ArtsDesign

Anthony Burke's By Design

ABC Australia

Hosted by Anthony Burke, Professor of Architecture at UTS and one of Australia's leading voices on how we might build better futures, Anthony Burke's By Design podcast explores the clever ideas and human stories behind the spaces, systems, and objects shaping our everyday lives.

Anthony is well-known as the host of Grand Designs Australia, Grand Transformations, Restoration Australia, and Culture by Design (streaming on ABC iview). His expertise and passion for design make this podcast an essential listen for anyone curious about how design impacts the way we live.

From prefab housing and smart homes to designing cruise ships or animal habitats and the future of the open-plan home, each episode dives deep into a theme through engaging interviews and real-life case studies from across Australia.

Every show ends with The Extraordinary Everyday, a short segment uncovering the cultural and social history of familiar objects: think plunge pools, corduroy, and even the humble welcome mat. With an informal, accessible tone, By Design makes design visible, relatable, and relevant for everyone.

Whether you're curious about architecture, interior design, urban design, product design, furniture or fashion design, sustainability, or the hidden stories behind everyday objects, this podcast reveals why design matters, especially in a rapidly changing world.

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26 episodes
Avg 22 min
English

Episodes 26

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Yesterday · 25 min
How Scandinavians build differently and why it works
In Scandinavia, nature is the ultimate design guide. Clean lines, light-filled spaces and a seamless connection to the outdoors are hallmarks of the region's architecture. Award-winning Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen from Snøhetta talks about what feeds into the unique approach to design in Scandinavia and the ultimate inspiration: nature.
Wednesday · 21 min
Aging in place — how smart design keeps you home longer
Where would you prefer to age: in an institution or your own home? The recent Four Corners episode The Waiting Game investigated how the current aged care system is failing thousands of Australians who want to stay in their own home as they age. It’s a dire situation with many vulnerable older people being left in precarious scenarios. But what if good design could make ageing in place easier, safer and more comfortable? Guest: Professor Phillippa Carnemolla, School of Architecture and Built En
Wednesday · 13 min
The hypodermic needle: A prick of genius
Hypodermic needles. They may provoke anxiety, but behind their infamous sting lies a remarkable design story. Born from centuries of experimentation, the hypodermic needle transformed medicine by delivering drugs safely, accurately and effectively beneath the skin. From glass syringes to disposable plastics and needle-free alternatives, this is the evolution of a device that reshaped modern healthcare.
August 24 · 26 min
Should native animals have property rights too?
Urban growth is threatening endangered species that live around cities at the same time that many of them are finding sanctuary in the rooves of our houses or under our floorboards. So is it time for us to start designing homes that have specific species in mind?
August 19 · 15 min
Sheet happens: The design evolution of toilet paper
It’s hard to imagine modern life without it, but toilet paper as we know it has only been around in the West since the mid-19th century. While paper was being used for personal hygiene in China centuries earlier, the humble loo roll has undergone a surprisingly fascinating design evolution.
August 17 · 24 min
The bee's knees: rethinking how we design our gardens
Bees are in trouble, but the fix isn't the one most of us reach for. Most of Australia's 1,700-odd native bee species are solitary, and many nest in bare ground rather than a colony. So what does help? It might be the messy corner of the backyard, the bare patch of dirt, the herbs you let run to flower.
August 12 · 15 min
Concrete: The world's most useful ugly material
Few materials are as loathed, or as unavoidable. Concrete built the Pantheon and the Opera House, then spent the back half of the twentieth century being blamed for everything ugly in the city — a reputation brutalism earned it, fairly or not. But raw concrete has also produced buildings people travel across the world to stand inside. So why is this environmentally disastrous material still so much a part of our building toolkit, and how has it evolved along the way?
August 10 · 24 min
You’ve got to be kitten me: The rise of the Catio
For many Australians, pets aren't just animals, they're family. And increasingly, our homes are being designed with them in mind. From luxury dog lounges to elaborate catios, we explore how pet-friendly design is changing our living spaces, and how new cat containment laws are inspiring owners to rethink what a happy home for Mr Whiskers really looks like.
