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    graduate shows

    milesmiles
    edited November 2008 in architecture
    omg. is there anyone who can help unimelb now? rmit had multiple shows this week and they were good BUT up the road.....how can the profession sit by and let this happen? the work was terrible. i heard they now dont do 'design' until 3rd year. can someone/anyone confirm?
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    Comments

    • peterpeter
      edited 9:18PM
      I've heard similar - two design studios in the first three year undergrad course, but can't confirm.... looking at their Bachelor of Environments course outline, this looks correct - no studios till the fourth semester! Though then you can take three studios if you really want to. Still that's a lot less than the previous 6(?) studios.
      Can someone from Uni Melb please explain.
      www.benvs.unimelb.edu.au/about/fields-of-study/architecture.html
    • sodsod
      edited 9:18PM
      melbourne ni grads out perform their rmit counterparts for the most part. end of year shows genarally aren't that great - i wouldn't be so alarmed about a crap end of year show
    • milesmiles
      edited 9:18PM
      that was then. word on the street is they now have hundreds of students in the same design studio, in the same room!
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited November 2008
      truth is the world probably needs a lot less designers.
      many people who think they are/might be/could be are not anyway - just cogs/operators of the corporate graphic machinery.

      i ain't taking the seasons line here - but I'd be waiting a few years for MU verdict.
      american model works well in america - it can work here.
      maybe the problem isn't how many studios you do - or how many years you do them -
      but who is running them and how its set up?

      Aus might end up with schools with very distinct specialities - some a little more scientific than others -
      but you'd hope all very good at what they do. Which isn't the case now.
      time will tell.
    • peterpeter
      edited 9:18PM
      This from the Association of Architecture Schools of Australasia's submission to the 2008 Higher Education Review.
      "The Review document recognises that significant growth in student numbers accompanied by falling numbers of teaching staff has led to alarming student-staff ratios in universities, from 12.9 in 1990 to 20.3 in 2005 (Section 2.6, p. 13). The lack of resources in the higher education sector has led to problems of deferred maintenance, estimated in the Review document to be as high as $2 billion (Section 2.6). This pressure on accommodation has distorted the teaching of the traditional architecture design studio, with many universities pressured to abandon this design practice, considered by many architects to be at the heart of an architectural education."
      ...
      "There is compelling evidence that the quality of student architectural work diminishes where studios are abandoned, and where students become ‘commuters’ to classes, rather than being actively involved in the breadth of a studio design experience."
      LINK TO PDF
      Worth a read.
    • infoinfo
      edited 9:18PM
      That exert perfectly describes the QUT siutation
      Except that it hasn't abandoned the design studio - design has abandoned the studio

      An unusual example of the ship deserting the rats?

      Maybe explains the popularity of the Ric LepLastrier/Stutchbury/Johnson et al masterclasses/finishing schools ...
    • infoinfo
      edited 9:18PM
      Checked out UQ's show a few days ago
      More of the same pencil/picturesque worshipping work
      That is not to say its bad work - just genuinely uninteresting - despite obvious talent

      Brit Andr's final year projects almost had something
      It insisted on the students reinstating a creek in West End
      Purpose not clear - but relied again on a building to look at it
      More picturesque ... (yawn)

      Overall, seems to be a clear absence of studios promoting ideas or positions at UQ
      Maybe the proposed incoming adjunct professors might bring something - BowWow practice ...and ... wait for it ... Kerstin Thompson (of Venice Beinnale fame)

      Time to go overseas
    • sodsod
      edited 9:18PM
      anything that distracts some of these guys from building is a good thing
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited November 2008
      Thompson has articles with her name on them ghost written?
      unscripted she is a mess.
      Where is the good building under the belt - she's had enough time.
      adjunct professorship at UQ says a lot about the school.
      McArthur has a healthy fascination with melbourne? -or is it the W out of NMBW?
      speaking of NMBW
      - I have it from a credible source that the Venturi doco preview in melbourne was crashed by prof. B
      - student doorpersons can't say no?
      The screening was the private initiative of a very private guy from the profession to raise money to send back to Venturi's son (to help finish the doco).
      who would be so cheap to not throw their ten bucks in the ring.

      hairdresser says money talks - bullshit walks.
    • sodsod
      edited 9:18PM
      design ghosting isn't unheard of around the place

      those cop shops are pretty drab efforts
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited 9:18PM
      only seen a photo of cop shops. your being kind Sod.
      UQ deserves her? But as a tutor.

      back to the topic.
      info could have it right. design might have abandoned the studios.
      - its possible that it abandoned practice too on the evidence.
      would comment to the AASA submission peter has put up - money would seem to have nothing to do with either problem - plenty of money has washed around in both spheres for a decade +.
    • infoinfo
      edited 9:18PM
      Nothing like a recession to focus the mind

