Katherine Kemp

Katherine Kemp

Sessional Lecturer, Associate Degree, Interior Design & Decoration

Picture of red lines forming a random shape grid. Red lines are thick and picture is close up, only 6 gaps are visible. Background is grey. Lines are casting a shadow onto the grey background.
Open to:
Profile photo of Katherine Kemp laughing and looking towards the right.

Contact details

VE | Programs and Delivery


Emailkatherine.kemp@rmit.edu.au


Campus: Melbourne City


Programs

More information

Profile photo of Katherine Kemp laughing and looking towards the right.

Contact details

VE | Programs and Delivery


Emailkatherine.kemp@rmit.edu.au


Campus: Melbourne City


Programs

More information

Katherine is both a Registered Architect & Interior Designer (BA Hons) RMIT, and has been practicing for over 20 years with a focus on Interior Architecture particularly in hospitality.

She is currently a Director of ZWEI Interiors Architecture, where the team has been recognised in numerous awards for their work, and is also the Chair, Design Institute of Australia | VIC TAS Branch, and a sessional lecturer at RMIT University.

Overview

Aside from her day job at ZWEI Interiors Architecture, Katherine loves being part of the sessional team at RMIT University within the IDD, College of Vocational Education, Creative Industries Cluster. Katherine strongly believes in building a collegiate and collaborative design community across all sectors of design and construction, and is passionate about giving back to the profession and mentoring and supporting young graduates into the profession.

Katherine is currently delivering the final semester Capstone design project within the Associate Degree program.

Web

Industry experience

Director, ZWEI Interiors Architecture

Web

Research

ZWEI lead a self driven project for Melbourne Design Week 2020, Citizen.MDW. The project explored the question posed by Melbourne Design Week, 'how can design shape life?' by installing a pop-up cafe in Queensbridge Square that explored how the design of both the structure and systems behind a coffee outlet can support a circular economy, change behaviour and lead to better sustainable outcomes.

The Citizen.MDW pavilion was a temporary popup form that showcased sustainable, off grid design and was a test case for a café that works within the ethos of a circular economy. Materials were selected based on their sustainable qualities and elements such as the reused milk crates talk directly to repurposing an element that is typically used within café operations, and will have a second life when broken down into plastic flakes and reformed as post-consumer plastic sheeting.

All equipment was been extensively reviewed and assessed for electrical load and operations were adapted to work within the capacity of the solar panels.

An example is; the dishwasher was removed from the pavilion due to the high electrical demand, and the decision was made to ask all patrons to bring their own cup.

The design also showcased growing mushrooms from coffee waste, and how people can easily collect grounds and compost, and grow and eat mushrooms at home.

Research keywords

Design, Interior Design, Interior Architecture

Research output summary

Citizen.MDW design apporach and outcomes:

Structure:

Designed using scaffolding as the framework, the roof is formed by using 118 solar panels generating the electricity to power the café operations, and three Tesla off grid power walls are mounted to the scaffold that store electricity to supply continuous power to the pavilion.

The walls are repurposed milk crates, curved into folded forms, the crates are locked together vertically by clamped webbing, then tied horizontally using hemp ties.

The coffee counter is built from recycled plastic sheet, including flaked milk cartons, with repurposed timber supports under.

Mushrooms are showcased within plastic tubing in the heart of the structure.

All the built elements will be repurposed or are elements that can be used again and again.

Mushrooms:

Mushrooms showcase the reuse of coffee grounds, rather than going to landfill.

The mushrooms have been propagated into recycled plastic tubes and incubated in the mushroom farm in the Mornington Peninsula. Once the mycelium is ready, the tubes are transported to site and holes opened in the tubes, where they will spawn beautiful mushrooms for show. Once they have passed their life span, they will be returned to compost.

Coffee:

The coffee is brought to the pavilion by Code Black Coffee. The coffee beans have been roasted in their Roastery in Brunswick and are generally sourced direct from the growers in South and Central America. All the coffee grounds throughout the event will be collected into bins and used by Reground for composting, mushroom farming and worm farms throughout Melbourne.

Power:

The pavilion is off-grid and supported by 118 solar panels on the roof and façade of the pavilion. Three 13.5KWh Tesla power walls store the electricity and supply continuous power to the café and pavilion.

Water:

The pavilion collects rainwater from the roof through the central gutter and runs into IBC 1000L collection vessels. This water is not potable (drinkable) but we will reuse the water for various purposes throughout the event. Waste water will also be collected from the café and repurposed after the event.

