MPavilion

How can we ensure the perspectives of women and gender-diverse people are factored into residential building design? Equity in gender representation is essential at all stages of the process, from the earliest architectural plans, to decorating, to engaging with communities in need of affordable housing. Tune in to hear about the important subtleties of creating spaces that improve the lives of wo...

Melbourne prides itself on its parks, gardens and waterways, but with biodiversity loss threatening our quality of life, how is the private sector stepping up to care for our natural assets? When the Global Biodiversity Framework emerged from COP15 in December 2022 it was a huge moment for nature. Business and finance had its strongest presence yet, so now is the time for leadership and Victoria—’...

Tune in to a keynote lecture, presented by Dr Leanne Zilka of ZILKA Studios, as she explained her research and practice on ‘Floppy Architecture’. The premise of ‘Floppy Architecture’ is focussed on light weight fabric-based structures that look at techniques embedded in fashion and textile design in order to develop novel approaches to the fabrication of architectural elements. The combination of...

Australia prides itself on its multiculturalism, yet the diversity of culture, character and community is not often reflected in its media landscape—or felt by the many minority populations that comprise the nation’s identity. How do we change this? We know it’s a problem, but there is widespread apathy about the path to evolution. What are the steps to take to from here? How can we work together...

Tune in to the launch event and discussion around Kummargi Yulendj (Rising Knowledge Project)—an urban adventure leading you through lost markers, with Boon Wurrung elder N’arweet Carolyn Briggs. Connections between a tree, a rock and a beach are remade through increasing awareness of the ways in which Indigenous knowledge is central to the regeneration of our natural environments. This Indigenous...

Wellness lifestyle real estate—or homes designed to build and support their residents’ health in a holistic manner—is emerging as the next frontier in housing trends. As more people question where and how they want to live, investors, developers and city-makers are awakening to a powerful opportunity to build homes and neighbourhoods that put residents’ wellness at the centre of their conception a...

It takes a village to build a better city! Listen in to short presentations from various designers and experts who spoke about their experiences in urbanism and the future potential of their disciplines. Following this, the discussion moved onto a ‘citizen-sourced’ design workshop where people and panellists worked together to draw, model and list the future city they wish to see and why. It’s eas...

Tune in to a special evening at MPavilion as we brought together the brilliant minds behind the MPavilion 2022 design, fabrication and build, in conversation with the founder and commissioner of the MPavilion project Naomi Milgrom AC. Hosted by architect and Grand Designs Australia host Peter Maddison, the stellar panel lineup featured all(zone) design director Rachaporn Choochuey, architect and f...

Does collective housing deliver on its promises? Over the last ten years, collective housing through deliberative development has emerged in Melbourne as an alternative model to speculative, for-profit housing. As a model, it promises better sustainability, affordability, and social connections, but still, many discussions tend to prioritise the perspectives of architects and developers. Listen in...

How can we create jobs that support people of all ages? Tune into a panel discussion that considered how we can advance age equality at work. Hear the voices of young people, older people and their advocates come together to consider how we can build intergenerational fairness at work. Let's generate creative ideas that can end age discrimination and age inequality once and for all.

Since 2016, Victoria has become the “knockdown and re-build capital” of Australia, with concrete the largest contributor to construction and demolition waste. Yet most of this material is down-cycled and used as backfill; the very ubiquity of concrete allows us to undervalue it. How can we think differently about how we use and value this resource? Tune into this panel discussion between builders,...

Conceptions of our collective relationship to the Australian landscape have undergone transformative renovations in recent memory. The prioritisation of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in ecological discourse has raised an awareness to First Nations people’s connection to Country. Drawing on the contemplative lightscape by Jazz Money, a yarning circle took place that consi...

City Design and Aboriginal Melbourne invite you to tune into a First Nations-led conversation that explored ways of building relationships with Country in urban environments. Looking towards the future of our city environment in the face of climate change, individual care and custodianship is a must. The panel discussion explored the role of materiality and how this can enable living with, designi...

What will the buildings of the future be made of? The construction industry is a material and energy hungry sector, accounting for a staggering forty percent of global CO2 emissions. Architects, designers and engineers are taking up the challenge to overhaul the materials economy. They are embracing new materials and processes, reducing our dependence on finite resources and minimising waste and r...

What is the future of biodesign in Australia? How do we design conditions for co-existence? Tune in for an expert panel conversation exploring how we can use biodesign to help humanity transition toward a circular, bio-based, regenerative economy. Biodesign is an innovative approach to product design that uses biotechnology, materials science, and engineering to create products that are based on n...

Timber is an ageless material that has many uses and many lives; yet large volumes of it enter the waste stream every year. Thankfully, a dedicated group of processors and artisans tap into this resource to recreate, reuse and recycle new products. Listen in on a discussion on how timber enters the waste stream and how it is removed, recycled and repurposed for new uses—from garden mulch to high-e...

For thousands of years possum skins were used to make cloaks by First Nations people in the south-east of Australia. Often given to them at birth, a person’s possum skin cloak told their life story, growing with them and collecting more elaborate designs as the owner moved through life. Sadly, after European colonisation, the practice was lost, lying dormant, with only a handful of cloaks remainin...

The practice of painting on barks for ceremony, and for the transmission of stories, law and culture, are an important and enduring practice in Yolŋu communities around Arnhem Land and the Top End. Bark paintings today are appreciated around the world as a powerful expression of the beauty and strength of Yolŋu culture. However, the practice of harvesting, producing, painting and sharing a bark pa...

Material—by being composed of matter—is a tangible artifact. Materiality, on the other hand, is inclusive of tangible and intangible matter. Digital materiality is the state of representation of physical materials, whether they are tangible or not. Listen in to Gunditjmara, Djabwurrung artist Hayley Millar Baker and Burraguttumal Curator Sebastian Goldspink as they discussed the tangibility and th...

The City of Melbourne is committed to addressing the Climate Emergency through its Emissions Reduction Plan 2021-2026 and Climate Change Mitigation Strategy.  Until now, much of the emphasis has rightly been on reducing operational emissions. The focus has now turned to embodied carbon which is present in all materials and products we use today.  This talk sought to facilitate an interactive discu...

The selection of materials for application in the built environment contributes to the commodification of Country. If we reframe our approach to design with an understanding that Country is not solely a material entity, but a living entity—with a past, a present and future—we can be better placed to design buildings that heal Country. Tune in for a discussion that explores how the materials we sel...

Tune in for a conversation championing new material explorations and research from the design industry. Find out about cutting-edge developments in bioplastics manufacturing, robotic fabrication and more, from panellists working across both commercial and institutional backgrounds. Many of these products feature biomimicry and advanced material science to create new technologies and materials. Wor...

Sharing food unites people across different communities and gives us space to share and learn from one another. For those away from home, food acts as a point of connection, remembering and nostalgia; for those wanting to explore new cultures, food can often act as the first step. Melbourne is home to a diverse range of cultures, and this is reflected in the city’s culinary offerings. It is no sur...

The most sustainable building is the one that lasts. In today’s state of accelerated social and technological change, can we design buildings that will last hundreds of years? We know materials are made of matter—with all the significant implications of lifecycle performance and embodied energy. Materials also matter, linking the physical environment and our embodied experience of the world. Recon...

Tune in to hear a conversation from filmmakers contributing to the Black Diasporas project, a showcase of 10 short films that document the experiences of individuals of African ancestry living in Naarm. Making a reference to African oral narrative cultural practices, the project is the result of seventy-five community members and creatives, collaborating to document topics like childbirth, daily l...