Parlour POD: Recent Episodes
Parlour
Parlour POD presents convivial conversations from Parlour: gender, equity, architecture. Episodes are drawn from much-loved Seasonal Salons, recorded live across Australia. Wide-ranging and diverse stories of lives in and around architecture and the built environment are told with humour and humility. Personal and particular, intimate and engaging, each episode canvasses the complexities of careers, obstacles faced and opportunities found.
Our conversationalists for this episode are Lee Syminton and Rachel Tindall. Lee is a Senior Lecturer, and Rachel a Lecturer in Architecture at Curtin University.
Rachel describes her childhood moving around Mount Lawley, growing up amid a long-term house renovation – “I loved it, I love the smell of concrete” – and her extreme shyness as a child. Lee recalls her early years in Zimbabwe, the shock of moving to Perth, and later being encouraged to pursue architecture rather than art.
They discuss practice and the gradual moves into teaching and research. We are treated to an extended discussion of their (very different) PhD topics and findings, the experiences of learning new modes of thinking and disciplinary languages, and how all of this combines with busy personal and professional lives.
Both emphasise the importance of supporting women, and reflect on the 'legs up' extended to them over the course of their careers.
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Winter Salon on 21 August 2025. Hosted by Curtin University and convened by Suzie Hunt, it was a collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom. Photos: Dan McBride
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are friends and one-time colleagues Lily Pepper and Angela Chua. At the time of the recording Angela was a graduate of architecture at ARUP, and Lily a graduate of architecture at Wallace Brice. Lily also now hosts the Seasonal Salons in Brisbane, and this conversation helped introduced her to the Parlour community.
Committed to the potential of the profession, Angela and Lily also articulately resist its more problematic mythologies and habits. In this episode they speak of their growing confidence as ‘emerging practitioners’, their will to shape positive professional futures from the grassroots, and where and how graduates can find leverage and impact. Angela talks of digging her heels in to find opportunity, balancing work and study, and having to “grow up quickly”. Lily describes the challenge of finding her way into the profession after the arrival of COVID-19, and the surprising bureaucratic complexities of practice. She highlights her work on the Resilient Homes Flood Program as a formative experience that demonstrated how small, practical interventions can produce meaningful community outcomes.
Together they discuss the changes they want to see – breaking down hierarchies and more collaborative approaches. They canvas the problematic framing of architecture as a ‘passion’ and the unhelpful behaviours that flow from this. They describe environments in which graduates mentor and learn from each other, and the potential of more sustainable and rewarding models of architectural practice.
This is a hopeful conversation with two of our profession’s bright sparks!
This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2024 Brisbane Spring Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 7 November 2024, it was convened by Justine Clark. Photos: Alanna McTiernan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Dani Martin, Director of Projects and Growth at Open Architecture Studio; and Geraldine Dawson, who at the time of the recording was a senior project architect at Plus studio. She is now a senior architect at BSPN Architecture.
Geri starts off by joking that “architecture is a disease in our family”. She grew up with a builder father and architect brother, "and it doesn’t stop there.” In contrast, Dani didn’t know any architects – or even anyone who went to uni. Having been told drafting was “for boys”, she dug her heels in and went into architecture anyway.
Their conversation canvases Dani's peripatetic early life, her 18 years in a single practice in Perth, and the sudden decision to move to Brisbane to continue to learn and grow (and finding she had to prove herself all over again!). Geri's career has involved working in a wide range of Brisbane practices, and she speaks in moving detail about her favourite project, the Hummingbird House children's hospice.
Dani prompts Geri to reflect on how becoming a parent has changed the way she thinks about the built environment, and the impacts of parenting on her working life. They discuss the importance of flexibility, with Dani reflecting on her role as an employer, commenting that “you want the right person for the job. This matters much more than how many hours they can work.”
They chat about their shared experience of a fantastic mentor, the importance of women in leadership roles and their ongoing work to address bias and improve the profession for others.
This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2025 Brisbane Winter Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 30 July 2025, it was convened by Lily Pepper. Photos: Alanna McTiernan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Zoe King, a Director at Cox Architecture, and Miranda Spencer an architect at Design Inc.
They share candid insights into their career journeys, leadership experiences, and the realities of balancing work with parenthood.
They describe learning to manage teams, navigating business development and taking on the financial responsibilities of running a practice.
Parenthood introduced another layer of complexity. Both speakers describe the emotional and logistical challenges of becoming, and being parents – from surrogacy to sleep deprivation, building connection and solidarity through ArchiBubs, parental rights and to returning to work. They emphasise the importance of having supportive partners, flexible workplaces and inclusive parental leave policies.
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2024 Adelaide Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks on 30 May 2024, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Lieu.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Mia Larsen, a architecture student currently studying a Master of Architecture at the University of Tasmania and has hands-on experience in bamboo and earth building. Rosie Shield is a Manager, Project Leader, Engagement + Content Developer across Designful Studio and Homeful by Designful
This conversation offers a thoughtful, grounded look at what’s possible when we build with intention, innovation and with sustainability in mind.
Mia and Rosie discuss the barriers and breakthroughs in introducing natural and regenerative materials, like hempcrete and rammed earth. They reflect on the importance of aligning building practices with ecological principles, and explore how community-driven projects can create sustainable buildings and more engaged and empowered communities.
This episode was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the 2025 Launceston Summer Salon. Held at Brickworks on 13 March 2025, the Salon was held in collaboration with The Finlay Project and convened by Helen Norrie. Photos: Bruce Moyle
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Justine Ebzery, a director at Fulton Trotter Architects and Romina Richardson a senior associate at Architectus Conrad Gargett.
In this episode, Justine and Romina share practical insights into navigating the profession, stepping into leadership, and balancing ambition, career and parenthood. They reflect on the critical role that communication, empathy and trust play when engaging with stakeholders and leading successful, collaborative teams.
Justine and Romina touch on the future of the industry, including the inevitable impact of AI, and acknowledge that women still face significant barriers in ownership and leadership. They highlight the persistent gender gap in architecture practice ownership, explore its causes, and share advice for architects pursuing the pathway to ownership.
Generous, candid and packed with good advice. Well worth a listen.
This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2024 Brisbane Spring Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 7 November 2024, it was convened by Justine Clark. Photos: Alanna McTiernan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Jenny Newman and Rebecca Boland. Jenny has over 25 years’ experience in architecture and planning, including 15 years serving on State and Local Government planning panels in South Australia. She is currently a Senior Associate at Swanbury Penglase Architects.
