Dr. Michael Spooner

 

PhD (RMIT University)

Bachelor of Architecture (1st class honors)

Diploma of Architectural Design (NZ)

  

Education

2012 PhD, School of Architecture + Design, RMIT University (examined Oct 2011, awarded Feb 2012)

Title: A Clinic for the Exhausted

2007 Bachelor of Architecture (1st Class Honors), RMIT University

2004 Diploma of Architectural Design, Design & Arts College, Christchurch, New Zealand

 

Work History

2012 - present Associate Lecturer in the Program of Architecture, RMIT University

Ongoing teaching, including Design Elective, Major Project students, and Masters Students.

 

2008-present Sessional Design Tutor in the Program of Architecture, RMIT University.

I have taught across both the Bachelor of Architecture & Master of Architecture programs in collaboration with Dr Helene Frichot, Peta Carlin, Leanne Zilka, Mel Dodds and Peter Knight. The resulting Student work has been examined as being of the highest standard, and has included an Anne Butler Award, the primary RMIT Architecture final year prize, and multiple Antonio Brun Medal winners. During this period I have been an active participant on final examinations in both the Program of Architecture and the Program of Fashion, RMIT Undergraduate and Masters Programs.

 

2009-2011 Research Assistant to Prof. Leon van Schaik, Professor of Architecture, Program of Architecture, RMIT

Preparation of files, and printed display panels and catalogues for internationally touring exhibition Thinking About Architecture, Thinking About Architects: Ideograms by Leon van Schaik. Organisation and collation of Master by Invitation works for the co-edited publication, Practice of Practice 2: Research In The Medium Of Design. Undertaking of the cataloguing of slides for the Archive Project, RMIT School of Architecture and Design, with the hope of making available a searchable database. A future funding model has recently been presented to the university with Annie Lennox, Senior Copyright Co-ordinator at RMIT for the purpose of setting up an online database dedicated to Melbourne Architecture. Leon continues to generously act as a mentor.

 

2009-present Dr Peter Corrigan, Adjunct Professor of Architecture and Principle of Edmond & Corrigan

During the period of Post-Graduate study, I have continued to work independently, completing exhibition and competition panels, working on various theatre proposals, and most recently completing Edmond and Corrigan’s proposal for the Venice Architecture Biennale, 2010. I am currently assisting in the publication of a monograph on Edmond and Corrigan’s work to be published by Thames and Hudson. Peter continues to generously act as a mentor.

 

2009-2011 Matthew Sleeth, Melbourne/New York based artist

I have coordinated and completed detailed rapid prototyping models for exhibitions in Melbourne and New York. I assisted in the production of models, visualisations, design development and working drawings for Sleeth’s most recent exhibition ‘The Rise and Fall of Western Civilization (And Other Obvious Metaphors)’ that was presented at the Claire Oliver Gallery in New York, 2011-2012.

 

2010 Research Assistant to Dr Charles Anderson, Lecturer, Program of Landscape Architecture, RMIT

Completed full PhD design and collation, and assisted with exhibition and examination set-up.

 

2007-2008 DRP Architect, Design Architect

  

Current Research Project

Michael Spooner, Kaye Ashton, Leto Tsolakis, Harriet Edquist, Keith Deverell & Stephen Banham (2012-2013)

“Disseminating Victoria’s Design Heritage – Frederick Romberg”, RMIT Design Archive

 

Funding Received

2012-2013 “Disseminating Victoria’s Design Heritage”, Your Community Grant, Federal Government, $22700

2008-2011 RMIT Postgraduate Scholarship, $84000 over 3.5 years

2010 Ricarda Bigolin & Michael Spooner “For What It’s Worth”, SRC, RMIT University, $7500

 

Awards

2008-2011 RMIT Postgraduate Scholarship

2007 Architecture Australia Unbuilt Prize

2007 Antonio Brun Medal (Cinema & Architecture) Program of Architecture, RMIT University

2006 RAIA Colorbond Steel Student Biennale Winner

 

Publishing & Exhibition History

 

Edited Books

Leon van Schaik AO with Michael Spooner, (2010) The Practice of Practice 2: Research in the Medium of Design, School of Architecture + Design RMIT University.

