Where did you study architecture?

I graduated from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia, receiving my Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in 2008 and my Master of Architecture in 2011. I was the typical overachiever; graduating with honors and achieving the highest aggregated marks across all areas of study, including history, theory, practice, construction and design.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue architecture?

I decided pursue architecture when I was 17 in my final year of High School and time to consider my place in the society. My interest in the industry was not because I was obsessed with buildings or details, but because I began see how architecture was tied to the social and political agendas of society. My place in architecture is and always has been inspired by the ethics of punk and anarchy.

Architecture happens to naturally prosper under the structures and regulations that anarchy aims to eliminate and it is precisely the differences and contradictions between theses ideologies that motivate my role in the architecture industry.

When did you decide to stop pursuing architecture? Why?

I was always motivated by the extreme pace of experimentation made possible in Architecture School; the feedback loop was immediate, allowing for rapid prototyping and design evolution.I decided to leave my job in architecture in August 2013. My decision was about pivoting and running sideways, (rather than forward) towards something I found more compelling. My pursuit within, and my passion for the architecture industry is still very strong.

Jewellery design was a personal side project for about a year before I became quite obsessed and had the overwhelming desire to pursue this as my full time profession, under my own terms and conditions and where I could create my own utopia.

I was always motivated by the extreme pace of experimentation made possible in Architecture School; the feedback loop was immediate, allowing for rapid prototyping and design evolution. I was confronted by the slow reality of the architecture industry, with projects often taking decades from inception to completion. For me this brought into question whether parts of the building become out-dated and redundant even before it’s completed - As someone who loves muscles cars, I clearly have a need for speed!

Leaving architecture was about finding greater freedom for experimentation and mimicking the conditions, which I loved most about Architecture School. The nature of scaling down (into jewellery design) and speeding up was to create my own financial possibility for testing of new materials, technologies and concepts in a manner more accessible and comprehensible.

Venturing away from architecture was also about finding another forum to communicate, to reach a wider audience, and to create different scales of human interaction. I am driven by a genuine desire to connect with other people, with strangers from across the globe and pivoting from architecture to jewellery design was about making this possible. Jewellery unlike architecture tends not to be location specific, I wanted my work to be connected to a person rather than place.

Describe your current profession.

I would now describe myself without formal training, as a jewellery designer. In 2013 on the back of a successful Kickstarter campaign, I founded the Architact Collective. I went into business with my partner Dillon, we live together and work together.

In 2013 on the back of a successful Kickstarter campaign, I founded the Architact Collective. The Architact Collective is inspired by architecture and motivated by design as the primary catalyst for bringing together the community. My work is derived from the construction industry and I reinterpret the notion of the city as jewellery. Every detail and process serves as constant reminder of the city that surrounds us.

My work is so closely tied to the construction industry that I use jewellery design as an outlet for creating what I consider to be mini objects of architecture. I love the idea that by reducing something in scale, we can heighten our experience and understanding of it. Right now, I feel more closely tied to the Architecture Industry (creating jewellery) then I did when acting as an Architect in a more traditional sense.

There is no applied aesthetic to my jewellery; it emerges from a process and material logic. It brings into focus the imperfections that are found in the materials of concrete, brick and timber. The nature of the material allows my jewellery to evolve over time, developing new cracks and chips through the pattern of everyday wear.

My jewellery is made from old school processes combined with the honesty and at times ad-hoc methodology of DIY.Each product and its packaging is made from high quality recycled materials. Each piece of jewellery begins with the collection of materials from construction sites across Melbourne. When doing so, I can’t help but envisage myself as the trespassing punk rocker (this takes me back to my Architecture School days where I ran into the law a few times while researching and protesting). I then crush the material into an aggregate before testing if it meets required safety standards and codes. The aggregate is then mixed with an epoxy resin and pigmentation to create a super strong concrete, brick or other composite.

