Studio 16
Creative House
Joel Benichou
This studio is available to students enrolled in ABPL90142 Studio C, ABPL90143 Studio D, and ABPL90115 Studio E.
Studio Description
The creative industries contribute immeasurably to the social and cultural aspects of our cities. The exploration and implementation of deliberate housing, specifically geared towards the needs of workers in the creative industries, provide an opportunity for our cities to attract and retain people that will boost innovation, revitalise urban economies and provide inspiring and vibrant places to live.
Melbourne has several well-established creative hubs however, due to increased living and housing costs, some segments of the creative disciplines are being forced out of the suburbs and precincts they helped create. Inexhaustible demand for land and housing has led to prices of the inner suburbs reaching record levels, while the cheaper alternatives continue to sprawl further into the outer reaches of the city. An opportunity exists to provide a larger variety of attractive and financially accessible housing solutions within desirable suburbs.
Exploration into the inefficiencies of our suburbs is required to provide new options for the demands and preferences of the creative community. Through research and the design of mid-scale apartment housing, Studio 16 will consider notions of compact living in real world conditions. We will explore the issues of urban sprawl, housing affordability, change in demographic and adaptation to the new world of technology and globalisation through the eyes of our creative workers.
Studio Outcomes
Students of Studio 16 – Creative House will be asked to consider the needs of creative workers in Australia and prepare exemplar designs for mid-scale housing buildings that will attract and retain people from the creative industries to Victoria. The intention will be to generate scalable and replicable designs for mixed-use buildings that are great homes, create great communities and facilitate the proliferation of the creative arts within our suburbs.
The first half of semester will be spent investigating existing creative housing examples and preparing a conceptual response in relation to the studio brief. Through a series of hands-on exercises, students will develop their practical skills and formulate a strong foundation to their projects. The second half of semester will see students implement their ideas and further develop their submissions, adapting their ideas to an allocated suburban site in Melbourne. A range of webinars, technical workshops and practical, real-world guidance will be provided throughout semester.
Studio Leader
JOEL BENICHOU is owner and principal architect of the practice Benichou Architects. Joel studied architecture at the University of Western Australia completing his Master of Architecture qualification focusing his independent research on modular pre‐fabrication and residential design. Joel has had experience with some of the leading residential design practices in Australia working on a wide range of projects. Joel has also contributed to the architectural discourse having previously led Design Studios at the University of Melbourne and RMIT. Joel is currently registered as an Architect in Victoria under the certification of the ARBV.
Readings & References
- London, G. & Anderson, S. Take 7 Housing Australia, 2008
- Massumi, B, Parables for the Virtural, 2002
- Harrison, S, New Suburban, 2013
- Harrison, S, Forty-Six Square Meters of Land Doesn’t Normally Become A House, 2011
- http://www.yourhome.gov.au/
- MSD Publication, Merchant Builders - Towards a New Archive. 2015
- Smith, E, Case Study Houses, The Complete CSH Program 1945 – 1966
Schedule Mondays 15:15-18:15, Thursdays 15:15-18:15