Our Work
Design that Facilitates Innovation
You understand that innovation is working out a better way to solve your problem.
You know that to move forward you need to innovate.
So do we.
We believe innovation should be considered in all aspects of a project - design, process, ideas and people.
We help realise your ideas by designing to facilitate innovation.
But what is design that facilitates innovation?
It is designing the receptacle that gives life to your idea; It is when the built form becomes an integral part
of the idea and in doing so inspires and supports innovative processes and ideas; It is design based on
what has come before and realised in a better way.
Over 20 years we have approached projects with this understanding of innovation.
We have applied it to teaching spaces and research laboratories; to homes and factories; to community
centres and clinics. We use our imagination, inventiveness and creative skills to produce designs that are
unique, considered and the best they can be.
You know the future is full of possibilities and is going to be different to the present.
You know that change is all around us.
You understand the value of design in helping us meet these changes.
So do we.
By identifying and articulating the project objectives we facilitate the progression of a project from start to finish. Up front work on design and delivery options optimises our client’s outcomes. We manage and balance risk, time and quality for projects through innovative planning, scheduling, cost tracking and resource management.
Our in-house Interior Design capability provides additional resources to our design team. From basic fit-outs to complex incorporation of corporate branding our interior designers add interest and value to any project.
We are driven to deliver unique, innovative and functional buildings, based on our ability to understand our client’s requirements and convert them into a concept. We take an holistic approach designing around the idea of the whole facility – how it operates, how it looks and feels, how much it costs and how it will be delivered.
Our Journal
Why Being Curious Makes for Better Designs
Several topics have been occupying my mind in 2021. The leader of a legal firm having to step down for sending a letter to staff that challenged the status quo. Victoria University writing a compelling RFT about the type of people they want to work with. A transgender person kicked out of female toilets in a […]
Why Designing for Potential Makes for Better Classrooms
In this post, I identified the teacher as the essential ingredient in creating a great classroom. I think the next one is ‘potential’ – when designing a learning space, imagine entering it for the first time and thinking ‘am I inspired to learn here?’ Flexible use and class sizes of a typical classroom can compete […]
Why Architects Must Remember to Design Spaces for People to Use
This article https://lnkd.in/gP58unk talks about the amazing things being done to combine Information technology and building materials to enhance the experience of entering a building. It reminded me of a passage in the 1943 book ‘The Fountainhead’ by Ayn Rand; a book that is a bit of a rite of passage for architects to read. “The intrinsic […]
How ds is Helping to Hurry Up the Demise of the Lecture Theatre
The demise of the lecture theatre has been touted for quite some time and Monash University are doing their bit to speed this along having recently converted 2 lecture theatres into an extended/cross reality (XR) laboratory . Some of the amazing work that will be developed in the laboratory can be found here. Touted as a $30Billion […]
How Diversity And Innovation Drive Great Culture
Great article here about how diversity drives innovation. The take away piece for is “diverse workplaces drive innovation because the more diverse teams are along many dimensions the more likely they are to draw inspiration from seemingly unrelated places. These idea combinations lead to more unlikely and more innovative ideas.”
The Size of the Classroom is (almost) as Important as the Teacher
Take away the teacher and what is the most important ingredient for a great classroom? ds has worked with some of the most innovative educators and when I look back at projects, space is a common factor that determines if a classroom will be great. Integrated audio visual systems, good acoustics and lighting, comfortable seating and […]
ds Commits to Innovating
I think quite a few people grew up thinking of innovators as heroes – a lone person coming up with a brilliant idea that changes everything. Think Steve Jobs. Think Marie Curie. Or maybe even ‘Doc’ Brown in Back to the Future. Who wouldn’t want to be that person? A few weeks ago I read […]
Blended Learning Has Not Realized Its Potential
There is much talk about applying lessons learnt during the Covid-19 shutdown to how we play, work and learn. So why did some schools tell parent they would stop providing remote learning and only provide on site learning when school resumed? Why, when some children may learn better remotely, is this no longer provided? Why, […]
Design Crit for the Redevelopment of The Bill Lawry Pavilion & Oval
Not long ago, Darebin City Council put out the call for design teams to submit an expression of interest for an exciting new project involving the design of a new pavilion at The Bill Lawry Oval in Northcote. Due to time constraints ds decided to forego submitting an EOI but instead used the design competition brief for […]