Studio 30

Bower Studio

David O'Brien & George Stavrias

Studio Description

Bower Studio has been invited back to Kalkaringi and we will join the Gurindji to design/build two outdoor living pavilions for the HomesPLUS initiative. You will be working alongside members of the local community who will provide a rich source of inspiration for your designs. Back in Melbourne your final design will investigate improved housing processes and outcomes for Indigenous communities, developing the work you’ve begun on-site. Previous Bower Studio MSD students and local workers designed and built the ‘Wave Hill Walk-Off Pavilions’ (exhibited at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale). We will extend your building skills at a training camp to be held at the University’s Creswick campus 13-15 April and you will be working in the community between 24 April to 5 May with cultural competency training, research seminars and preliminary design work held prior to departure. The studio is intellectually and physically demanding – please check the website!

Studio Outcome

The Gurindji Aboriginal Corporation and the elders have asked Bower Studio to help create both a short and long-term vision for community development and this project is an integral part of a larger commitment. After cultural competency training, research seminars and preliminary design exercises supported by an extended understanding of construction techniques, students and staff will travel to Kalkaringi for 10 days to work alongside community members. Consulting, designing and then building at 1:1 scale is a significant learning outcome in this studio and the opportunity to work directly on country with an indigenous community is a particularly powerful experience. Returning to Melbourne the students will have a further five weeks to complete and present their final designs with support from a range of additional experts

Studio Leaders

DAVID O'BRIEN BPD, BArch (hons), PhD Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design and Technology Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning University of Melbourne. David has twenty-five years experience in the construction field designing and building for both commercial and community-based clients. He has project managed the construction of community development projects in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. David initiated the Bower Studio in 2007 and co-developed the HomesPLUS initiative.

GEORGE STAVRIAS B.A (hons), B.Sc, BPD, MArch, AIA. George Stavrias is a registered architect and co-developer of the HomesPLUS program. George has worked as a designer and project manager on ten Bower Studio projects in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. His role includes community liaison, project design and documentation, site management and post-occupancy evaluation.

Readings & References

A comprehensive reading list will be provided at the beginning of semester.

Schedule Mondays 09:00-12:00 in Room 140
Travel Week 7 | $1800

!!! Please note: this studio is taught as ABPL90356 Bower Studio !!!
For further details, and to apply for this studio, please see  https://bowerstudio.msd.unimelb.edu.au/

Contact Handbook Key Dates