What's missing from design discussions on reality TV shows?

Open House Melbourne is happening again at the end of July, and this year it’s an entirely digital event, given what’s happening in Victoria with Covid-19.

In 2020, OHM is “breaking with convention in unconventional times” and adapting to new, digital ways to connect, explore, debate and problem solve. There are some great events on this year’s program, including one that I’m delivering in partnership with ArchiTeam.

It’s called Home Truths – the fact and fiction of reality reno shows, and we’ve assembled a panel of architects and renovators who’ve had experience with reality TV shows and who have insights to share about the process.

We’ll ask them what’s missing from discussions about design and construction on TV, and how real-life renovators and homebuilders can plug their knowledge gaps to ensure they are well informed to deliver their own projects smoothly.

The idea for this event emerged from a Twitter thread I started a few months ago, prompted by a tweet from Kerstin Thompson. You can read the thread here.

I also posted it to Instagram if that’s more your jam, click here, and feel free to add your two-cents worth if you’d like to.

Our Home Truths panellists include:

  • Renovation Survivor, Emma Telfer (Director of Culture and Strategy at Assemble, who renovated her own home in 2016, and was surprised by how much she didn’t know about the process, especially given her work in design advocacy);

  • Architect + TV Subject, Marc Bernstein (founder of Melbourne Design Studios, whose own home is currently under construction in front of the TV cameras for Grand Designs Australia);

  • Architect + Reno Specialist, Sarah Hobday-North (whose practice Value Architects Group provides “super smart architectural services at fixed prices, with no surprises”); and

  • Architect + Renovators’ Secret Ally, Amelia Lee (founder of Undercover Architect, provider of courses, support and mentoring for home builders and renovators).

Our target audience is people who are thinking about building or renovating their own homes, so if you think your current or future clients would be interested in this discussion, please let them know by sharing the link, which is: https://www.openhousemelbourne.org/event/home-truths-the-fact-and-fiction-of-reality-reno-shows/

(Edited to add: This link contains a recording of the Home Truths session if you’d like to watch it.)

ArchiTeam will also run a speed-date-an-architect session at OHM, and they have produced other great resources for clients in the past, including three series of The Naked Architect, available to watch on their website.

We hope our Home Truths event is equally informative and entertaining! It’s all about making architecture more accessible to a general audience, as a way of increasing demand for good design and architectural services, so please support us by sharing details via your networks.

 

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