Perth Urban Research Lab

Vertical cities are built on typological hybridisation, precisely like the horizontal fabric of traditional cities. MVRDV has always been at the forefront of innovation, researching further pathways to explore the vertical urban dimension. Will vertical complex buildings - often a necessity rather than an opportunity for super dense and congested metropolises- stand the test of time? Will they offer the same level of structural resiliency and disposition to reuse as many horizontal urban fabrics demonstrated over centuries through similar typological flexibility and adaptability? The next edition of Complex buildings Studio at Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment will focus on this research question. Stay tuned!

Successful Wrap-Up of the Urban Design Forum Pecha Kucha Series 2024 It was a great success - Perth’s leading urban designers came together for the event. The forum featured the Planning Institute of Australia (WA)’s 2024 urban design-related award winners and included a stimulating discussion about the recently unveiled City of Perth Foreshore Masterplan revitalisation. The PIA award presentations were inspiring thanks to: Andrew Howe Tom Griffiths Nicholas Temov Maddie Ford Julian Bolleter's Perth Foreshore Masterplan presentation was an insightful exploration of the historical interventions and highlighted the complex political, climate, and site constraints shaping its future. Francesco Maria Mancini stimulated imagination with the foreshore design work being delivered through his program by Perth Urban Research Lab. There was broad support for a strong River Front vision but some significant questions around appropriate scope, funding and delivery. The evening wrapped up with lively conversations as we reconnected with colleagues and reflected on priorities for 2025 and beyond. A big thank you to our partners at the design Institutes, and thank you to the lead representatives for turning up in person. Vicki Lummer RPIA (Fellow) Planning Institute of Australia Jon Everett Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) Jonathan Speer Australian Institute of Architects Anna Kelderman Urban Design Forum [WA] And to Hames Sharley for providing such a fantastic venue and support for the event! Thank you - See you next year. julian bolleter Cameron Leckey Belinda Foster Dean Webster Ross Donaldson

We sincerely thank William Hames and Hames Sharley for hosting the Urban Design Forum [WA] Pecha Kucha Series. I was delighted to have the opportunity to present the work of the Perth Urban Research Lab and participate in a discussion panel with julian bolleter, Nicholas Temov, and Brett Wood-Gush about the recently released Draft Master Plan for the City of Perth, Langley Park. The presentation of the PIA Awards recipients Andrew Howe Element Advisory and Tom Griffiths ASPECT Studios and their participation in the discussion resulted in a robust reflection on the mission and vision for Perth foreshore and beyond. A special thanks to William Hames for his remarks and Peter Lee and Anthony Brookfield Hassell for being "silently" present. The provocative tale by Julian Bolleter about Perth's controversial relationship with the River and its heritage was inspiring and pungent. In the end, thank the Urban Design Forum [WA] members for mastering the organisation of this friendly and inclusive event, Jonathan Speer Australian Institute of Architects (WA) and Vicki Lummer RPIA (Fellow) Planning Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) and the attendees for their support.

Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment GradFeat was fully immersion! Tonight. Thanks to all the visitors, parents and industry guests for sharing with our students the celebration of their success. Thanks to the DBE team who plan and executed a great event! It was a beautiful night indeed. If you missed, there is still time to visit the exhibition until the 29th of November. We look forward to welcoming you! Curtin Architecture Students Association (CASA) Curtin University Faculty of Humanities

