Established by Robert Davidov in 2011, Davidov Architects is an emerging Melbourne based architecture practice focused on delivering design solutions for a range of project types and scales. Robert’s work explores a clear vision of space and materials, while retaining a feeling of warmth, which is achieved through the use of a refined palate of quality materials, uninterrupted lines and integrated joinery and storage allowing the core design concept to be continued across all scales and elements of a project. 

Yinjispace invites the founder to do this online open class at 19:00pm on October 27, 2022. He would share his design insight under the theme of ‘Architecture is Complicated Enough’.

Robert Davidov would share his design insight under the theme of ‘Architecture is Complicated Enough’. Robert believes that as architects we relish the ability to consider how the occupants of the buildings we design will move through space and consider and be informed by the impact of the time of year and time of day, the functions and rituals that are performed within. In this open class, he would presents five key words of his design approach: “Sequence & Ritual”, “Repetition”, “Mass & Light”, “Structural Expression”, “Object & Curation”. Robert introduces details and skills of conception, design to construction through his projects. He wishes to establish a thoughtful architecture, which enables people to feel relaxed and realize the order inside. 

Yinjispace：How do you consider and treat the relationship between architecture and landscape?

Robert Davidov：What interesting is that if the clients are not good at design, we would get upset somehow. We are not professional in landscape design, but we would consider it when the project does not have a high standard of it. When we cooperate with the landscape designers, we give them brief as a good client, and also the reference pictures, to see what kind of design they could present and their expectations. Each part offer their ideas and enrich the content by expression freely. If you want a perfect project, you need to be a good client at first, which means that you should make the brief, give others opportunity and expand the design. This is hard, but it turns to be a good result at last. 

Yinjispace：Would you improve the knowledge of architecture and design through traveling and reading? What kind of books do you prefer?

Robert Davidov：Frankly speaking, I do not read a lot architectural books. But I do travel a lot, as much as I can. I was lucky to come to China in 2019, which is the place I always longing for. I accompanied my clients to Shanghai and Suzhou in business trips. It’s wonderful though I can not make a in-depth trip. We benefit from the travel, and there are some places influence me like Egypt, Mexico, Morocco and Japan. You could imagine the thickness and security in mid-Asian architecture, modern Mexico Aztec civilization architecture or Egypt Karnak. We know how these places feel like, and in general, they influence our inspiration. 

Yinjispace：What kind of clients do you work with?

Robert Davidov：They are really different, which surprises me. I think people meet with various things in their grow-ups, so they have distinctive feelings towards architecture. I feel it is hard to describe those people investing the architecture with the sense of restriction, or their age and occupation, yet they have some specific vision and understanding. They think this could help them live the life they like, so as to create the environment they wish for. 

Yinjispace：What architects influence you? 

Robert Davidov：We have several admired architects: the first one is Louis kahn, which is known to all of you I suppose. We often study his projects, for example, Salk Institute or Kimbell Art Museum. The Japanese architect Tadao Ando also influences us. David Chipperfield of UK and John Pawson affect us. 

Yinjispace：What are the material requirements?

Robert Davidov：We often attempt to use different ways and structures of the same material like natural stone. You know how it feels like and reflects the light. If it is polished or processed, or even more treatments like acid etching, chiseling and designing parting surfaces. We had studied a bathroom that failed at last. We consider to use a rough texture underfoot, which reminds you of the memory walking out of the beach to the footpath without your shoes and feeling the hot gravel ground. There must be a way to control reasonably the various parts of the body and materials, for different body parts bring emotional reactions according to materials. It does not matter where you are. 

The materials you touched in your childhood and youth would effect the emotional connections, some of them are intense and optimistic, while others are strong and pessimistic. It’s important to listen to clients’ view, story and reaction of materials, which come from their inner heart. It’s meaningful to know that. You have many materials to handle, and you need to know how clients feel about it before you use it. 

Yinjispace：How do you treat the proportion of the sense of mass in your design? 

Robert Davidov：It’s try and error to determine the appropriate mass proportion. We do a lot of modeling work in weekends, and we need to consider the orientation, the sun rising direction, entrance direction and how do people use the space. People could be private or open, so you need to check the drawing and do the test. There is no same right answer. 

Yinjispace：Most of your design works and landscape are made of piled blocks, which is a epitome of repetition. Is it a design form or an influence adapted to the local culture?

Robert Davidov：No matter we use stone or cast iron, the townhouses has corresponding grid order. Melbourne’s 150 years of history still exists, and we learn from it for sure. We have indications to follow, without them, we are the loose sand. If we take good advantage of them, we could control the space and give the sequence to it. It is a forceful act that requires constant test and order. While it may sound violent or aggressive, we are building the order and harmony of architecture.