‘Ways of Working – Strength in small practice’ is the fourth biennial ArchiTeam conference, which will be held virtually and face-to-face on Friday 12 May 2023.

Held at Melbourne Museum and online (Bettercast), the 2023 ArchiTeam Conference is an action-packed hybrid event that will explore the strength of small practice. Investigating the critical role that small practice plays in shaping our built environment, from the finer details to the broader urban landscape, the conference will feature a range of speakers from across the continent to share their expertise and experiences.

ArchiTeam Conference creative directors have been keen to reflect the cooperative’s philosophy and community-focused approach by structuring the day sessions as an egalitarian-focused conference.

The creative directors have addressed the commonly keynote-focused architecture conferences and instead created a conference of equally weighted presenters per session.

Each presenter will be speaking for the same amount of time and bookended in what will be, an engaging, informative and robust group panel discussion with an invited Chair and at least one ArchiTeam member contributing at the end of each session

The conference is organised into three themes that delve into ‘Ways of Working’.

Teamwork

‘Teamwork’ explores different ways of collaborating and the value that small practice architects (or other built environment professionals) can bring to larger-scale and cross-disciplinary projects.

Speakers will share their insights into the collaborative experience on a range of project scales and types, including competitions, mixed-use inner-city projects, cultural landscapes, and First Nation perspectives.

Speakers will demonstrate how collaboration can provide new business opportunities for small practices, whilst contributing to the cultural richness and environmental well-being of our cities and beyond.

Detail

With a focus on adaptation, resourcefulness, and reuse, how might we consider the architectural detail?

How do we as architects utilise details as a strategy of conceptual exploration, design development, and resolution, relative to a prescribed project budget/brief? This session explores the inherent capacity of small practitioners to focus on detail design – the elementary nature of material composition – as it relates to broader notions of architecture, landscape, culture, and practice.

Modes

What alternative modes of working are possible for a small practice looking for new opportunities, to channel particular passions and strengths, or as a way to unlock a more creative or economically sustainable business model?

This session will explore the diverse ways in which small architectural practices have been structured and operate beyond established norms. Speakers will reflect on their practice model and processes, and the way in which they have consciously (or unconsciously) framed their practice towards making a broader contribution to society.

Limited tickets are available. Grab yours now!