Mark Ian Jones

Mark Ian Jones is a Sydney based architect. He thinks the pandemic fundamentally changes how architects design. The journal presents his thorough research and reflection about “design lessons” learned from the pandemic. Mark walks us through one home-renovation project he worked on during the lockdown with collages and work diaries.

“My point here is that whilst work and home life have become intertwined, and in many cases quite happily, it has rarely been by DESIGN.”

We asked Mark three questions about his experience of isolation, completing this journal and his hope for the future. These are his responses:

Describe the experience of the period of isolation for you.

Frustrating and inspiring. I’m a social person and design is a social act. I mourned the lack of social interaction and turned towards my practice.

What does your book represent and how did you approach the challenge?

It represents a non-linear document of my process, discoveries, observations and challenges. It records beauty, reflections on my practice as an architect, my musings, readings … it is personal and revealing.

What do you hope will change in Australia as a result of the pandemic?

I believe we will no longer take our liberties for granted. I hope we will emerge with more care and consideration for the environment and each other. I know we will all have better insights into the design of our dwellings, the way we live and interact with others.

Mark Ian Jones is Deputy Head of School (Design) is at UNSW Art & Design. As a design historian, he is author of the book ‘Vicke Lindstrand On the Periphery’ published by Uppsala University Press in November 2016. His research examines histories at the intersection of design and craft and the production of national design narratives and their international translation, specifically in the Australian and Nordic contexts. He is also an architect and principal of Jones Architecture established in 1995 that specialises in small to medium scale projects, including private houses, public buildings, multi-residential, retail, and interiors.

artdesign.unsw.edu.au/about-us/our-staff/dr-mark-ian-jones

View Mark Ian Jones' journal here:

Image: Mark Ian Jones, Design/Isolate Journal (detail), 2020.