Rebecca Boland works for Studio Nine Architects and became a registered architect in the same week of the Salon. Rebecca’s interest in the housing affordability crisis specifically for displaced women, led to her receiving the Peter Corrigan Memorial Medal and an honourable mention in the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work for her public housing concept design ‘Lost Property’.
With candour and generosity, Rebecca and Jenny share their circuitous paths to working in architecture in Adelaide and the professional experiences that have enriched their work. Rebecca is grateful for her unconventional path into architecture and says she wouldn’t change a thing. Jenny describes the arduous process of getting registered in Australia again after realising her UK registration was not transferable (at the time). The setback merely increased her drive to progress, take on fresh challenges, and “say yes to everything”.
Topics range from AI and the rapid pace of technological change to the progress women have made in the industry, the challenges of being the only woman in the room, and the importance of collaboration and mutual support.
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2025 Adelaide Winter Salon. Held at the Australian Institute of Architect on 19 June 2025, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Lieu.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this first ever Newcastle Salon are Natalie Galea and Sam Spurr. Sam is Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Newcastle. Natalie is an expert in gender justice and human rights in the construction sector and human rights in elite sport.
Sam and Nat dubbed their wide-ranging, entertaining conversation as speed dating but longer (and with an audience). They discuss their careers, the powerful influences in their lives and the appealing "tempo of Newcastle". Nat explores her shift from construction project management work in the Middle East (where she was always the only woman in the room) to a PhD and focus on social justice. She spoke of the privilege of "holding truth to power" and her research on the effects of the intense male breadwinner model in construction (with its "diabolical" hours and impacts on their health, their families and wider society). Sam critiques the narrow view of excellence in architecture – the super competitive "keep going, do more all-nighters, work harder, bleed on your projects" approach – and calls for more innovation, listening, collaboration and ethical drive. She discusses the need for "muscular hope" in the face of a daunting future – "hope with the sleeves rolled up". It was a rich, generous conversation.
This episode was recorded live on Awabakal and Worimi Country at the 2024 Newcastle Winter Salon. Held at the University of Newcastle on 9th August 2024, the Salon was organised by Justine Clark. Photos: Roni Bintang.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Alexandra Lawlor and Felicity Stewart. Alex is an Associate Principal and new Studio Leader for Architectus Canberra office. Born and raised in Canberra, Felicity leads the Stewart Architecture Sydney studio and manages projects in Canberra, Sydney and broader NSW.
This rich conversation is full of career reflections, sharp insights and wise-cracking anecdotes. Alex and Felicity share stories and observations about Canberra, from its architectural heritage and vibrant (but often hidden) cultural life to its surplus of sprawling, ambiguous spaces and festering rabbit population (“Watership down” in the city).
They explore the big picture of architecture and urban design, and their shared fascination with scale, density and inclusiveness in cities. Their discussion spans non-linear career paths, travel and global perspectives, the benefits of working alongside government decision-makers, and the critical role of publicly owned public spaces in the centre of our cities.
This episode was recorded live on Ngunnawal Country at the 2025 Canberra Autumn Salon on 6 March. The Salon was hosted by Stewart Architecture with support from Brickworks. Photos: Andrew Campbell.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Sharon Mackay and Wei Hsu. Sharon is a Director at JPE Design Studio, a role she took up following extensive experience in government and policy roles, and in communicating architecture and design to broad public audiences. Wei is an architect at Phillips/Pilkington Architects, and a huge stalwart of the Adelaide Salons.
A “child of the 70s”, Sharon spent her formative years building resilience in the country surrounded by nature. Drawn to landscape architecture, she found her people, passion for sustainability and environmental protests at RMIT. Wei describes her early but short-lived career as a photographer before discovering design and architecture. Her love for details and composition remain.
In this generous, wide-ranging conversation, Sharon and Wei discuss the strength to be found in standing up for yourself, following your instincts (in architecture and life), taking risks, and being curious. They offer wise observations on work and career – from a commitment to lifelong learning, to the power in building networks and listening to as many different perspectives as possible.
Their advice to others? Get out and about, meet people, expand your horizons. Have a go at something new, take risks, don’t be afraid.
Make the dining table, take the trip, take the risk.
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2025 Adelaide Autumn Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio on 27 March 2025, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Shaun Li.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Kavita Gonsalves and Tanya Golitschenko. Tanya is a principal at Hassell and recipient of the 2022 Queensland Emerging Architect Prize. Kavita is the Sustainability Design Lead – APAC at Populous. Both care deeply about good leadership, advocacy and mentorship.
In this open and generous discussion, Kavita describes her nomadic life, studying and working her way around the world, from Bahrain to India, Scotland and Finland, to Brisbane. Constant movement has required constant adaptation and new network creation. Building supportive networks in practice, the profession and in life is a theme that resonates for Tanya.
Our speakers trade tales of poor leadership and behaviour in practice and beyond. They call for more collaboration and inclusion in meeting rooms, and fewer power plays, egos and emotional outbursts. Both seek a kinder, more empathetic and supportive way.
“It doesn’t need to be hard and it doesn’t need to be a struggle. We shouldn’t have to fight. We shouldn’t have to prove ourselves. Everyone in the room has something valuable to add. I hope I’m making the space for people to be who they are without feeling like they’re limited by their gender or whatever. I think I’m just always looking for opportunities to make things better.”—Tanya Golitschenko
A conversation that unpacks the challenges and struggles of the profession ends with optimism and hope, with Tanya and Kavita both outlining ambitious plans for the future.
This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2025 Brisbane Autumn Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 30 April 2025, it was convened by Lily Pepper. Photos: Alanna McTiernan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Lucy Burke Smith, a heritage expert and Associate Partner at Purcell, and Gabrielle Phillips, a project architect at Taylor and Hinds Architects.
Their conversation was open, generous and wide-ranging, discussing everything from early mentors and influences to lessons learned, the transformative nature of travel, and the joys of living and working in Tasmania.
Lucy shares her path from studying in Launceston and Melbourne to working in Hobart and London, emphasising the value of travel and diverse experiences. Gabby reflects on her determination to pursue architecture and the impact of her gap year.
This episode was recorded live on Muwinina Country at the 2025 Hobart Summer Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio on 30 January 2025, it was convened by Nicky Adams and held in collaboration with the Findlay Project. Photos: Nina Hamilton.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Iranian born Parisa Izadpanahi and Koosha Saririan. Parisa is an Associate Professor and the Architecture Course Leader and Coordinator at Curtin University. Koosha is a registered architect and Project Planning Manager at Curtin.
