Meghna Prasanth & Aparna Datey | Brisbane Summer 2023

Our conversationalists in this episode are Meghna Prasanth and Aparna Datey.  Aparna is a researcher and educator at the University of Queensland and the Queensland Institute of Technology. At the time of the Salon, Meghna was an architectural graduate and working at Cox Architecture.

In this in-depth conversation, Meghna and Aparna share the joys and challenges of pursuing architecture in India and other countries, including Switzerland, the United States and Australia. They discuss the strengthening of identity and confidence found through working and living in different environments, and understanding where their interests lie. They describe the highs and lows, the thrill of working on big projects but also the fragility of the business, with opportunities won and lost on the back of economic conditions.

Aparna discusses her PhD, which draws on her fascination with the vital connection between practice and academia, and the important role casual academics play. Meghna describes an employee-led research project she worked on within Cox Architecture, exploring domesticity in relation to the modern nomad. She discusses research work in practice and the value of being able to understand something in a slower, more nuanced way. Finally, our speakers discuss the synergies of research between practice and academia, the mystery of the design process for different people, learning about how practices work, and the importance of collaboration.

This episode was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. Find out more at alastairswaynfoundation.org.

It  was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the Brisbane Brickworks Studio in Summer 2023 and organised by Kelly Greenop.

We hope you enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series. For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!