      Presumably, the lack of work will pressure academics and practitioners alike into a competition of ideas
      It would follow that some blood letting will occur across the board - a proper clean-out
      Design should make a comeback by 2010 - without the group herd approach to hide shite ideas behind
    • lhblhb
      edited 9:18PM
      Universities should limit the amount of intake each year. This could ensure better student-tutor ratios, therefore increasing the 'talent' graduating is of the highest standard making the profession has a much higher standard of design for the future. Universities are too money hungry tight arses accepting an ever increasing number of full fee paying students and running studios that pass anyone who turns up which dilutes and floods the profession with ordinary graduates. Maybe the AIA could stand up too ensure australian architects continue their great reputations internationally or do they just care about money aswell.
      And while im on the AIA maybe they should have run their new office design as an open competition rather than just giving the job to the usual suspects creating the same boring developments. The architecture education and profession is selling out, what a joke its become!
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited 9:18PM
      what new AIA office design is that ihb? national?
    • lhblhb
      edited 9:18PM
      Hi hairdresser, its the design for the refurb/development of the Vic Chapters office. They havent appointed an architect yet, i was just getting on my high horse, i just believe that the the Vic AIA should run this as an open competition to be an example to the rest of the busines world that open competitions provide a much better model for emerging practices and even students to develop designs rather than just awarding the contract to the same 5 architects that always get the gig.
    • lhblhb
      edited 9:18PM
      sorry heres a link to the expression of interest form

      http://www.architecture.com.au/emailnews/enews/2008-11/raiaenews_competitions%26opportunities.html
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited 9:18PM
      thanks ihb.

      a disappointment.
      was hoping it was SA/QLD or something.
      - few open comps wouldn't go astray.
      be nice to see if some newbie could knock the john miralles, Ben Van McBrides, and Carey McDougals off their poles down there. be a good focus for the whole profession. probably why its an EOI. mf's.
    • sodsod
      edited 9:18PM
      EOI. - who's interest? why can't a professional representative body manage the risk of of a young / new practice having a go if they won an open comp? stinks
    • infoinfo
      edited December 2008
      @HD - a back point - who is the 'W' in NMBW in Qld/UQ reference?
      check this - http://www.nmbw.com.au/main/02_members/members.htm
      Only picks up Neutupny, McLean and Bertram .... no W
      Maybe it means workshop?
    • milesmiles
      edited 9:18PM
      info_ our gel wielding friend is playing with you. the w is andrew wilson, formerly of melbourne now in warmer climes and sidekick to dr john, he may not be on the website but hes a silent partner infecting the sunshine with old mates kt and nmbw's tokyo buddies. the dogs have been to melbourne a few times 'n' studied with bow-wow in jp. mr wilson does the odd thing in q i remember a weird curved plan addition with a horse on it in aa last year? non of the finesse of the nmb.
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited December 2008
      miles - i just cut hair old school.

      mr. W has also expanded into the granny flat business - he had a trade stand at venice.

      finesse - the old aussie get out of jail card.
      nmb = cargo cultists. no different to Godless - just a different trading bloc?
      Mr. W - crude yes - import business no.
      his granny flat enterprise is not contributing to the national intellectual deficit.
    • infoinfo
      edited 9:18PM
      @Miles - cheers for that
      Wilson is now back at UQ (from QUT) - which  explains the BowWOw + Kerstin Thompson adjunct professorships
    • milesmiles
      edited 9:18PM
      @info_ no problem
      we could go down a line of 'the usefulness of adjunct professors to department of architectures'?
    • infoinfo
      edited 9:18PM
      @miles - lets. Or the usefulness of arch dept to adjuncts?
      Worth a new discussion - please kick it off ...
    • milesmiles
      edited 9:18PM
      ok might take a bit of research to see who's up at the moment....
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited 9:18PM
      look forward to seeing this list guys.
      its gonna paint a picture.
    • milesmiles
      edited 9:18PM
      a quick google round up fails to provide a clear direction for the conversation
      alright so looks like sydney uni has guirgola, chris johnson, cox (surely murcutt and stutchbury), paul pheleros,
      unsw has richard johnson (surely francis jones)
      uts has gerad renmuth from terrior, peter davidson from lab, and also it seems chris johnson??
      newcastle ? ostwald (hes everything else so it only follows....?)
      uq has peter tonkin, rex addison, rewi thompson
      qut hard to tell but certainly jane burry (mrs mark burry rmit), janis birkeland???, noel robinson
      uni melb difficult to determine
      rmit has a list as long as your arm including peter elliott, kerstin thompson, arm, carey lyon and of course norman day.
      deakin nothing to report
      unisa wardle surely but nothing to report
      adelaide ?
      uwa difficult to pin down
      curtin geoff warn, adrian iredale, david jones?

      dr gary stevens we need your help!!
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited December 2008
      so - we got
      on the -
      1 tax dodger
      1 enviro fraudster.
      3 boot designers.
      1 professional delegator
      1 leak designer.
      1 dog breeder.

      neutral
      1 slightly mad lab technician.
      1 krusty kahn draughtsman.

      on the +
      1 indigenous world class (NZ) architect.
      1 QLD krusty with cred.
      1 solid SGA.
    • infoinfo
      edited December 2008
      UQ link to adjunct here:
      http://www.gpa.uq.edu.au/staff/adjuncts.asp
      List is: Brian Donovan, Timothy Hill, Michael Raynor, Shane Thompson, Peter Tonkin, Rex Addison, Gerard Murtagh - [@HD- no Rewi Thompson]
      proposed: Kerstin Thompson, BowWow, Elizabeth Watson Brown

      QUT link to adjunct here:
      http://www.bee.qut.edu.au/about/schools/design/staff/architecture/
      List is: Jane Burry [couldn't see anyone else]
      Proposed: no news -
    • hairdresserhairdresser
      edited December 2008
      murtagh did a ball tearer house years ago.
      what happened to him - reclusive?

      the dogs would be W's nomination - be some jap kick back involved to his benefit.
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