Parisa and her husband made their “dramatic move” to Australia after she was awarded a full scholarship from Deakin University to study the impact of sustainable school design on children’s attitude and behaviours. Koosha moved to Perth with their family when they were 18, attracted to study architecture for its intersection of art and science. After a two-year stint in Iran from 2022 to be part of the Women Life Freedom movement, they recently moved back to Perth and took up a position on the client side at Curtin.
Parisa reminisces about her time at Tehran University as a young, energetic and provocative architecture student with an interest in feminism and a fascination with Simone de Beauvoir’s Second Sex. Koosha describes how they come from a long line of powerful women and sensitive men – an important part of their identity.
Parisa and Koosha share their experiences of being underestimated in both Iran and Australia, and the power of self-belief in changing others’ perceptions. Koosha advises to carry yourself with confidence and explains how dropping a swear word or two on site can help. Parisa examines the way the meaning of equity has evolved for her over the last 20 years, while Koosha discusses the multiple things to consider when discussing equity.
“Coming from Iran and being in the construction industry, feminism and activism and social justice have always been a backbone for me – and transectional feminism is very interesting to me. It comes down to a few factors. It’s not just your gender. It comes down to your sexual orientation, your race, your ability as well... So, in terms of equity there are so many things to consider.”—Koosha Saririan
Other topics in this episode include the future of architecture, the need to make architecture more accessible and affordable to more people, the potential of AI to help underserved communities at times of disaster or war, and the need for hope and optimism in a complex world.
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the 2024 Perth Winter Salon. Held at the AIA WA Chapter Office on 12 September 2024, it was convened by Suzie Hunt and run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom . Photos: Kate Drennan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Rana Mohamed and Julia Bell. New to Tasmania at the time of this conversation in early 2024, Dr Rana Mohamed is an architect and interior designer from Egypt with a PhD in sustainability.
Julia Bell is Director of Urban Design at Urbis. Julia started out as a town planner working for a local council in Victoria but she “desperately wanted design in my life”, so went on to study urban design in the UK.
Rana and Julia discuss the benefits of studying abroad, the importance of educating clients about sustainability and embodied carbon, and how to exert influence and change people’s minds. Their conversation moves from integrated design processes, to research and automated tools to enhance sustainability.
They also discuss the importance of mentors and allies, how to stay motivated while doing a PhD, and how to learn from critique rather than be rattled by it. Other strong themes include life balance, flexibility and overcoming cultural and gender biases in their careers.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Emily Paech and Kathy Trelease. Emily is a landscape architect at TCL and one of the Creative Directors for the 2023 Australia Pavilion La Biennale Di Venezia, Unsettling Queenstown. She is passionate about developing dialogue around First Nations knowledge and the built environment. Kathy is a founding Director of Eeles Trelease and brings many years of experience working on complex and large architecture projects in Sydney, London and China.
In this engaging episode, our speakers cover a wide range of topics, from the importance of meaningful part-time roles and life balance, to Kathy’s formative time at the Ruth Tuck Art School, and the enduring relationship between art and architecture.
They explore the benefits of undisciplining or cross-disciplining, “cutting down those boundaries between different designers in particular, but all disciplines”. Kathy reflects on the Sydney Olympics as a powerful example of this approach in action, describing how it helped transform the city.
Emily reflects on her work on the exhibition Unsettling Queenstown, for the 2023 Venice Biennale, which focused on the intertwined themes of decolonisation and decarbonisation. She describes the collaboration with artist and scholar Ali Gumillya Baker as a central and enriching part of the project. Kathy shares insights from her work designing for people living with dementia, highlighting the complexities of balancing safety, appropriate care, and procedural requirements. “It’s complex.”
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2023 Adelaide Spring Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio on 24 October 2023, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Liew
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Kym Muir and Jessika Hames, who met for the first time for this Salon discussion. Kym is a registered architect and Director of Kym Muir Architects and Jessika is a Director of Hames Sharley.
Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from the joys of making lifelong friends at uni, working with family, and the importance of building strong networks of people who understand the challenges of the industry.
Jessika and Kym share the projects that have made them most proud – from urban renewal projects to Curtin Library – and the joys of making a real difference in people’s lives.
They discuss the challenge of day-to-day decision-making around family and work, the benefits of flexibility in practice, and the rapid pace of workplace change since the beginning of the pandemic.
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Brickworks Design Studio in Spring 2023. Convened by Suzie Hunt, it was run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Yaara Plaves and Alison Cox. Yaara is Head of Sustainability at Hames Sharley, contributing to leadership in sustainability locally and on a national scale. At the time of recording, Alison was Investment Design Coordinator at TAFE NSW, specialising in accessibility and inclusion in architecture, with a focus on educational environments. She also led advocacy efforts for changes to the National Construction Code to allow the provision of all-gender bathrooms under the NCC 2025.
This is a compelling conversation between two dedicated advocates, driven by their desire to make meaningful change around inclusive design and sustainability.
Alison shares her passion for inclusivity and the need to push people to go beyond minimum compliance and tick box exercises. She connects the concept of dignity to good, thoughtful design and highlights the importance of prioritising people with lived experience. Yaara describes her lifelong commitment to sustainability and regenerative design, and the way she communicates its value to clients.
They share their advocacy tips – from the power of persistence and the need to navigate pushback, to finding the right levers for each person on each particular day. Both Alison and Yaara are strong believers in the strength of collaboration and close-knit teams, and the need to bring generosity, reciprocity and respect into projects.
For anyone wanting to make change in the world, this is a must-listen.
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2024 Adelaide Spring Salon. Held at the Australian Institute of Architects SA chapter office on 27 March 2024, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this session are Heather MacRae and Felice Burrows. Heather is an Associate at The Fulcrum Agency and Felice is the Co-founder and Director of Architects&Co.
Both share a circuitous route to an architecture career, a strong interest in social impact and making a difference, and a sceptical view of the high design elements of the industry.
They discuss their shared passion for travel and work in marginalised communities, with Felice working in India on the Anganwadi project, and Heather securing the Gus Ferguson Travel Scholarship and working as an intern in Chile.
“It cemented for me this idea that architecture really does have a lot of meaning and there is a lot of impact possible.”—Heather Macrae
Since then, Felice has become a committee member of the Anganwadi project and Heather has spent many years focusing on community masterplanning in remote Aboriginal communities.
In this fascinating podcast, they discuss the things that have sustained them in their career journey – values-based projects, building relationships and meaningful volunteer work. They unpack the need for architects to redefine themselves, to change others’ perceptions around the self-serving aspects of the profession, and to focus on people and process rather than the outcome alone.
