Original Thinkers Podcast

John Wardle is Partner at the award-winning John Wardle Architects, a practice internationally renowned for making extraordinary buildings and places that matter. As a Partner at a firm of 100 people, John says he is as much a navigator as an architect. He enjoys drawing the many threads together to create something far greater than ever first imagined.
"An idea in its infancy is a fragile thing. It can be killed off with logic almost immediately. It must be allowed to be given oxygen. History reminds us of how influential original thinking can be, and how lives are improved by it. To be truly creative you need to push against the norm - and certain political and commercial pressures."

originalthinkers.com.au/john-wardle
Links & Show Notes:

• John Wardle Architects
• Melbourne Design Week
• Heide Museum of Modern Art
• Heide II
• Article: Impeccably designed and crafted, 'Relatively Useful' acknowledges Australia's design greats
• Video: Relatively Useful
• Brunelleschi's Dome of Florence Cathedral
• Book: Brunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented Architecture by Ross King
• Book: Creativity - A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese
• Melbourne Conservatorium of Music
• UTAS Library and Student Experience Building
• Article: Timeless Australian Timber in Construction - University of Tasmania's West Park Campus by John Wardle Architects
• Article: John Wardle Architects Designs Pair of Industrial Buildings for University of Tasmania
• Hydrowood
• Cusp Building Solutions
• Article: Going green with stone and wood: Limestone House by John Wardle Architects
• Article: The sentinel on the edge of a cliff: Captain Kelly's Cottage
• Hosted by Claire Bennett

Episode Sponsors:

• Tasmanian Timber
• Hydrowood

Stephen Geason is Director at Cykel Architecture. Stephen has an expertise in designing for people living with dementia. He's a registered architect in Australia and a Churchill fellow, and was heavily involved with presentations for the Built Environment for the Understanding Dementia MOOC at the Wicking Dementia Center at the University of Tasmania. Stephen was the fireside architect for Korongee Dementia Village, a project that he managed from inception to completion.
"A colleague and a friend of mine came to us as a client, had a PhD in dementia care, was very well respected in it. And he would say to me, 'you architects Stephen, you tell a good story, but you don't deliver'. But his point was, as an architect, you've got the confidence you're designing, you're going to sell the idea. He was saying there was no substance behind what people were telling him were good for people with dementia. I kind of took the challenge on, you know, cups of coffee on the deck of the house that we designed and worked with him over many years was a part of this ongoing conversation around architecture, built environment, design for dementia care models; I took him to task and got him to assist me and we started to get really deeply involved in how it unfolded, and he was my referee for my Churchill Fellowship. So I got an interview; one of my interview panel says to me, 'Stephen, so how do you feel that one of your referees said that there is no architectural expertise in the design of dementia in Australia?' and I said, 'it looks like I'm sitting in the right seat, doesn't it?' "
originalthinkers.com.au/stephen-geason
Links & Show Notes:

• Cykel Architecture
• Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre - University of Tasmania
• Korongee Dementia Village
• UTAS Article: Korongee Dementia Village
• Hydrowood
• Churchill Fellowship
• Christopher Alexander - UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design
• Planet Ark - Wood: Nature Inspired Design
• Robert Morris-Nunn
• Corumbene Care by Cykel Architecture
• National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines
• The Dignity Environmental Assessment Tool (Dignity-EAT)

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber

The Architects: Fiona Dunin is the Director of FMD Architects, a renowned Melbourne-based architecture firm known for its innovative and sustainable designs. Merging her interior design and architecture expertise, Fiona brings a holistic approach to her projects, ensuring a seamless and harmonious integration of spaces from the inside out. FMD Architects specialises in crafting residential, commercial, and public spaces that are functional, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally responsible. Their collaborative approach and dedication to design excellence have earned them a reputation as one of Australia’s leading architectural practices.
"I think we have a huge role to play. I mean, the amount of energy that our buildings take to build, but also to run and to live in, is enormous. So we have a huge role to play to make these buildings, one, minimise the carbon footprint of the actual construction of the buildings, maximise the lifespan of the buildings and the interiors, and think about that sort of ongoing lifespan of the building."
originalthinkers.com.au/fiona-dunin
Links & Show Notes:

• FMD Architects
• Daryl Jackson
• Daryl Jackson (University of Melbourne)
• John Wardle Architects
• John Wardle Architects (Wikipedia)
• Tasmanian Oak
• Article: Tiara House
• Tiara House (FMD)
• Fitzroy Gardens Rotunda
• Bustle House (FMD)
• Species: Black Heart Sassafras
• Article: Different features in timber (veneer)
• Article: QC Chambers
• Benefits of timber in workspaces
• Biophilic Design
• Hydrowood
• Centre for Sustainable Architecture With Wood (CSAW)

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber

The Makers: Dylan Graham is the Project Manager for Construction in Tasmania's North-West for Fairbrother. Fairbrother is a nationally award-winning company specialising in commercial and industrial construction whose expertise spans a wide array of projects, from large-scale infrastructure developments to bespoke commercial buildings. They are known for their commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. With a strong focus on client satisfaction, Fairbrother consistently delivers projects that meet rigorous standards and contribute significantly to the built environment.
"Mass timber – it's an exciting space, it has a long way to run. There's huge potential, and I think a few of the preconceived ideas of the past in terms of costs or time or limitations around fire, we should continue to challenge these. They're not insurmountable. What you might've been told is impossible two years ago, could well be possible now, or it may be possible by the time your project kicks off, and I think more than ever that is true."
originalthinkers.com.au/dylan-graham
Links & Show Notes:

• Fairbrother
• University of Tasmania’s Northern Transformation Project
• Article: River's Edge
• Project: River's Edge
• Article: Embodied Carbon & Mass Timber
• Podcast: David Rowlinson
• Cusp CLT
• Article: Eucalyptus nitens research
• Cusp Fire Tests
• Wardle Studio
• Centre for Sustainable Architecture With Wood (CSAW)
• Article: Greg Nolan
• Article: St Lukes Launceston
• Supplier: Neville Smith Forest Products (NSFP)
• Supplier: Britton Timbers

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber

Michael Lee is a technical expert in Tasmanian Timber. Mick, as he's known within the sector, has over 30 years experience in research, timber production, and systems. He works with builders, designers, and architects to create solutions that benefit the environment, the economy, and the community.
"The stadium build for instance, in Hobart, called for 40-metre roof beams. No one in Australia could make a 40-metre roof beam. Could we make two twenties? Of course. So it's just changing the ethos and getting the right engineering involved to change the design parameters to suit our products. There's nothing that can be done anywhere else in the world that we can't do here. We have the capability of producing it on island – so it's buy local, local supply. We have the product. There's nothing stopping us. There really isn't."
originalthinkers.com.au/michael-lee
Links & Show Notes:

• Tasmanian Timber Technical Helpline
• Fraser & Partners’ C6 – World’s Tallest Hybrid Timber Residential Tower (Dezeen)
• Cusp Building Solutions
• Terroir’s St Luke’s Timber Tower Project
• Timberlink Australia
• UTAS Centre for Sustainable Architecture with Wood (CSAW)
• TouchWood
• Article: Woodsmith
• Woodsmith Engineered Flooring

Episode Sponsor:

• Tasmanian Timber