TALK: Design Matters: Adapt at Robin Boyd Foundation
“Concrete, marble, steel, brick: little else made by human hands seems as stable, as immutable, as a building. Yet the life of any structure is neither fixed nor timeless.” – Edward Hollis, The Secret Lives of Buildings (2009)
Hosted by the Robin Boyd Foundation at the Walsh Street residence, Design Matters: Adapt is a panel discussion with guest convenor Julian Kosloff and speakers Mauro Baracco, Ingrid Bakker, Jocelyn Chiew and Ross Harding. The discussion will bring together ideas on what adaptive reuse means in the perspective of design, planning and how it can be applied to transform existing vacant typologies into housing. The life of a building, cycle of materials and consideration of building new footprint on valuable space will be investigated through an environmental lens.
Speakers:
Julian Kosloff, Kosloff Architecture
Julian Kosloff has been a Founding Director of architectural practices for over twenty years. Over this time, he’s been Director-in-charge of numerous award-winning projects in public and private sectors, encompassing urban design, institutional, educational, commercial and residential architecture. Julian is actively involved with RMIT University, University of Monash and the University of Melbourne through lecturing, guest critic and moderating roles. He sees architecture as the medium for compelling narratives and distinctive outcomes that can be embraced by all stakeholders. Reaching an outcome that is both ambitious and tailored to the needs of each client, requires the assembly of the right team.
Ingrid Bakker, Hassell
Ingrid has worked in architecture and interior design for more than 25 years and for more than half that time she’s been helping turn Hassell into the competitive, international design practice it is today. Ingrid has led teams on a large variety of workplace, residential, hospitality, retail and commercial projects and is highly experienced in project delivery and client liaison. Ingrid is a vocal advocate for gender balance in design. She is on the Awards Committee at the Australian Institute of Architects and in 2022 was admitted as a Life Fellow in their Victorian Honours. She has been a guest lecturer at RMIT and UQ universities and she sits on the Property Council of Australia’s 2023-2024 Victorian Division Council and is Chair of their Commercial Office Committee.
Jocelyn Chiew, City of Melbourne
Jocelyn Chiew is an Architect, Landscape Architect and Urban Designer. As Director City Design at the City of Melbourne, she plays a key role in creating and enabling inclusive, sustainable and enduring public spaces. Jocelyn leads the city’s in-house multidisciplinary design practice. City Design plans, designs and delivers council strategies and public works, and provides design review for significant development proposals. Jocelyn also leads the city’s Design Excellence Program and is Deputy Chair of the Melbourne Design Review Panel. Her industry appointments include member of the Victorian Design Review Panel, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, member of Gender Equity Victoria’s Put Her Name on It Reference Group, and former State and National Councillor at the Australian Institute of Architects.
Mauro Baracco, Baracco+Wright Architects
Mauro Baracco, architect, PhD, is a director of Baracco+Wright Architects (B+W, est. 2004) and their related research laboratory B+W+. He teaches and researches: formerly an Associate Professor at RMIT (1996-2020), he is currently University Fellow to RMIT, Teaching Associate at MADA and Visiting Professor at Polimi Milan. Mauro is also a member of the Boyd Circle Founding Group at the Robin Boyd Foundation. His interest in the local has developed from historical and cultural to include ecological relationships of the built and unbuilt environment. He is interested in a role for architecture that can extend its relationship with the natural world towards one that considers all life. Together with Louise Wright, the other director of Baracco+Wright Architects, they build, unbuild, rearrange and support buildings and living things. Recently they have been researching the role of reuse and removal of built form in the reimagining of the city.
Ross Harding, Finding Infinity
Ross is the Principal of Finding Infinity. After living and working as a consultant in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Stockholm, Mexico & Berlin, he has helped to push the limits environmentally on some of the world’s most advanced projects. Finding Infinity, his firm, provides advice and cost/benefit analysis on architectural projects ranging from houses to citywide masterplans & ski resorts. His primary focus is on the financial viability and inevitability of self-sufficient cities. Ross & his team work together with developers to demonstrate that we no longer need to make a negative impact on the environment to make a profit. Internationally recognised architecture firms include Foster + Partners, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Adjaye Associates & Grimshaw Architects.
This event forms part of an ongoing discussion following the Affordable Housing Matters Forum,