A few days ago, I published a post by Malcolm Mckay, who suggested an excellent research agenda, especially for WA. Today, I am sharing Paul Boyce's response to the Architecture AU provocative invite to "shake up architectural education". You have my vote, Paul; I will endeavour to develop your 5-point plan word by word! "The profession, its regulators and its tertiary institutions must persist in coming to terms with how the building industry and its associated design professions are evolving by: 1) Addressing humanitarian challenges while minimising environmental impact through leveraging innovative strategies, including sustainable urban planning, net-zero energy strategies, biophilic integration, circular economic principles, adaptive reuse, modular construction, mass production, smart building technology and community-centric design 2 Embedding the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ ongoing connection and custodianship of Country within the profession’s ethical responsibilities to the physical environment 3 Co-designing using digital augmentation and mixed reality technologies in architectural design, documentation, fabrication and construction to ensure a balanced hybridity of human agency and artificial intelligence 4 Employing the empathy, creativity, and iterative design skills inherent in human-centred design thinking to review, critique and guide the use of the alternate perception, logic, machine-learning and problem-solving provided by artificial intelligence 5 Creating more agile skill sets that incorporate comprehensive technical abilities and a sound understanding of basic legislative and code requirements with fundamental business practices to morph quickly alongside unpredictable changes in the building industry." Paul Boyce https://lnkd.in/gpvrbMpD

13 points for a mid-term practice-led research program! Thank you to Malcolm Mackay for outlining that it is not about vision and strategies but consistency and convergence! There is no world without contradictions, but there is no point in "manufacturing" new ones through policies and programs that do not talk to each other about benefits to different groups, objectives of varying governance levels, infrastructure development and financial models associated with land use. Despite the appearances, the environmental and cultural challenges we face economically should convince everyone that it is time to work collaboratively without too many concerns about our local KPIs. Or perhaps it is time to review every stakeholder's KPI, since the concern for immediate outputs often perpetuates an ineffective status quo.

Underground transport requires a more substantial investment upfront and is normally suitable for larger cities. The fundamental question for cities like Perth, on the verge of growing population to a critical mass and in need of rethinking their urban development based extensive land exploitation and private transport is: What kind of city do we want to be? How much sustainable? How much liveable? How much pedestrian friendly? How much ecologically sound? How much free from automobile dependence? More important, how much are we willing to invest now in operations that can set the foundations for such a city? A question for all the 30 local governments of Perth Metro which compose Perth’s urban mosaic. And for the State of Western Australia, perhaps.

One again thanks to Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment and the City of Perth for sponsoring the Perth Urban Research Lab Global Engagement Series 2024. A big thanks to the institutes for their support. Creating and maintains an ongoing dialogue between the institutions, designers, educators and students, developers and community is critical for Perth future development. The city centre(s) and the suburbs are two faces of the same dynamics which involves a deep reflection on the current distribution ( and extension) of land use for urban development. We must work on a different development model to reduce soil consumption, private transport and maximise the benefit of residential density and ecological landscapes as urban sustainability assests. The XX century has seen the urban growth sustained by the car culture. We can learn much from First Nation people about caring for Country to focus on rethinking ecological urban growth in the XXI century.

It was great to see yesterday so many events took place in Perth. The PURL Globsl Engagement Series scored high with over 100 people attending a two hours event hosting international and national presenters from multidisciplinary and cross disciplinary background who discussed their understanding and vision for Perth. A big thank you to Ingeborg M. Rocker, PhD. Damien Pericles and Paul Jones for their presentations. The panel discussion which followed the presentation offered the opportunity to the City of Perth City architect Craig Smith to interact with our guests and the audience. Thanks to all the participants who were there and contributed to a robust debate about Perth’s next direction: Geoff Warn Aaron Betsky Caroline Marshall Robert Morley amongst many others. Also a heartfelt thanks to the Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment for its support and City of Perth main sponsor of this program. In the end thanks to Committee for Perth Vicki Lummer RPIA (Fellow) Planning Institute of Australia the Australian Institute of Architects Belinda Foster and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) for their contribution

Thanks Justin and all the attendeees and international guests for making this event a true success. A big thank you to Ingeborg M. Rocker, PhD. Damien Pericles and Paul Jones for their presentations. Also a heartfelt thanks to the Curtin School of Design and the Built Environment fir its support and City of Perth main sponsor of this program. In the end thanks to Committee for Perth Vicki Lummer RPIA (Fellow) Planning Institute of Australia the Australian Institute of Architects and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) for their contribution. It was a great discussion which we trust helps opening to a broader approach to Perth sustainable and inclusive development.