Episode 241: Tackling urban density, rediscovering the beauty of 1960s walk-up unit blocks & remembering Mulholland Drive with Tone Wheeler

In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, host Clémence Carayol sits down with Alexandra Faure, a French-Venezuelan urbanist and sustainability consultant based in Melbourne. With a background spanning Paris and Australia, and extensive experience at HIP V. HYPE, Faure offers a compelling cross-cultural lens on sustainable development and urban governance.Together, they explore the contrasts and commonalities between France and Australia in tackling sustainability challenges within the built environment. From urban density and climate adaptation to regulatory frameworks and heritage tensions, this thoughtful conversation unpacks how different histories, governance structures, and climates shape urban sustainability outcomes. Whether it’s material reuse, circular economy initiatives, or shifting policy landscapes, this episode is a must-listen for anyone working at the intersection of design, planning, and climate action.In this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, host Clémence Carayol sits down with Alexandra Faure, a French-Venezuelan urbanist and sustainability consultant based in Melbourne. With a background spanning Paris and Australia, and extensive experience at HIP V. HYPE, Faure offers a compelling cross-cultural lens on sustainable development and urban governance.Together, they explore the contrasts and commonalities between France and Australia in tackling sustainability challenges within the built environment. From urban density and climate adaptation to regulatory frameworks and heritage tensions, this thoughtful conversation unpacks how different histories, governance structures, and climates shape urban sustainability outcomes. Whether it’s material reuse, circular economy initiatives, or shifting policy landscapes, this episode is a must-listen for anyone working at the intersection of design, planning, and climate action.

Alvin Rowland, the CEO and founder of Moddex, which started out as Sentaur Products in 2008, brings his passion to the table every day. Prior to starting the modular handrail business, Alvin worked his way from being on the tools to General Manager of Bendpro, the family business specialising in Mandrel bending, metal forming and fabrication.He explains his journey and that of his company into what is now an icon in Australia's metal bending and handrail industries.This podcast is brought to you in association with Moddex, proud sponsors of our 2024 Sustainability series of podcasts.

Powerhouse has awarded architecture photographer Tasha Tylee the Powerhouse Photography Architectural Photography Commission, a new $20,000 commission project that will see Tylee collaborate with Powerhouse on a major new work over the coming year.Born and raised in New Zealand, Tasha Tylee is an emerging architectural photographer who has worked with some of Australia’s top firms, most notably capturing Naples Street House by Edition Office, the 2024 AIA National Winner of The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture.Focusing on themes of sustainability and climate, Tylee will document innovation in architecture and the Australian built environment by following newly developed sustainable materials from their natural form, through to manufacturing, fabrication, installation, and their final use in a completed build.She spoke with us recently from her temporary base in Mallorca, Spain.

We talk with Will Messiter, Chief Operating Officer - Residential Communities and Home Building at Sekisui House Australia at the opening of their $4.8 Million Asora Norwest Community Park.  Providing 9,553 sqm of essential green space and recreational amenities to residents in Norwest, one of Sydney's rapidly expanding suburbs in the Hills Shire, Irongum Terrace Reserve responds directly to rising demand for premium outdoor spaces, with the Hills Shire population forecasted to grow nearly 70% by 2046.Messiter, who is also an architect, gives his views on the housing shortage, the changes in Australia's housing markets and the Asora Norwest Community Park.  

Dr Matthias Irger is an experienced architect, urban designer and academic specialising in regenerative design, holistic city planning and climate adaptation, who champions an evidence-based, collaborative, and interdisciplinary approach. As the National Head of Sustainability at COX Architecture, Matthias creates national strategies, objectives, actions, and tools that reduce and mitigate the embodied and operational carbon emissions across all services.He was also a moderator at the 2024 Sustainability Summit.In this interview, he talks about a range of issues that are becoming front of mind in the built environment including circularity, climate change resilience, regenerative design, and carbon reduction as well.

We talk all things circular with Lisa McLean, a circular economy and zero-carbon business transformation leader and Managing Director, CEO of Circular Australia, a national independent NFP leading the transition to a zero-carbon circular economy in Australia. Lisa has been successfully advising industry and governments in developing new policy frameworks and regulations that bring about market change to enable the circular zero-carbon economy over the past 20 years. This work has covered the supply chains, infrastructure, energy, water, waste and mobility sectors in the UK and Australia. 

The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) represents 650+ members including individual companies with a collective annual turnover of more than $60 billion.CEO Davina Rooney, after 6 years at the helm, looks at what has been happening in the built environment in areas such as sustainability, circular economy and the role of the GBCA in the wider business sector.This exclusive interview was recore on-site at GBCAs TRANSFORM 2025 conference that was recently held in Sydney.

On our 7th anniversary, in this episode of Talking Architecture & Design, we explore the evolving landscape of our cities and the ideas shaping how we live. Today, we’re tackling urban density and taking a fresh look at an often-overlooked housing model—the humble 1960s walk-up unit block.Architect, author, lecturer and urban thinker Tone Wheeler joins us to discuss why these mid-century apartments still hold so much potential in today’s housing crisis. From their efficient design and human-scale living to their adaptability for modern sustainability, we’ll explore how these buildings can offer a viable alternative to high-rise developments.Are these walk-ups a relic of the past or a blueprint for the future? Let’s find out.

Gerald Mathews, the managing director of Matthews Architects, a practice which was founded by his father way back in 1975 in North Adelaide, South Australia.In this podcast, he talks about modern education design, heritage hysteria and why doughnut-shaped planets have no gravity in their centres..

In this special episode ahead of International Women's Day this March 8 and for her debut podcast for Talking Architecture & Design, our Digital Editor Clémence Carayol talks to Gray Puksand Lead Partner Maria Correia to discuss her journey as a woman in architecture, the challenges she faced, and the progress being made toward greater gender equality in the industry. At Gray Puksand, Maria Correia’s primary responsibility is to deliver relevant, innovative and intelligent design solutions that deliver results and exceed expectations. She has over 20 years’ experience working on interior design, retail design to brand and customer experience projects.   Correia has worked in leading international brand and retail agencies from luxury, fashion, leisure, workspace, beauty, financial services and technology.  As a strategic, creative thinker, she can move from strategy to creative solutions via insights, research and brainstorms to uncover the ‘big idea’. As a creative leader, she inspires teams of varying disciplines to distil the brand essence in order to deliver creative solutions that deliver results for clients.Download this inspiring conversation on leadership, design, and the evolving role of women in shaping our cities.