Design Workers Unite
An exhibition examining the current landscape of collective action and worker organising within design disciplines, locally and internationally.
Coming soon.
The full digital archive, with each contributing collective's work, the panel-talk recording, and the curatorial framing, is in preparation. Until it lands, the announcement copy and programme below are the public record. If you need the archive for teaching, research, or organising work and would like an early version, write to the committee at contact@uaw.org.au.
Launch night
As we approach the end of another year, are you feeling exhausted from your architecture or design work? Are you tired of deadlines, unpaid overtime, and job insecurity? Do you wish things would change, but don't see how?
Join us this Friday as we launch Design Workers Unite, an exhibition of local and international groups advocating for a more ethical and sustainable profession. Hosted by @architects.union.aus × @tradeunionists_la × @threefivefivethree. It will be a great opportunity to see how things could be different, have a drink on the union, meet some like-minded individuals, and have a chance to tell your story.
All are welcome, looking forward to seeing you there.
Programme
- Friday 5 December, 6 to 9pm. Opening night.
- Saturday 6 December, 2 to 4pm. Film screening and panel talk. Waterloo (1981), directed by Tom Zubrycki.
About the exhibition
This exhibition marks the launch of the newly rebranded union, the Union of Architectural Workers (UAW). This moment reflects a renewed commitment to building power within the profession and strengthening our union, through which we can organise as workers to transform our workplaces and industries.
The exhibition examines the current landscape of collective action and worker organising within design disciplines, both locally and internationally. It highlights the growing global wave of labour organising that has swept through architectural fields in recent years, celebrating the many achievements of workers who are reshaping the conditions of their profession. The exhibition engages critically with questions of justice and empowerment, not only for those labouring within design professions, but also for the communities we work alongside and whose lives are shaped by our practices.
The programme includes a screening of Waterloo (1981), directed by Tom Zubrycki. This landmark film raises timely questions for today's design workers about demolition and redevelopment, their impacts on communities, and the possibilities for collective resistance and solidarity among workers and residents.
Featured collectives
- Union of Architectural Workers (UAW) Australia
- Trade Unionists of Landscape Architecture (TULA) Australia
- Professional Union for Georgian Architects and Urbanists (PUGAU) Tbilisi, Georgia
- KAIAIA Finland
- Aroha o Aotearoa Auckland, New Zealand
- pre:fab platform Aotearoa / New Zealand
- The Architecture Lobby (TAL), GND Working Group International / USA
- Terezie Lokšová, Eliška Pomyjová, Alžběta Brůhová, Jakub Kopecký, Adéla Pečlová Czech Republic
- Eliška Pomyjová, David Neuhäusl, Jan Netušil Czech Republic
- AWI / Architects Work to Rule USA
- Unione Lavoratrici e Lavoratori in Architettura (ULLARC) Italy
- Uncomfortable Questions in Architecture Ankara, Turkey
- FWD Brooklyn & Oakland, USA
- (non-)Swiss Architects Zurich, Switzerland
- pre:fab platform (Groupwork) Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland, New Zealand
- SAW (Section of Architectural Workers) London
- Architectural Workers United New York
Credits
Curated by Bonnie Gordan, Angelica Roache-Wilson, and Carey Landwehr, in collaboration with OFFICE.
About 3553. 3553 is a public event space dedicated to the exploration of ideas that affect the built environment. Operated by OFFICE, a design and research practice committed to advancing critical dialogue, 3553 fosters collaboration across disciplines, communities, and borders. The space offers a platform for local, national, and international practitioners, students, researchers, and academics to showcase innovative work, share insights, and engage in meaningful conversations.