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the 2023 Perth Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio, it was convened by Suzie Hunt and run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are good friends Shelley Penn and Amy Muir. Shelley is a strategic advisor to government and private sectors, Amy is Director of MUIR Architecture. Both are highly regarded architects, advocates and serious strategic thinkers with a strong commitment to the public realm.
Their conversation from 2017 addresses these commitments and the importance of communicating the public value of design, along with career transitions and pathways. But it begins with a light-hearted and entertaining chat that captures the character of these two wonderful women as they discuss coffee choices, eggs and backbeach or front and fashion choices at university.
This episode was recorded live on Wurundjeri Country at Testing Grounds Melbourne in Autumn 2017. It was convened by Justine Clark as part of Melbourne Design Week. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are academic and historian Harriet Edquist and Cumulus Studio Associate Lucia Wellington. Harriet brings an enormous breadth of understanding of design across eras, from her historical research and archiving. Lucia is a strong advocate for sustainability within Cumulus and the wider profession.
In this thoughtful conversation, Harriet and Lucia discuss the importance of heritage preservation and quality craftsmanship. They share insights into Tasmanian urbanism, the significance of local history, and the challenges of balancing heritage with modern needs.
Harriet shares her experience of renovating a small, heritage cottage in Launceston, marvelling at the craftsmanship to be found in Tasmania and the powerful triangular intersection between client, builder and architect. She argues that historians might write history differently, highlighting these relationships, the collaborative process and the human experience of architecture rather than simply focusing on the final outcome. They agree that powerful working relationships and the collaborative process is sometimes missed in the narrative.
“When you have a builder who’s got that knowledge and who’s dedicated and who’s so skilful, they need to be celebrated as well.”
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
This episode was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the 2023 Launceston Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks on 30 August 2023, the Salon was convened by Helen Norrie.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Poppy Taylor and Clare Steen. Poppy is a co-founder of Taylor & Hinds Architects and Clare is a co-Director of Launceston-based Plain Architecture.
In this lively, engaging conversation, Poppy and Clare chat about their commonalities – being Tasmanian architects (born, bred and educated) with young families, who are running small practices. They reflect on their education, their younger selves (full of naivety, enthusiasm and brashness), their early formative projects and the serendipitous and life-changing moments in their careers.
Poppy and Clare discuss their respective first projects – both residential, both wonderful and positive experiences. Poppy shares a sliding door moment, when an unexpected financial obstacle opened up an opportunity to design her first house on Flinders Island. “That first one was done at a nice pace with amazing people in an amazing place, and that connection is still there to this day for us with Flinders Island.” Clare describes her spontaneous purchase of a block of land while still at university, offering her the chance to design her own first budget home.
Other topics traversed include the challenges of work-life balance, the male-dominated site experience and the importance of time spent on site, the poisoned chalice of being hired “because I’m female” and the need to call out unacceptable gender bias in the industry.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our speakers for this episode are good friends Sophie Cleland and Tania Davidge. Sophie is a director at Architectus and Tania is now the CEO of Open House Melbourne.
This is a hilarious conversation filled with laughter and a serious commitment to community and political engagement. Tania and Sophie rewrote the brief for Salon asking the audience to direct their conversation in a ‘choose your own adventure’ escapade. The winning topics were ‘boiling frogs’ and ‘turtles all the way down’. Listen on to find out what on earth that all means!
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists are Samantha Donnelly and Tiana-Jane Furner-McBeath. Sam is an architect, educator and researcher. She is undertaking her PhD at Monash University and is now a lecturer in the School of Interior Architecture at UTS. Tiana-Jane is an Aboriginal woman and architectural graduate at BVN. At the time of the conversation she was living between Gomeroi and Gadigal Country.
Tiana-Jane and Sam exchange experiences of working with oppressed or endangered communities, and discuss the tangible, on-the-ground change they seek to create. Tiana shares her research into Indigenous incarceration. Sam talks about her work with women’s refuges. Through this fascinating chat, it becomes clear it is imperative to remain humorous while tackling some of the toughest challenges.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our speakers for this episode are Gordana Blazevska and Stephanie Bullock. Gordana is Founding Director of Management for Design and Stephanie is Founding Director of Kosloff Architecture. Stephanie moved from finance into architecture, while Gordana is an accountant who works with architectural and design practices. They met for the first time for this cross-disciplinary conversation, and got on famously – they have subsequently run a marathon together!
Together, they compare the similarities and differences in their careers and dive into the interconnections of accounting and architecture. They dissect their schooling and careers, exploring the impact that family, particularly small children, can have on work life. Stephanie details the process of starting in accounting and diverting to pursue architecture; eventually ending up in a position that utilises each area. Gordana brings her vast accounting expertise to the conversation and encourages architects to take a more engaged approach to accounting in their workplace. This is a vibrant conversation that will resonate with many.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this wonderful episode are Maggie Edmond and Vanessa Bird. It is a celebration of Maggie’s life and work on the occasion of being retrospectively awarded the 2003 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal. Vanessa begins by outlining the campaign that enabled this recognition then interviews Maggie about her childhood, family influences and life in practice and beyond. Maggie speaks of growing up in the midst of the Melbourne fashion industry, running errands in Flinders Lane for her parents' fashion house, Linda Patricia. She talks of her eduction, forming Edmond & Corrigan, and her and Peter Corrigan's projects and contributions within the practice. She details her extensive list of board work, including being a Council Member, Deputy Chancellor and part of the Campus Planning Committee for Deakin University and member of the Melbourne Zoological Board. It is a privilege to hear Maggie and Vanessa reflect on what the awarding of the Gold Medal after a twenty year hiatus means to Maggie and the profession as a whole.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Birdy Bird from Land Back Foundation and Jade Kake of Matakohe architecture + urbanism. They share stories and wisdom, and find much common ground. Both are incredibly articulate and generous speakers, providing a jam-packed session of information and advice.
The conversation was wide-ranging, from land rights and reparations in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, to the importance of active listening, consensus building, and critically interrogating what we do as architects, particularly when it comes to ethics. Birdy and Jade gave excellent advocacy tips, sharing their expertise in dealing with hard-headed clients and government, “choosing violence in the nicest possible way”, standing their ground and advocating strongly for community.
“You have to be brave to advocate. You must not be afraid of having those difficult conversations.”—Birdy Bird
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Minnie Cade and Sonia Sarangi. Both Melbourne-based architects, they met for the first time for this conversation. Sonia is a director at Andever and, at the time of the recording, Minnie was a Principal at Wardle.