 

Invited Symposia Papers

Michael Spooner, (2012) EU PSR Keynote, Ghent, Belgium, forthcoming, RMIT University & St Lucas.

Michael Spooner, (2011) “A Clinic for the Exhausted” in Architectural Voices, The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL & RMIT, 13 June 2011, .

 

Refereed Conference Papers

Michael Spooner, (2010) “A Clinic for the Exhausted”, AG3 (Arakawa and Gins 3rd International Conference), Online, 12-26 March 2010,

 

Hélène Frichot & Michael Spooner (2010) “A Clinic for the Exhausted: An Architectural Exploration of the Imaginary Techniques of Raymond Roussel”, IMAGINING: The 27th Annual Conference of the Society of Architectural Historians, Australia and New Zealand, Newcastle, Australia, 30 June-2 July 2010.

 

Exhibitions

Leon van Schaik with Michael Spooner, (2012 forthcoming) Procuring Innovative Architecture, Venice Architecture Biennale

 

Leon van Schaik with Michael Spooner, (2012 forthcoming) Procuring Innovative Architecture, DESSA Gallery, Ljublijana

 

Peter Corrigan with Michael Spooner, (2010) “Edmond & Corrigan: A City of Hope,” Now + When Australian Pavilion, Venice Architecture Biennale, 2010. The exhibition has subsequently travelled around Australia.

 

Ricarda Bigolin & Michael Spooner (2010) “For What It’s Worth”, Craft Victoria, 9 September -17 October 2010, Melbourne. This project was supported by SRC Funding, School of Architecture + Design.

 

Michael Spooner (2010) “A Clinic for the Exhausted” in Constellations: A Large number of Small drawings, RMIT Gallery 8 April – 26 June 2010.

 

Rochus Urban Hinkel, Hélène Frichot, Laurene Vaughan with Ashley Perry & Michael Spooner, (2008) “Have You Seen It?”, State of Design Festival Victoria, Melbourne.

 

Michael Spooner, (2006) “Playground: Giants as an Object of Desire”, RAIA Colorbond Steel Student Biennale, traveling exhibition with catalogue.

 

Professional Journal Articles

 

Michael Spooner & Peter Knight, (2012) “Hunters in the City” Architecture Australia, Vol 101, No. 4, July 2012, pp.

  

Michael Spooner, (2012) “A Clinic for the Exhausted”, Footprint, Delft School of Design Journal, forthcoming

 

Michael Spooner, (2011) “A City”, Architecture New Zealand, No 2, March/April, 2011, p.15.

 

Hélène Frichot & Michael Spooner, (2010) “Shelter: On Kindness”, Architecture Australia, Vol 99, No.1, Jan/Feb 2010, pp. 35-36.

 

Michael Spooner, (2008) “2007 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work”, Architecture Australia, Jan/Feb , 2008, Vol. 97, No. 1. pp 82-96.

 

Michael Spooner, (2008) “A Clinic for the Exhausted” in Leanne Zilka (Ed) Para, RMIT Architecture Thesis Projects 2006-2007, School of Architecture + Design RMIT University, pp.34-39.

 

Reviews of Work Undertaken:

Peta Carlin, (2011) “For What It’s Worth”, Architecture Australia, Vol 100, No. 1, Jan/Feb, 2011, pp. 25-26.

 

Informal Presentations:

RAIA “Film, Architecture and Cinema” at Process, Loop Bar, Melbourne

SIAL “Think+Drink: the Hinge between Film and Architecture” RMIT Design Hub Gallery

Communications2 Lecture, Architecture & Design, RMIT University,