Studio 40
Out of Date!
Dominik Holzer
This studio is available to students enrolled in ABPL90142 Studio C, ABPL90143 Studio D, and ABPL90115 Studio E.
Studio Description
We currently experience a fundamental shift in our living arrangements in densely populated cities. The dwellings we inhabit no longer match our requirements; their design seems ‘out-of-date’. The immediate effects of COVID aside, its long-time-effects lead to the need for differently designed residential buildings that cater to the characteristics of increased working from home, yet also respond to the effects of social isolation.
As a consequence, in this studio we will question the adequacy of traditional floorplan layouts of inner-city (high-rise) dwellings, and accommodate more fitting models of hybrid modes of living/working.
The studio will challenge the new norm of ‘social’ in a society that runs risk of increased isolation and loneliness of its inhabitants, and propose architectural interventions to counter these issues.
Hand in hand with the architects’ responsibility to addressing the societal changes, we will examine opportunities for environmentally-conscious residential design and a better management of natural resources.
Studio Outcomes
Students will rethink current inner-urban living arrangements in the light of new social norms and developments facilitated via the effects of COVID. Initial research will focus on COVID’s long-term impact on work-life arrangements facilitated by remote working and increased digital connectivity. Students will then develop new high-rise dwelling typologies that take the contemporary needs of residents into consideration. The layout of apartment itself will have equal importance to the layout of interstitial spaces and vertical/horizontal circulation. Particular attention will be given to aspects such as social isolation, connectivity, safety, and environmental sustainability.
The final studio outcomes will consolidate all these learnings into innovative and leading-edge high-rise dwellings for inner Melbourne, that connect well to their surrounding city fabric.
Studio Leaders
Dr Dominik Holzer is an Associate Professor of Digital Architectural Design at the Melbourne School of Design where he has been teaching Master-level Design Studios (CDE) for the past 8 years. Next to his engagement with academia, he applies his expertise in design technology as part of his consultancy AEC Connect (www.aecconnect.com.au).
Dominik’s interests lie in exploring Design Futures via his research, practice, and teaching, in particular surrounding parametric design; ‘information management’ across design, construction and operation; Building Information Modelling (BIM); building performance optimisation, and collaborative design across all stakeholders in the building industry.
Readings & References
- https://www.newyorker.com/culture/dept-of-design/how-the-coronavirus-will-reshape-architecture
- https://www.dezeen.com/2021/01/05/architects-after-architecture-harriet-harriss-rory-hyde-roberta-marcaccio/
- https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/cox-architecture-s-post-covid-19-tower-design
- https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/episode-51-peter-hogg-talks-about-covid-challenges
- https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/after-coronavirus-the-way-we-design-commercial-buildings-will-change-architects-say-5-945082/
- https://www.designboom.com/architecture/guallart-architects-self-sufficient-city-housing-post-covid-08-11-2020/
- https://www.gadarchitecture.com/en/post-covid-19-world-health-and-urbanism-by-gad-case-study-1-en
Schedule Mondays 17:00-20:00, Thursdays 13:00-16:00