PUB+

Emilio Fuscaldo

Studio Description

Whether you run past them in disgust or into them with anticipation, the pub is where people socialise, communities meet, tribes yell and shout, and performers entertain. Love or hate them, there's no denying the influence the humble pub has had on our collective memories and how we experience the built environment.

Since the early days, the pub has continued to adapt and change. In the early 1800s, pubs were extensions of someone's home, where the living areas were given to the public and beer was brewed 'out the back.' In the early 19th century, most pubs were owned and operated by women and were seen as a 'home away from home'. Later, pubs became known for the '6 pm swill' due to restrictive operating hours. Currently, there is a pub to suit every preference, from hipster gastro pubs to your 'local.'

The influence of their physical presence on our streets cannot be understated either. Often, pubs were the first buildings to be erected when towns and cities were established. They were also the tallest buildings on prominent corners with multiple doorways, large windows, and ornate facades. The pub's architecture contributes positively and negatively to the look and feel of our cities and towns.

Pubs in the UK and, to a lesser extent, in Australia, particularly community-owned venues, have become the centre of their communities by moving away from simply providing beer, food, and live music. These pubs offer a broader range of experiences by either thinking creatively about how they can support a community or aligning themselves with community organisations. Examples include music recitals, theatre, book exchanges, church services, yoga classes, soup kitchens, choir groups, and art exhibitions.

Other pubs have gone even further by providing community assets such as interactive displays that chronicle the area's history, post offices, convenience stores, bike and IT repair stations, and community gardens. An ex-public house inspires pub+ in East London called the Gunmakers' Arms, which suffragettes took over in 1915, used as a nursery, and renamed The Mothers' Arms.

In this studio, I invite students to reflect on their experiences inside the 'pub' and consider how social cohesion might be fostered during persistent social change and climate crisis. Students are to reflect on the pub's role historically and presently in society (both in Australia and internationally) and propose new and exciting ways the pub can foster new traditions and social cohesion in today's cultural and environmental context.

Pub+ invites students to explore the social and cultural history of the Australian pub. It then asks students to propose their version of the pub and do more than design a hospitality venue or renovate an existing pub. It's asking students to be much more ambitious by exploring new, exciting, dynamic and complex programs that go toward alleviating social ills by creating social cohesion.

The pub is ideally situated, culturally and physically, to tackle contemporary society's social and environmental issues, such as climate change, social isolation, access to healthcare, racial injustice, inclusivity, etc. The studio is seeking bold and experimental ideas that help the pub once again change and adapt.

Studio Outcomes

Within the studio, I choose material and activities to stimulate students to consider and think beyond their own experiences. Through written and drawn exercises to research the connections between architecture and other disciplines, such as film, art, literature, landscape and urban design, they are challenged and encouraged to take agency in their learning process instead of simply following directions. We'll hear voices other than my own, inviting speakers into the studio to present on their craft and different topics.

This studio will start with a social and cultural study of the Australian pub. We'll look outside of architecture to look beyond our traditionally accepted notions of the pub. Students will then be encouraged to take the lead to build their own brief and select their own site for their project. This will ensure that projects are culturally relevant to the student.

Students' final projects will propose a creative adaptation of an existing or entirely new pub whose principal function is to help create and maintain communities. This could be a pub that critically reflects on alcohol-fuelled violence and notions of gender roles. It could be a pub broken into its constituent parts and then reassembled in new and creative ways. It could be a pub that helps to create and maintain resilient communities facing the climate crisis. Or a pub that negotiates with its complex history as a community asset. The pub's traditional role in society, loaded with mythmaking, could be unpacked, and a new pub proposed, which is a genuinely open, egalitarian and accessible social space.

The studio will encourage students to leave behind their computer screens and walk the streets. The gathering of primary research will be central to the studio, so be prepared to walk, talk and grab a drink.

Studio Leaders

Emilio Fuscaldo, founder of Nest Architects, has significant experience leading projects across diverse sectors, including single-residential, hospitality, retail, and education. He has also taught design studios in the Architecture and Interior Design departments at RMIT and The University of Melbourne.

Before completing an Architectural degree, Emilio completed an Arts Degree with Honours in Philosophy, including a thesis concerning Environmental Ethics. He is passionate about the power of collaboration and strongly advocates for environmental sustainability and inclusive design in all projects. To Emilio, being an architect is an opportunity to improve behaviours and communities.

Readings & References

• Diane Kirkby, Tanja Luckins, Chris McConville, The Australian Pub, UNSW Press, 2010
• David Knight and Cristina Monteiro, Public House: A Cultural and Social History of the London Pub, Open City, 2021
• Spongberg, M., 1999. Australian Women's History. Women's History Review, 8(2), pp.385-386. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09612029900200206
• ABC Radio, RN, Beyond the ladies lounge, Broadcast Sun 24 Feb 2008 @ 2:00pm (see citation below for the actual book being discussed): https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/archived/hindsight/beyond-the-ladies-lounge/3295872
• Kirkby, D., 1997. Barmaids: A history of women's work in pubs. Cambridge University Press.
• Wright, C., 2014. Beyond the ladies lounge: Australia's female publicans. Text Publishing.
• The Australian pub was more than just a place to drink: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/overnights/the-aussie-pub/12270772
• The local: the history of the Australian pub: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/nightlife/the-local-a-history-of-australian-pubs/10764976
• Australian Pubs through our History: https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/overnights/australian-pubs-through-our-history/7728746

Schedule:
Tuesday 3:15-6:15pm in MSD 139
Friday 12pm-3pm in MSD 139

Off-Site Activities:
The Clyde Hotel

Contact Handbook