Now celebrating its 8th year (Season 9), Talking Architecture & Design is Australia’s first B2B architecture podcast that regularly talks about a range of issues that affect Australia’s architects, building designers and built environment professionals. Run by Australia’s most popular architecture magazine, Architecture & Design, the Talking Architecture & Design podcast gives a regular bite-sized dose of what is important and sometimes what is just plain old interesting to anyone and everyone…
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
Episode 310: Robert Sobyra from BuildSkills Australia on how to fix our building industry skills shortages
Australia has committed to building 1.2 million new homes over five years, but there's one enormous obstacle standing in the way: people. According to BuildSkills Australia, the nation needs around 90,000 additional construction workers if we're to have any realistic chance of meeting that target. At the same time, automation, robotics, AI, and advanced manufacturing are beginning to transform how…
Episode 309: Renee Gigliotti, Associate Director at The Studio Collaborative* on transforming the hospitality spaces at Afterpay Arena
In this episode, we're talking with Renee Gigliotti, Associate Director at The Studio Collaborative* at how thoughtful interior architecture can transform not just a venue, but the entire visitor experience. Australia's major entertainment venues are increasingly becoming destinations in their own right, where hospitality, technology, branding and design converge to create memorable experiences…
Episode 308: Associate Professor Andrea Sharam from RMIT University on why Australia's housing boom-and-bust cycle is holding back new homes
Australia is facing one of its biggest housing challenges in decades, with the federal government's National Housing Accord aiming to deliver 1.2 million new homes by 2029. But what if the biggest obstacle isn't planning approvals, land supply, or even skills shortages? A major new report from RMIT University, prepared for the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, argues that the…
Episode 307: Airport lounge design: Creating the best passenger experience beyond the terminal with Hassell duo Joanna Ho, interior designer and Rosie Morley, Principal
For decades, airport lounges were viewed simply as waiting rooms for premium travellers. Today, they're something much more sophisticated—extensions of airline brands, wellness spaces, workplaces, hospitality venues and, increasingly, destinations in their own right. But what actually makes a great airport lounge? How do architects and designers balance luxury with durability, privacy with…
Episode 306: Decay and Play: Towards a living cemetery with architect & PhD graduate, Isabel Lasala
According to PhD graduate Isabel Lasala, who is also an architect and landscape architect, and one of the directors of Lasala & Lasala Design Studio, "Cemeteries have long been central to our relationship with death, traditionally viewed as sacred and static places. "But what if we reimagined cemeteries as dynamic, hybrid spaces shaped by time, memory, and ecological processes? "Rather than…
Episode 305: Designing sustainably for health & wellbeing with Tamara White from WAM
In this episode, sponsored by Autex Acoustics, we talk with Tamara White from Warren and Mahoney (WAM), whose work spans creating environments that support human performance, connection, and healthier futures. We discuss how designers are redefining what sustainable spaces look and feel like — and what that means for the people using them.” Our theme is on how can architects and designers create…
Episode 304: Plus Studio Principal John Walsh on how shared-use & hybrid buildings are redefining design for density, community, and long-term value
Drawing from his local and overseas architecture experience, recently appointed Plus Studio principal John Walsh, in this episode, unpacks how shared-use, hybrid buildings—blending education, civic, and commercial functions—are redefining how we design for density, community, and long-term value. From navigating security and adaptability to stretching the design brief for greater impact, this…
Episode 303: The wonders of straw-based panels with Derek Layfield, Managing Director of Durra Panel & Michael Jones, Studio Lead – Design at AJC Architects
Derek Layfield, Managing Director of Durra Panel, who has championed straw-based panel technology for decades, and Michael Jones , Studio Lead – Design at AJC Architects, a registered architect with a wealth of experience specifying bio-based materials, including Durra Panel projects and recent Byera Hadley research into straw and prefabricated systems, explain why straw is the ultimate building…
Episode 302: David Holm, Principal at Cox Architecture on the intersection of connectivity, culture, and placemaking
David Holm, Principal at Cox Architecture has a career spanning major transport and civic infrastructure—from international airports like the new Western Sydney airport and Changi airport in Singapore to urban masterplans and public spaces—David’s work sits at the intersection of connectivity, culture, and placemaking. He’s also a passionate advocate for drawing as a design tool and has…
Episode 301: Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, co-founder of Snøhetta explains how architecture can shape culture, public life, and collective futures
In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we speak with Kjetil Thorsen, co-founder of Snøhetta—the Oslo-based, globally recognised practice known for its transdisciplinary approach to architecture, landscape, interiors, and design. From iconic cultural landmarks like the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet to the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion, Snøhetta has built a…
Episode 300: Jacob Burke, founder of Mijasu, on removing the bottlenecks for people‑centred outcomes across the built environment
Jacob Burke is the founder of Mijasu, an interdisciplinary group of design practices focused on people‑centred outcomes across the built environment. With more than 25 years’ experience in the Australian market, his career was shaped by humble beginnings in a family business and a hands-on experience through design, delivery and business leadership. He established Mijasu in 2019 as a parent…
