Contained Figures

RESEARCH BACKGROUND 'Contained Figures' is an essay by Mauro Baracco and Louise Wright, included in 'This building likes me', a monograph covering the recent work of one of Australia's most significant architectural practices, John Wardle Architects (JWA). Baracco and Wright discuss Wardle's process for creating 'containment' and how this generates the complexity and spatial richness of his architectural works. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION In this work, Baracco and Wright describe how Wardle initially uses a series of drawn lines to reach 'the sense of containment; a whole, or the start of a whole'. Rather than achieving containment via conventional forms - such as a visually definable 'box' - it is formed through dynamic, overlapping volumes and 'complex interiors in which the layering of internal space mediates site and context, program and use, all at once'. As an exemplar of these ideas, the recently completed building for the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne is discussed. This work contributes to Baracco's ongoing research exploring states of integration between open and built spaces, and natural and urban environments, spanning from large territorial/urban to small site scales. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE 'This building likes me' is a significant monograph offering an extensive overview of the multi-award winning architecture practice of JWA. The book includes essays by other eminent authors - including Leon van Schaik (RMIT), Rachel Hurst (UniSA) and Rory Hyde (curator V&A) - and is held in the collections of the State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia.