Architecture as a Social Platform

Presented by
Roberto Bannura, Director, Steven Holl Architects

In the last two decades, Steven Holl Architects’ engagement on international urban projects of varied sizes and characteristics has been the basis of its work in micro-urbanism.

Attempting to create “cities within cities,” the firm’s work has been directed at the creation of vibrant and integral urban platforms. These platforms promote social interaction and community formation while responding to all demands of contemporary living, through the integration of social space, culture and arts, and complementary residential and commercial functions.

In this lecture, Roberto Bannura will explore the key examples from Steven Holl Architects’ international portfolio that best portray the firm’s inspiring work on this subject.

The Future of Work is in Asia

Presented by
Caroline Burns, Director, Workplace Revolution

Caroline Burns will be talking about workplace design innovation in Asia and how that will influence and drive projects in Australia and elsewhere.

The future of work is exciting in Asia, where a mostly young and dynamic population are challenged to find solutions to major demographic, environmental and social issues. Fuelled by faster economic growth than in most of the developed world, this creates a fertile ground for collective experimentation. Diverse design responses to social and economic trends across Asia are resulting in dynamic work environments that are a unique blend of global and local influences.

This session will explore the major socio-economic drivers of workplace design innovation in Asia and explain why this will influence global best practices during the next decade.

Just What is it That Makes Tomorrow’s Workplace So Different, So Appealing?

Presented by
Eric Parry, Founder and Principal, Eric Parry Architects

Successful working spaces are defined by a spatial and haptic pleasure of the workplace environment and a place that provides the opportunity for balance between intense concentration and conviviality.

No less important is the context of the buildings themselves. The daily routines of arrival, departure and break out are vital to a sense of wellbeing; context can either deflate or reinforce a state of mind.

Eric Parry will illustrate the importance of material and tectonic choices for buildings in the contrasting social contexts of the City of Westminster, the City of London and the redevelopment of the Kings Cross quarter in North London. These qualitative decisions play a very important part in deciding where businesses locate themselves and where the future and past can be understood in the present.

Connecting Work, Worker and the Workplace

Presented by
Robbie Robertson, Partner, Experience Design, Deloitte Digital

More than fifty percent of all jobs that exist today will not exist by 2030 due to artificial intelligence, automation and robotics. Companies are constantly having to innovate and reinvent themselves to stay relevant for their customers as well as their employees. This is having a fundamental effect on the skills people will need tomorrow; workers will need to be nimble in an ever-changing and dynamic environment. This has a critical impact on the physical office. We will explore how you connect work, worker and the workplace, underpinned by digital technology and the need to create adaptable spaces that create an emotional connection with tomorrow’s workers.