I absolutely love working with my hands, and by doing so, I am able to create something that has a deep connection to my happiness. My jewellery is made from old school processes combined with the honesty and at times ad-hoc methodology of DIY. My workspace is under-lit, filled with power tools, resins and concrete aggregate.

I am currently designing, creating and selling three types of jewellery:

1. DIY Concrete Kits: Available in 12 sizes and 6 ting designs, the DIY Concrete Kits transfer the enjoyable process of building and allow me to pass on an appreciation for the complexity of the items and systems that go into the making of each piece of jewellery. My ambition is to merge the often disparate roles of maker and owner.

2. Hand-crafted jewellery made by the Architact Collective: My hand-crafted jewellery is an expanding range of rings and earrings currently made from concrete, brick and timber. Each ring is made using the same DIY process as the DIY Concrete Kits. Currently in progress is the design of cufflinks and a necklace and also the incorporation of new materials.

3. Hand-Crafted Collaborations: I am constantly reaching out to fellow artisans, architects, engineers and entrepreneurs. I am currently working with three incredible individuals (Kaitlin Beckett, Sarra Twycross-Smith and Lachlan Charles Marshall) to create limited edition jewellery. My ambition is to bring together unique skill sets and disparate industries.

Untrained in jewellery design, my ambition is to continue developing new jewellery and skill sets, traveling often to source new materials and reaching out to those around me in order to expand my available techniques and processes.

What skills did you gain from architecture school, or working in the architecture industry, that have contributed to your success in your current career?

I love this question! For me, both architecture school and the architecture industry was about developing a strong mentality (rather than creating specific skill sets that look good on a resume). What I took away from architecture school flowed immediately into the architecture industry before expanding, evolving and flowing into my current career as a jeweler.

1. Forget about winning or losing by letting go of the desire to compare with others. I work hard to keep focused on my unique accomplishments and not upon what other people are doing around me (someone will always be better than me at something). While continuing to be critical, I feel it is important to define your own standards and measures of success.

2. Understand the value of communication; In architecture school, the students who better communicated often got higher grades. I feel this also translates into the corporate structures of the industry. My advice is to master the skills that can be more readily taught such as CAD programs or model making. Take your time to focus on the communication of what you do with genuine consistency and simplicity.

3. Play the momentum; with momentum it is difficult to stop, while without momentum, it is difficult to start. As I began to establish my own company, my focus was on baby steps, inching me closer towards big picture aspirations.

4. Rules are made to be broken (well, maybe I always had this mentality); I believe there is more value in a person who strives to find a solution that challenges the status quo. My ambition, through the Architact Collective, is to bring unexpected agendas and obstacles into view. I aspire to create jewellery that re-orders a traditional logic and allows others to find an unexpected value.

Don't be afraid to pursue change, few things in life are permanent, consider the worst-case scenario and know when to move on.5. Have broad influences and mentors; some argue that the human mind is only capable of imaging the reproduction of what we already know and see. I therefore aspire to never close my circle of influences or mentors and have a constant but broad cause and conviction that keeps me motivated.

6. Build meaningful relationships; I have reliable go-tos, near and far, new and old, that form an important component to defining my work and ideals. Tap into their unique tacit, subjective insights, intuitions and hunches. Remain open-minded and embrace serendipity.

Don't be afraid to pursue change, few things in life are permanent, consider the worst-case scenario and know when to move on. Moving on (aka quitting my job in the architecture industry) is precisely what allows me to be where I am at this moment.

Do you have an interest in returning to architecture?

I don’t feel that I have left architecture and believe that I will always remain strongly tied to the industry. Architecture motivates and inspires me to be creative whether it is through jewellery, objects, writing (I am also the founder of architecture and design blog archi-ninja.com), teaching or practicing. I aspire to always remain agile and capable of following what motivates me with bravery and enthusiasm. At the moment and as I look forward, my heart is tied to the Architact Collective, but how that evolves only time will tell.