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Rediscover DesignEX, Australia’s longest-running design and architecture event, held in Melbourne from 30 May to 1 June 2013. With industry-leading brands in furniture, textiles, lighting, architecture, bathrooms, surfaces & finishes, as well as seminars and workshops, independently curated features and a host of new brand alliances.

PHOOEY Architects are designing & building the Seminar Theatre, where the DesignEX Speaker Series will be held.

PHOOEY Director, Emma Young will speak about Adaptation and Re-Use.

Emma will discuss PHOOEY’s unique upcycling principles of re-use and adaptation as demonstrated in some of their recently delivered projects. In particular she will discuss the newly completed Cubo house, Fitzroy North, which applies the surrealist technique of Cubomania to catalogue, re-use and re-invent the demolished building materials.

When:

11am Friday 31st May
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Link to the DesignEX website for bookings

The materialisation of built form is but one strand in the complex web of our discipline. Architecture’s material presence weaves around individual experience and defines the fabric of the city. The 2013 Conference will explore contemporary applications and ideas surrounding material in architecture.

- Is fog an architectural material?

- Could a building be made entirely from used materials gathered within a one-kilometre radius of the site?

- What would a brick answer to a robot that asks “what do you want to be?

- Is there a contemporary context for re-using historic material, for spolia?

- In the wake of asbestos, what scope is there for architects to experiment with new materials?

- Can a material be used in such a way that it goes unnoticed or contradicts our expectations?

Speakers:

Kathrin Aste, LAAC Architects
Lucia Cano, SelgasCano Arquitectos
Billie Faircloth, KTRG
Manuelle Gautrand, Manuelle Gautrand Architecture
Tim Greer, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer
Matthias Kohler, Gramazio and Kohler
Carey Lyon, Lyons
Ma Yansong, MAD architects
Jorge Otero-Pailos, Future Anterior
Cesare Peeren, Superuse Studios
Philippe Rahm, Rahm Architectes
Virginia San Fratello, Rael San Fratello
Nader Tehrani, NADAAA
Emma Young, PHOOEY Architects

PHOOEY Director, Emma Young will speak about Adaptation and Re-Use.

Emma will discuss PHOOEY’s unique upcycling principles of re-use and adaptation as demonstrated in some of their recently delivered projects. In particular she will discuss the newly completed Cubo house, Fitzroy North, which applies the surrealist technique of Cubomania to catalogue, re-use and re-invent the demolished building materials.

When:

2pm Friday 31st May
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre

Link to the Australian Institute of Architects website for bookings

“Strategic Drift: when incrementalism becomes palliative care”, by Ed di Collalto, Sustainbiz & with guest, Emma Young, PHOOEY Architects.

The logic underpinning the strategic agenda of business today is founded on the same assumptions about reality that Adam Smith had when he wrote the Wealth of Nations in 1776.

Many initiatives such as Corporate Social Responsibility, Shared Value, The Natural Step or Triple Bottom Line reporting only make sense if they act to move us to new assumptions about what’s happening outside. If they don’t, then at best we drift, at worst… well, what’s life without a Jack Welch quote?

“If the rate of change on the outside exceeds the rate of change on the inside, the end is near.”

But changing the inside is hard, incredibly hard, which is why 120 years of economic history has taught us one thing: economic growth is driven by the entry and exit of firms. That is, firms don’t innovate, markets innovate.

Along with guest Emma Young of PHOOEY Architects, this session will explore how not to repeat history. Emma will speak about the principals of “Re-use & Adaptation”, a strategy utilised in the work of PHOOEY Architects.

Why do most people, during the course of their building projects, throw so much useful & potentially beautiful stuff away?

Adaptation & re-use is the process whereupon discarded items are re-used to create products of higher value than the original & which are usually for a purpose other than that originally intended.

PHOOEY Architects value the old & off-cut materials which would otherwise be discarded and are creative enough to transform them into bespoke building elements.

While this process can cost the same or more than the alternative practice of discarding & replacing, PHOOEY believe it is eminently more fulfilling than throwing good stuff into the bin.

PHOOEY’s clients receive the benefits of bespoke design, resilient materials & a shared history. The environment benefits from less consumption & less waste.

