain may have been a personal one, but it also serves them professionally by creating a point of difference with international suppliers and manufacturers only familiar with Sydney and Melbourne.

Daniel Emma’s other major point of difference is the scale in which they work. At a time when so many industrial designers are creating larger scale work, To and Aiston’s vessels and objects are a refreshing change of pace. Amusingly, the choice to design on a small scale may have initially been borne of necessity due to a lack of space. “We lived in a small flat in London and we didn’t have a car, so we had to take the Tube everywhere,” To laughs. Whatever the impetus, the savvy design duo soon realised that no-one else was making desk accessories and so they carved out their niche. Not to be pigeon-holed, however, To and Aiston’s most recent collections are not for the desk.

Their Sweets collection, which was exhibited in Vera Chapter 2 at the 2012 London Design Festival, consists of a vase, container and candlestick. It is an elegantly resolved expression of form and colour that exemplifies what Daniel Emma does best. Each product is breathtaking in its exacting simplicity and surprising in its robust solidity. Sweets also raises questions of influence via its vaguely 1980s postmodern Memphis aesthetic. According to Aiston, however, Daniel Emma’s influences are closer to home. “We’re not necessarily influenced by particular international designers or movements. We’re just designing things that we like and the things that influence these designs are from our everyday life.”

To maintain a broad design perspective, To and Aiston travel to Europe once a year, which also allows them the opportunity to reconnect with their many networks. It means they are

“

We’re not necessarily influenced by particular international designers or movements. We’re just designing things that we like and the things that influence these designs are from our everyday life."

the adelaide REVIEW FEBRuary 2013

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form regular exhibitors at both the London Design Festival and Milan Furniture Fair, and it was at the latter that they were invited by Wallpaper* magazine in 2012 to collaborate with Guerlain as part of the Handmade exhibition. Creating a collection of polished brass and aluminium dressing table accessories allowed To and Aiston to design a series of unexpected sculptural casings for the cosmetic giant. “We always like to create some sort of surprise in everything we do,” To says.

But perhaps the biggest surprise is yet to come with Daniel Emma exhibiting a collection of furniture towards the end of this year.

To and Aiston will be part of an exhibition curated by the Jacky Winter Group and held in the collective’s Lamington Drive gallery in Melbourne. “Up until recently we haven’t had the space to make anything bigger, but we have a studio now,” says To. Daniel Emma is also currently working on a number of different projects with local companies and these will come to fruition towards the end of the year.

“We also have the London Design Festival as a goal,” says Aiston. “And Milan… we only had a six to eight week turnaround period with the Guerlain project last year. So we never know, something might come up…” And judging by Daniel Emma’s recent successes it’s a sure bet to say that something will come up.

daniel-emma.com

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the adelaide REVIEW february 2013

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Tianjin

Rethinking cities The University of South Australia has teamed up with China’s Tianjin University in developing the new China–Australia Research Centre for Sustainable Urban Development (CAC_SUD) to address the challenges and opportunities surrounding urban growth in the 21st century.

Cities of tomorrow Urbanisation in Asian societies involves hundreds of millions of people—many times the number of Australia’s current population. The scale and pace of urban growth in China is a defining feature for many countries in the 21st century, with

The Asian Century

profound implications for people everywhere.

The Asia-Pacific region has seen rapid growth on

It will be crucial how the Asia-Pacific transforms

an unprecedented scale, drawing focus to a region

and develops its urban growth and that the region

that is ambitious for economic advancement. China

adopts a sustainable approach to city development.

has a strong awareness of sustainability issues

Cities in the Asia-Pacific will need to be kept

and a willingness to address these issues. With

dynamic, inclusive, complex and vibrant, but also

China’s transformation to a knowledge-based

healthy and resilient, ensuring wellbeing of their

society, the global centre of gravity has started

urban citizens, democratic participation processes

to shift to the Asia-Pacific region. Australia is no

of their residents and sustainable flows; these flows

Steffen Lehmann

The China–Australia Centre for Sustainable

longer orientated toward Britain and Europe as

need to go beyond flow of data and money to

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Urban Development at the University of South

it was in the earlier part of the last century. In the

include the sustainable flow of resources, materials,

hen Australia’s chief scientist,

Australia (UniSA) has been developed to find just

21st century, Australia’s relationship with Asia is

energy, transport, water, biodiversity, nutrients and

Professor Ian Chubb, recently

those solutions – to the world’s environmental

characterised by an openness to and integration

food – cycling energy and material (waste) flows.

