Our conversationalists for this session are Heather MacRae and Felice Burrows. Heather is an Associate at The Fulcrum Agency and Felice is the Co-founder and Director of Architects&Co.

Both share a circuitous route to an architecture career, a strong interest in social impact and making a difference, and a sceptical view of the high design elements of the industry. 

They discuss their shared passion for travel and work in marginalised communities, with Felice working in India on the Anganwadi project, and Heather securing the Gus Ferguson Travel Scholarship and working as an intern in Chile. 

“It cemented for me this idea that architecture really does have a lot of meaning and there is a lot of impact possible.”—Heather Macrae

Since then, Felice has become a committee member of the Anganwadi project and Heather has spent many years focusing on community masterplanning in remote Aboriginal communities. 

In this fascinating podcast, they discuss the things that have sustained them in their career journey – values-based projects, building relationships and meaningful volunteer work. They unpack the need for architects to redefine themselves, to change others’ perceptions around the self-serving aspects of the profession, and to focus on people and process rather than the outcome alone.

This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the 2023 Perth Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks Design Studio, it was convened by Suzie Hunt and run in collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom. 

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are good friends Shelley Penn and Amy Muir. Shelley is a strategic advisor to government and private sectors, Amy is Director of MUIR Architecture. Both are highly regarded architects, advocates and serious strategic thinkers with a strong commitment to the public realm. 

Their conversation from 2017 addresses these commitments and the importance of communicating the public value of design, along with career transitions and pathways. But it begins with a light-hearted and entertaining chat that captures the character of these two wonderful women as they discuss coffee choices, eggs and backbeach or front and fashion choices at university. 

This episode was recorded live on Wurundjeri Country at Testing Grounds Melbourne in Autumn 2017. It was convened by Justine Clark as part of Melbourne Design Week. We hope you enjoy the conversation. 

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are academic and historian Harriet Edquist and Cumulus Studio Associate Lucia Wellington. Harriet brings an enormous breadth of understanding of design across eras, from her historical research and archiving. Lucia is a strong advocate for sustainability within Cumulus and the wider profession.

In this thoughtful conversation, Harriet and Lucia discuss the importance of heritage preservation and quality craftsmanship. They share insights into Tasmanian urbanism, the significance of local history, and the challenges of balancing heritage with modern needs.

Harriet shares her experience of renovating a small, heritage cottage in Launceston, marvelling at the craftsmanship to be found in Tasmania and the powerful triangular intersection between client, builder and architect. She argues that historians might write history differently, highlighting these relationships, the collaborative process and the human experience of architecture rather than simply focusing on the final outcome. They agree that powerful working relationships and the collaborative process is sometimes missed in the narrative.

“When you have a builder who’s got that knowledge and who’s dedicated and who’s so skilful, they need to be celebrated as well.”

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

This episode was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the 2023 Launceston Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks on 30 August 2023, the Salon was convened by Helen Norrie. 

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Poppy Taylor and Clare Steen. Poppy is a co-founder of Taylor & Hinds Architects and Clare is a co-Director of Launceston-based Plain Architecture.

In this lively, engaging conversation, Poppy and Clare chat about their commonalities – being Tasmanian architects (born, bred and educated) with young families, who are running small practices. They reflect on their education, their younger selves (full of naivety, enthusiasm and brashness), their early formative projects and the serendipitous and life-changing moments in their careers.

Poppy and Clare discuss their respective first projects – both residential, both wonderful and positive experiences. Poppy shares a sliding door moment, when an unexpected financial obstacle opened up an opportunity to design her first house on Flinders Island. “That first one was done at a nice pace with amazing people in an amazing place, and that connection is still there to this day for us with Flinders Island.” Clare describes her spontaneous purchase of a block of land while still at university, offering her the chance to design her own first budget home.

Other topics traversed include the challenges of work-life balance, the male-dominated site experience and the importance of time spent on site, the poisoned chalice of being hired “because I’m female” and the need to call out unacceptable gender bias in the industry.

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our speakers for this episode are good friends Sophie Cleland and Tania Davidge. Sophie is a director at Architectus and Tania is now the CEO of Open House Melbourne.