When:

9am – 5pm, Thursday 7th March
AMP, 750 Collins Street, Docklands, Melbourne

8.30am – 5pm, Thursday 14th March
Dockside, The Balcony Level, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney

Link to the Hargraves Institute for bookings

Located next to the Edinburgh Gardens (Fitzroy North), this project comprises alterations and additions to an existing double storey heritage-listed dwelling.

The small & dysfunctional rear portion of the existing house has been demolished & is being replaced with a new contemporary and sustainable three storey house (including basement). The front double storey Victorian section will be entirely retained & upgraded.

The house suffers from limited solar access as it is the southern component of a semi-detached house. The responding design includes a central light-well which delivers natural light & air to the basement & all adjacent spaces via a window wall made of salvaged existing windows.

The old stair which presented safety concerns has been removed. Some of its salvaged elements will be fashioned into a chandelier, and some into a loft bed to provide bedtime fun for the smaller occupants. The new bespoke stair spirals above & below to create a voluminous entry foyer & connect all levels.

The concept applies the surrealist technique “Cubomania” to catalogue, re-use & re-invent the demolished building materials. This technique is evident in the external brickwork & corresponding adjacent landscape and is followed through within the various carefully detailed internal spaces.

Practical Completion is due in early April, 2013.

Speed Date a Sustainable Designer brings together Australia’s leading architects and building designers in the one spot so that you can meet and discuss your plans in a relaxed “no obligations” environment.

When:

3pm, Sunday 17 February 2013
The Greenhouse
Birrarung Marr, Melbourne

Link to the Alternative Technology Association for bookings

Kernohan, K 2013, ‘Self-contained living: Shipping Container Reuse’, Renew, Issue 122, Jan/Mar, pp 36-37

The best of Victoria’s history has been based on aspiration, ambition & a focus on building for future generations. That has been the case since the first settlers – though few in number – used the resources available in those golden years to lay down the most extraordinary legacy of great institutions, businesses & architecture.

Magnificent buildings such as Parliament House, the Treasury, Government House & the many town halls, courthouses & churches across Victoria are part of a collection unrivalled in other States. that our own Royal Exhibition Building is World Heritage-listed, though barely 130 years old, is fitting tribute to the core character of this State & our architectural traditions.

Great architects & great architecture continue to shape our cities & State. Architecture at its best speaks for itself. And that design effort is critical to maintaining & nurturing the liveability of our State. Victoria’s recent architectural history is as visionary & innovative as it has ever been. The reputation of our built environment continues to grow both at home & further afield.

Good design colours our lives – at every level, from large-scale public projects to the smallest details. Design is the backdrop to our daily lives. the best inspires, uplifts & delights. And our sense of community pride grows with each addition.

This book celebrates recent architectural projects across the State. It showcases work of many exceptional architects. It also shines a light on a new generation of inspired practitioners. Together with a series of essays that explore the work, the projects assembled here reflect upon the diversity of contexts, landscapes & people across metropolitan & regional Victoria, a diversity that is one of our State’s great strengths.

Momentum extends & renews our affection for the shared legacy of fine architects, forward thinkers, great public & private spaces & the pursuit of excellence.

Foreword by Premier Ted Baillieu

Published in Goad, Johnston, London, Murray, van Schaik, Tweeddale (eds) 2012, Momentum: New Victorian Architecture, The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne

The brief for this low-cost project was not only to exclusively use salvaged materials, but to find a purpose for every bit of scrap material and to produce zero waste.

Excerpt from Schittich, C (ed) 2012, Building Simply Two, Edition Detail, Institut fur internationale, Architektur-Dokumentation GmbH & Co.KG, Munich

Everyone’s an amateur environmentalist these days, but how many of us actually do much about it? Melbourne architects Peter Ho and Emma Young are helping lead the way in urban design, basing their whole business on sustainability.

PHOOEY Architects uses recycled materials where possible, incorporating the materials’ stories into their innovative projects. Among them is their eclectic but practical carpet couch, which uses remnant carpet rolls to create comfortable furniture doubling as works of art.

