Interview | Byron George.

St Jude’s Cellars in Melbourne. Extreme love. This project was shortlisted for the best hospitality interior in IDEA08 awards. In collaboration with Cassandra Chilton Landscape Architect and Artist. Photography by Dianna Snape.

Man oh man. Before we begin I’ve gotta tell ya that this interview’s been in the works for a seriously long time. But just like a tender and delicious slow cooked meal that takes forever to prepare, it has been well worth the wait. Truly.

Byron George is not an easy man to track down. I remember trying to find his contact details for ages – but I had no luck locating a website or any other information. Incidentally, this was around the same time that Ryan Russell and I were in contact about his interview (which you can read right here – it’s a good one, promise). As it turned out, Ryan revealed in his interview that he and Byron were partners, and that they were planning on bringing their respective practices under the umbrella of Russell & George. What…? Jackpot! I love a bit of a crazy blogging coincidence as you all know.

I remember how happy I was to hear that Byron and Ryan were joining their creative forces, and how excited I was for them (and I realise that this sounds completely whacky and weird, cause it’s not like I know either of these guys personally). I felt a strong synergy between them, and now that I’ve had the privilege of interviewing Byron, I can say with certainty that there are very strong parallels with their work and their design approach, not to mention their sense of aesthetic.

Anyway, enough gushing. Before I let you read Byron’s candid answers, I have to thank Josh Carmody for organising all the images I’m sharing with you today, and especially for sizing them to the exact size I needed them. Sounds trivial, but it’s such huge help. Josh you are ace! Oh, and crazy coincidence #2 – Josh was the first person I interviewed on the blog (right here), and he has since then joined Russell & George after moving to Melbourne from Canberra a few months ago. What…? I know – crazy shit!

Thank you Byron for allowing me to eventually wear you down, and for being a part of yellowtrace. I have to say that a person who isn’t afraid to admit that they enjoy “non-designed” spaces, Air Crash Investigation and shit music is totally my kind of person. And next time I’m in Melbourne I am definitely having coffee with you, Ryan and Josh. Or you can cook lunch for us. Or dinner. Even.

x dana

Earl Canteen in Melbourne CBD and photo of Byron in top left image. Photography by Dianna Snape.

Hello Byron, welcome to yellowtrace and thank you for taking the time to e-chat. Could you please tell us about your background – what made you decide to become and architect and what path lead you to establishing your own practice?

This may sound a little pretentious, I’ve wanted to be an architect since I was about 6. Before this I wanted to be a doctor, but since the site of a rare steak makes me queasy, this was never going to happen.  Path to practice was relatively straight forward, after uni I worked for a number of firms –  Coy + Yiontis, DCM, HASSELL (Interiors) and Lovell Chen, before a brief dalliance at Fabio Ongarato Design. Each practice gave me something different and had a completely different way of operating. I had a little stint between HASSELL and DCM working for myself and with the industrial designerM artin Reid on a couple of things while working evenings in hospitality. In hindsight, I wasn’t really prepared for the mental shift of working for myself, the few jobs I did ended up earning me about $5 per hour with the amount of time it took and my grossly underestimated fees. Towards the end of my time at HASSELL and FOD, I was working part time and doing a number of jobs on the side, with the main idea of setting up my own thing.

Can you describe what you are seeking to portray in your work? What is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your design process?

The approach to each job is really very different, and dependent on a number of factors. I’m really interested in the experience of a space or building and the manipulation of that, particularly in a way that challenges a person’s expectations or commonly held beliefs. I think too much architecture and interior design around today is more about reinforcing yesterday’s status symbols and less about the people that actually occupy these spaces.

What advice do you have for young architects and designers wanting to start their own business? What was one of your biggest lessons learned in setting up your practice?

Do it, but be prepared to work some long hours and sort out all of the administrative things as soon as you can. There’s nothing worse than running up a bill with the ATO in the first year of your business (I know this because it’s exactly what I did). A good accountant and/or book keeper is a must, as are friends/colleagues who are in a similar situation for a debrief, or to convince you to keep at it when you’re about to throw in the towel.

Igloo Zoo rollout was designed as part of a complete brand experience, initially developed in collaboration withFabio Ongarato Design. This project was the winner of Best Retail Interior at IDEA08. Photography by Dianna Snape.

How do you deal with the pressure of running your own business, meeting project deadlines and personal life? Do you have any tricks you can share with us?

I spent the first year or so not really sleeping, working 7 days and running around in circles. Most nights I would wake at 3am stressing over something I had forgotten or re-working a design in my head. Not to mention clients who don’t pay on time and having to explain to the landlord that the rent will be a couple of days late. My personal life practically went out the window and I found myself streamlining my life and getting rid of personal possessions to try and clear my head. It took a little time, but at some point there was a mental shift, where the responsibility became kind of exhilarating rather than a burden. The biggest thing is to not take things too seriously (they are only bloody buildings after all). Silly friends and a partner with a stupid sense of humour also help.

How do you go about networking and marketing yourself both online and off-line? Do you makes a point of actively seeking out publications you would like to be featured in etc?

