Archier

Profile

Beginning

Archier is a multidisciplinary studio designing architecture, furniture and lighting which launched in early 2014, directed by a young dynamic trio of architects Josh FitzGerald, Chris Gilbert and Chris Haddad. A bond between the trio at the University of Tasmania (BEnvDes) carried on as they completed their studies in Melbourne (MArch) into their individual careers in Melbourne, and brought them back together to form Archier.

Archier’s first completed project is the Sawmill House in the rural Victorian town of Yackandandah. It sets a solid example of Archier’s hands on, adventurous and engaging approach to architecture, with Archier blending the roles of architect and builder. Every part of the house was made from scratch - from the steel work to the lighting, including the self-engineered moving walls and roof. It has been well received having been filmed for Grand Designs Australia this year, and becoming a finalist in six architectural awards through the Australian Institute of Architecture (VIC) and Houses Awards (AUS) which will be announced mid 2015. Archier is a practice which exemplifies learning through doing on a diverse range of projects varying greatly in scale.

Arising from the needs of the spaces that they have designed, Archier’s furniture converses with their architecture. A combination of disciplines allows for a hands on learning and development approach which feeds the cycle of design – Archier consistently shows it is willing to take risks and is comfortable embracing failings as opportunities to learn. They have taken an interest in the access to large-scale industry processes which have recently become readily available for smaller production runs and coupling these with traditional crafts.

Approach

We have a strong belief in maintaining a flexible open practice. A practice that is not constrained to one style, dogma or industry. A practice that is willing to take risks and is comfortable in failing. A practice that learns through doing that assesses and investigates empirically. Long term, our goal is to pivot from a service to an investment model of practice.

Manifestation

Currently we are investigating leveraging latent assets and skill sets, examples of this can be most clearly seen in the Sawmill House’s use of reclaimed concrete and custom hardware. However this approach was also taken in our Five Yards project currently under construction in Tasmania. Here we took advantage of the client’s passion for gardening - the plan is laced with courtyards giving each room its own curated frame of the garden. The Ashfield Street apartent is another example of leveraging, and empirical investigation. Here we invested our own money and time into a project that with our combined skill set we could see a net return while learning valuable lessons and developing unique solutions and products. Like the Sawmill House we designed and built almost every element from the joinery through to the toilet roll holder. The result was a successful sale and a chance to showcase our range of products in a curated frame.


Biography

Chris GIlbert, Age: 31

Originally from North East Victoria, Chris Gilbert moved to Tasmania to undertake his bachelor degree at the University of Tasmania, during which time he spent a semester at Lund University Sweden. This was followed by a one year internship at Room11 Architects before moving to Melbourne to complete a masters degree at RMIT with interim study tours and his major thesis based in rural China. The following 5 years where spent at Room11 Architect’s Melbourne office where he investigated building systems and procurement alternatives before leaving to design and build the Sawmill House with his brother. Chris has worked as a tutor at the University of Melbourne and is currently running an undergraduate design studio at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology which focuses on entrepreneurial design approaches.

Josh Fitzgerald, Age: 28

Josh became a founding member of Archier whilst based in Melbourne, later returning to his home town of Hobart. This has allowed Archier to leverage and expand connections in a second marketplace. Josh is a pertinent point of contact for the multiple Tasmanian clients that have engaged Archier for architectural contracts. Since resettling in Hobart, Josh has purchased, developed and sold a Sandy Bay apartment, benefitting Archier in a multitude of ways: architectural design exposure and marketing, new professional and supplier based connections, and providing Archier with a ‘display suite’ for potential customers. Josh was previously employed full-time at Room 11 Architects in South Hobart (having previously worked in their Melbourne office) and a former employee of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Melbourne.

Chris Haddad, Age: 30

Beginning his architectural studies at the University of Tasmania, Chris moved to Melbourne after graduating with a Bachelor of Environmental Design. Once in Melbourne he began a Masters of Architecture at RMIT while working at award winning practice Jackson Clements Burrows Architects. Upon graduating from RMIT with Distinction in 2010, Chris worked full-time at Jackson Clements Burrows Architects on a range of projects with varying scales and budgets. This wide breadth of experience allowed him to gain his Architect Registration in late 2013. Recently Chris has secured a staff position in the School of Architecture at the University of Melbourne investigating manufacturing techniques in the university’s state of the art Fabrication Laboratory and Workshop.