launched his National

concerns and the challenges and opportunities of

with the region, which have accelerated over

This goes far beyond the conventional thinking

Research Investment Plan,

the Asian Century. The Centre is part of a strategy

the past four decades and laid the foundation

of aesthetics and functional city form; it is about

some comments he made strongly resonated with

to develop close research and educational links

for Australians to benefit from the opportunities

the longer-term sustainability of urban settlements.

me. Chubb said, “The most pressing concerns

with top universities and municipalities in

stemming from the region – such as the surge

For forward-looking academics it is essential

for Australian researchers were responding to a

China, with a view to establishing a sustainable

in resource demand, rapid urbanisation and the

to engage in the region and think beyond mere

changing planet and the challenges of the Asian

engagement for UniSA in a country that is

rising middle class in Asia. As China’s middle class

low value-adding commodity exports. There are

Century”, and “… we need to be in there right now

becoming increasingly important in science,

increases, so too does their disposable income and

dangers from growing pollution and greenhouse

seeking solutions to some of these challenges”.

technology and design.

consumption levels.

gas emissions; with ever-growing energy

DAVID SIEVERS PHOTOGRAPHY Accredited AIPP Master Photographer Top 10 Architectural Photographers in Australia (Capture Magazine 2010) National multi-award winning davidsievers.com

South Australia Police Headquarters Commercial & General / Woodhead / Isis

the adelaide REVIEW FEBRuary 2013

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form will need to develop better incentives for people to

technology communities are crucial to supporting

take action to protect our ecosystems, which we risk

Australia’s ability to access new ideas and to build

destroying if we follow the consumption patterns of

our future competitiveness.

the last two decades. This is particularly interesting

The interdisciplinary research program of

with regard to China’s increasing role as consumer

the Centre focuses on the current state and the

and Australia’s as provider of natural resources.

transformative potential of cities in the Asia-Pacific

In general, there are two solutions for this: see the

region. The Centre investigates the systemic design

necessity to change ahead of time and adapt by

and engineering challenges and potentials of the

making changes; or don’t make the changes and

urban environment in the 21st century.

be finally forced to anyway.

“

The aim of the Centre is to build a worldclass multidisciplinary research-intensive centre, focusing on sustainable urban development.

It explores strategies to enhance urban sustainability practices and policies in China, Australia and other cities in the Asia-Pacific region.”

consumption, China now accounts for over a

for Sustainable Urban Development.

The Centre fosters the exchange of academic

Technology must always be embedded into a

staff and students, joint research projects and the

societal framework to be effective. The collaboration

joint supervision of PhD students, and provides

signifies the universities’ commitment to furthering

consultancy services to industry and government.

China’s socially sustainable urban growth and

Research areas that relate to urbanisation include:

to local contributions that tackle global issues.

sustainable buildings, urban ecology, public space,

The role of technology alone is hereby limited.

urban heat stress and the impacts of climate change.

While technological innovation has served to

Research projects underway include the use of

reduce the impact of some long-term problems –

timber for better high-rise infill developments;

for instance, new technologies have dramatically

zero waste construction using prefabrication; and

increased harvests and improved access to

exploring urban heat island mitigation strategies

education – technology doesn’t invent itself and

for cities in China and Australia.

these achievements are always the result of decades

Architecture, urbanism, environmental

of hard work and investment in research programs.

engineering, ecology and landscape architecture

The aim is also to scale up technologies, from

are some of the most potent disciplines available to

the building level to low carbon precincts, and

us to remake our cities as dynamic, meaningful and

potentially to influence urbanisation activity in our

sustainable cultural artefacts. The Centre aspires to be

Asian neighbourhood. The biggest opportunity for

a living laboratory for urban exploration, influenced

emission reductions is in cities and buildings. Some

by the geographical, cultural and historical position

of the biggest challenges are to understand what

in relation to the Asia-Pacific region.

drives human behaviour and bottom-up changes

An urban sustainability training program to be

– behaviour change to reduce consumption and

launched at the Centre in 2013 will offer intensive

mobilise shifts in consumption patterns.

training in Australia and China, and aims to provide

quarter of all global greenhouse gas emissions.

The aim of the Centre is to build a world-class

Innovation and expertise in sustainable processes

multidisciplinary research-intensive centre,

have become more important than ever for

focusing on sustainable urban development. It

Sharing the commitment to urban sustainability

practical knowledge to Chinese municipal leaders

Australia in finding avenues through which to

explores strategies to enhance urban sustainability

with Tianjin University allows us to develop urban

on enhancing sustainability efforts. In February

engage with the Asia-Pacific region.

practices and policies in China, Australia and other

sustainability training programs through an

2013 will be the China-Australia Symposium on

cities in the Asia-Pacific region. Leading experts

integrated collaborative approach.

