Harriet Edquist and Lucia Wellington | 2023 Launceston Winter Artwork

Parlour POD

Parlour POD presents convivial conversations from Parlour: gender, equity, architecture. Episodes are drawn from much-loved Seasonal Salons, recorded live across Australia. Wide-ranging and diverse stories of lives in and around architecture and the built environment are told with humour and humility. Personal and particular, intimate and engaging, each episode canvasses the complexities of careers, obstacles faced and opportunities found.

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Harriet Edquist and Lucia Wellington | 2023 Launceston Winter

November 25, 2024 • Parlour

Our conversationalists for this episode are academic and historian Harriet Edquist and Cumulus Studio Associate Lucia Wellington. Harriet brings an enormous breadth of understanding of design across eras, from her historical research and archiving. Lucia is a strong advocate for sustainability within Cumulus and the wider profession.

In this thoughtful conversation, Harriet and Lucia discuss the importance of heritage preservation and quality craftsmanship. They share insights into Tasmanian urbanism, the significance of local history, and the challenges of balancing heritage with modern needs.

Harriet shares her experience of renovating a small, heritage cottage in Launceston, marvelling at the craftsmanship to be found in Tasmania and the powerful triangular intersection between client, builder and architect. She argues that historians might write history differently, highlighting these relationships, the collaborative process and the human experience of architecture rather than simply focusing on the final outcome. They agree that powerful working relationships and the collaborative process is sometimes missed in the narrative.

“When you have a builder who’s got that knowledge and who’s dedicated and who’s so skilful, they need to be celebrated as well.”

This episode of Parlour POD was produced with the assistance of the Alastair Swayn Foundation through a Design Audio Grant. Thanks!

This episode was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the 2023 Launceston Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks on 30 August 2023, the Salon was convened by Helen Norrie.

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!