Their conversation canvasses collaboration and independence in the workplace and the intersections of personal and professional lives. Minnie speaks of her background as an elite rower and the influence of this on how she leads teams in architecture. She emphasises the importance of caring for the performance of others, playing to people’s strengths while simultaneously pushing them to learn. Sonia discusses her experiences across cultures, continents and hierarchies, reflecting on what is possible – and not – within different workplaces. This is a thoughtful discussion about the importance of speaking up, curiosity and being engaged in the world.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are our colleagues Gill Matthewson and Sarah Mair. Gill is an architect, educator and researcher, currently working with the XYX Lab at Monash University. She is a co-founder and director of Parlour and is responsible for the data analysis that underpins so much of our advocacy. At the time of this recording, Sarah was an architecture student, event curator and furniture designer. She is now an architectural graduate at Hassell.
It is wonderful to have them out in front of the microphones for this wide-ranging conversation across the decades. Gill and Sarah's conversation begins with their motivations for studying architecture, and then charts the twists and turns of careers. Gill talks about working for the Matrix Feminist Collective in London in the 1980s, her masters research on Lily Reich and the Barcelona Pavilion and her move into education and further research. The conversation culminates in a discussion on finding a sense of belonging and place in architecture.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Melody Chen, co-founder of architectural practice A-CH; and Charmaine Kai, co-founder and director of 8i Architects.
Melody and Charmaine share the genesis and evolution of their practices and the flexibility required to balance family, architectural projects and volunteer commitments. They discuss the challenges of running architectural businesses, balancing the passion for the work with efficient time management.
They discuss the adversarial nature of some projects and the importance of getting on site as much as possible to build a strong foundation of construction knowledge. “Construction knowledge is one of the most powerful tools that we as architects have,” says Charmaine.
From the intimacy and joys of residential work to the technical complexity of IVF labs and day hospitals, from the increasing obligations of HR in practice to maintaining a separation between home and office life, this fascinating episode is well worth a listen.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Marie Glezos, a Senior Architect at SMFA; and Deb Auckland, who at the time of the recording was an architect and senior advisor at the Department of Education South Australia.
Marie’s focus on giving back is drawn from her strong community-based upbringing, with her migrant grandparents sharing a commitment to help others with whatever they might need. Deb highlights the importance of incorporating first-hand perspectives when designing for schools and other community infrastructure. She prioritises educating the public about spatial literacy and the power they have to manipulate space to make that environment better.
Other topics of conversation include community housing, volunteer work, the power of welcoming community spaces, women in leadership, and what brings joy outside work.
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Julie Nichols, a Senior Lecturer at UniSA; and Reem Daou, a Graduate of Architecture at Russell & Yelland.
In this engaging episode, Julie and Reem discuss their passion for architecture and the way it can help sustain you through different phases of your career. Julie reflects on her experiences working in Malaysia, Indonesia and the UK, stressing the value of site-specific design and community involvement. Reem shares her experiences of travelling and observing local architecture, which has influenced her design perspectives. Both agree on the potential for architects to empower communities and create spaces that foster social inclusion and resilience.
Julie and Reem explore the question: “What does good design mean?”. As an educator, Julie aspires to an intensive way of interrogating briefs in design studios to ensure the needs and desires of end users are adequately considered. Julie and Reem discuss the benefits of learning on site, the beauty of sampling a bit of everything in your career, and their ideal-world aspirations for Adelaide (“a radical kind of intervention” focused on connectivity and amplifying community).
This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Sandy Anghie and Isla McRobbie. Sandy is a lawyer turned architect and president of the WA Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. Isla is an architect turned construction lawyer and partner at Jackson McDonald.
In this engaging episodde, both speakers discuss their experiences navigating professional identities and perspectives in the construction industry, sharing their approaches to career development in architecture and law; and the importance of bringing different perspectives to these professions.
Sandy discusses the constantly diminishing market share of architects and her passion for advocating for the skills and interests of architects, motivating her to seek influential positions to drive change. While Sandy has moved around and enjoyed a diverse portfolio career, Isla has had a long, successful career at Jackson McDonald, taking on a range of committee and board positions to learn and grow, including the Master Builders board (making her the first woman on the board in 119 years).
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the 2022 Perth Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio in Winter, it was convened by Suzie Hunt and run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Kate Hislop, the Head of the School of Design at the University of Western Australia and Julie de Jong, Director of H&H Architects.
Their spirited discussion covers Julie’s experience of regional practice, from losing the design ego to the beauty of regional towns, the priority of lifestyle and being a real participant in the local community. Julie is candid about her time studying, working and living in the city for more than a decade before choosing a life in Albany. “It was a breath of fresh air when I got back to the regions and started having regional clients who spoke the same language as me.”
“I wear jeans to work and Blundstones for real … I can go to the Bogan bingo and not have to buy an outfit!” she jokes.
From the importance of community engagement and adapting to the unique models of practice in regional areas, Kate and Julie highlight the opportunities to be found while practising architecture in the regions. They also point out the challenges of regional life, with the constant battle to keep talented country kids in the regions and the struggle to secure adequate funding for education and infrastructure.
Kate shares the attraction of academia, with a strong emphasis on mentoring, sponsoring and supporting students. She describes the experience of living a complex, multi-faceted life and the need for integration – from work to children to caring for ageing parents. “For me, it's been 20 years of juggling family and work. But actually, I think it’s more about how you try to integrate and deal with the bumpiness … you know, life is really bumpy.”
This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the 2022 Spring Salon, which was part of Fremantle Design Week. Held within the space of the XYX Lab exhibition, HyperSext City, the Salon was convened by Suzie Hunt and run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Brisbane-based Emma Healy and Annaliese McCarthy. Emma is a co-founder of Landings Studio and Principal Architect at the City of Moreton Bay Council. Annaliese is an architectural graduate at BVN.
Emma dubs herself a “suburban Utopian”, living and working in a fibro shack in a semi-rural suburb. Annaliese has worked and travelled throughout her student years, testing different roles and fields, from architecture to construction management and property management. A proud Gadigal woman, Annaliese details the “weird power dynamic” and pressures associated with being a young Indigenous designer, constantly sought for her expertise despite being in a junior role. Our speakers reflect on different approaches to Indigenous-led design projects, the importance of truth-telling, meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities (including involvement in decision-making processes) and respecting cultural practices.
