The Ass, The Fox and The Lion

The Ass, The Fox and The Lion design studio will embrace practicing ‘Noble’ Architecture in the Pacific following ‘Machiavellian Principles’. We will look at developing business offshore; building in the Pacific region; establishing relationships between private enterprise, local government & international funding bodies. We will look outside the realm of architecture into native title, encouraging local industry, skill acquisition, and self maintenance whilst at the same time, grapple with the future of architecture as a Practice and a worth-while Profession and our role as responsible ‘custodians for the planet’.

In 1992 the then Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating in his memorable Redfern Park Speech, captured the harsh truths about Australia’s history. It used those truths as a basis for building trust with Indigenous Australians; and it marked a turning-point for non-Indigenous understandings about Aboriginal reconciliation. What can we learn from his words when embarking on business negotiations with our off shore neighbours and how can we remain ‘Noble’ within the profession.

The Keating family have been involved in developing a large plot of land on the southern beaches of the island of Efate, Vanuatu. The Ass, The Fox and The Lion design studio will use this site as the basis of discussion, design and ‘proposition making’ around how we best develop a resort project that encourages shared wealth, self sustaining communities and contributes to enhancement of the built environment, whilst dealing with the inevitability of investment demands, capital growth and expansion.