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
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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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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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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… According to the world's leading colourexperts, Pantone’s colourof the year 'Tangerine Tango’marries the vivaciousness of red with the friendliness and warmth of yellow, providing the energy boost we need to rechargeand move forward. 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