Live Load Information

LIVE LOAD is an Australian design practice established in 2000 by partners Quinton Duffy (1971 2005) and Julia Lehmann. Live load is an engineering term for the mutable occupants of a structure - such as people, plants, furniture. Designing for people and their many patterns of occupation is the enduring focus of LIVE LOAD's work. Projects, built and unbuilt, range from cafe, bar and office designs, houses, house renovations (including a 3 storey vine-veiled cube added to a heritage-listed building), a 1525 dwelling complex in Shanghai and a civic library in Nanjing (Chinese projects with BAU International ). Underlying this work is a fascination with the aesthetic and conceptual lessons of 20th century art and architecture. As LIVE LOAD evolved, environmentally sustainable design concerns specifying non-toxic materials (for the better health of inhabitants and builders), and low energy use have become increasingly important. Many interests crystallised in the Orient, a winning entry for the 2004 VicUrban Affordable Home Design Competition. This house, which can be re-oriented for different block aspects to catch northern sun, marries an economical box with the social formula of a Chinese courtyard house to resolve classic suburban conflicts between public and private spaces. Re-emerging now is an intense need for good affordable design (particularly housing design). Recent LIVE LOAD work explores the expressive potential of conventional building technology to enable complex experiences and interactions. Projects reflecting this include accessible, affordable and sustainable houses based on the VicUrban Affordable Home Design Competition entry built in Gippsland by Try Youth (see photos here and Age article); a suburban infill courtyard project house for a client enormously concerned with indoor air quality; and a house with a 36 sqm footprint on a 72sqm block (a suburban infill solution that doesn't devour open space).