E/08

Material Metaphors:
Spatial Cookbook 2.0

Tim Jones

Studio Description

Spatial Cookbook, an immersive architectural studio, weaves its narrative within the historic Meat Market in North Melbourne. Here, the metaphor of craftsmanship, culinary art, architecture, and environmental sustainability converge harmoniously. This studio offers a contemplative exploration of these interconnected elements, all housed within a heritage building. The edifice transforms into a culinary symphony, facilitating the making, processing, storing, and sharing of meticulously crafted edible delights.

The front-of-house facilities are envisioned as immersive spaces that engage visitors in unique gastronomic experiences, while the back-of-house spaces exemplify efficiency in production and storage. Accommodations are seamlessly integrated, providing a sanctuary for workers to rest, prepare nourishing meals, and tend to personal needs. Spatial Cookbook transcends traditional architecture; it is a living metaphor, a sanctuary where the essence of craft and the aroma of culinary creativity blend seamlessly into the historical fabric, creating a sustainable haven for both creation and living.

Studio Outcomes

The architectural studio is designed to cultivate holistic design thinking among students, encouraging the expression of conceptual ideas across macro, meso, and micro scales. MM:SC studio students will individually explore the process of sourcing, making, storing, and sharing an edible product. They will be challenged to design a crafted architectural response to house these processes for their chosen edible product. The outcomes are expected to achieve maximum utility and efficiency—whether in energy, water, material, spatial, or sociological aspects—with minimal material use. The studio aims to equip students with a comprehensive skill set, from conceptualization to justification, fostering a new generation of architects who deeply engage with the symbiotic relationship between design, environment, heritage, and creativity.

After successful completion of the studio, students will be able to:

- Critique the meaning of craft in light of the growing emphasis on Environmental Sustainable Design (ESD) in architecture and construction.
- Implement the fundamental principles of heritage conservation and adaptive reuse, conducting a basic energy assessment of their design.
- Develop a cohesive architectural response at macro, meso, and micro scales, creating a series of architectural drawings, details, and models to clearly convey their intentions.

Studio Leader

Tim has 14 years of experience in architectural practice, working on projects of varying scales, from small to large. His portfolio includes Residential, Commercial, Civic, Education, Aged Care, and Heritage projects, with a proven track record of delivering projects from Concept to Completion. Tim is driven by the goal of educating all team members throughout the process, ensuring everyone feels they have made a valid contribution to the project. As a senior mentor at FK, he actively engages with graduates, assisting in their development and integration into architectural practice.

Readings & References

Burra Charter https://australia.icomos.org/publications/burra-charter-practice-notes/

Meat Market – North Melbourne https://meatmarket.org.au/about/

Deliciously Designed : How design theory is applied to food production https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321906078_Deliciously_Designed_How_design_theory_is_applied_to_food_production

Fisker, A & Olsen, T 2008, ‘Food, Architecture and Experience Design’, Nordic Journal of Architectural Research, vol.20, no. 1, pp. 63–74.

ABPL90439 Design Studio E is an Early start subject. An in-person Studio Presentation Day event will be held in the Laby Theatre (L08), David Caro Building from 1pm-2pm on Tuesday 16th July followed by one-hour Q&A Session with Studio Leaders and Subject Coordinators in the MSD building. The Studio Ballot will be held online at the beginning of O-week, opening from 3pm Tuesday 16th July and closing at 3pm Wednesday 17th July. The outcome of Studio Allocation will be announced on Canvas before the end of Friday 19th July. There will be subject preparatory online work to be completed during this period before the semester commencement.

Schedule:
Monday 3:15pm-6:15pm in MSD 138
&
Monday 6:15pm-9:15pm in MSD 138 

Off-Site Activity:
Site Inspection Melbourne Meat Market: 2 Wreckyn Street, North Melbourne (week 2). Fender Katsalidis office: 2 Riverside Quay, Southbank (Week4, 9 & 10)

Contact Handbook