August 5 · 14 min
How high vis became biz as usual
It’s hard to imagine a worksite without them, but high viz vests are a relatively modern invention. From its earliest incarnation on the railways of Glasgow to the early 2000s when every politician appeared to be fronting a camera in one - the high viz vest has come to mean so much more than safety.
August 3 · 25 min
Meet your new interior designer: the algorithm
Are algorithms controlling your interior purchases and also driving your home renno? We know that influencers and content creators have their own “brand”, but they’re also incentivized to support different products. So, when inspiration is collated from influencers online how much is about individual taste, and how much comes down to the back-end marketing streams that flow from one platform to the next?
July 29 · 10 min
The invisible infrastructure that keeps us alive
It’s a vital resource that keeps us alive, but how often have you thought about how we manage to have water readily available to us? From the first wooden pipes laid by early settlers to the invention of the tap - we trace the design evolution of our water systems.
July 27 · 30 min
What if data centres weren't so ugly?
They're big, ugly and noisy, and no one wants to live near them. But what if we've got the design of data centres all wrong? What if we started from the premise that data centres need to live within our environmental and social boundaries? Instead of accepting what is, what if we imagine what could be?
July 22 · 12 min
How plastic bags redesigned us
Humans were trained to think of plastic bags as disposable. Before they were invented, we were more accustomed to using sustainable means to carry our groceries - like in boxes or material bags. The invention of plastic transformed everyday life forever - in both good ways and bad.
July 20 · 27 min
Cars that change colour: the next design revolution
Why settle on one colour when your car could wear hundreds? New automotive technologies are making colour-changing vehicles a real possibility, challenging long-held assumptions about personalisation, resale value and the role colour plays in car design.
July 15 · 13 min
Extraordinary Everyday: How the Aussie lawnmower shaped our identity
What can a lawnmower reveal about the Australia that emerged after World War II? More than a machine for trimming grass, the Victor lawnmower became a powerful symbol of suburban aspiration, backyard pride, masculinity and Australian ingenuity. But where did it start? And how did it evolve?
July 8 · 12 min
Extraordinary Everyday: What's Really in Your Cup? The 5,000-Year Journey of Tea
Australians love a good cuppa, but do you know the twists and turns this little leaf has taken over the years? From being brewed in medicinal bowls to being “jiggled” in a tea bag - the distilling of tea has its own fascinating history.
July 6 · 41 min
The Home Front, Lessons from afar
In episode five of our special series The Home Front, around the globe, architects and designers are reimagining housing with bold, inventive solutions - from sprawling multi use compounds in Indonesia to compact cooperative models in Europe. These global experiments offer fresh perspectives on affordability, sustainability and community. But could they work in Australia? In this episode, we explore what local housing can learn from international innovations - and how these ideas might be adap
July 1 · 11 min
Extraordinary Everyday: Do locks really keep you safe?
Locks have existed as long as we’ve had something to keep safe. From ancient Sumeria to the lock on your front door - the design evolution of locks is a series of twists and turns. So how well do locks today stand up against their predecessors? And what is the future of safety in a world of AI?
June 29 · 41 min
The Home Front, Money money money
In episode four of our special series The Home Front, we all know that house prices have gone through the roof - but what’s driving them, and what can actually be done? In this episode we dig into the money behind the housing crisis; from tax policy and global market shifts to government targets and the growing role of intergenerational wealth. We explore how renters and homeowners alike are feeling the squeeze, and ask what kind of radical policy - and cultural - change it will take to make h
June 24 · 13 min
Extraordinary Everyday: How the toy industry rebranded dolls for boys - and struck gold
They weren’t dolls—they were a revolution. Once, dolls were seen as toys for girls—until clever companies reimagined them as “action figures” and made them irresistible to boys. With that simple rebrand came explosive success: from G.I. Joe, the original “action figure,” to the galaxy-spanning rise of Star Wars, the muscle-bound power of He‑Man, and the shape-shifting dominance of The Transformers. Fueled by sharp marketing, rich storytelling, and a single strategic name change, these toys didn’

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