LiveSpace Studio for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Design is a vibrant, collaborative design studio based within the Design Department, Queensland College of Art Griffith University, located in Brisbane’s South Bank precinct.

LiveSpace projects provide opportunities for students to work on real projects within the broader community, where they are challenged beyond the limitations of a typical studio environment. Working on projects outside the ‘safety’ of a classroom environment, students are able to gain insight into the complexity of the whole of design process and the crucial interaction of designers, clients, consultants, trades, community and stakeholders in a continuous feedback loop. Students are encouraged to design appropriate research methods, community consultation processes, and practices of discipline to reach successful outcomes for all involved. Applying theory introduced in lecture and studio contexts to tangible community projects allows students the opportunity to see not only the physical application of their design concepts, but the ongoing benefits that carefully considered design interventions can have within the communities involved.

Project teams are cross disciplinary in nature, with students from Interior Environments, Product Design and Visual Communication working collaboratively. This allows students to develop skills beyond a traditional preconceived industry skill set, by working closely with and learning from other students, lecturers, consultants, trade and industry representatives, and community members from a broad range of backgrounds and disciplines. All LiveSpace projects have a strong focus upon materials reuse, repurposing, retrofitting and design for disassembly and modification, providing students with an advanced level of knowledge in sustainable design futures that will equip them with essential skills in a rapidly changing world. These projects, framed within the context of socially and environmentally responsible design, encourage students to develop an ethical framework, recognizing the importance and responsibility of their role as future design practitioners.