To be honest, most of my networking opportunities have happened as a result of working for years in hospitality talking to people at events and friends rather than actively marketing. Magazine wise, the Interior Design Awards and IDEA Awards programs are great for getting your work out there and for meeting people in the industry. Selena O’Hare from Whispr (the PR company involved with the Interior Design and Boral Awards) and Clemence Harvey from Harvey Publicity have also been great at putting us in front of potential opportunities when they have arisen. The other thing that’s really important is to get good professional photography of your projects. Dianna Snape does our photography and has this knack for making the projects look better than they are.

Where do you turn for creative inspiration – books, travel, websites/ blogs etc?

Creative inspiration comes from all sorts of things. It really varies and depends on the job. Sometimes it comes from the client (particularly if the client is a little kooky), sometimes from things I’ve seen, and sometimes from a sense of my own ridiculousness. My design tends to become constipated when I look at other buildings or spaces, unless they are undesigned if that makes sense. I try not to take it too seriously, but my best ideas usually come when I’m quite sad for some reason.

More St Jude’s Cellars goodness, because we can. I love the simplicity of black & white tiled grid bar detailing, which is also echoed in stools and wine racks. Photography by Dianna Snape.

What other architects, designers, artists, business people/ entrepreneurs, or peers do you admire?

Probably my favourite architects are Peter Zumthor and Alvar Aalto. Both embraced the technology of building, had a strong sense of context, were fiercely independent and created spaces that are completely timeless and universal. In terms of peers, I’ll always be greatful to Robert Backhouse and Ingrid Bakker from HASSELL. Both are very smart operators and have really done great things in HASSELL, but don’t take things too seriously. Most of all though I think Ryan Russell, my partner and now business partner, is one of the people I respect the most in terms of design.

What are you most proud of professionally – your favourite project, a turning point in your career, recognition?

I don’t think I’ve really hit it yet. I’m working on a couple of houses in North Fitzroy for two very different clients that could potentially get it. One is for an artist and the other is for a very open minded couple that say yes to every idea I put in front of them. Both jobs look very different, but neither is built yet and that’s always the test of good architecture (it’s very easy to make a computer render look great).  I’ve also got a couple of hospitality jobs on that could be quite interesting.

Is there something (professional) you would like to try that you haven’t done yet?

I’d love to design an airport, or a large scale institutional building of some sort. I love the idea of making something work seamlessly from an operational point of view, at the same time as having an emotional impact on the users (or in the case of an airport, dealing with people who are at a heightened sense of emotion).

Exterior render of Murrumbeena Road apartments, one of Rusell & George’s 50 jobs currently on the go. Ummm… That’s a lot of projects!

What are you working on at the moment?

Ryan and I have about 50 jobs on between us at the moment. I’m doing several restaurants (Huxtable, soon to open in Smith Street Fitzroy, Attica in Ripponlea and Fenix in Richmond), a couple of houses, a 120 room hotel in the Melbourne CBD. We’re also doing some work with the National Trust on a couple of their properties and a couple of new Igloo Zoo stores in Melbourne. Ryan tends to focus on the retail side of things, I do the hospitality, and we both do our own residential. We’ve also just picked up an apartment building in the inner north of Melbourne.

What’s next – can you share with us your vision and some of your goals?

I think it’s more about getting the word sustainability out of our vocabulary. Everything we do should be inherently sustainable.

There are a couple of challenges that will become more apparent in the next 50 years. One of these is the fact that 99% of our existing building stock is hideously inefficient and requiring vast amounts of energy to create a reasonable level of amenity for those inside. This has the potential to become a huge burden on generations to come. What’s worse is that most of our large practices are still building in 1960s technology, where there is a complete disconnect between the interior and exterior of a building. If you look at large scale work, the interior designers rarely show windows or engage with the outside, and the architects design the interior volumes based on a carpark grid. This needs to change.

Russell & George studio in Windsor. Hey, is that Josh I spy in the photo?

Let’s Get Personal:

What is your idea of a perfect day?

A crazy storm, the washing on and a pot of stock on the stove.

Apart from your work, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

I love cooking.

What are some of your favorite shops and galleries?

I love Marais and Assin in Melbourne. I don’t really shop much (don’t get the time). I also love Eckersley’s and Officeworks – bit of a nerd with stationary.

Your favourite cafes/ restaurants/ bars?

I really love the City Wine Shop in Spring St Melbourne. Always reliable and the staff are knowledgeable and friendly. I also love Lawson Grove Cafe in South Yarra during the week (on the weekends it’s not so great), and Dino’s and Orange in Windsor. None of these spaces are particularly “Designed” but you tend to get over that when you do it all day.

Lord of the Fries (I still think that is such a funny name) done in collaboration with Ryan Russell (before the days of Russell & George). Wall artwork by Brendan Elliot. Photography by Dianna Snape.

What is your most treasured belonging?

A couple of paintings my mother painted. She really manages to capture people.

Do you have a nickname?

A lot of my friends call me Bozzy. It came from hospitality days at a restaurant called Pomme in South Yarra (about 13 years ago), and kind of stuck.

It’s not very cool, but I really like…

Really shit music, Air Crash Investigations and radio documentaries.

Your favourite joke?

We won’t go there.

I have a little confession – I’m a bit of a fan of Igloo Zoo (interior and yoghurt). Top image by Dianna Snape. Bottom two images… wait for it… my iPhone! I’m a sucker for their super-shilled original flavour yoghurt, with halva and pomegranate toppings as a minimum. Yummo! Oh, and it tastes better when shared with a loved one (note the two spoons as per Exhibit A).