Recent Projects

Hang about - cast concrete does have an aura.

The ongoing workshop experiments continue in Ovens Street. We had some left-over asteroid components (see ACMI story) lying about along with a few bags of leveling cement. Naturally the opportunity to combine these ingredients was too much to resist.

Match that with a commission from a local retailer to complement their recent concrete inspired shop fitout with a pair of concrete pendants - and we end up with a whole new lighting genre.

These are not wimpy iterations. The bold strong lines and heavy duty fixtures draw the eye up and down the illuminated chain, providing a platform for display and more. More...

Have a quiet drink!

Currently under development - watch this space!

'Hydrate' is a simple re-packaging idea - take a beer bottle and fill it with water. Next, package it next to beer bottles in a 6-pack format to give drinkers a choice - either the usual 6 beers, a 5 beers and a water option or 4 beers and 2 waters for drinkers with a taste for moderation.

If you've ever been at a party and suddenly felt a bit woozy, you may have filled an empty with water to retrieve your senses. Water tastes good out of a glass beer bottle - especially at parties where no-one realises you're not drinking beer! The 'Six Pack' could be made available at the bottle shop to complement existing lines while delivering a distinct and timely message.

This concept requires further evaluation and careful thought to address community and health advocacy objectives. Just as the tobacco industry has been forced to comply with community expectations, the alcoholic beverage industry will need to take action soon. The industry can treat the inevitable community action as a threat or an opportunity to innovate. It's an opportunity to change perceptions and habits without compromising business objectives. More...

Federation Square East on tracks.

'Transport Laboratory' is a proposed research facility floating over the Fed Square East rail yards by studioButcher.

The concept centres upon a permanent crane sitting at the South East corner of the site - which serves to develop the ever changing function and character of this amazing location. Position thinkers and transport agencies over the rail yards in a simbiotic and informative eco-system of development and learning to address the changing public transport imperatives.

In this schema the Forum Theatre serves as a backdrop and portal to a porous bridge and modestly scaled operations tower - set as a low rise development to counter the high rise periphery. Arrival into Melbourne by train would be one of wonder and awe, rather than just another gloomy tunnel experience.

This proposal was submitted to Major projects Vistoria as part of their RFIS campaign to work out what to do with the site. Get more info...

The launch of the new Berwick Nissan dealership presented a perfect opportunity to trial this race track retail experience.

The purchase of a vehicle can take a considerable amount of time! There are many decisions to be made, options, colours, accessories and of course finance for many. Try this while you have a couple of youngsters hanging on your arm and all of a sudden it all gets a little too hard.

Introducing the innovative 'Kid-tail' POS childcare solution - Race Track Trials. The kids just can't get enough, leaving the parents ample time to make those important decisions without distraction.

The standard slot car track sits in a custom lightweight track chassis built in this prototype case from plywood. Get more info...

Mapping the city creates both a screen and an engaging wayfinding tool for visitors.

'City Screens' acts as an informative screening device for Melbourne CBD hotel residents.

Travellers get a 1.8m tall map to study while sitting at the bar or relaxing in their room. The see-through timber screen construction allows for planning, route mapping and even storage of one's keys.

The idea is purely conceptual at this stage, with the illustrations above having been modelled in Maya 3D to develop the idea before going to prototype stage. Get more info...

Grow your own wind farm

'Power Plant' harnesses wind power while avoiding the Wind Turbine Syndrome.

This exciting new product is being developed as an off-the-shelf installation or as freely available plans for anyone wishing to grow their own power plant. The design is powered by plants and their interaction with wind. The plant grows in a planter pot which is designed to rock in the breeze - and the subsequent movement is harnessed as a form of power.

The idea is under development by Richard Butcher. Get more info...

Office furniture with a soul.

This furniture concept was developed to maximise flexibility in office layouts while retaining a sculptural quality. The entire system is based upon a singular module and fixing components to take add-ons like tables, lighting and curtain screens.

Introducing the innovative 'M-arc' office with a difference. Configure the system in a linear format by simply topping and tailing or snake through the office as required.

This speculative design was created in Maya 3D, and subsequently went on to receive 2nd place in the 'skyOffice' international design competition. Get more info...

Building sustainability through informative experiences.

Customer retention beats customer acquisition hands down - the challenge lies in the how and what. High value customers are those that spurn price-leading in favour of brand loyalty.

The Berwick Motor Group began the journey down this track with the aid of a simple touch point wayfinding device. The process starts at the acquisition stage necessarily. Customers are notified at the time of purchase exactly what they can expect from the group marketing and CRM departments - no unpleasant surprises. Get more info...

Lean development

Searching for the nature of risk and change is an ongoing endeavour, an exploration into the nature of chaotic systems and their influence on change, newness and prediction. Looking at product outcomes - how does a lifecycle look from the outside looking in, and conversely from the inside looking on.

In modelling strategies for product development two analagous structures come to mind when exploring systems of experience. The first is a woven fabric of experience - parallel strands running relentlessly forward in a planar, unilateral direction. The second is a knit, featuring an interlocking and less linear path through time. In fact, the knit appears more analagous to real world experience than the woven, as it provides a far more flexible and contingent structure.

These models are the subject of experiments into lean start-up methodology relating to risk reduction, prediction and precedent. Get more info...

Sign of the times.

Saint Urban bar and restaurant, designed by Rabindra Naidoo, required an innovative signage construction solution. The 'niche' concept needed to be strong enough to carry the hand sculpted statue of Saint Urban (Dawn Robinson), yet light enough to minimise load on the ageing facade.

Lasercut sheet steel provided the simple, elegant solution. Installation was reduced to an easy lift by two operators on a scissor lift. Done! View a primitive in development...

Clean beans!

As the coffee culture booms in Australia, more and more roasters are taking the in-house route to differentiation. Roasting coffee beans in house is an art in itself, and one aspect of the procedure is the ‘destoning’ process - removing foreign matter such as stones, nails and an assortment of weird stuff prior to packaging.

Australian based Roast IQ, developer and distributor of intelligent, purpose built roasting solutions, approached the workshop to design and build a destoner to complement their quality roasted bean methodology.

We subsequently ventured into the realm of fluid dynamics in the development of an Australian made destoner which would stand comfortably in the burgeoning roastery market place.

Destoners work by pulling the beans up a tube at a force which is just enough to maintain the draw yet not so much to allow the fine particulates, stones and metal particles to drop to out at the base. Fine tuning akin to tuning a musical instrument! Get more info...