Profile: SSdH | ArchitectureAu

The very first thing that strikes me upon getting into SSdH’s South Melbourne studio, along with Harrison, Jean-Marie and Todd’s pleasant faces (and that of their cute workplace canine, Remy), is their vivid assortment of DIY and domestically made furnishings, materials samples, objects, artwork and common life-stuff occupying the house. These are clues to the interdisciplinary and collaborative strategy championed by the crew of three – whose mixed final identify initials kind the acronym SSdH. The studio, each actually and metaphorically, is a vibrant assembly place for artwork, graphic design, styling, pictures, building, structure and extra.

Solely 4 years into their rising enterprise – and with seemingly extra accolades than precise tasks full – they’ve come leaps and bounds from their origins moonlighting from the entrance room of an inner-north Melbourne terrace. In these early days, the crew had been independently engaged on speculative tasks for buddies once they determined to mix forces. Except for being what Jean-Marie calls a “monetary failsafe” for the newly-formed follow, these two greater tasks had been enriched by the variety of insights from the trio, whose official launch in early 2020 kickstarted a collection of thrilling alternatives and commissions.

The primary of those, Kerr, was a particular challenge that set the tone for the follow’s interdisciplinary strategy. Regardless of not having any constructed work below their belts, entrusting shoppers tasked SSdH with designing a modest renovation to their historic Fitzroy condo. All through the method, the crew labored intently with stylist Jess Kneebone and photographer Pier Carthew to compose a collection of photos for the challenge, which served as a method for additional design exploration – even prompting the selection of the ensuite’s yellow tiles as a reference to an unearthed paint color.

Profitable a spot on the 2023 Smeg Tour for this primary challenge was a chance for SSdH to attach with large names – the likes of Version Workplace and Jackson Clements Burrows Architects – and rising interstaters doing comparable work. In Todd’s opinion, it was additionally “actually gratifying to get the suggestions from individuals who had been sitting on the jury deliberation behind all of that, and having the ability to have our challenge offered in entrance of somebody like John Wardle.”

SSdH additionally acquired recognition within the 2024 Homes Awards as joint winner of the Rising Structure Observe award with their counseled challenge, Stewart. In line with Harrison, “one of many good issues about Stewart being recognised … was due to how small it was, setting an exemplar for the best way that you could present structure on a restricted funds.” For Jean-Marie, the challenge coincided with “an undercurrent of dialog of what’s worthwhile and what structure is and what it could do … We’ve landed at this second in time the place what we worth aligns with what individuals are beginning to see as worthwhile.”

With every episode within the highlight, SSdH is aware to transform the chance right into a platform to share their strategy with colleagues. On the identical time, the follow prioritises the various voices of others throughout all aspects of their follow, drawing upon an increasing community of go-to allies. “What’s superb is that whenever you work with somebody time and time once more and when it turns into a part of your identification, it means that you’ve shorthand with them too, so we will additionally belief – and do belief – what they contribute to the challenge or the follow,” says Jean-Marie.

By wanting past Melbourne’s bubble of eminent architectural collaborators, SSdH have diversified not solely their community however their strategy. This consists of working with branding designer Kwan Yi Cheng of Conze Studio to develop an unorthodox strategy to the follow’s identification, commissioning artist Wyatt Knowles to create a site-specific art work on the graduation of every new challenge, and fascinating Jess and Pier to doc every SSdH challenge because it progresses by means of building to completion. On the time of writing, the agency are additionally working with a inventive author to develop a singular narrative round their soon-to-be accomplished challenge in Preston.

For SSdH, collaboration has been a method to uncover new and stunning design alternatives whereas selling summary interpretations, and versatile diversifications, of the areas they design. Every voice provides a layer that – regardless of a pursuit of trustworthy and on a regular basis areas – elevates the usefulness and relevance, of the agency’s tasks far past the abnormal.