This project explores learning and reflection practices in architecture teams. When architects use reflection-on-action, they learn from experience. When they use reflection-in-action, they learn from experiencing. Such reflective practices help architects build project knowledge and deliver their project. But most architects work in teams, alongside individuals with different ways of learning and knowledge perspectives. This begs the question; how does learning and reflective practices affect architecture teams? This project addresses this question by 1) using reflective practice, team learning and design collaboration literature to frame how architects learn as a team, 2) exploring how team learning influence the competitive performance of architecture teams, 3) measuring how team learning affects architecture team performance, and 4) experimenting a reflective workshop to help architects improve their team learning skills and thus, team performance. The article concludes by discussing its theoretical contributions and practical implication in their field of architecture and design.

Do professional design services offer a service or design a product? A traditional definition rooted in the service economy might point to the former, but the theory of Service-Dominant Logic from marketing might suggest the latter. While this may appear purely as a semantic difference, it has severe implications on 1) how designers articulate the value of their services, and 2) how clients perceive the value of a designer’s service. This paper provides four industry examples to show how professional design services may change how they deliver a service to address the evolving expectations of a design service. It ends by offering two ways service designers can help professional design services innovate how they render services to their clients.

How architects provide their design service to clients have predominantly remained unchanged since the professionalisation of the architecture practice. Paradoxically, what the architects provide in each of these services are customised to each client. Since the architect’s unique designs are concealed by standardised service delivery, how will clients know which firm to engage? This begs the question; how can architects set their services apart from their competitors?

This study uses an experience-centric service framework to investigate how residential architecture design service in Australia is delivered to clients. It uses the Experience Design Board (Lim & Kim, 2018) as a tool to visualise the service delivery process. By examining the service delivery touchpoints and its effects on clients, the study shows the plurality of areas where architects can differentiate their service delivery from other architecture firms.

This project explores learning and reflection practices in architecture teams. When architects use reflection-on-action, they learn from experience. When they use reflection-in-action, they learn from experiencing. Such reflective practices help architects build project knowledge and deliver their project. But most architects work in teams, alongside individuals with different ways of learning and knowledge perspectives. This begs the question; how does learning and reflective practices affect architecture teams? This project addresses this question by 1) using reflective practice, team learning and design collaboration literature to frame how architects learn as a team, 2) exploring how team learning influence the competitive performance of architecture teams, 3) measuring how team learning affects architecture team performance, and 4) experimenting a reflective workshop to help architects improve their team learning skills and thus, team performance. The article concludes by discussing its theoretical contributions and practical implication in their field of architecture and design.

This project explores learning and reflection practices in architecture teams. When architects use reflection-on-action, they learn from experience. When they use reflection-in-action, they learn from experiencing. Such reflective practices help architects build project knowledge and deliver their project. But most architects work in teams, alongside individuals with different ways of learning and knowledge perspectives. This begs the question; how does learning and reflective practices affect architecture teams? This project addresses this question by 1) using reflective practice, team learning and design collaboration literature to frame how architects learn as a team, 2) exploring how team learning influence the competitive performance of architecture teams, 3) measuring how team learning affects architecture team performance, and 4) experimenting a reflective workshop to help architects improve their team learning skills and thus, team performance. The article concludes by discussing its theoretical contributions and practical implication in their field of architecture and design.

This paper shows the importance and value of ambiguity to reveal opportunities hidden in problems and the manner in which ambiguity is removed from applications of design thinking. It describes the value of introducing, sustaining and using ambiguity and explains the different types of ambiguity. It follows up by describing the events when a designer encounters ambiguity. This paper proposes that an understanding of ambiguity is needed to harness its capabilities in finding innovative opportunities. To do so, design practitioners should consider 1) identifying the type of ambiguity needed to expand the scope of opportunity exploration and 2) becoming aware of and managing one’s ability to work with ambiguity. Finally, it identifies the lack of literature on the impact of independent and collective experience on using ambiguity in design.

Increases in computation power have allowed design software to be-come more complex. At the same time, big data and artificial intelligence, ques-tion the traditional tools of the human designer. Morphogenetic prototyping pro-vides a method for designers to control this complexity by separating the design into pseudo developmental stages to enable the manipulation of its development at different stages. This paper investigates the tools, processes, theory and sys-tems that would be needed to simulate this design experience. Through this pro-cess a katana sword is selected as the metaphor for the design experience to relate the affordance of cutting to the simulation of a pseudo biological sub division.A sword prototype is used to identify appropriate gestures to map to biological be-haviours in order to trigger the simulation of staged pseudo biological processes in the design model. Finally, the tangible user interface (TUI) tool based on the katana sword is refined and future work is outlined.

Living with Covid-19 is a new experience for all of us. Yet, living with pandemics is far from new for our cities. Throughout history, our built environment has suffered many major health crises, such as cholera, Spanish flu and tuberculosis. And each time, our cities pulled through. Perhaps, we can find solutions to this pandemic in our history books.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us were asked to work from home. While some argue that the lack of interruptions has led to increased productivity, others have also complained that the distractions at home have made it difficult, sometimes even impossible, to focus on work. So, is there any consensus of what will help workers stay productive while working from home?