These design masterpieces are a terrific example of “upcycling”, which turns preloved materials into something more valuable. This philosophy is close to the hearts of everyone at PHOOEY.

Excerpt from
Critchley, C 2012,‘A quirky story about design’, The Weekly Review, 26 April

» Visit The Weekly Review for the whole story

GENI was founded upon the visionary work of Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). GENI – is an international non government, non profit organisation accredited with the United Nations & affiliated throughout the world. Predominantly serviced by enthusiastic & committed volunteers, GENI researches & disseminates information on the relationships between population development, the environment & energy issues, & promotes a practicable solution to the world’s most pressing problems through the global interconnection of renewable resource energy. Recent rapid advances in technology have made a global grid achievable & affordable right now, & GENI seeks to educate & inform the citizens of the world about the potential for peace & prosperity in a clean & sustainable environment, so that those with the power to make it happen will acknowledge the need to act decisively & do it, quickly!

Guests Appearing:

Joseph O’Brien (CEO, Hill Michael & Director, CopperString P/L)
Charles Kovess (Motivational Speaker & Trustee, GENI Foundation)
Peter Ho (Director, PHOOEY Architects)

When:

2-5pm, Sunday 3rd June
Mulgrave Country Club, Wheelers Hill
(cnr Wellington Rd & Jells Rd)

Link to the Geni Foundation for bookings

Emma Young, who, with PHOOEY Architects co-director Peter Ho, was involved with the Speed Date A Sustainable Designer event in Federation Square last month, says they try to focus on issues such as water collection, waste disposal, energy efficiency and selection of materials with every project.

“We are basically aiming to create zero waste,” she says. “It is affordable; it is just making clever choices; there are many sustainable products that are no more expensive, for example recycled material, plantation timber.”

Affordability is also about a home’s running costs, not just building costs, she says. So its orientation, a north-side veranda and cross-ventilation can save money on energy bills. They will also make a property more marketable in future. “Anyone who is designing a house and facing the prospect that one day they will sell it needs to consider sustainability because the market requires it.”

Ms Young said she and Mr Ho work to incorporate material offcuts in the design of a dwelling, for example, to create wall cladding, fences or light fittings, and to recycle material if there was an old home on the site.

“Recycling rarely saves money, but it is equivalent [to discarding and buying new] so why wouldn’t you choose it? Installing a solar system is not cheap, but over time pays for itself and everyone feels good about the fact that they are not wasteful.”

Excerpt from

Green, S 2012, Living in tune with nature, The Sunday Age: Domain, 22 April

» Read the whole article in The Sunday Age

here studio is very excited to bring you their first volume of Pecha Kucha for 2012!

Are you serious? Well, are you? Is it possible we’re taking things and ourselves a little too seriously these days?

The Comedy Festival hits Melbourne in April and they want to make you laugh.or at least make you think. Yes, life has a serious side and many of us design with it every day, but how about taking a step back for a moment?

What do you take seriously? What shouldn’t we take so seriously? What needs an injection of un-serious?

Seriously

Location: The Workers Club, cnr Brunswick & Gertrude Sts, Fitzroy
Date: Wednesday 18 April, doors open 6:30pm
Theme: Are you Serious?
Entry: $10 full / $7 concession

» Visit Pecha Kucha Melbourne

Rihan, X 2012, Architecture Report, HK Rihan Int’l Culture Spread Limited, Hong Kong

Are you renovating or building? Do you have plans & ideas you’d like to discuss with green architects or building designers?

A feature event of the Sustainable Living Festival in 2012, The Alternative Technology Association (ATA) would like to invite you to Speed Date A Sustainable Designer.

Speed Date a Sustainable Designer brings together Australia’s leading architects & building designers in the one spot so that you can meet & discuss your plans in a relaxed “no obligations” environment.

