Lawrence Group’s Post

Recently, we were lucky to host a Friday evening power talk with Braden Hill, titled Colonialism to Country: Truth Telling through Architecture. Professor Braden Hill, a Noongar Wardandi man from the southwest of Western Australia, currently serves as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Equity and Indigenous) at Edith Cowan University (ECU). In recent years, he has played a key role in shaping the new ECU City Campus by integrating Noongar and broader Indigenous narratives into the architecture and life of the campus. Drawing from his project insights and personal experiences, Braden's talk covered a tonne of important ground. He emphasised the importance of always remembering that we are on Country, wherever we are in Australia, and highlighted the need to involve Indigenous leaders in projects from the earliest stages. Beyond that, Braden stressed the responsibility of everyone involved – including clients, architects, and landscape architects – to conduct thorough research into the histories of a site and the people connected to it. At the heart of his message was a call for all of us to be open to learning and to get more comfortable with the discomfort that can come with having essential (and in most cases, probably overdue) conversations. Richard Kendall, one of the talk’s attendees, nicely summed up his key takeaways: - Don't ask for guidance from Indigenous colleagues without having done your prior research. Put some bloody effort in. There is no magic website. - Surfacing stories about individuals otherwise lost to history is important. - If you're sharing a decision-making table, don't allow others to leave the table for a smaller more exclusive table where the 'real decisions' are made. A huge thank you to Braden for all that you shared. And thanks to everyone who joined.

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Architectural Evolution: The Legacy of Richard Mountford Pigott Richard Mountford Pigott, a key figure in early 20th-century British architecture, embodied adaptability and perseverance in his career, navigating changing architectural trends. Born into a family steeped in architectural tradition, Pigott's early successes foreshadowed a career marked by innovation and social consciousness. His education and mentorship under notable architects like Edward William Mountford and Arthur Beresford Pite laid a robust foundation for Pigott's future endeavours. Early accolades, such as the Architectural Association's Silver Medal, underscored his talent and dedication. Beyond aesthetics, Pigott believed in architecture's potential to address societal challenges, evident in projects like the Pearscroft Estate, which balanced traditional and modern elements to meet community needs. The interwar period saw Pigott navigating the rise of Modernism while maintaining his architectural integrity. Teaming up with Harold Franklyn Murrell, they secured significant commissions blending Classicism with emerging Modernist sensibilities. Pigott's commitment to public welfare extended to collaborations with nonconformist communities, reflecting his values. His post-war contributions, including the restoration of Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle, demonstrated his dedication to societal betterment. His legacy lies in seamlessly integrating Classicism and Modernism, reflecting the evolving architectural philosophy. Pigott's unwavering focus on social welfare highlights architecture's profound impact on human experience. In conclusion, Richard Mountford Pigott's career illustrates the power of perseverance and adaptability in navigating architectural shifts. His commitment to housing and health serves as a model for architects seeking meaningful societal contributions. #Legacy #PigottArchitect #Adaptability #SocialCommitment #TraditionAndInnovation #PostWarRebuild #CommunityFocus Mountford Pigott LLP

Today, we pause to honour the children who never came home, the Survivors, and their families. National Truth and Reconciliation Day is an opportunity for us to reflect on the legacy of residential schools and engage with Indigenous history and culture as part of the ongoing journey of reconciliation. As architects, we recognize the need to decolonize our practice. Architecture has historically been used as a tool of colonial power, from residential schools to institutional buildings that marginalized Indigenous peoples. Today, we have the opportunity to transform our work into a tool for healing and empowerment. Our partnership with Smoke Architecture Inc. on the Makwa Waakaa’igan Indigenous Centre of Cultural Excellence at Algoma University is an example of this. Once a residential school, Shingwauk Hall is now being reimagined as a place for healing, dialogue, and cultural preservation, led by the vision of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association. Decolonizing design starts with listening. It means working alongside Indigenous communities to ensure that their knowledge, culture, and values shape the spaces we create. This is not just about addressing the past but building a future where architecture supports cultural identity and well-being. We encourage reflection today, and every day, as we strive toward a more just and inclusive future.

Learn about the Master of Urban Design - Future Cities program in our upcoming info session on March 21st, 2024. Registration link below.

Why lack of knowledge can be powerful? Let me explain… The unique Guggenheim Museum doesn't look like any building you've ever seen before. Why? That's because the architect Frank Lloyd Wright was self-taught He had to work out for himself how to design a building Wright found his own way.. Ignorance of the 'right' way to do something can be an asset if you do things the way they've been taught Your methods will be the same as everyone else's And you'll produce something obvious, predictable The regular buildings were designed by architects taught the regular way. If you make up your own method, it's likely to be a new method One that produces new results. Moral of the story: Lack of knowledge can provide fresh perspectives. #creativethinking #innovation #creativeminds

How can the architecture of memorials help us understand loss? Philosopher and architectural theorist Dr Lucy Benjamin from the University of Melbourne Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning is the recipient of the 2024 Ernst & Rosemarie Keller Award which will support new research into how we think about the past, the kind of memorials we construct to commemorate history & how we perceive monuments as time passes. https://lnkd.in/grbFnNzf

The built environment plays a key role in shaping societal development, necessitating a human-centered approach to our work as designers and architects. This blog by my colleagues Tory Hereford, Peter Pendergrass, and Manan Shah explores the intersection between restorative justice and design, and how we can contribute to more equitable communities and cities. https://ow.ly/QfSQ30sAXeq

I remember 10 months ago, of the image on the left, the work we were carrying out for well over a year then. Now, on the right, a small snip of a much wider development that represents the culmination of this project, coming to rendition, and all the team involved can only be proud of what we've achieved! Another section of this impressive icone of British history and architecture is now coming live, and another part, will carry on being renovated to bring it into fruition, reshaping Whitehall Campus estate to enable a more efficient civil service, within a smart, hybrid, inclusive and sustainable workplace. #governmentprojects #gpa #workplacetransformation

Reflecting on Andrés Jaque's lecture at the Royal Danish Academy last week on 'The Design of Transscalarity’. The role of the architect is shifting from a designer/constructor to a facilitator, able to work across disciplines. We need to start reading architecture not as an isolated object but as a transboundary entity across scales, ecosystems and species. Jaque's discourse on transscalar architecture highlights the intricate interplay between design, geopolitics, and planetary infrastructures. His insights into projects like Hudson Yards illuminated the hidden costs and extractive ramifications of our built environment. Jaque's emphasis on transcending traditional boundaries in architecture and his advocacy for an architecture that caters to more than human life is something I believe we should all strive for.  From innovative solutions like transforming toxic water into drinkable resources to reimagining the role of schools as catalysts for social change, Jaque's work exemplifies a paradigm shift. Jaque's call to redefine the language of architecture struck a chord with me, by embracing a more holistic, transdisciplinary approach, we can push where the field of architecture can go.