School of Architecture and Building
Faculty of Science and Technology
Winning bridge design for Master of Architecture student
Ford Model T2 project
August visit by Malaysian Board of Architects
25th International SAHANZ Conference
2007 Architecture and Building annual Journal
Master of Architecture student Marina Kozul returns from overseas travels as part of a cultural exchange and previously winning a national design competition. Her bridge design was the winning entry in the national competition open to all Australian Architecture universities and independent student designers. The Dialectical Bridge Student Design Competition was held as part of the recent Critical Visions 2008 National RAIA conference in Sydney.
The project originated as a university design assignment for Master of Architecture students at Deakin. Out of 40 bridge designs submitted, those by Marina Kozul and James Adams were chosen to go on and compete at the national Dialectical Bridge Student Bridge Design Competition.
Students were briefed to design a conceptual Pedestrian bridge addressing the ritual of crossing a river. Culturally the bridge would join two very different cities one called Nostalgia- a city of great heritage and tradition, and the other, Zeitgeist- a newer and faster city full of development and changing technologies.
Out of hundreds of entries, around twenty bridges were short listed and placed on exhibition during the conference. Of those exhibited, five bridge designs were critiqued by panel chair Architect Chris Wilkinson from London’s Wilkinson & Eyre and a panel of national and international architects, engineers and academics.
Marina’s design used the stair and the ramp as metaphors for rapid or slow progression from one point to the other, where neither mode dominates but rather the integrated structure required both so that balance and purpose is achieved. The dialectical bridge allows two minds to cross, and for two cultures to exist as one, even if for a moment in time.
Marina used her prize of a return flight to London as part of a wider European tour, visiting the UIA World Congress Transmitting Architecture in Torino and tour of the Wilkinson & Eyre UK and International design work.
The Digital Design Laboratory of the School of Architecture and Building participated in a landmark collaborative project with their colleagues in Engineering to develop a concept vehicle for Ford Global technologies, which
“…will revolutionise the way in which automobiles are manufactured, used and perceived.”
Architecture masters student, Gregory Pitts (pictured with a vacuum formed car body) said that designing the envelope pushed the boundaries of his modeling and design skills and gave him insight into
how vehicle and manufacturing innovations in an interdisciplinary environment can deliver complex products.
The concept car, called the new Model T2 was designed with four key criteria in mind. sustainability, innovation, simplicity and irresistible Styling.
Sustainability
Recognising that climate change is a significant global challenge, the Model T2, can provide a solution through the use of its alternative fuel source – air. The Model T2 provides an ongoing commitment to caring for the environment in every facet, down to its newly proposed greener future environment and its simple recycle ability of the vehicles materials at the end of its life span, to the its upgradeable plug and play technological system, helping make it ‘future proof’.
Innovation
The implementation of advanced materials, manufacturing techniques and an innovative design ensures passenger safety at an extremely affordable price. Our innovative solutions to everyday tasks using the latest technology save you time and connect you to the digital world.
Simplicity and Convenience
By ensuring components serve multiple purposes, through clever integration, results in an elegant and simple solution. A new dimension to vehicle maneuverability provides ultimate convenience when navigating through congested cities and a low level of maintenance provides a hassle free driving experience.
Irresistible Styling
Simple and innovative design solutions are the driving force behind the Model T2. Clean body lines and an easily adaptable interior styling result in a car to suit people from all walks of life.
Associate Professor Dr. Syed Ahmad and Mr Ramli Abdullah, members of the Council of Architectural Education Malaysia, and representatives of the Board of Architects Malaysia ((LAM) visited the School on Friday 29 August, 2008.
Associate Professor Dr. Syed Ahmad and Mr Ramli Abdullah took time to familiarise themselves with the School’s programs, facilities, achievement and vision. They engaged in discussion with staff about accreditation matters and recognition of Deakin’s Master of Architecture by the Board of Architects Malaysia.
An informal forum was held with up to twenty Malaysian students currently studying architecture in the School attending. The forum proved very helpful for all parties to understand some of the concerns and issues related to their studies. The principal advice for graduates wishing to present for the registration of architects examination with the Board of Architects Malaysia is to keep meticulous documentation and copies of all course documentation including syllabus, assignments, assessment and project work.
Staff involved with this event were Dr John Rollo, Dr Sambit, James Coulson and Susan Ang and included Mimi Abdullah, currently a phD scholarship student, who is an academic staff member University Technology Mara, Malaysia.
The School of Architecture and Building recently hosted the 25th international SAHANZ (Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand) conference at the Waterfront Campus. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand and the globe attended this milestone conference in the history of the Society.
Co-convenors Ursula de Jong and David Beynon, School of Architecture and Building, said it was a privilege for Deakin to host this year’s conference, History in Practice, which explored the connections between architectural history and architectural practice.
Ursula de Jong, also one of the founding members of SAHANZ, says the speakers considered the relationship between critique and intervention, and the links between analysis and creation that lie at the complex intersections of architecture and the writing about architecture.
“They critiqued the practices of architectural history and theory, analysing the gaps, connections and contentions between them and the ongoing history of architectural practice. These relationships were further framed in terms of exchanges between: old and new; local and global; history and technology; conceptual and visual; centre and periphery; memory and evidence.”
SAHANZ provides a forum for the open discussion of architectural history and historiography of the region and setting from which to reflect on the status of the architecture, landscape and cities of Australia and New Zealand in the wider world. Throughout the last quarter century there has been an evolution of the discipline reflected within the society:
“When we started our work was ‘simple’. We focused on gathering information, documenting our architectural history, establishing an archive of architectural knowledge. Over time that has evolved, as we reflect on and interpret that information, as we begin to explore who we are and how we connect to place; how we understand our place, and consider it within the wider regional context of the Pacific and South East Asia,” says Dr de Jong.
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