Mark Raggatt, an ARM Architecture Director, has been involved within a number of projects with the practice over a 16 year period. The practice is renowned nationwide for formulating designs for the Hamer Hall, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Barak Building within it’s 33 year history.

With the practice expanding its horizons and opening a studio in Sydney in March 2019, Raggatt was tasked with overseeing the design direction of the studio itself.

Here, in an interview conducted by ARM Architecture, the architect discusses the expansion of ARM into New South Wales, how an intuitive co-designing approach can reimagine a landscape, and opening ARM’s Sydney studio in the midst of the pandemic.

Let’s go back to the beginning. What inspired you to pursue a career in architecture? Are you inspired by the same things, or has your motivation evolved over the years?

Both my parents are architects, I never stood a chance. I spent a lot of time on building sites growing up, they’re exciting places. Then and now.

I was a theatre nerd in high school. I loved how a room could be transformed, just for a few hours, into a whole other world. I got into designing and building sets, getting on stage, writing, and directing shows. Looking back on it now, it was the combination of space and stories that really hooked me into architecture.

A group of us at university and graphic designers Urchin Associates went on to create Subaud Magazine, a zine that was distributed nationally to major institutions and bookstores. We were lucky that Books at Manic Distribution were brave enough to take us on - they’ve been supporting the local design scene for decades, quiet heroes in my book.

Each issue of Subaud was made from scratch – one was stitched in a saddle making machine, another was written in hand-mixed ink as it was printed, another was encased in its own wooden crate! It grew into a beast of its own and found a following. It was exciting to see the publication grow like that, considering it all started on a photocopier at Kwik Kopy.

All of that comes together in daily practice now - conceptualising designs and seeing them come to life. Observing how they’re received by the community is still very intoxicating.

You’ve been with ARM Architecture for 16 years now. How have you seen the practice evolve and in what ways?

The practice has grown! It has evolved across sectors and markets, design methodologies and in the expertise of the team. ARM is often known for its public buildings, though over the years, we have developed expertise in education, workspace and commercial design. We’ve designed freeways, stadiums, and desalination plants, while deepening our expertise in civic architecture.

We’ve also expanded our work in urban design and masterplanning, two areas of the practice I thoroughly enjoy working in. All of this has enabled ARM to grow into a national practice, allowing us to engage in diverse projects with greater complexity in capital cities and regional areas.

As times change, so does design and delivery methods for producing modern spaces. ARM was founded with a deep interest in the use of technology in design and in professional practice. This foundation has kept ARM nimble and inventive, especially when we approach complex or highly technical projects.

All in all, we are still the same odd bunch of designers and architects! We each have our obsessions and passions, which we bring together as a team, working towards a shared vision. The diversity of our team is key to bringing ideas to the forefront. We are restless and we resist complacency through curiosity. Every completed project suggests new directions for the next to come.

ARM has contributed to Australian architecture across many years. How has ARM sought to change perceptions and challenge conventions and ideas through architecture?

Design is a relational discipline. Creative outcomes are the product of many conversations, of the ideas people have of themselves and for their organisations. I like to think we create an environment where trust engenders an opportunity for conversation in a way that is fun and rewarding. Delivering a truly representative outcome that speaks to the client is the product of good listening and then insightful translation into a design – in that order! We talk about stakeholder engagement and co-design as industry terms but what we mean is good conversation and good listening.

The significance of civic landscape runs deep in human culture, it’s fundamental to how we live and \ interact in the world. At our best, humans cooperate with the places we inhabit. We appreciate that urban landscapes comprise both built and living things. These combinations are unique to place and must be honoured through the design process - they will inevitably inform a site-specific narrative.

ARM endeavours to be a custodian of existing social and cultural narratives. We don’t always get it right, but we believe it is a critical part of the designer’s role in shaping the built environment, especially for Australia’s First Nations communities. ARM has been involved in advocacy through our design work for many years. For me the most memorable is the National Museum of Australia (NMA), where Braille panels spelt out ‘SORRY’ at a time when the Howard Government refused to apologise for the lasting wrongs done to the Stolen Generation.

Today, our engagement has evolved. Protest isn’t enough. There is an ongoing role for architects as advocates, but more pointedly to create direct commissions for First Nations peoples. Design can be used to give voice to the marginalised and silenced in society. If architecture is to be public, it can’t always be for the powerful. This is a key pursuit of ARM, and we are often engaged to use our technical skill to help deliver the work of other creatives.

ARM’s expansion into NSW came at an unfortunate time, with the office opening just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2019. What were ARM’s main challenges and learnings from expanding interstate at a time where economies were impacted, and movement was restricted?

The pandemic has tested us all. Our work relies on fostering positive in-person relationships with clients, stakeholders and the wider community which has been challenged during the pandemic. On a brighter note, it has also given us time to understand Sydney better, to get to know our neighbourhoods, to look closely and make observations about what sort of environment we want to live in and what sort of communities we want to be a part of. It’s given us an opportunity to reflect on the role of architecture in communicating the narratives of the organisations we work with.

We don’t see a lot of narrative-driven architecture in Sydney. I think there is a great opportunity for ARM to contribute to, and celebrate, Sydney’s stories through the built environment.

What inspires you about further establishing ARM’s work in New South Wales?

A focus on ‘local’ has become important again. Sydney has again become a city of villages, with each suburb holding unique characteristics and personalities. Sydney is also beautifully, and geographically, diverse. A city known for stunning beach fronts, the presence of nature is felt across the city in different ways. It has been an adventure learning the histories of the landscape and how the built environment interacts with the natural world. It is an exciting time to be in New South Wales, which is experiencing rapid growth in western corridors. Communicating unique qualities of different communities presents a challenge we’re looking forward to working through.

Like all states, New South Wales has a deep history of First Nations peoples, and colonial history embedded in the fabric of the city and surrounding regions. Seeking out these narratives and finding ways to reconcile history is important, and it will be a focus for us here. For designers, understanding people and how they use their spaces is fundamental to delivering authentic design outcomes.

Despite challenges from the pandemic, the Sydney practice has managed to secure some ground-breaking work in NSW. What are current and upcoming projects for ARM?

We’ve been lucky to be appointed on some key projects in New South Wales across different sectors, including education, workspace and public projects.

ARM is pleased to be working on the Concert Hall renewal for the Sydney Opera House, due for completion in 2022. We’re currently in construction with Blacktown City Council on a new health and sports sciences building in the Blacktown International Sports Park. In addition, we are working on a new entertainment precinct for QIC and have recently completed the new headquarters for Sydney Catholic Schools Association. There are a few more in the pipeline but you’ll have to stay tuned later in the year!

As life resumes in New South Wales, what are you hoping to see ARM achieve in 2022 and beyond?

Ultimately, we want to contribute to the city of Sydney in ways that are meaningful to the community. This doesn’t mean making big and flashy statements, but in offering solutions and ideas that will contribute to deepening the experience of the city.

Paying homage to history, while reviving stories and messages that are important to key communities is always a priority. It is a great responsibility, and privilege, to contribute to a city, and it’s something we never take for granted.

ARM loves a challenge, but more importantly, we value the opportunity to sit at the forefront of key social issues through our design approach. Design that is brimming with ideas, that contributes to the city of the mind, and keeps people talking about the places they live and work, helps drive our practice and team culture in new directions. We endeavour to summon the character of a place and translate that into authentic design outcomes.

At our core, ARM is passionate about good design and architecture with impact. We’ve been blessed to work on some extraordinary projects, but we feel like our contribution to Australian society has only just begun.

Image: Supplied

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

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