Monash Art, Design and Architecture

Thank you to everyone who joined Shaping Books, Finding Friends, presented by .bruno at the NGV as part of Melbourne Art Book Fair, supported by Monash Art, Design and Architecture and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Melbourne.

The session brought together Warren Taylor with bruno founders Andrea Codolo and Giacomo Covacich for a thoughtful conversation on independent publishing, collaboration and the realities of making books. They reflected on how publishing is often a process of negotiation, where many decisions involve compromise, even if the final outcome appears seamless.

The event also introduced Words by Suggested by, a collaborative publication conceived by Taylor, Codolo and Covacich. The project brought together 17 Monash design students and 23 students from ISIA Urbino in Italy, resulting in a collection of quotes from 76 authors selected by students. The publication offers insight into the ideas and influences shaping emerging designers today, and was distributed at the .

Thank you to everyone who joined us last Friday for Monash Design’s third alumni event, MADA Then, held as part of Melbourne Design Week.

It was a pleasure to welcome our alumni to Building G, to reconnect, celebrate shared achievements, and recognise the impact of our design community.

The evening also marked the launch of the inaugural Design Alumni Impact Awards. Congratulations to our 2026 recipients, Sarah D’Sylva, Established Career Award, and Chloe Gration, Early Career Award.

We look forward to continuing to celebrate and support the achievements of our alumni community.

Join us for the two-day Research in Action Symposium on 3 – 4 June.

This symposium is a dynamic program of events that brings together keynote speakers, presentations, panel discussions, work-in-progress critiques, and the launch of the Transforming Cities Hub.

This exciting initiative showcases MADA researchers' distinct capacity for interdisciplinary research translation and impact. It will also build cross-disciplinary synergies between our PhD and Master's cohorts and MADA's research communities of practice.

This is a great opportunity to connect with MADA researchers and explore new opportunities for projects that address societal challenges.

You’re welcome to join both days or one of our highlight events.

Learn more
https://www.monash.edu/mada/events/2026/research-in-action-symposia

Andrea Codolo and Giacomo Covacich of Studio Bruno are currently in Melbourne as guests of Monash Art Design & Architecture.
During their visit, a series of FREE public events will take place across the city.

Public Lecture: Shaping Books, Finding Friends
Sunday 17 May�
12.30–1.30pm
NGV Education Theatre
(bruno will be part of the stallholder fair at the NGV Melbourne Art Book Fair�15–17 May)

Public Lecture: bruno, Venice
Thursday 21 May
2.30–1.30pm
Monash Art Design & Architecture, Building G1.04, Caulfield Campus
All welcome!

bruno is the pseudonym of Andrea Codolo and Giacomo Covacich (est. 2013). The project, which is based in Venice, combines a graphic design studio, an exhibition space and a specialist bookstore focussing on visual communication and international independent publishers. As for communication design, the studio deals in particular with visual identities, exhibitions, publishing projects, information design and data visualisation in collaboration with institutions, cultural foundations and private clients. Since 2014 bruno has also become a publishing brand.

Join us on campus to relive your student experiences studying Design.

Monash Design invites graduates to MADA THEN, an alumni event at Building G, Monash Caulfield, celebrating the successes of past Design students and the careers they have forged. Working with the 2026 Melbourne Design Week themes, the event will highlight alumni 'luminaries' who are Monash Design's living legacy' and 'Australian-made'

We will also celebrate the achievements of ten of our most influential alumni, and award one of those the inaugural Alumni Impact Award, selected by three of our Distinguished Alumni.

Speeches and awards will be at 6.30pm.

Note: this event is only open to past Monash Design Students.

Register now
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/monash-design-alumni-mada-then-tickets-1983838949702

We are excited to announce that Monash University is partnering with the City of Casey through the Connecting Communities Living Lab to trial two innovative, community-led solutions. These projects are two of five new trials exploring innovative ways to strengthen social connection and reduce loneliness across the municipality.

1. YourWalk - delivered by XYX Lab Lab (Monash University) and CrowdLab
A next-generation tool for inclusive, climate-responsive mobility bringing together community insight, spatial data, and co-design to better understand how people move through their neighbourhoods—and where barriers to safe, comfortable walking exist.

Focusing on lighting, accessibility, and urban heat, the project will deliver:
▪ A public route-planning tool highlighting safer, more inclusive walking routes
▪ A council dashboard to support evidence-based planning and investment

Designed with and for communities - including women, older adults, people with disabilities and carers - YourWalk aims to make walking more accessible, improve perceptions of safety, and strengthen connection to place.

2. Designing Intergenerational Commons - delivered by Monash Urban Planning and Design
Reimagining Casey’s community facilities as inclusive hubs for people of all ages, strengthening how community infrastructure is planned and delivered to ensure growing communities have the spaces they need to connect and belong.

By combining community interviews with co-design workshops, the project will deliver:
▪ Interviews and Co-Design workshops to explore barriers of participation in community spaces.
▪ Flexible Prototype Designs that adapt to the diverse needs of a diverse community.

Developed alongside community leaders and council staff, this project aims to break down social silos, improve accessibility for all generations, and ensure a true sense of belonging for all in local public spaces.
We’re proud to be part of a Living Lab initiative that brings together researchers, communities and government to test new solutions and build a more connected, inclusive Casey.

Monash Art, Design and Architecture is running an exciting program of events as part of Melbourne Design Week 2026 and features talks, workshops, forums, exhibitions and more.

Melbourne Design Week is Australia’s largest and leading annual design festival and takes place from 14–24 May 2026.

Learn more
https://www.monash.edu/mada/events/2026/melbourne-design-week

At MADA (Monash Art, Design and Architecture), we believe that the best way to understand architecture is to get hands on with construction.

For over 15 years, our Design-Make studios led by Ross Brewin have been a central to our teaching and learning philosophy. These studios bridge the gap between digital theory and physical reality, giving students invaluable experience in the end-to-end design and construction process.

Recent projects, Waterlines and Negative Positive, demonstrate this commitment. Located in disused quarries, these installations focus on circular economy principles by salvaging and repurposing materials to breathe new life into forgotten places.

Check out the recent feature in Architecture Australia to see how our students transformed former NGV pavilions into stunning new installations:

👉 Read the Architecture Australia article: https://architectureau.com/articles/Former-NGV-pavilions-repurposed-into-new-installations-by-architecture-students/

Explore over a decade of Design-Make projects on our dedicated studio website:
👉 Monash Design-Make Studio: https://www.monash.edu/mada/architecture/study/design-make