This is a hilarious conversation filled with laughter and a serious commitment to community and political engagement. Tania and Sophie rewrote the brief for Salon asking the audience to direct their conversation in a ‘choose your own adventure’ escapade. The winning topics were ‘boiling frogs’ and ‘turtles all the way down’.  Listen on to find out what on earth that all means! 

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this wonderful episode are Maggie Edmond and Vanessa Bird. It is a celebration of Maggie’s life and work on the occasion of being retrospectively awarded the 2003 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal. Vanessa begins by outlining the campaign that enabled this recognition then interviews Maggie about her childhood, family influences and life in practice and beyond. Maggie speaks of growing up in the midst of the Melbourne fashion industry, running errands in Flinders Lane for her parents' fashion house, Linda Patricia. She talks of her eduction, forming Edmond & Corrigan, and her and Peter Corrigan's projects and contributions within the practice. She details her extensive list of board work, including being a Council Member, Deputy Chancellor and part of the Campus Planning Committee for Deakin University and member of the Melbourne Zoological Board. It is a privilege to hear Maggie and Vanessa reflect on what the awarding of the Gold Medal after a twenty year hiatus means to Maggie and the profession as a whole.

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks! 

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our speakers for this episode are Gordana Blazevska and Stephanie Bullock. Gordana is Founding Director of Management for Design and Stephanie is Founding Director of Kosloff Architecture. Stephanie moved from finance into architecture, while Gordana is an accountant who works with architectural and design practices. They met for the first time for this cross-disciplinary conversation, and got on famously – they have subsequently run a marathon together!

Together, they compare the similarities and differences in their careers and dive into the interconnections of accounting and architecture. They dissect their schooling and careers, exploring the impact that family, particularly small children, can have on work life. Stephanie details the process of starting in accounting and diverting to pursue architecture; eventually ending up in a position that utilises each area. Gordana brings her vast accounting expertise to the conversation and encourages architects to take a more engaged approach to accounting in their workplace. This is a vibrant conversation that will resonate with many.

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Birdy Bird from Land Back Foundation and Jade Kake of Matakohe architecture + urbanism. They share  stories and wisdom, and find much common ground. Both are incredibly articulate and generous speakers, providing a jam-packed session of information and advice. 

The conversation was wide-ranging, from land rights and reparations in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, to the importance of active listening, consensus building, and critically interrogating what we do as architects, particularly when it comes to ethics. Birdy and Jade gave excellent advocacy tips, sharing their expertise in dealing with hard-headed clients and government, “choosing violence in the nicest possible way”, standing their ground and advocating strongly for community.

“You have to be brave to advocate. You must not be afraid of having those difficult conversations.”—Birdy Bird 

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists are Samantha Donnelly and Tiana-Jane Furner-McBeath. Sam is an architect, educator and researcher. She is undertaking her PhD at Monash University and is now a lecturer in the School of Interior Architecture at UTS. Tiana-Jane is an Aboriginal woman and architectural graduate at BVN. At the time of the conversation she was living between Gomeroi and Gadigal Country.  

Tiana-Jane and Sam exchange experiences of working with oppressed or endangered communities, and discuss the tangible, on-the-ground change they seek to create. Tiana shares her research into Indigenous incarceration. Sam talks about her work with women’s refuges. Through this fascinating chat, it becomes clear it is imperative to remain humorous while tackling some of the toughest challenges. 

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Minnie Cade and Sonia Sarangi. Both Melbourne-based architects, they met for the first time for this conversation. Sonia is a director at Andever and, at the time of the recording, Minnie was a Principal at Wardle.  

Their conversation canvasses collaboration and independence in the workplace and the intersections of personal and professional lives. Minnie speaks of her background as an elite rower and the influence of this on how she leads teams in architecture. She emphasises the importance of caring for the performance of others, playing to people’s strengths while simultaneously pushing them to learn. Sonia discusses her experiences across cultures, continents and hierarchies, reflecting on what is possible – and not – within different workplaces. This is a thoughtful discussion about the importance of speaking up, curiosity and being engaged in the world.

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!