Research in practice is a shared interest, with Annaliese discussing her work with mentor Kevin O’Brien at BVN; and Emma highlighting that unpaid volunteer work and real-world community connections are also “research in practice”. From powerful mentors to food sovereignty, finding your blindspots and questioning whether architecture will ever attain self-awareness, this entertaining conversation is well worth a listen.
This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2022 Spring Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 13 September 2022, it was organised by Kelly Greenop and Justine Clark.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Heather Wasley, a Senior Associate at Grieve Gillett Architects and Olivia McKim, currently working as an architect at Brand Architects. In this open, honest conversation, Heather and Olivia share their struggles through university – one supporting herself away from family and the other with experiences of grief and feelings of failure.
Heather discusses her lengthy break between degrees while raising her daughter and her difficult decision to leave her home to pursue the goal of becoming an architect. Olivia shares the joys of getting her first job working in architecture after a challenging time at university. “When I landed in a design and construct firm, we're on site and documenting and… it really clicked to me. This is what I wanted.”
Other topics of discussion include the importance of well-designed housing for everyone’s quality of life, the valuable technical skills that can be learned while working for building designers and builders, and the motivations behind Olivia’s podcast series.
This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2023 Autumn Adelaide Salon.Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 4 May 2023, it was organised by Ali McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Liew.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Ceridwen Owen and Jennifer Nichols. Ceridwen is an Associate Professor at the University of Tasmania and co-leads the Diverse Inclusions Lab. Jennifer is the Executive Director – Tasmanian and International Chapters of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Jennifer and Ceridwen share their experiences and perspectives on architectural education, practice and academia, emphasising the importance of learning from experiences and adapting to new challenges.
Jennifer describes her love of people, community and relationships, which has made her role at the Institute such a good fit. Ceridwen shares her early experiences growing up in Scotland and studying architecture before she took off to “the other side of the world without a plan”. Fortunately, in Australia she found her people, she found sustainability and she found her love for academia. Our speakers share their belief in the power of architecture and design in positively impacting people’s lives and how this brings immense joy and fulfilment to their work.
This episode was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org.
This Salon was recorded live on Muwinina Country at the Hobart Brickworks Design Studio in Winter 2022. Held in collaboration with the Findlay Project, we hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists in this episode are Meghna Prasanth and Aparna Datey. Aparna is a researcher and educator at the University of Queensland and the Queensland Institute of Technology. At the time of the Salon, Meghna was an architectural graduate and working at Cox Architecture.
Meghna and Aparna share their experiences of pursuing architecture in India and other countries over time. They describe their discovery of architecture, and the immediate connection with it. They discuss the strengthening of identity and confidence found through working and living in different environments, and understanding where their interests lie.
This episode was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org.
It was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the Brisbane Brickworks Studio in Summer 2023 and organised by Kelly Greenop.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Lisa Halton and Kellie McGivern. Lisa has worked on several projects that cater to health and wellbeing in the built environment. Kellie is Design manager for Hesperia Property Development and Principal of Project Advisory & Design Management practice for Lacewings Advisory.
In this spirited conversation, Lisa and Kellie discuss their non-linear career paths- from early childhood aspirations, how these changed, and the struggles in their lives linked that change. They identify shared experiences with other women in the industry and how it has built resilience and strength to push forward, questioning: “Who am I going to be in this world?”
This episode was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org.
This Salon was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Brickworks Design Studio in Summer 2023. Organised by Suzie Hunt, it was run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Monica Edwards and Kathlyn Loseby. Monica is a Senior Associate architect at SJB and Kathlyn is the CEO of the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Kathlyn and Monica discuss the importance of quality design, sustainable building practices, and advocacy for structural reform within the architecture profession. They emphasise the importance of collaboration, continuous professional development, and talk about their family backgrounds and the important choices that have shaped their careers. Tying this all together is the shared desire to work to continually improve the profession, to make change, support others and keep moving forward.
This episode was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org.
It was recorded live on Gadigal Country at the 2022 Sydney Autumn Salon. Hosted by BVN, the Salon was organised by Justine Clark and convened by Alison McFadyen.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalist for this episode are Chi Melham and Eva Marie-Prineas. Eva is director of Studio Prineas. At the time of this recording, Chi was a director at Tzannes. She has since established a new practice, EM BE CE.
In this engaging conversation Chi and Eva-Marie explore how they have navigated family and work and the challenges of balancing gender roles in both. The talk about mentoring young women in architecture, and the push toward better working environments for the next generation.
This discussion is a fantastic look into the complexities of the modern workplace.
This Salon was recorded live on Gadigal Country at AJC in Sydney in Summer 2020. It was convened by Justine Clark. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Ivana Glavinic May and De’Arne Matthews, The discussion revolves around their careers working client side in the education sector – Ivana as at Flinders University and De’Arne as an architect at Catholic Education SA.
This is a fascinating discussion of the potential and strategic opportunities in project management, and the career paths that took Ivana and De’Arne from architecture and interior design degrees to client organisations. De’Arne highlights her involvement in both the client and consultant sides of a project and the perspective shift required to work effectively in this context. Ivana details her current project – Factory of the Future – an opportunity for industries to tackle problems within their way of working with researchers at Flinders University.
The conversation includes reflections on the importance of relationships and communication, the transition from university to practice and the value of broad critical thinking skills.
This Salon was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the Australian Institute of Architects in Adelaide in Winter 2022 and was organised by Alison McFadyen. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this session are Georgia Lindsay and Tara Broun. Georgia is a senior lecturer in architecture at the University of Tasmania. At the time of the recording Tara was an architect at John Wardle Architects. She is now at Cumulus.
Georgia and Tara begin their conversation by discussing significant ‘life moves’. Tara spent time in Europe and Melbourne before returning to Tasmania. Georgia started with a passion for art, exploring how it affects people, and moved around the US before landing her current job at the University of Tasmania. "What are the differences in environments, cultures, and systems between Australia and the US?", Tara asks.
They then discuss kids, maternity leave and its effects on architects, and their own experiences with life balance.
This Salon was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the Launceston Brickworks Design Studio in Winter 2022 and was convened by Helen Norrie. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Brisbane architects Karen Ognibene, and Libby Ba-Pe. Karen is director of KO&Co Architecture and Libby is an associate at JDA Co.
This conversation includes strategies from balancing work and personal life challenges and setting boundaries, to business development and client relationship building. Both provide rich networking advice, articulating the importance of enjoying what you do and who you do it with.
