Studio E/02

Hone/Home

Mitchell Eaton

Studio Description

Hone (hoʊn) verb. refine or perfect (something) over a period of time.

In this studio, students will rigorously explore a chosen ‘hero’ material through the program of a single-family home located in Melbourne’s suburbs.

Through practical exercises and theoretical discussions, you will investigate the properties, performance and visual qualities of your material. We will consider multiple scales, from formal opportunities down to construction detailing. An emphasis is placed on passive design principles and embedded environmentally responsive design. Proposals will exhibit a holistic, integrated response to user comfort, energy efficiency and aesthetic opportunities.

The studio brief will be enriched further by the idiosyncrasies of individual residential clients, giving each student a distinctive design driver, and encouraging specificity. Hone/Home takes the seemingly conventional family house and challenges students to deliver an elegant, considered response centred on innovative material manipulation.

Studio Outcomes

Home (həʊm) noun. the environment or habitat of a person or animal.

The studio will begin with thorough analysis of the context, brief and selected precedents, along with intense material research to inform your design. We will continue with a series of iterative drawing and model making exercises/experiments to hone in on the final refined outcome. You will be tasked with production of highly resolved cohesive architectural drawings, photo-realistic renderings, and a physical model.

By the end of semester students will have demonstrated: A deeper understanding of the physical properties and aesthetic possibilities of conventional and unconventional architectural materials, proficiency in integrating passive design principles within a cohesive architectural project, confidence in residential planning and greater expertise in bespoke detailing.

Studio Leader

Mitch Eaton obtained his Master of Architecture from the University of Melbourne and has been teaching Design Studios at the Melbourne School of Design since 2015. He spent 2019 living in Japan where he deepened his understanding of Japanese Architecture and Urbanism. A registered architect Mitch has worked with award winning practices including McBride Charles Ryan and is currently Design Director at Buro where he oversees a range of projects primarily in the residential sector. Outside of architecture, Mitch has a passion for craft, being recognised and invited to exhibit textile and furniture projects.

Readings & References

A collection of built precedents will be assigned and supplemented by written texts and drawings including:

• Manual of Biogenic House Selections: Paul Lewis, Marc Tsurumaki, David J. Lewis, 2022
• Material Reform: Material Cultures with Amica Dall, 2022
• Graphic Anatomy, Graphic Anatomy 2: Atelier Bow Wow, 2007, 2014
• The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses: Juhani Pallasmaa, 1996
• In Praise of Shadows: Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, 1933, 1977 (English translation)

Schedule Mondays 09:00-12:00 and 13:15-16:15 in MSD Room 124

Contact Handbook