My story Watershed is a deep time impression of Melbourne. I collaborated with Boonwurrung Elder N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs and the story is informed by Boonwurrung cultural heritage concerning sea level rise. Facilitated by Arts House Melbourne I spent twelve months writing Watershed while consulting with N’arwee’t. Aunty Carolyn and I are very proud of it […]
All of us, on some level, need support. This was highlighted by the events of the past year, when we all watched as our systems and bureaucracies, these invisible infrastructures that govern and coordinate our worlds, crashed under the pressure of a virus invisible to the human eye. Through this time, we noticed another invisible […]
What can we do about the climate crisis? What is ‘smart’ about ‘smart cities’? How do we build housing both affordable and beautiful? And what is the legacy we are leaving to the future generations? Following the release of Assemble Papers’s latest print edition (#12: (Future) Legacies – available all summer long at MPavilion), we […]
100 years of Bauhaus; the 50th anniversary of Glenn Murcutt’s practice; School Strikes for Climate. It has been a year of major anniversaries and reckonings. AP editor Jana Perković reflects on our past and future legacies. It was impossible to walk out of the train station. The crowd was so thick that it created a […]
As the eleventh print issue of Assemble Papers is about to land in Melbourne (and then travel beyond), editorial team Jana Perković and Cat McGauran explain some of the thinking behind the edition's theme. We live in a time that demands necessary change: but how do we face this urgency with a spirit of community and altruism?
On one of the coldest spring mornings this year, dozens of Melburnians hauled themselves out of bed to come and listen to a series of panel discussions on how we can create cities that, quite simply, work better for everyone. For those who couldn’t attend The Living Closer Together Symposium, here’s a short recap of the ideas explored across the four panels.
Who gets to decide how we all reside? Jana Perković and Eugenia Lim introduce the tenth print issue of Assemble Papers, dedicated to housing for all, and published in partnership with MPavilion.
Six years after co-founding Assemble, Pino Demaio has decided to resign from his role as Director. Pino remains focused on his strategic design practice, Local Peoples, and his editorial interests through Matters Journal.
In collaboration with RMIT Design Hub, Assemble Papers is excited to bring you Season 1 of our podcast, 'Supercast', exploring the sensory experience of built and unbuilt environments. Listen now at supercast.fm.
Our 8th print issue of Assemble Papers, ‘Metropolis.’, muses on the power of cities and their citizens to instigate and enact global change. AP editor Jana Perkovic shares her thoughts on the evolution of the issue, published in partnership with this year's MPavilion.
After 18 months as part of the AP family, Sara Savage is moving on from her role as Editor of Assemble Papers to pursue new opportunities. Sara will leave a wonderful legacy for the next editor and a strong platform for the next chapter of the publication, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavours.
The 7th print issue of Assemble Papers, 'In/formation', considers activism, collective action and the power of people in the information age. (The Beyonce reference in this issue's title is a happy accident.) Here, AP editor Sara Savage explains some of the thinking behind this issue, published in partnership with CLIMARTE, the clever folks behind the biennial ART+CLIMATE=CHANGE festival.
Three years after she first joined us, Rachel Elliot-Jones is moving on from her role as Creative Producer of Assemble Papers and Head of Community Engagement at Assemble to relocate to London. Rachel (a.k.a. REJ) has been a tireless ambassador for the philosophy and values of the company. We fully support her decision to embark on the next exciting chapter in her career.
We'd love to know more about our readers (that's you!) and find out what you think of Assemble Papers. Tell us your thoughts to go in the running to win prizes from St Jerome's The Hotel, Alpha60 and Pop Plant.
"There’s a reason why journalist and urban activist Jane Jacobs’s reflections on the 'intricate ballet' of the city have endured for urban planners and everyday city-dwellers alike, despite being penned half a century ago." – Sara Savage introduces the sixth print issue of Assemble Papers, 'Future Local'.
What can art do? What can architecture do? Who holds the right to the city? Are nature and culture one and the same? How does thought become action? In this issue, my final as editor, I am preoccupied with these questions; questions I feel are personal, political and universal.
After four incredible years as founding editor of Assemble Papers and a much-loved member of the Assemble team, Eugenia Lim has decided to move on to focus on her art practice and numerous creative advisory board roles. She will be deeply missed, but it’s a decision we fully support as she embarks on the next exciting chapter in her career.
Since I was last sitting in the Assemble studio we’ve orbited another 365 days around the sun. As I start back as editor, I return to an energised and expanded publication, thanks to the tenacity and vision of Rachel Elliot-Jones and the rest of the Assemble team. Here, a brief reflection and a vision for the future.
Welcome to issue three of Assemble Papers in print. Themed ‘communal culture’, we take an expansive look at collective and collaborative living – from the wintery depths of Scott Base, Antarctica, to the flood-prone community of sub-tropical Awaran, Pakistan; from DIY backyard bungalows to neighbourhood-defining architecture in Copenhagen.
Welcome to Issue 2 of Assemble Papers in print. This edition is inspired by Melbourne’s new public architecture commission, MPavilion – initiated by the Naomi Milgrom Foundation – with Sean Godsell’s inaugural form soon to be revealed amidst the lush foliage of Queen Victoria Gardens.
Assemble directors, Ben, Pino and Quino, contribute to the current debate on Victorian apartment design standards by taking a look at the history of apartments in Melbourne, the current market dynamics, the impact of regulation in NSW and the potential impact of those standards here in VIC. This is a vital debate for our city and one which we encourage everyone to participate in.
Our first ever print edition features a selection of greatest hits from the website, exploring our commitment to local and international small footprint living and creativity. The aim of this printed version is to expand, reach out and connect with a broader audience, further pollinating the conversation, thinking and action around cities, design, architecture, art and sustainability.