They share their enjoyment working on the social and environmental aspects of projects, discussing the level of responsibility required as an architect to do this effectively. Advice to their younger self is pondered, focusing on the themes of continued learning, making conscious choices that align with your values, and prioritising skill development.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this session are Jo Evans and Victoria Clarkson. Jo is a Director at JPE Design Studio and Victoria at the time was a graduate of architecture at Grieve Gillett Anderson.
Their wide-ranging chats centres on the pleasures of participating in extracurricular activities, and the connectedness this brings. Both speak passionately about how we can be far more powerful as a collective and the importance of prioritising collaboration for better design outcomes.
This conversation also offers rich advice on the benefits of having a career in architecture that cultivates a deep curiosity and passion for the built environment. They delve into how this can better equip architects to navigate the challenges and complexities in their field of work in and around architecture.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Eva Sue and Natalie Busch. Eva is a an architect and Principal at Woods Bagot and Natalie is a landscape architect and Managing Principal of Hassell in Perth.
In this session they share their experiences working in global practices and engage in a bit of myth busting, arguing that larger practices bring the potential of collective intelligence and the opportunity for everyone to contribute. The conversation touches on the future of practice – they suggest that demonstrating value will not occur through traditional architectural modes of working, while increasing numbers of women will help to create new visions and diverse thinking about how practices should be run.
This Salon was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Brickworks Design Studio in Winter 2021. Organised by Suzie Hunt and Justine Clark, it was run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom and supported by Parlour Partner AWS. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this cross-disciplinary episode are Hariklia Pontikinas and Lisa Lisutu. Hariklia is an architect and associate at Russell & Yelland and Lisa an electrical engineer at Aurecon.
Lisa and Haraklia met for the first time at this session. Both had been requested as speakers by previous salon attendees and both have a reputation as spirited and lively. The hunch that they would get on, proved absolutely correct. The entertaining conversation includes the healthy banter of architect versus engineer, career highlights, role models and an honest account of their experiences as women working in the construction industry – along with and their most used emojis.
This Salon was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the Adelaide Brickworks Design Studio in Autumn 2022. Organised by Ali McFadyen, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. We hope you enjoy the conversation.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Ruth Woods and Leah Gallagher. Ruth is a Brisbane-based heritage architect and Leah is a Director at KIN Architects.
Ruth and Leah met as mentor and mentee, with Ruth passing on her architectural heritage knowledge to Leah. The conversation shares relatable advice about how to cultivate a similar collaborative relationship, including having shared values and understanding – for Leah and Ruth this meant shared respect for the role heritage work plays in society.
This Salon was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the Brisbane Brickworks Studio in Spring 2021. Organised by Emma Healy, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph Alanna McTiernan.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Perth architects Tanya Jones and Deborah Binet. Tanya is a director of Gresley Abas and Deborah is associate director at Cameron Chisholm Nicol.
Tanya and Deborah offer open accounts of their lives working in architecture. The conversation offers advice to younger women and suggests candid strategies on how to check out when away from work. They emphasise the importance of work life balance and offer insights into how senior managers can provide clear career progression for women working part time. While recognising the complexity of the topic, they reiterated that meaningful part-time work for women and men is essential to closing the gender gap in the built environment professions.
This Salon was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Brickworks Design Studio in Spring 2021. Organised by Suzie Hunt and Justine Clark, it was run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom and supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph Kelly Bucksey.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Gill Hicks and Trish Hansen. Gill is Founding Director of M.A.D Minds and Trish is the Founding Principal of Urban Mind Studio.
This moving conversation explores how Gill and Trish each approached life after facing death – one through the experience of the London bombings, the other via a breast cancer diagnosis. These experiences changed how they chose to live. They asked themselves: ‘What do we want to do with what we have?’ and ‘What is our impact and what is our influence?’ Gill and Trish describe very different approaches to this, concluding that we can design our way to something else using policy, education, strategy and changing procurement practices. As an extra treat, Gill describes meeting Zaha Hadid – she exuded presence, confidence and posture!
This Salon was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the Adelaide Brickworks Design Studio in Autumn 2021. Organised by Ali McFadyen, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph Ben Liew.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Emma Williamson and Kerry Reed. Emma is CEO of The Fulcrum Agency in Perth and Kerry is involved in the Adelaide Sustainable Building Network and democracyco.
They talk about the importance of stakeholder and community engagement, and the need to take time to do this well. Emma reflects on working with Indigenous communities on housing projects, where sitting and working with the communities helps to empower the community to develop a voice that flows into future projects. Together, they discuss experiences with the Citizens Jury Process, where it is also important to slow down, to give time for people to make social connections and develop empathy. This lively discussion also explores how sustainability considerations alter their practice, maxxing out HECS credit and making men listen to you!
This Salon was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the South Australian office of the Australian Institute of Architects in Winter 2021. Emma Williamson was brought to Adelaide courtesy of the ACA. Organised by Ali McFadyen, the Salon was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Ben Liew.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists are Kali Marnane and Loata Ho. Kali is an architect and urban designer and, at the time of this session, a doctoral candidate at the University of Queensland. She has since obtained her PhD. Loata is an architect and researcher, and is also undertaking a PhD.
In this fascinating discussion, Kali Marnane and Loata Ho discuss their experiences of working with communities of women in India and Fiji respectively. An Indigenous Fijian, Loata explores how Indigenous women’s knowledge alters the spaces they inhabit, and attempts to bring this understanding into the areas she builds. Kali shares her experiences working with women and children in Ahmedabad and the challenges she faced as a foreigner. Through this chat, Kali and Loata share the struggles that embedded paternalistic structures have had upon their opportunities to work as women in patriarchal spaces, and the necessity of understanding culture and belief systems before commencing a project.
This Salon was recorded live on Zoom in Winter 2020. Organised by Ali McFadyen and Emma Healy, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this cross-country episode are architects Ellen Buttrose and Sarah Aldridge. Sarah is a director of Space Studio in Byron Bay, while Ellen zoomed in from POD in Cairns.
This grounding conversation details the benefits and occasional challenges of working in regional practice. Sarah and Ellen discuss the constant influence of Indigenous and migrant histories, and of climate and working in environments where you must always think about sustainability. These committed regionalists explore the importance of developing strong connections with the natural environment, meaning it cannot possibly be ignored during designing.
This Salon was recorded live on Zoom in Autumn 2021. Organised by Ali McFadyen and Emma Healy, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists are Christie Bailey and Natasha Ugrinic. Christie is a Director at Brown Falconer and Natasha at the time was the Business Development Manager at Brickworks. Remarkably, Natasha stepped up as a conversation partner at the very last minute when the scheduled speaker had to pull out!
