Kevin Hüi and Andrew Maynard are the proud creators of this one-of-a-kind studio/platform/space. Archimarathon STUDIO is about building a strong community for students in architecture and interior design that works like an office.
The studio is perfectly aligned with the core values of Austin Maynard Architects: sustainability, education, communication and joy. “At the foundation of good design, there is sustainability, there are passive principles,” Maynard says. “At Archimarathon, we want to make sure that students understand how fundamental sustainability is in architecture, it is not an extra.”
Communication comes first for Hüi and Maynard, as they want to teach themselves as well as the students how to communicate better in this shared space: “We have an obligation to communicate better and to teach better communication skills,” Hüi says.
“And what we do, does it bring delight and joy? Yes,” says Maynard. “It’s important in terms of community and communicating sustainability as something central to design – because so much of what's delightful is sustainable.”
Hüi and Maynard met in their student years and they are adamant that, in our increasingly fragmented world, universities are forced to break down large projects into various assignments and submissions. According to Hüi and Maynard, it is becoming increasingly hard for students to see the big picture of the particular unit as well as the whole course. Students often miss some of the fundamentals and core skills in architecture.
Physically connected to the office of Austin Maynard Architects, Archimarathon STUDIO allows participants to learn via osmosis in a professional practice environment. “Anybody who has worked in an office knows that most of the learning you do is actually by osmosis,” Maynard says.
“When Kevin and I were students, there were many places in universities where architecture students and architects used to work in the same space, but it seems that these spaces have been eroded, erased from universities today.
“Today, there isn't that sort of dissemination or breakdown of information anymore and students are often confronted by harsh criticism from professionals when they do their first presentations.”
Hüi agrees, pointing to the YouTube videos and Instagram and TikTok reels he produces for Archimarathon as an example. “That’s where most of the learning happens, not so much the project you're working on. The studio is where students learn how to work in a team as well,” he says.
“Archimarathon STUDIO is like a finishing school, in terms of actually being able to see how a team works in a practice. I don’t believe there are any other studios like Archimarathon in the world, where there is the bridge between practice and studio space, with the kind of coaching that comes with being so close to industry professionals.”
According to Maynard, the omnipresence of Hüi gives him the ability to tutor the students in the studio throughout the day: “If Kevin sees someone doing something that’s not working, or staring at their screens for hours struggling, he will offer counsel to the student. It’s a similar role to being a director in our firm – if they're having trouble or Kevin overhears a conversation and thinks, ‘well, that's not how you do it,’ he can jump in.
“So there's that further sort of simulation of a work environment.”
But Archimarathon isn’t just a space; it is also an experience. It all started when, in 2020, Maynard and Hüi decided to dedicate themselves to content creation, namely YouTube videos and Instagram and TikTok reels, and to organise architectural tours worldwide a few years later. The studio opened two years ago, when Austin Maynard Architects moved to Swanston Street, Melbourne.
The quarterly tours, organised by Hüi, are action-packed curated architecture trips around the world for students, architects and architecture enthusiasts.
“Content creation and tours go hand in hand,” Hüi says. “And at the foundation of all of Archimarathon, whether it be the studio, tours or YouTube videos and Instagram and TikTok reels, is the idea of education and learning. If you go on tour with us, you're going to see so much great stuff, but it's not so much about taking photos; it is more about all the lessons that we actually take away from these trips.”
Through their tours, Maynard and Hüi are as much in a learning position as the students are in the Archimarathon STUDIO. “It's amazing going places like Scandinavia, and you see how necessary is to respond to climate,” Maynard says. “That's the reason traveling becomes so important because you need to actually go and experience some of these spaces to learn about architecture.”
Archimarathon is, according to Hüi, operating in such a way it is almost a not-for-profit organisation. “We really need people to help sustain this learning model,” Hüi adds.
Archimarathon STUDIO is open 24/7. Learn more about how to join the studio here.
If you are interested in sponsoring the studio, contact Hüi on [email protected].
