Courtesy of Boaz Nothman
Sitting in the UTS Chau Chuk theatre, I had the privilege of watching Richard Leplastrier take notes throughout the presentations. Perhaps there is a point to note taking – Michael Muir & Andrew Leach certainly believe so!
Rick Joy
(Tucson, Arizona)
Rick spoke to his atmospheric architecture, rooted in vibrant landscapes throughout the USA. Rick finds methods to draw the essence of a place into a sculptural (and often striking) buildings.
He assured us of his discomfort travelling through the Australian outback – but his connection to his place, provided a lens through which he could connect to the unfamiliar.
Marina Tabassum
(Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Marina shared insight across such varied typologies of buildings – with a touch much lighter than Rick Joy (not surprisingly!). Marina explained her dedication to housing asylum seekers occupying a shifting river delta that disappears every four years.
The response to this unknown context was a system rather than a building, designing joints to support structural frameworks – optimised for bamboo (free and plentiful). Furthermore, the system prioritises dismantling and moving – a system with lasting impact rather than an exclamation with a shelf life.
Niall McLaughlin
(Dublin, Ireland)
Niall shared wonderful insight into the experience of 'otherness': where broken down begun to reveal similarity and universal experience. He structured his presentation by comparing a 'lesson' from his Australian journey, paired with a project where this lesson manifests.
I could listen to him for hours.
House Ten
Catalhoyuk, Anatolia.
(7500-6300 BCE)
Multigenerational living – protected through procession and cultural exchange.
