James Davidson is the director of James Davidson Architect (JDA), a studio-based architecture practice and research consultancy that specializes in remote and complex projects in Australia and overseas. Based in Brisbane, JDA is developing a reputation for self-initiated, collaborative projects with a strong emphasis on design advocacy. JDA doesn’t specialize in any specific type of work, but focuses on undertaking projects that present an opportunity to turn complex problems into enjoyable challenges. The more difficult the project appears, the more James and his team enjoy it.
Over the past eighteen years, James has acquired a wide range of experiences both as an architectural practitioner and as a teacher and academic. He completed his PhD studies at the University of Queensland where he was a former Research Fellow at the Aboriginal Environments Research Centre. James was also a former director of Emergency Architects Australia. His experiences in academia and practice have greatly informed his approach to architecture. He has a strong belief that the discipline is by its very nature an empirical anthropology, where the making of architecture is directly linked to its social processes and material context. Thus, his interest lies in establishing a definitive connection between the practice and theory of architecture and the possibilities this relationship has for the design of future built environments and the people that inhabit them.
