Habitus Magazine | Issue 29

‘Achieving more’ can refer to a straight exchange of skills, information or clients – a mutual back scratching of sorts. But another aspect of ‘achieving more’ arises from tension. It’s not all holding hands and singing Kumbaya – it’s the differing opinions, rigorous discussion and mutual respect towards each other that can produce the most fruitful and authentic end results. This kind of partnership – which is real collaboration – takes place only when the shared values or mission is greater than the need to stroke each other’s egos.

On a daily basis, we are fortunate enough to collaborate with architects, designers, artists, contributors, clients, suppliers, and internally within our team (where we enjoy plenty of ‘rigorous discussion’, let me assure you). But over the last few months we’ve also been working with some wonderful content partners such as Sydney Living Museums, Sydney Contemporary art fair and The Australian Ballet, which provides us with new opportunities, challenges and growth. You’ll be seeing these partnerships take place across the pages of our magazine, online, on social media and at events we’ll be hosting together.

Collaboration is a key feature of Habitus stories as well. We tend to foreground designers and architects, but in reality they are spokespeople for a collective of diverse individuals – including but not limited to clients, craftspeople, tradespeople and council members – who come together, quite intimately, for a particular purpose. The Carlton Warehouse story on page #159, for example, tells the story of a woman whose collaboration with architects Kennedy Nolan sets the tone for an inventive living environment that not only surpassed the brief, but also prompts us to re-imagine the definitions of what a home could and should be. To my mind, this is the best kind of collaboration – one that asks us to explore, interrogate and perhaps redefine our own views and values.

Nicky Lobo | Editor