Spotlight aims to promote student and graduate work in design. We recently caught up with Oskar Rosa, a recent graduate from the Master of Architecture at MSD, now practising as a part of a design & research practice called Sitework. In 2022 Oskar completed his thesis titled “Conditions of Care.”
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Eddie Guo (EG): You graduated from the M.Arch at the MSD, how has life after graduation been and what have you been up to?
Oskar Rosa (OR): Since completing my Masters midway through last year, I’ve been taking an extended break, which has been great after experiencing most of the studio programs during the Covid pandemic. After being stuck in that situation for so long, I felt like I needed some time off. But recently, I’ve been getting back into the swing of things and trying to establish a routine. I’m currently working in a studio with three other people, two of them work full- time elsewhere, and the third is studying in Europe. It’s been an interesting challenge trying to figure out what’s next for us and how we can move forward from here.
EG: Your thesis highlights the importance of repair and maintenance of buildings in your thesis. How do you see this shift in scale of actions fitting into the broader context of the design methodologies?
OR: The main thinking behind my project is to steer away from what architects typically do in Australia, which largely revolves around the developer-led construction process. It’s about rethinking the practice of architecture and repositioning ourselves to clarify the role of architects in taking care of buildings. Perhaps, we could move away from the process of constructing new buildings and instead, consider the ongoing life cycle of a building. This is where maintenance and care play a critical role, and the concept of an ‘ongoing designer’ who continually updates and maintains a building becomes essential. This kind of constant process of doing, where the act of “retrofit” no longer becomes a distinct single moment. This kind of ongoing adaptation as the building use changes, being able to know the community around the building, how it shifts and how it might require slightly different things throughout the process. The argument is that the architect is always there as the building evolves, providing greater opportunities to understand those subtle shifts. This ongoing research could help architects make specific gestures that update both the formal qualities and intangible aspects of the building as they constantly evolve around it. It’s like taking on the importance of post-occupancy reports and honing in on them as an integral part of the architectural practice, rather than just a checklist or an after-project check-in.
EG: Considering the current challenges and changes in real-world practice, how do you think these methodologies can be incorporated?”
OR: The real world applications are exemplified in the early stages of my project. That perhaps is about looking at reconstruction through fixing the blinds or upgrading the window frames, those very small moments that are achievable but don’t necessarily require all of those legislative and funding models where a major renovation and rework would normally be required. So I think fundamentally it is about rethinking the difference in the scale that these things operate on. I think the traditional mode of architecture really does focus on a much broader and impactful scale. These kinds of soft modes obviously don’t get that big but are capable of creating positive effects. In the history of architecture, there have been instances where architects were able to innovate despite limited construction opportunities. For instance, Japanese modernist architects reinvented the practice of architecture through writing, research, and debates. This really inspired me to explore how we can utilise our skills beyond pure construction and envision the future role of architects.
EG: It’s interesting how you position the scope of your project around the Trinity college building in this precinct instead of the very well-protected Victorian era Heritage houses adjacent to it. What’s your thought behind this decision?
OR: There are a few ones that I intentionally chose to ignore the Heritage Building. Firstly, I didn’t want to delve too deeply into the discussion around colonial heritage and value assessment based solely on age. It is the Trinity College building that is getting this pretty interesting status because it’s too new to be considered as heritage. yet old enough to argue it’s no longer fit for purpose as an ‘anonymous’ school building. But obviously they can’t apply that to the Heritage House, because it’s too old. This interesting age gap kind of results in a contested status which is really intriguing. This also brings up the question of social value. In terms of the site’s operation, the colonial mansion was hard to work with and didn’t fit the purpose compared to the Trinity College building, which had great features that worked well for the community function room. It had heaps of space compared to the old mansion that was just a bit cramped and odd in its layout. Although the colonial mansion has distinct features that represent a particular period of architecture, it perhaps raises the question of how we should value architectural heritage not solely on formal properties, but also considering contemporary perceptions and uses.
EG: The redevelopment of this site is set to begin early next year. Do you have any thoughts on the final proposal?
OR: I’m impressed by the amount of money the council has invested in it, and from what I’ve seen in the plans, there will be much more space available compared to before. The decision to build vertically instead of sprawling is also smart, as it allows for more ground space that could potentially be turned into a park. Another positive aspect of the project is that the management will remain mostly the same, which is essential for the community. However, I am concerned that there might be a point where, because everyone has to move out and that can really disrupt the social networks that existed before. No one knows if you could possibly reconstruct the kind of tight knit community from scratch, it’s possible that it could end up like those pop up suburbs where everything is there, but no one comes. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but I have hopes, it’s done by Kennedy Nolan, surely it’s going to be a nice building.
EG: You undertook studio08 and studio26 during your master’s studies. How have your past CDE studio experiences influenced your final thesis project?
OR: One of the key things I learned from Colby’s and Scott’s studios was the importance of focusing on fragments and smaller design moments instead of trying to create a cohesive whole from the beginning. This approach shaped my methodology for my thesis, which involved collecting interventions and fragments of ideas that might not initially connect but gradually form something coherent through rounds of design iterations. This methodology worked well for me because I didn’t have to consider the project as a whole at every point. It allowed me to fly blind sometimes and leverage opportunities to look at smaller pieces, considering the possibility of collaging them together in the end.
EG: What advice would you give to the future students of M.Arch to develop their own design methodologies throughout the studios?
OR: At the start of my masters, I undertook Studio 26, which had a very distinct approach to design and work. For me, personally, it was an excellent bouncing board for me to move towards the future. ls. As a master’s student, you often have your own style of working, but having a prescribed method of designing and constructing things really helped me to comprehend how to incorporate design elements and bring everything together cohesively. One of the other takeaways from those studios is the importance of being conscious of one’s design process and actively pursuing different methods. This is something I also learned in Hella’s studio. It’s not just about what works for you but kind of sticking to a method and starting to lay it out. For instance, designing all the pieces first and then putting them together, or starting with big sketches and then breaking them down. The key is to be aware of how you’re doing things so that you can repeat those methods and refine your design methodology. I believe a good designer not only creates inherently interesting subjects but also makes any subject interesting by drawing connections during the design process. Being aware of your methodology and how you construct those connections and make things interesting is an essential skill.
EG: What’s next for you?
OR: Given our involvement in the 33 Saxons Street project from start to finish, our next step perhaps is about consolidating the body of work that the studio has produced over the past few years. This could potentially involve exploring various avenues for publication. While this is our immediate focus, I’m not in a rush to sort things out. There’s something nice about being open to letting things unfold naturally.
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Interview Credits:
Interviewed by Eddie Guo
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Project credits:
University: Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne
Year: 2023
Project images provided by Oskar Rosa
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