When we think of how architecture is practised, we tend to think of sketches and diagrams, plans and physical models. However, these represent only a small portion of the full story. Architectural production today encompasses myriad documents that defy the traditional conventions of the profession.

Better Together examines 33 artefacts involved in the design and construction of contemporary architecture. The book’s definition of architectural documents is expansive, encompassing not just working drawings, but correspondence, contracts, mock-ups and 1:1 models, journalism, photography, and other formats that address the unique processes of contemporary architectural production.

Using a short story format, the book contextualises documents from practitioners including Andrew Power, Edition Office, panovscott, Parlour, Richard Stampton, Sibling Architecture, Studio Bright, Trias, Vokes and Peters, and others, to unravel the artefacts’ inner lives.

Contributions by Giovanna Borasi, Stéphanie Bru (Bruther), Sarah Hearne, Adam Jasper and Emma Letizia Jones, Erika Nakagawa, and Jesús Vassallo explore the potent conventions of gallery display, the value of big models and mock-ups, the multilayered relationships between photography and architecture, and the theatrics of the architect’s studio.

Originally developed for an exhibition at Monash University’s MADA Gallery, this book serves as a cross-section of work from some of the most compelling Australian architects practising today. It also represents a new framework for how we structure, record, and understand contemporary architecture.