Experimental

What are the characteristics of experimentation that we look for in Live Learning opportunities and examples?

Liveness is experimental. Live Learning offers freedom to explore new ways of creating architecture and alternative forms of practicing architecture. Experimentation encompasses: methods, processes, relationships, organisations, materials and technologies. Liveness embodies experimentation that is applied and research-based, in order to address real and tangible challenges and opportunities that we and our partners face.

Key Themes and Questions:

Exploring new modes of practice

We model new ways of architecture practice and spatial production in real time – critical, improvisational, exploratory and inclusive. Students are encouraged to conisder how their live learning relates to their experience in architectural practice, considering how it differs, or whether there are opportunities to develop different ways of working - considering alternative forms of practice or Praxis.

Alternative ways of doing architecture

Liveness opens up and critiques processes of architectural and spatial production, testing different ways of engaging people in making places and spaces. This means we are always looking for alternative ways of doing architecture that are appropriate for the specific situations that we are working in.

Alternative architectural praxis: "is initially defined as a praxis that focuses critically on the processes of architectural production rather than the product. An alternative praxis generally pushes at the boundaries of social, professional, organisational and ideological engagement and is thus often conceived by the general public and / or the architectural profession as 'on the edge' of so-called mainstream architectural practices."

(Alternative Architectural Practice: Tatjana Schneider and Jeremy Till, 2006)

Creating new processes and outcomes

Live learning embraces the opportunities to develop new shared design processes in collaboration with our partners. Such areas of innovation include: procurement, fundraising, consensus building, brief formation, decision-making, prototyping, meanwhile use, temporary installation, organisational structure.

Experimenting with processes and outcomes means embracing uncertainty, prioritising innovation and pushing boundaries.

New methods: "Live Works offered me an avenue to explore what architectural practice means to me, testing methods that I will no doubt employ throughout my career which I wouldn't have been able to develop in traditional architectural practice."

(Masters Student, 2023)

Employing emerging and accessible technologies

Liveness often presents opportunities to explore how new technologies can help partners and stakeholders to address core needs. Where appropriate, this may focus on indigenous or place-specific technologies. This can often be a starting point for celebrating local knowledge and expertise.

We also encourage the exploration and testing of emerging digital and analogue technologies to provide new ways to address existing issues. Technologies can focus on improving processes, such as communication and engagement, as well as design and construction technologies.

Utilising new technologies: "We will be creating an interactive 3D digital model, presenting the past, present and future of Canada House. This model will facilitate engagement activities, bringing to life the exciting possibilities for the building and gathering the thoughts and ideas of the future users. The 3D model will also be used as a device to communicate proposals to the wider community."

(Masters Student, 2024)

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