Sustainable Urbanisation in Adelaide, to be opened

The China–Australia Centre

and practitioners in urban sustainability will

Tianjin University – ranked in the top one per cent in

engage governments, businesses and other experts

Research

the country – is in Tianjin, a city of 12 million people

to help solve challenges such as how municipalities

A growing proportion of global scientific research

located around 30 minutes by high-speed rail from

can better incorporate urban sustainability into

is taking place in Asia, countries in the region have

Steffen Lehmann is Professor of Sustainable

Beijing, and which the Chinese Government

their strategic plans. The success of urbanisation

world-class research infrastructure and capabilities

Design at the University of South Australia

identifies as a science ‘cluster’ city. There is a strong

in the Asia-Pacific will be critical to its economic

and the scope for mutually beneficial research is

and director of the China–Australia Centre for

synergy and overlay between both universities

and social development.

considerable. China has more researchers than any

Sustainable Urban Development

cooperating through the China–Australia Centre

Governments and municipalities in the Asia-Pacific

by the Premier of South Australia.

other country and partnerships with research and

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the adelaide REVIEW february 2013

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This month The Adelaide Review’s guide to what’s happening in design, planning and innovation

Retail Breakfast - Property Council

Planning Institute of SA - Reboot Series

Wednesday, February 6

Design Festival 2013

Splash Adelaide - Vacant Space

Registrations close Monday, February 4

Sunday, February 10

adelaidecitycouncil.com

splashadelaide.com.au

propertyoz.com.au

Shaping Policy – Strategic Directions

Thursday, February 21

Retail sales took a hammering in 2012 as

planning.org.au

The New Architects and Graduates group

Vacant Space is an open-air twilight street

consumer confidence stayed in a post-GFC

(NAG) and Adelaide City Council have formed

art market that reflects the colour, life and

ditch. But in some quarters retail property

The Reboot Training seminar series will

a partnership to rethink the way public space is

vibrancy that street art adds to unused spaces.

fundamentals firmed; so what is going on,

bring together speakers with recognised

procured and used in Adelaide. A key element

Vacant Space has been created as a temporary

and what does 2013 hold? The Property

expertise in their field in planning to

of this partnership is a design competition,

artistic hub and marketplace in each inner-

Council’s Retail Outlook Breakfast will

deliver a series of five lectures in the first

Design Festival, which will display and promote

city square. Held every second Sunday of

supply you with the market intelligence you

half of 2013. This is an opportunity to

Adelaide’s emerging design talent. If you are

the month, check out Adelaide’s newest hub

need to make your property investment

check your practice skills and update your

a designer with strong ideas about how South

fostering local creativity and talent with a

and management plays. Keynote presenter

working knowledge by way of in depth

Australia’s capital city could improve its public

variety of competitions and performance

is renowned economic commentator Paul

analysis of issues and practical examples.

spaces, form a team with other designers – this is

spaces that encourage collaborations within

Bloxham from HSBC.

your chance to be heard!

the art community and general public.

Recharge & Move Forward…

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Dane Arm Chair

Jensen Sofa

A perfect burst into spring, Design Furniture presents this uplifting colourin an exciting new‘Danish Retro’ collection.

Our award winning collection is beautifully complimented with a retrospect look at the Australian legendary designer Florence Broadhurst, whose life crossed over with the Danish Retro Period.

Florence’s work is in increasing demand as a new generation embraces the talents of such a captivating woman whose legacy will no doubt live on for many years to come.

Visit us at www.designfurniture.com.au.

Matisse Chair

Klein Sofa

TURNE R 72

the adelaide REVIEW february 2013

FEATURE

FROM THE TATE

THE MAKING OF A MASTER

8 February – 19 May 2013

A RT G A L L E RY O F S O U T H AU S T R A L I A See the world through the eyes of Britain’s most celebrated painter, J.M.W. Turner.

Experience Turner’s powerful and dazzling masterpieces up close in the first major Australian exhibition of his work in almost 20 years.

Avoid the queues. Book at PRESENTED BY

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

bass.net.au 131 246

ORGANISED BY

EXHIBITION AND MEDIA PARTNERS

PART OF THE 2013 ADELAIDE FESTIVAL

detail: J.M.W. Turner, Peace – Burial at Sea, exhibited 1842 © Tate, 2013