An Authentic Endeavour – Placement Studio

Founded on collaboration and with a passion for robust and timeless spaces, this thriving Melbourne architecture studio creates meaningful designs informed by the histories of places and people.

A genuine and empathetic approach grounds every aspect of what Placement Studio does. A young practice headed by a keen and energetic team, its combined focus on craft and collaboration results in unpretentious, holistic and deeply meaningful spaces that are informed by the creative passions of those who design them and the personal histories of those who experience them. “We all have different passions, which is the power of our collaboration. We’re like a really stable three-legged stool,” says Stephanie Kitingan, who co-founded Placement Studio alongside Jacqueline O’Brien and James Flaherty in 2019.

Today they are also supported by graduate Ashlee Pukk, and remain an intimate, client-focused studio. “We all worked together previously and found we operated well together,” says Stephanie. The team work across residential, retail, civic and educational projects with a focus on creating spaces that benefit the community and the environment.

What shines through Placement Studio’s approach is an authentic nature. “We have a very empathetic office, with space for each other not just to be architects but also people. This human element passes through to our clients,” says Jacqueline. “It feels so easy to come into work – it’s such a calm and supportive place – and that, at its core, is where everything begins,” adds James.

A genuine and empathetic approach grounds every aspect of what Placement Studio does.

Also central to the studio’s rapid success is its ever-dynamic output, which the team put down to having “three heads” weigh in on every idea. “It sounds chaotic, but in reality it doesn’t operate like that. You can always rely on another person to fill any voids if there is a gap in knowledge,” says Jacqueline.

Their combined practice is grounded in similarities. “We all share an admiration for robust architecture and timelessness and the basic tectonics of simple design,” says Jacqueline. The differences, however, are apparent when it comes to their individual passions.

The team work across residential, retail, civic and educational projects with a focus on creating spaces that benefit the community and the environment.

Stephanie, for example, loves drawing by hand and refining details during the design process. For Jacqueline, the planning stage and floor plans are equally as exciting as the materiality and decoration aspect: “I love the messiness of people’s lives.” With the practice recently becoming Passive House Certified, Jacqueline is enthusiastic about sustainability, reading sites and ecosystems. For James, it’s about big-picture thinking and considering the “vibe” of each project. “I do love a concept stage – I will often take things way too far, but it always still informs the rest of the design,” he says. “Having an alignment, then having different perspectives that can be challenged within that alignment is so valuable,” adds Jacqueline.

The collaborative spirit of the studio is therefore the main tenet of its practice. “We refi ne our craft through collaboration,” says Jacqueline. Placement Studio prides itself on working intimately with clients, consultants, tradespeople, engineers, local craftspeople and each other. “Getting everyone invested is the key – once you’re invested, you’re really in it,” says Stephanie.

This approach is undoubtedly expressed in the studio’s varied projects, which are defined by a timeless, robust and layered quality. Each project imbues time and place within its walls, creating quiet and contemplative spaces that diff er based on context, free of trends.

The collaborative spirit of the studio is therefore the main tenet of its practice.

To achieve this outcome, Placement Studio takes an empathetic yet methodological approach. In this way, the studio deviates from standard processes by deeply engaging with clients and tapping into the tangible nature and atmosphere of each project. “First, we analyse site and context, gather a comprehensive brief and then we go into the architectural tectonics,” explains Jacqueline. “Our process is based on layering – layering of conversations and teasing out what clients really want.”

Referring to a design where the client provided a written brief including a song, a poem and old family photos, James notes, “we often talk about the vibe of the place and how what we create is ultimately for our clients and not us. This fed into deciphering the atmosphere of what we were trying to create and really make that tangible.”

The studio deviates from standard processes by deeply engaging with clients and tapping into the tangible nature and atmosphere of each project.

“Something we are trying to do more of is living in the space of projects we have worked on,” says Stephanie. “I stayed at Brunswick House twice, which generated rapport with the client and taught us how the space works in practice. It goes to show if you design a space well, it can heat, cool and ventilate itself.” Sustainable principles are treated as building blocks for projects. “We plan structurally for sustainability, considering things like where the light comes from and window placement,” says Stephanie. “What can we get naturally for free? That is good design,” adds Jacqueline.

Given their growth and ever-curious philosophy, Placement Studio hopes to expand, exploring new horizons in the civic space and continuing to learn. For now, the trio continue to create resonant spaces that are innovative yet highly personal – affirming that the studio is now an established practice defined by craft, collaboration and dexterity.

“We plan structurally for sustainability, considering things like where the light comes from and window placement,” says Stephanie.