Sustainable Designers include:

Ande Bunbury Architects
Breathe Architecture
EME Design
F2 Design
Green Box Studio
Maxa Design
PHOOEY Architects
Planet Architecture
Positive Footprints
Solar Solutions
Steffen Welsch Architects
Sunpower Design
Third Ecology

Event Details:

Speed Date a Sustainable Designer
Sustainable Living Festival
1-3pm, Sunday 19th February
The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne

» Register for the event
» Visit the Alternative Technology Association website
» Visit the Sustainable Living Festival website

To celebrate Australia Day this year, PHOOEY Architects will be closed on Thursday 26th & Friday 27th January. We will re-open Monday 30th January. Urgent queries (which will be attended to daily) can be emailed to architects@phooey.com.au .

Happy Chinese New Year! May the year of the Dragon bring you unlimited vitality, roaring successes, energised challenges, happy family & great health!

Lend Lease are running seminars as part of their Summer Festival. Peter Ho will show home owners how to get their house looking its best for sale & how to get the best value out of it.

When:

10am, Saturday 21st January
Lend Lease Atherstone
Sales & Information Centre
Tab Corp Park, Ferris Road, Melton South VIC 3338
Contact: (03) 8746 5742

1pm, Saturday 21st January
Lend Lease Laurimar
Sales & Information Centre
5/95 Hazel Glen Drive, Doreen VIC 3754
Contact: (03) 9717 7012

11am, Sunday 22nd January
Lend Lease Lakeside
Sales & Information Centre
Lakeside Boulevard, Pakenham VIC 3810
Contact: (03) 5941 6000

We’re having a well deserved break from noon Friday 23rd December 2011 & will re-open Monday 16th January 2012. Urgent queries (which will be attended to daily) can be emailed to architects@phooey.com.au .

We hope you get that present you’ve been dreaming about all year & have a safe relaxing holiday.

PHOOEY Architects wishes you, your family & business a prosperous 2012.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration Acknowledgment: D. Gouliermis (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg)

For one evening, the Zelman Cowen building, also fondly known as ‘the studio’, will not only unveil the products of a long and fruitful year of study, but also exhibit the raw elements that furnish an architectural student’s life at The University of Queensland.

Please allow us to share with you the optimistic and ambitious perspective cultivated within building 51, and our passion for exploring architecture that informs/transforms/reforms everyday space.

When:
Drinks at 6pm
24th November 2011
Zelman Cowen Building (Building 51)
School of Architecture
University of Queensland
Brisbane

Summer Exhibition open:
24th November until 9th December 2011

The Patrons of Creativity Australia, Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC, DBE, Lady Marigold Southey AC, Professor Allan Fels AO, Hugh Morgan AC, Emeritus Professor John Hay AC, and Founder, Tania de Jong AM are delighted to invite you to Sing for your Supper, Creativity Australia Gala Dinner.

Be entertained, uplifted and inspired at the event of the year! Outstanding food, wine and song with some of the world’s most influential minds including Edward de Bono (UK), Raymond Kurzweil (USA), Daniel Dennett (USA), Brendan Boyle (USA), Paddy Miller (Spain) and many of Australia’s leading thinkers and innovators appearing at Creative Innovation 2011.

Rub shoulders with senior level corporates, members of government, personalities, media commentators and philanthropists while watching outstanding performances by Australia opera group Pot-Pourri, brilliant pianist Stefan Cassomenos and some of the With One Voice choirs, including Melbourne Sings. At the event we will offer some unique events and experiences.

Creativity Australia inspires people to find their voice by delivering creative programs that result in positive social and economic outcomes.

Creativity Australia’s With One Voice program deliberately brings together migrants, the unemployed, those with disabilities, depression and disadvantage,and general citizens and workers seeking to unlock their creative potential and make a difference.

The programs build bridges of understanding across all areas of society, providing opportunity for improved wellbeing, hope, joy, networking, mentorship and employment pathways. When many diverse voices come together as one voice on a regular basis, the outcomes are transformational. Members have already gained employment through improved self esteem, contacts and skills developed in these programs.

This fundraising dinner is critical to our ability to deliver programs to those who need it most. The entry ticket for the Gala Dinner includes a fully tax-deductible donation.

Your donation and support will help us in our mission to inspire people to find their voice and make a meaningful difference!

When:
6.30pm for 7pm dinner
Thursday 17 November 2011
Regent Plaza Ballroom
191 Collins Street, Melbourne

» Download booking form at Creativity Australia