European symposium explores design practice research

Held in Barcelona, Spain, the Practice Research Symposium was presented by RMIT Europe, RMIT’s School of Architecture and Design, and the Architecture, Design and Art Practice Training Research (ADAPT-r) program.

The event saw four RMIT researchers close to PhD completion defend their creative practice research to an international panel as well as a public audience. In addition, 22 early-stage ADAPT-r researchers took part in work-in-progress presentations.

At the event’s opening address, RMIT’s Professor Anton James shared with the current PhD candidates his own experience as part of the ADAPT-r program.

James, an accomplished and highly regarded landscape architect and artist with more than 20 years of experience across Europe and North America, leads an experimental design laboratory within the School of Architecture and Design.

“The practice-based research approach allowed me to reflect and think about the reasons why I do things, how I do them and how can I communicate this more effectively to my business partners and staff,” he said.

The landscape architect, who runs the practice JMD Design in Sydney, Australia, said his research became essential to his work, and it was a “fantastic process and journey to take.”

The newest RMIT PhD awardees through the ADAPT-r program at this year’s event included:

• Petra Pferdmenges of Alive Architecture
  • The Brussels-based architect and researcher investigated how observing and drawing people appropriating the public realm informed her professional practice as an architect.
• Sebastien Penfornis of Taktyk
  • The Paris-based landscape architect and researcher focused on the notion of play as a tactical approach and a possible mode of practice in the field of landscape architecture and urbanism.
• Ephraim Joris of Architecture Project
  • The Brussels-based architect and researcher explored the development of a drawing process for producing architecture through the recollection of history.
• Anthony Hoete of WHAT_architecture
  • The London-based architect and researcher examined the way dialogue can be assembled on how architecture might embrace a different set of strategies to deliver buildings in an environment where the role of the architect is marginalised.

The  PhD candidates were assessed by international experts including Dr Kester Rattenbury from the University of Westminster, Assistant Professor Dr Gabriella Trovato of the American University of Beirut, Professor Gabriela Seifert of the University of Innsbruck, Marina Cervera from ETSAB Barcelona, Danish architect Dr Boris Jensen and Associate Professor Dr Rene van der Velde of TU Delft.

Examinations and presentations took place in several locations across Barcelona, including Fundacio Palo Alto and the Bau Design College of Barcelona.

The event also included a workshop as part of the Biennale Sessions 1OOYC project, a research program led by the School of Architecture and Design with support and participation by leading international architecture schools and institutions.

The ADAPT-r program is partly funded through the European Union’s Seventh Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration under Grant Agreement No 317325.

 The annual event in Barcelona complements a second symposium held early each year in Ghent, Belgium.

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