Recycled plastic:

We have sourced recycled plastic tubing from a Victorian supplier who takes post-consumer plastic waste, reduces it to flakes, heats and reforms the plastic into a workable sheet material. The plastic is then curved into various forms for use.

Typically the tubes we have sourced are used in buildings for drainage, irrigation and fire services.

Equipment:

Coffee equipment is supplied by Code Black Coffee and utilises single group espresso coffee machines and pour over coffee, and the coffee for the duration of the Melbourne Design Week event will be free.

The equipment load has been assessed by Finding Infinity to ensure that the load demand can be supported by the solar capacity of the pavilion.

We support the Climate Council, and visitors ordering coffee are requested to donate a gold coin to support climate action.

Coffee Cups

The pavilion is operating on the principle of ‘bring your own cup’ rather than contribute to landfill through the use of single use takeaway cups.

Reground

All the coffee grounds throughout the event will be collected into bins and used by Reground for composting, mushroom farming and worm farms throughout Melbourne

Web

Supervisor interest areas

  • Design, Interior Design, Interior Architecture

Feature publications

Artichoke

Interior architecture and design magazine

Let’s Go Out 

Book

The Age

Newspaper

Key publications

  • Cafe Culture (Magazine)
  • Artichoke (Magazine)
  • Interior Pop (Book)
  • Let’s Go Out (Book)
  • Frame Web (Digital)
  • The Age (Newspaper)
  • World Interiors News (Digital Newsletter)
  • Broadsheet (Digital)
  • ArchitectureAU (Digital)
  • Indesignlive (Digital)
  • Retail Design Blog (Digital)
  • Workshop (Magazine)
Web

Feature projects

Acre Eatery

ZWEI - Commercial project, hospitality

2019

Citizen.MDW

ZWEI - Temporary Pavilion

2020

Makan

ZWEI - Commercial project, hospitality

2018

Web

Awards


Dezeen Awards

Award date: 2021

Longlist: Sustainable Building | Architecture | Citizen.MDW

Designers Australia Awards

Award date: 2021

Category: Place (Shortlisted)

Australian Interior Design Awards

Award date: 2012

Winner: Citizen.MDW | Sustainability Advancement

Key awards by year

  • Dezeen Awards, Longlist: Sustainable Building | Architecture | Citizen.MDW_2021
  • Designers Australia Awards_Category: Place (Shortlisted)_2021
  • Australian Interior Design Awards_Winner: Citizen.MDW | Sustainability Advancement
  • Australian Interior Design Awards_Shortlisted: Citizen.MDW | Installation Design_2021

  • Sustainable Building Awards, Winner: Commercial Architecture (Small) Acre Farm Eatery_2020
  • Sustainable Building Awards, Highly Commended: Waste Elimination | Citizen.MDW_2020

  • Australian Interior Design Awards, Shortlisted: Retail Design | Act of Wine_2019

  • Eat Drink Design Awards, Shortlisted: (Best Bar Design) Kicks_2018
  • Eat Drink Design Awards, Shortlisted: (Best Cafe Design) Lightyears_2018
  • Eat Drink Design Awards, Shortlisted: (Best Cafe Design) Pierrick Boyer Cafe Patisserie_2018

  • Highly Commended: Idea Awards - Hospitality_2017
  • Shortlisted: Houses Awards - House Alterations & Addition under 200sqm_2017

  • Winner: Perspective a&d Trophy Awards, Hong Kong_Architecture (Professional) F&B outlet_2016
  • Shortlisted: Restaurant& Bar Design Awards, UK_2016

  • Highly Commended: Eat Drink Design Awards - Temporary Design_2015
  • Shortlisted: Australian Interior Design Awards - Hospitality & Retail_2015

  • Shortlisted: Australian Interior Design Awards - Retail_2014

  • Winner: World Interiors News Awards, UK: Restaurant Design_2013
  • Winner: Melbourne Design Awards: Interior Design - Hospitality_2013
  • Winner: Australian Interior Design Awards - Hospitality_2013
  • Shortlisted: Best of Year Awards, USA: Hospitality - Restaurant / Bakery / Coffee Shop_2013

  • Shortlisted: IDEA Awards: Hospitality 2012

  • Shortlisted: IDEA Awards: Hospitality 2011

  • Shortlisted: IDEA Awards: Hospitality 2010
Web

Public and media engagements

  • Featured in Melbourne Open House: 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Featured in Food & Hotel Asia, Singapore: 2014
  • Knowledge of Design Week Hong Kong: 2014
Web
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.

aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.