Sydney talk—Piers Taylor, Learning from the Local

Join author Piers Taylor in Sydney for a launch of his new book Learning from the Local: Designing Responsively for People, Climate and Culture.

Learning from the Local situates itself within the pressing architectural discourse surrounding the tensions between globalisation and local identity. The book problematises the contemporary architectural condition highlighting the growing difficulty of designing buildings that meaningfully engage with their specific geographic and cultural contexts.

The book positions itself as a counterpoint to reductive architectural manifestos, advocating instead for an open-ended, exploratory approach that recognises architecture’s capacity to tell diverse stories, including those rooted in the particularities of place. Learning from the Local interrogates the challenges of material provenance and economic feasibility in locally expressive design. It underscores the carbon cost of imported materials and the opportunity, through inventive design, to leverage local resources—even waste materials.

When: 6 pm Friday 19 September 2025

Where: Bookshop by Uro, Blackfriars St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia

Ticket: $5-Ticket price redeemable as a discount from book purchase