Students of Monash University’s Faculty of Art Design & Architecture (MADA) will compete to design Fiat Chrysler Group Australia’s entrance at its head office in Port Melbourne.
All students from the fourth year Interior Architecture course at MADA were offered a real life brief, which asked for their design ideas to be open and with no conceptual restrictions, while maintaining the existing structural aspects of the space.
Fiat Chrysler said the winning design would be selected for its design quality, originality and “wow” factor.
The successful students will be provided with a realistic construction and facilitation budget to ensure company standards are met.
The winning group will also receive a trip to visit the Fiat Factory in Turin, Italy including flights, accommodation and travel expenses, as well as dinners with local designers and visits to famous interior architecture sites.
Veronica Johns, President & CEO, Fiat Chrysler Group, “We are thrilled to be able to offer the Monash University design students such an exciting opportunity to grow their skills before finishing their course.”
“It’s also great to be able to provide the students a real life project with a real budgets and deadlines and of course visit the famous Fiat Headquarters in Turin which is known for its cutting edge architecture and famously remembered for once housing its very own racetrack in the building, ” said Mrs Johns.
Dr. Matthew Bird, Lecturer, Interior Architecture, Registered Architect and director of Studiobird has been tutoring the students through the process.
“Our students have all taken this project on outside of their course and there have been many long nights and I am very proud of the ideas and quality of the proposals they have developed to date,” said Mr Bird.
There are eight groups entering the competition in total, with students ranged from 19 years old in first year up to 30 years old in their fourth year of study.
Once the winning group is announced, the students will work in collaboration with Studiobird and Fiat Chrysler Group to further develop the design and ensure it is on budget and buildable.
The judging panel includes Veronica Johns, President & CEO, Fiat Chrysler Group, Mitch Knight, Director, Madock Group, Dr Matthew Bird, Lecturer, Interior Architecture, Monash University / Director, Studiobird Interior Architecture, Sven Mehzoud, Senior Lecturer, Interior Architecture, Monash University and Cameron Bruhn, Editorial Director, Architecture Media.
The winner will be announced this month with the winning students flown to Turin, Italy in January 2014 and the design and building process commencing this December.
