EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST NOW OPEN
This respected fellowship offers early and mid-career Australian architects, landscape architects, and design professionals an eight-week residential experience at the American Academy in Rome. Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary research, advance their practice, and establish international connections within the Academy's vibrant community and the broader cultural landscape of Rome.
The fellowship includes accommodation, meals, a studio space, and access to the Academy's extensive resources, such as the library, archives, and participation in various programs, including lectures, concerts, and site visits. The residency is to be undertaken between September 2025 and July 2026, with specific dates to be negotiated with the successful applicant and the American Academy in Rome.
Applicants are expected to be outstanding practitioners at a pivotal point in their careers, where the fellowship will significantly contribute to their professional growth. Upon returning to Australia, the fellow will share their experience through a public lecture and an illustrated report or relevant exhibits for publication in the Open Research library of the Alastair Swayn Foundation website.
Simon Robinson, Director of the not-for-profit design and research practice OFFICE, was the inaugural recipient of the ASF-RMIT Architecture Affiliated Fellowship (2023-24). During his eight-week residency at the American Academy in Rome, Robinson explored Learning from Corviale, a project documenting the refurbishment of one of Italy’s largest post-war public housing estates, while establishing links with European practitioners. This work supported his Melbourne-based Retain, Repair, Reinvest initiative, which focuses on sustainable public housing renewal by retaining communities, improving comfort, and reducing carbon emissions. Robinson’s fellowship concluded with a sold-out public lecture in August 2024.
Architect, artist, and educator Stephanie Pahnis was awarded the 2024-25 Fellowship, and over her upcoming residency, she will develop her project, Enduring Cultural Matter. This project will explore the relationship between materials, cultural memory, and identity in architecture through adaptive reuse, maintenance practices, and local material applications. Pahnis will present her findings in a public lecture later this year following her fellowship.
Expressions of interest for the 2025-26 ASF-RMIT Affiliated Fellowship close on March 11, 2025. For detailed information on eligibility, selection criteria, and the application process, please visit the RMIT website: Alastair Swayn Foundation – RMIT Architecture Affiliated Fellowship at the American Academy in Rome - RMIT University