The result is a light hearted (and at times hilarious) reflection on their career progression – from student days at UniSA studying architecture and interior architecture, to overseas travel and work, and navigating those fork-in-the-road moments of “what do I want to do next?”
This Salon was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the Adelaide Brickworks Design Studio in Spring 2021. Organised by Ali McFadyen, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Benjamin Liew.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this session are Alysia Bennett and Bek Verrier. At the time of the conversation Alysia, who grew up in Tasmania, was at Monash University, and an active participant in Parlour’s WikiD initiative to write women into Wikipedia. Bek is an associate at Hobart practice Bence Mulcahy, and a very active participant in The Findlay Project.
Alysia and Bek’s conversation explores the challenges that young architects face traversing a wide range of topics – from seeking alternative ideas for share houses as urban sprawl increases to designing for their families. From being forced to measure a morgue alone to working in fire zones, to managing the mental health struggles that come from the stress and sleep deprivation of architecture school. There is something for everyone in this lively conversation.
This Salon was recorded live on Muwinina Country at the Hobart Brickworks Design Studio in Winter 2019. Held in collaboration with the Findlay Project, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Nina Hamilton.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this session are Hélène Frichot and Charity Edwards. At the time of recording, Hélène had just returned from Stockholm to join the University of Melbourne, while Charity was at the Monash School of Architecture and Design.
Charity and Hélène’s intense and thoughtful conversations explores institutions, action and activism. They discuss feminist intersectional practices, discourses of care, precarity, and their overlapping interest in thinking about the more-than-human – including Charity’s research on oceanic urbanism.
This Salon was recorded live on Wurundjeri Country at Melbourne’s MPavilion in Summer 2020 and was supported by Parlour Partner AWS, this recording comes to you courtesy of the MPavilion podcast library (hence the double introduction). Photograph Alex Salem.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode on architecture at the big end of town are Leone Lorrimer and Ninotschka Titchkosky. Ninotschka is co-CEO of BVN Architecture. At the time of the recording, Leone was a strategic consultant following a long career with leadership roles in large practices. Subsequently, she has returned to big practice and is now National Practice Leader at GHDWoodhead.
The conversation is a fascinating insight into two articulate, amusing and generous women who have stellar careers in large practice, and who are keen to support those who come after them. They hadn’t met before they sat down for this public event and it is a pleasure to learn about their careers and commitments as they get to know each other. They speak of the value of mentors and of having doors opened, of kicking others doors open, and opening them for others – and much, much more.
This Salon was recorded live on Gadigal Country at the Sydney BVN Architecture office in Spring 2019. Organised by Justine Clark, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Aimee Crouch.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are scholar and theorist Karen Burns (University of Melbourne) and, visiting from London, Jos Boys – whose long and wide ranging career includes working as researcher, consultant, educator, photographer, as well as co-founding the Matrix feminist architecture and research collective in the 80s.
Karen and Jos discuss their shared feminism and decades of work and activism. They consider what intersectional feminism actually means and share the ways in which they challenge the architectural monoculture and use their skills to change and better contested spaces. Jos speaks eloquently about her work in disability activism, emphasising the importance of thinking critically about how spaces work to include or exclude. This discussion highlights the necessity of being aware of what is going on around you, and the need to put money and time into endeavours.
This Salon was recorded live on Wurundjeri Country at the Testing Grounds Siteworks in Summer 2018. Organised by Justine Clark, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph Dianna Snape.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Judith Abell and Liz Walsh. They share stories of growing up in small rural Tasmanian towns, surrounded by people inventing and making – designing in all but name. Trained in both architecture and fine art, Jude was Public Art Coordinator for Hobart at the time of the recording in 2018. She describes her career so far as like “throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks”, and tells stories moving back and forth between architecture and fine art, between Hobart and London. Liz, already a much-awarded architect and an associate at Cumulus, was expecting her first child at the time of this Salon. She is optimistic, if slightly apprehensive, about what the future might bring.
This Salon was recorded live on Muwinina Country at the Hobart Brickworks Studio in Autumn 2018. Held in collaboration with The Findlay Project, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Loic Le Guilly.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
This episode is from the first Salon held in Perth, back in 2017. Our conversationalists are Suzie Hunt and Emma Williamson. Suzie is director of Suzanne Hunt Architects. At the time of the recording, Suzie was WA President of the Australian Institute of Architects, while Emma had recently become director of Cox Architecture.
Emma describes the challenges of moving into large practice after twenty years spent developing her own. Our speakers are open and blunt about the challenges of setting up practice while raising children, but they are ever-optimistic about the possibilities of architecture. In the years since this session was recorded, Emma has established another new practice, The Fulcrum Agency, with Kieran Wong.
This Salon was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Brickworks Design Studio in Spring 2017. Organised by Justine Clark, it was held in collaboration with the WA Chapter of the Australia Institute of Architects and was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. Photograph: Aimee Jones.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
Our conversationalists for this episode are Tasmanian architects Emily Taylor (Core Collective) and Yvette Breytenbach (Morrison & Breytenbach Architects). At the time of recording in 2017, Yvette was also the President of the Tasmanian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Our speakers had only met once before this conversation – in preparation for it – and a new friendship was forged as they told stories of their lives in architecture in front of an audience of peers and colleagues. The conversation includes Yvette describing her childhood and education in South Africa, and the commitment to social justice that this imbued, and Emily speaking of the importance of pushing outside areas of comfort.
This Salon was recorded live on Muwinina Country at the Hobart Brickworks Design Studio in Autumn 2017. Supported by Parlour Partner AWS, this was the first Salon in what has become a long-term collaboration with The Findlay Project. Photograph: Nina Hamilton.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!
This episode comes from the very first Parlour Seasonal Salon, which kicked off the entire series back in 2016. Our inaugural conversationalists are well-known, highly regarded architects Kerstin Thompson and Clare Cousins, who each lead their own eponymous Melbourne-based practice (Clare Cousins Architects and Kerstin Thompson Architects). They share stories and advice about setting up and leading practices that have their name on the door, their experiences as prominent women in the profession and advice for others setting out. The conversation concludes with a discussion of the importance of architects clearly advocating for the value and impact of the profession every day.
This Salon was recorded live on Wurundjeri Country at Melbourne’s MPavilion in Spring 2016. Organised by Justine Clark, it was supported by Parlour Partner AWS. This recording comes to you courtesy of the MPavilion podcast library. Photograph: Dianna Snape.
We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!