Light, Cities and Architecture

Join architect Antony DiMase and writer and editor Justine Costigan as they discuss the rise of NIMBYs and YIMBYs and how these groups reflect the growing dissatisfaction with the way our cities are planned. 

We welcome your feedback, questions and topic suggestions. To get in touch email [email protected]

Referenced in this episode:

Tom Cowie’s story about the Thornbury church

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/empty-church-ignites-tension-between-heritage-and-housing-20240424-p5fm7b.html

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/always-for-you

License code: FKADBZMC5CF0HIR8

Join architect Antony DiMase and writer and editor Justine Costigan as they explore the impact of war on cities and the people who live in them. From current battlegrounds in Gaza and Ukraine to historical conflicts, they discuss what happens to cities when buildings and infrastructure is destroyed, the different approaches to rebuilding, and why we need to be talking about this right now.
We welcome your feedback, questions and topic suggestions for discussion.

To get in touch email [email protected]

Referenced in this episode:
What does it take to rebuild a city destroyed by war

Modern War Institute at West Point, 31/02/2023

To Rebuild Cities After War, Look to the Past
By Sameh Wahba and Joanna Masic
Wired Magazine 22/12/2022

The numbers that reveal the extent of the destruction in Gaza
By Archie Bland
The Guardian, 08/01/2024

Music credit:
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/always-for-you

In a new format for Season 3 - Antony is joined by writer Justine Costigan. Together they explore the recent announcement by the State Government to demolish the Housing Commission Towers in Melbourne. Justine and Antony discuss how this announcement goes against the trend of retrofitting projects here and around the globe, the implications for the people living in the towers, and the project's place in the wider housing discussion.

We welcome your feedback, questions and topic suggestions for discussion. To get in touch email [email protected]

Referenced in this episode:
Grand Parc public towers, Bordeaux, France

Renovation architects: Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal

“Never demolish. Always transform, with and for the inhabitant."Jean Philippe Vassal

"For people with a passion for sustainability there's never been a better time to be alive." - Andre Egan.

This podcast our guest is Andrew Egan, who, fascinatingly, operates a commercial asset management company that focuses on circularity. Have you ever thought about the lifespan of office furniture? How many chairs, desks, cubicles and kitchens exist in offices worldwide? And, crucially, how many materials were mined, forged and sewn together to make a single chair, only for modern corporate culture to reduce its lifespan to seven years.

This enormous and often unseen issue is what Egans Asset Management brings to the forefront, and offers a neat solution for.

Listen into the episode to hear about the history and growing need to manage the production and output of corporate spaces.

Author, Professor and recently, Poet Brendan Gleeson joins LCA to discuss the gravitational power and development of cities, with a focus on Melbourne.

With a background in geography and urban planning, Brendan is interested in the human relationships developed through planning and architecture. He is a member of the Melbourne Centre for Cities within the University of Melbourne and is the author of 14 books, most recently Records of The Loss Property Department of Gardiner Reserve. I am excited to dive in and hear his perspective on the past, present, and future of Melbourne and urban economics.

Ideally, this episode will provide some insight into the history and complexity of cities and urban planning, and provide hope on the key future issues cities will face in a warming climate.

This episode I invite esteemed author and Professor of Architecture Mirjana Lozanovska, a good friend of mine on to the podcast to talk about post-war southern European migrant housing in the 50's and 60's. Mirjana's extensive expertise sheds light on the architectural landscape of Melbourne, particularly the houses in our local neighbourhoods.

Migrant housing holds a personal connection for me, as my parents moved to Mildura from Italy after World War II, and Mirjana's research resonates with the memories of homes from my childhood.

Mirjana, Professor at Deakin University, focuses her research on architecture, diversity, and culture. Her book, "Migrant Housing," delves into the significant role of migrant architecture in shaping Australian cities, considering the substantial number of Australians with overseas-born parents.

Join us in this enlightening episode as we explore the stories behind the buildings that contribute to the diverse fabric of our communities. Tune in now to gain insights into the fascinating relationship between culture and architecture.

From this episode onwards, we are introducing a new discussion point on which we will invite speakers to contribute - Design More to Consume Less. This topic will introduce and interrogate the concept that design can aid us in reducing how much we consume. Whether that be through well produced items that last a lifetime to scrutinising the supply chain of everything we buy, can design and designers be the authorities on consumption? Can we truly consume less and design more?

In this episode we invite Damien Wright - designer, furniture maker, and activist, to discuss with us the ways in which design thinking and craft come together to inform his view on consumption.

After a hiatus of 8 months Jackson and Antony are back talking Light, Cities and Architecture.  In this episode they talk about The Light and Space movement emanating from California in the 1960’s.  Together they discuss the work of Robert Irwin, Helen Pashgian and James Turrell.  With obvious links to architecture these artists redefined art in the 20th century to be a sensory experience that broke free of the boundaries of the canvas and became installation pieces in different locations around the world. The impact is still being felt today with artists like Olafur Eliasson and even Kayne West being both influenced and supporters of the work.

In this bonus episode Jackson and Antony depart from Aalto that was discussed in last episode and discuss the role of daylight design in contemporary buildings.  We venture into the meaning of architecture, the art of daylighting and the rise of electric lighting to satisfy people’s needs for light and control in spaces.  The future of daylight might be less obvious as lighting design and lighting controls give greater certainty to lighting outcomes.  But can electric lighting ever give us what daylight gives us in architecture?  Find out what Jackson and Antony think will be the future of lighting design and architecture in the 21st century.

In this episode Jackson and Antony look at the work of Alvar Aalto.  Specifically, we look at his library buildings and the relationship to lighting design and daylight.  Aalto’s work spans over 5 decades and each of his library buildings we see an evolution of the way he uses daylight to create spaces.  We explore the influences of luminaire design on his architecture and how he created a model of nature and the environment that inspired his interior architecture.