Material Practice

Research studios can provide an environment of innovation by providing a nexus of teaching, research and academic knowledge. Studio teaching at RMIT can be defined as the delivery of knowledge that is then applied to a set of questions, issues and concerns facing the built environment. This definition is not enough to meet the demands on new graduates today to not only innovate within their profession but beyond it where they need to find their own areas of practice that may not be clearly defined. The flexibility of the research studio can be used to push knowledge and skill for both student and studio leader into areas of architecture or beyond that have not been considered. This paper will discuss the research studio as a vehicle to extend teaching and learning outcomes for students, test research questions for the studio leader, expand the impact of the work produced and lastly provide potential clients or external participants with a demonstration of different possibilities. I will discuss these issues in relation to a material practice that I have been developing through the research studio, illustrating them with examples from research into new materials.