As the environment, cost savings and sustainability drip into the public consciousness, and we endeavour to find meaning in a new economic climate, how well prepared will Australia’s future architects be? Kate Gibbs speaks to architecture lecturer at Deakin University, Dr David Beynon.
How do you navigate teaching students who will become Australia’s future architects in what is a rapidly changing world?
One of the things I am looking at is how students deal with Australia’s place in the world, the increasing importance of Asia, and understanding what it means to be in our region. It’s about the cultural implications that come with Australia’s changing demography and Australia as a multicultural place. I guess it’s about how we work through educating future architects on designing what they’re going to need.
How far is the environment influencing the way architecture students are taught and the subjects they choose to do?
Students are increasingly taught about the environment in an ecological sense as well as a cultural sense. The environment has always been in [the public consciousness], but it’s always been more of a fringe issue if you go back 20 or 30 years. The science of it, how much energy buildings use and things like that, and then designing buildings using particular materials, and using space efficiently. All these things are now much more of an issue. We’re also looking at the amount of space Australian suburbs take up and how that can be better used. A lot of people have the five star house that is three times the size of what they really need. But Australia is not the only place that has these problems.
What other factors influence the way you teach, or the way universities approach architecture as a course?
Architecture courses have always been a little odd in universities because it’s a professional course. It’s not really a straight academic subject. I teach three areas - design, practice and one in Asian architecture, which is kind of history theory. These are also the things I do some research in and have some interests in. But for the students it’s about being prepared for practice, not just being prepared to do exactly what they have to do to get a job and get out, but also how to deal with things that might happen in the future. Those things may have to do with various forms of sustainability. What we teach is driven by lecturers’ own interests as well as the students and society generally. In combination they all impact the teaching. Society is getting more interested, particularly with things like bushfires, especially recently, impacting the way we live. There is a general belief that that many of the things we do should be done differently in the future in terms of design and building.
Is the student body changing? Who is doing architecture now?
We have a student body consisting partially of Australians, including some from Victoria, New South Wales, and some from the country. We have a lot of international students from Asia and South East Asia, and a few from Africa. So we have to think what an architect needs to do in all these places, and what is going to be useful to those students.
