Shouting Quietly through Architecture - Rob Meyerson and William McKee of Common Office

Summary

Rob Meyerson and William McKee lead the architectural practice, Common Office, in Sydney, Australia. Their work has been featured in Archdaily, Vogue, and the Sydney Morning Herald. Common Office was founded on an interest in interiors, buildings, urbanism and territory. Emerging out of a body of work that ranges between the domestic and large scale urban design proposals, the office is committed to making buildings, design research and speculative work.

The conversation delves into the opportunities for architectural design in development in Australia and Europe, while also addressing the challenges facing the implementation project. As Rob puts it, the office is highly interesting in “making city”, and the discussion highlights ways in which young architectural practices can contribute to collective urbanism.

Keywords

architecture, development, design, project management, challenges, Australia, Europe, building process, consultants, cities, urbanism, Sydney

Chapters

00:00 Intro 00:45 The Landscape of Architecture in Australia 08:39 Challenges and Opportunities in Residential Architecture 14:21 Community Engagement and Planning Processes 20:30 Navigating Design Limitations 22:30 The Challenges of Project Management 30:38 Balancing Practice and Business 36:25 The Intersection of Design and Business 43:42 Speculative Work and Its Value 47:29 The Importance of Housing in Urban Development 49:37 Contextual Architecture: A Case Study 50:50 The Importance of Communication in Architecture 53:12 Reviving the Art of Physical Model Making 56:14 Future Directions for Common Office 01:00:12 Affordable Housing: Challenges and Opportunities 01:06:09 The Architect's Role in Housing Affordability 01:10:34 Ethics and Aesthetics in Modern Architecture 01:15:36 The Genesis of Common Office

Links for Common Office

https://common-office.com/

https://www.instagram.com/common_office_design/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/common-office/