The future of housing was the topic of discussion at the Master of Design conference Mo.D/24 held recently in Hobart by Australian building company Metricon.
The company, which builds homes in four states of Australia – Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia – chose to hold their inaugural conference in Hobart – a chance to get away from the everyday and gain a new perspective.
With an audience predominantly made up of Metricon’s design leaders and key partners, the conference was about looking to new horizons and challenging old ways of thinking. “Metricon is committed to advancing design leadership through substantial investment in shaping the future,” says Brad Duggan, Metricon CEO. “Our Master of Design summit, Mo.D/24 explored diverse realms, envisioning Australia in 2030 and the pivotal role of design in transformation.”
The conference began on an early autumn afternoon in Hobart where delegates gathered at Brooke Street Pier to catch the ferry to the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), with blue skies and the promise of inspiring architecture and art. The Museum did not disappoint, with its architecture cut into the rock and artworks of all eras often surprising and sometimes confronting.
The next morning, the team gathered at the conference venue for the start of the conference proper, with a welcome by Adrian Popple, Metricon Design Director. “If you want to see a different perspective, you need to change your chair,” he explained. This metaphor was used throughout the conference, with a chair photo competition part of the mix. “In an industry that in recent years has had to be so reactive to challenges like NCC, 7*, COVID, and rising costs, we decided that it was time to shift our focus towards the future. The Metricon Master of Design Summit, Mo.D/24 was an opportunity to envision the future together, setting new standards and establishing the Metricon modern design principles,” says Adrian.
Futurist Katie Rigg-Smith from creative transformation company WPP was the first to take the stage as keynote following a welcome from MC James Pike from Purpose Made. Speculating on what Australian housing might look like in 2030, Katie outlined a future in which there has been a shift in the population and mindset such that multi-generational homes become more popular. This in part will be influenced by Asian, and specifically Chinese and Indian, ways of living due to migration, with nearly half of Australians with a parent born outside the country. Katie also discussed how work-from-home may become run-your-business-from-home and what that means. And how sustainability, AI, air gesture technology and new materials like mycelium bricks, may change housing. Digital twins – a digital version of anything from an object to a building to a city – may also influence design and planning.
Next to take the stage was Daniella Santilli from Reece who discussed technology and sustainability, including global trends from fairs in Germany, Italy and China. While toilets may be able to monitor your health through PH levels in future, from an aesthetic point of view, matte white is the new black for ceramics in the bathroom. Andrea Lucena-Orr from Dulux was next on the podium, sharing future trends including the possibility of robot chefs and smart tech embedded in mirrors. Andrea also brought a special guest, interior designer and author Lauren Li from Sisällä who talked about how interior designers can use AI – not in the future but in the here and now. Laptops pre-installed with Midjourney were passed around the room so that teams could create their own AI-generated interior image based on simple word prompts. This eye-opening tool is just that – another tool in the box for interior designers, argued Lauren.
Christine McCoy from Colorbond was the next to take the stage discussing caring for Country through architecture with examples including the Bila Koort Boodja Centre – a Noongar knowledge centre by architects iredale pederson hook, the Penguin Parade building on Phillip Island by architects Terroir and the Walumba Elders Centre also by iredale pederson hook, built to withstand local flooding. Colorbond guest and Palawa designer Emma Robertson then discussed the essence of connection in her work. Emma Robertson Designs discussed her 100% Aboriginal owned and operated business from lutruwita, Tasmania and how important connection is in the creation of her wearable art, jewellery, prints, clothing and homewares.
As part of the Colorbond presentation, all attendees were invited to create an artwork on canvas using materials including leaves, bark, sand, seeds, photographs, Colorbond swatches and printed-out landscapes, which were then lined up to dry. And Lucas Grace from James Hardie was the final speaker of the day who discussed housing futures, including how the pandemic has affected society. One of the interesting insights into his presentation was that research shows that, following years of lock-downs, people either want nostalgia – safety, routine – or they want pleasure – with a you-only-live-once or YOLO attitude. James Pike from Purpose Made then ran a panel with all of the speakers from Metricon’s various partners: Reece, Deluxe, Colorbond and James Hardie to bring together the day’s ideas.
On the following day, Peter Maddison was the keynote speaker, highlighting how memorable a house can be with a Modernist home from a James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever as a key example. For more on Peter’s presentation, see this separate post.
And on the final day, the team visited three Hobart houses by Archier – Hampden House, View House and Taroona House – exploring how prefabrication technologies are changing construction with Archier sibling company Candour.
The conference not only brought together the Metricon team, but injected its design leaders with new ideas and perspectives. Brad Duggan, Metricon’s CEO, concluded, “Metricon is committed to advancing design leadership through substantial investment in shaping the future. Our Masters of Design summit, Mo.D/24, united Metricon’s design visionaries and key partners, fostering inspiration, innovation, and profound insights. Discussions and hands-on experiences at the summit pushed design boundaries, aiming to establish pioneering industry benchmarks. With a focus on addressing the challenge of affordability without compromising on design excellence, we’re proud to have sparked collaborations that drive creativity and set new standards for the future of the industry.”
About Metricon
Note: Penny Craswell travelled to Hobart to attend the Metricon Master of Design conference as their guest in March 2024.