Open House Perth – Supporting a Better Built WA

Open House Perth has become a significant inspiration and advocate for good design in WA.

In the lead up to Open House Perth this weekend we chat with the visionary founder and creative Director Carly Barrett about the event and what she hopes to achieve.

Since its original inception in London t o Perth in 2011 OHP has contributed to design conversations and change – yet there is more to do!

In the coming weeks, design-estate TV will launch our first video based on the trends and highlights from OHP so subscribe to find out first!

Thanks, Carly for sharing your journey and taking on this incredibly demanding job.

What are the three most influential experiences in your life that have led to your passion for Perth’s design community?
Moving around a lot as a kid. A university professor Charlie Mann who instilled his passion that good design should be for everyone. Being part of Western Australia’s early-mid 2000’s “brain drain” where many people left including myself because design was appreciated, even within the industry – it led to a longer commitment to trying to make better things, show better things and a huge appreciation for those who dug in to make WA the best it can be.

When did you first realise OHP was needed?
Pretty much the instant I discovered the Open House concept I thought it was right for WA. I managed to convince the founder of Open House Worldwide, Victoria Thornton, to come to Perth to chat about how we can go about doing it, and getting her to meet some people I thought might help.

Why did you believe it would work in Perth?
Because we already have great design, we can lack the awareness. The more awareness hopefully the more people understand and desire good design in their own backyard.

During this time what were the most significant first steps in bringing this to life?
Finding champions who were willing to take a chance on the concept and myself. Finding money to fund it. Finding the time to do it.

Name the single thing you’re most proud of accomplished @ OHP?
That WA is talking about design.

What do you want OHP to be known for?
Helping make good design a part of every West Australian’s life regardless of their background, bank balance, age or gender.

Tell us one of the biggest lessons you have learnt in this process?
Trust my own instincts, but listen to what other people have to say. You might not always want to hear it, you might not always understand it, but often you can learn a lot from it.

What do you want OHP general public to do?
Enjoy the experience. Good design shouldn’t be intimidating; it should be enjoyable, and preferentially shared.

How do you want OHP general public to feel?
Empowered and excited! Empowered to surround themselves with good design and demand it in their communities, their homes, their schools, their cafes etc… If we are going to expend money and consume materials and energy it may as well be for awesome things rather than just anything. Empowered with knowledge for a better and more sustainable built environment. Empowered to take on their own design projects. Excited as to what can happen with good design.

For all of the hours, sweat, and tears that you’ve put into this—it’s all for the sake of what?
I am not exactly sure yet, but I really hope it happens in my lifetime, so I get to see it.

What kind of impact do you hope this creates long-term?
A better-built environment for Western Australia, one that helps make us a greater world-class destination. One that works with our natural environment. One that helps make us more competitive globally, so we are not only known for what comes out of our grounds, but that expresses our diverse history as a state and is better an honouring our original inhabitants while embracing the future.

During its inception what are the significant trends that have evolved in Perth’s residential design landscape?
I would like to say smaller more sustainable and affordable housing but what has emerged is that we are not adapting fast enough to the current economic, cultural, social and environmental issues we all face as people. It seems that the biggest homes which proliferate our suburbs are the most attainable for people. I think the most significant trend that will hit Perth is a demand for good quality space over quantity of space (we have more bedrooms than people). There area few companies who create most of WA’s new homes (houses and apartments) and in my view nowhere near enough diversity in the market. If people demand more options, if the design industry can find ways to engage with people and companies to disrupt the current supply chain system – then not only do we become global housing leaders we can have a better WA for everyone.

In my mind, it’s the people who visit Open House Perth that have the real power to create change, we the designers/event curators only facilitate it.

Carly Barrett is also Director of architecture firm Project 857.

Open House Perth is on November 10 & 11, 2018. This is your chance to experience some of the best designs built recently that are following various innovative trends that will see them future ready so don’t miss out.

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