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Perth-based Elemental architect Jeremy Leithead will lead a research project in the USA later this year.

The six month secondment will see Jeremy based in Phoenix, Arizona, liaising with architects and researchers from Arizona State University. The focus will largely be the ambitious Medlogia Phytohealth Research Institute project (MPRI), whose core principles centre around environmentally-responsive design.

“I’m looking forward to being exposed to some different trains of thought,” says the University of Western Australia-trained architect. “I’ll be working with people who are known for their innovation in creating buildings that harness the elements and respond to climactic conditions.”

Jeremy’s research will be closely aligned with the nearby Taliesin West school of architecture in Phoenix. The well regarded campus teaches the principles of visionary architect Frank Lloyd Wright, widely considered the founding father of sustainable architecture.

“Those ideas are really useful in terms of MPRI, but they also translate to what we do back here in Australia,” says Jeremy. Part of Elemental Projects’ remit is investigating the symbiosis between climactically similar environments, such as the arid desert of Arizona and Western Australia’s Central Kimberley region.  

Prior to his stint in the US, Jeremy attended a 10 day intensive architectural workshop in Portugal, drawing inspiration and ideas from many different sources.

“It’s great to get exposure to things happening outside of Australia,” he says. “Talking with other architects, and seeing buildings, art, design and culture from other places gives us lots to draw on – both for our projects in Australia and around the world.”

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