We are truly living in a fast-paced world. Whether it’s working through the to-do list at work, or ticking things off the bucket list of things at home, we’re always in a constant state of doing. This may simply be an internalised feeling. But perhaps, our environment is causing us to feel that way. Is it time to decelerate our daily lives?

Can grown materials replace manufactured materials? Can the products of natural processes lead us to more ecological cities? Can biological processes be harnessed to improve our built environments?

This project takes a multidisciplinary approach that draws inspiration, technology and knowledge from biological science, algorithmic design and digital fabrication. Through building and making, participants collaborate with biologists, engineers, designers and architects to probe, experiment with, and test bio-materials and explore their fabrication potential and performance qualities.

Architecture is commonly defined as the practice of designing buildings and the designed building. But it cannot be described simply as a structure produced by a design service. Architecture is also about the experience of a space. So small-scale architecture should also stand for the micro-experiences of architecture.

Green buildings are one of the most sought after architectural designs right now. One of the ways green buildings are energy-efficient is that they seal the indoor spaces to prevent heat from escaping. While this reduces the energy needed to maintain an optimal indoor temperature, such designs may inadvertently be causing you harm. Harm, which scientists recognise as Sick Building Syndrome (SBS). So, does your home have air to breathe?

Biophilia, in its essence, is the fondness for life. Popularised by Professor Emeritus Wilson from Harvard University with his Biophilia Hypothesis, he argues that humans have an attraction to other living organisms. This hypothesis emerged from realising that people migrating into urban cities the 1980s would have created some form of societal disconnect with the natural world. To compensate for such a disconnect, we often try to bring nature back into the city.

For many of us, evenings are a time to retire from a tiring workday. We turn on a movie on Netflix or play video games to switch off mentally. After all, such activities make you forget all the outstanding items that you didn’t get to do. As it turns out, these activities may not be helping you relax. Instead, they may still be draining your energy.

When you need a short break during the day, a stroll through the nearby park comes to mind. And when you need an extended break from the busy city life, a weekend escape to the rural reserves may help you connect back to nature. These are just some ways to reap one of the benefits of greenery – access to fresh air. But is the occasional access enough?

Dogs can play many positive roles in our lives. Golden Retrievers can be a great jogging companion, pushing you to finish another kilometre. A German Shepherd can serve as a guard dog, protecting you while you sleep at night. A Siberian Husky can be an excellent comfort cuddler on a cold and rainy day. These are just examples where dog companionship can enrich our lives. While having a dog can keep us healthy and happy, are we and our urban environment doing enough to keep them healthy and happy too?

Remember the time in primary school, when you learnt about how trees help our environment? In the presence of sunlight, it converts carbon dioxide into oxygen. It removes pollutants and purifies the air that we breathe in. It reduces flooding by absorbing water runoff through its root system. How about the time you decided to enjoy your lunch in the nearby park? Perhaps it was a case of biophilia that stole you away from the office towers. Or maybe the tree canopy provided the much-needed refuge from the sun that was beating down on the back of your neck. Perhaps you were curious to see where the flock of white cockatoos were nesting amid the urban jungle. Either way, there’s no denying that trees are valuable assets to our cities.

Majority of universities around the world follow the academic calendar of quarterly or semesterly terms. Though these terms help to measure the amount of time spent studying by students, it does little to measure their quality of learning. Instead, they regulate students’ speed of learning and bind them to at least three years of education before they can attain a formal baccalaureate degree. Students aren’t the only prisoners to these terms. Academics are robbed of the agility to experiment with new curriculums. So why are universities not considering alternative forms of education?

Creativity is using your imagination to create something new; to invent based on an original idea. We see business employ creative individuals to create innovations for the company. We see nations call for creative solutions to tackle environmental problems. But how does creativity work? How do we use it productively? And what exactly does it offer?

As the population grows and lifestyles change and evolve, so too does the need for considered development that is designed for current and future generations. Beyond Melbourne, cities are beginning to display positive efforts of future-proofing by utilising big data and employing smart interventions. Architects, designers and engineers play an ever-important role in being able to shape communities and optimise lifestyles. Contextualised, these solutions tend to be climatically and culturally specific, adding layers onto the richness of a city’s past.

Today, music no longer compliments dance. Today, music IS dance. Clubs have transformed into sanctuaries of music co-creation. AEIVA, the sound system in the trendiest night clubs, mines motion data from the dancers in the club. With the motion data, it creates electronic dance music in real time.

A long time ago, when Gaia’s playground reached out as far as the eye can see, Mother Rhea descended from the skies and played out on the open fields. She loved the fields so much that on her birthday she called out to her children, “Apollo, Athena, Haphaestus and Hestia, I gather you here today and ask that you build me a home so that I can protect and nurture the open lands for all to enjoy. I will visit at dusk to see what you have built”.