ABOUT US
We are a collaborative practice that operates through two interconnected arms:
Studio (an architecture and landscape design practice) and Research (a non-profit organization).
STUDIO
We are a design practice focused on architecture and landscape architecture, with a strong emphasis on climate-responsive design.
Clara Reutter and Claudio Torres founded Ephemeral Studio in Chile in 2016, delivering residential projects remotely in collaboration with private clients. In 2017, they relocated to Australia, contributing to the work of studios such as Sean Godsell Architects, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, Taylor Cullity Lethlean (TCL—Landscape Architects), Denton Corker Marshall, and emerging practices including Not All Architecture and Folk Architects. These experiences deepened our understanding of how to design homes that respond to climate, site conditions, and the unique needs of each client. In 2025, after eight years of industry experience and ongoing residential work in Chile, we are officially launching our services in Victoria, Australia.
RESEARCH
We launched this initiative in 2017 alongside Yuji Harada and Emile Straub as a platform for exploring lightweight, demountable, and reconfigurable structures through interdisciplinary workshops involving students of architecture, art, and engineering. Since then, we have operated across Melbourne, Tokyo, and Santiago.
The collective focuses on circular design, temporary systems, and structural innovation, working in close collaboration with the Jun Sato Laboratory at the University of Tokyo—internationally recognized for its pioneering work in lightweight structural design. Our activities span both local and international contexts, including site-specific interventions such as Stage in Panquehue, Chile—a temporary activation of an abandoned site through cultural programming—and Small-Scale Interventions in Tadanoumi, Japan
OUR SERVICES
Architecture
We design buildings that are context-responsive, environmentally conscious, and built to last. Our architectural services span from early concept through to construction, with a focus on low-carbon materials, adaptive reuse, and passive design. Core Services: - Custom Residential Architecture - Housing Retrofits and Extensions - Climate-Responsive Design, energy efficiency, and passive performance - Feasibility Studies and Site Analysis - Concept Design to Construction Documentation - Planning and Building Permit Submissions - Low-Carbon Material Specification - Post-Occupancy Review and Environmental Performance Evaluation
Landscape Architecture
Our approach to landscape design is ecological, integrated, and site-specific. We see outdoor spaces as essential to environmental performance, liveability, and long-term resilience, as well as an extension of interior spaces. Core Services: - Landscape Design for Residential and Small-Scale Developments - Site Planning and Masterplanning - Water-Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) - Planting Design, Climate-Adaptive Strategies, and Habitat-Sensitive Design - Outdoor Living and Garden Spaces, focused on outstanding performance (shade, water, wind) - Landscape Documentation and Construction Support
Research
Ephemeral Research is the not-for-profit arm of our practice, dedicated to experimental design, education, and public engagement. Founded in 2017 and formalized in 2025, it enables us to explore the role of architecture in climate action through interdisciplinary collaboration, publishing, and site-based work. We partner with universities, institutions, and communities to deliver programs that connect research with real-world impact—from international workshops and exhibitions to fellowships, prototyping, and public events. Our activities include: - Public Exhibitions and Installations - Architectural Research Fellowships and Grants - Cross-Disciplinary Workshops (with students of architecture, art & engineering) - Site-Based Prototyping and Reuse Strategies - Climate-Focused Spatial Research - Publishing and Editorial Projects - International Design Competitions and Cultural Programming We’ve worked across Australia, Japan, and South America—including long-term collaborations with the Jun Sato Laboratory (University of Tokyo), cultural initiatives in Chile, and academic programs in Melbourne and Santiago. Recent highlights include winning the Young Architects Program in Santiago and being shortlisted for the Japanese Pavilion at the 2025 Venice Biennale. By bridging academia, practice, and community, Ephemeral Research creates opportunities to rethink design's role in addressing environmental and social change. *Delivered through our non-profit: Ephemeral Research Ltd
Design That Pays Off
Renovating with an architect isn’t just about beauty—it’s about value. Research from the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne found that homes renovated by architects grow in value 1.2% faster per year than those without. On a median-priced $1.2M home, that’s an extra $256,000 over ten years. Great design not only transforms how you live—it’s a proven investment in your future.
Source: Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne
PEOPLE
Claudio Torres
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Ephemeral
Claudio Torres is a registered architect based in regional Victoria, with over a decade of experience working across Chile and Australia. His work bridges architecture and research, with a strong focus on housing retrofits, integrated design processes, and circular, low-carbon strategies.
Claudio has a strong design background, that has been nourished from contributing to projects of all scales and complexities with leading architects such as Smiljan Radic, Sean Godsell, Jackson Clements Burrows, and Denton Corker Marshall. Most recently, he has led residential projects at smaller residential studios, where he applied his design expertise to deliver thoughtful, low-impact housing solutions.
In addition to practice, Claudio brings a rich academic perspective. He has taught at the Melbourne School of Design for over four years, and previously at universities in Chile and Argentina. He holds a Master of Environments from MSD, is a certified Passive House designer, and is currently completing a PhD focused on sustainable, transformative approaches to architecture in the context of climate change.
Clara Reutter
Co-Founder & Co-Director, Ephemeral
Clara is an architect (registered in Chile) and landscape architect whose work bridges architectural and ecological thinking. Her work focuses on passive design strategies, sustainable housing, and low-carbon materials, with a strong emphasis on integrating site, form, and environmental performance through a holistic lens. Her design sensibility is driven by the desire to integrate all parts of a project — interiors, buildings, and gardens — into a cohesive whole.
With over eight years of experience in landscape architecture in Australia — including residential, multi-residential, and public projects — and a parallel background in residential architecture in Chile, Clara works at the intersection of landscape and the built environment. She leads Ephemeral Landscape’s projects, bringing ecological thinking and spatial sensitivity to every stage of design.
She brings a calm, thoughtful approach to every project, balancing aesthetics and practicality across all stages—from concept to delivery. Clara also shares her knowledge through teaching, having led master-level design studios at RMIT and the University of Melbourne.
Yuji Harada
Co-Director, Ephemeral Research
Yuji is a Japanese architect and educator based in Tokyo, currently pursuing his PhD at Tokyo University of the Arts. With prior teaching at the University of Yokohama, he brings deep knowledge of Japanese architecture and culture. As co-leader of Ephemeral Research, he coordinates collaborations with structural engineers to explore temporary and adaptive systems.
Past Contributions
Emile Straub
Designer and former collaborator with Ephemeral Research, Emile Straub was a key contributor to the development and delivery of the Nomadic Dome Project in Chile. He co-led the design process, coordinated fabrication, and oversaw the on-site installation of the dome. Emile also played a central role in the realization of the Intervalo exhibition at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. In addition, he contributed remotely to the workshop supporting the relocation of the pavilion in Japan, bringing technical expertise and design continuity to the project’s international evolution.
AWARDS / PRESS / LECTURES
2024 | Finalists for the Venice Biennale Japan Pavilion
2023 | Perspectivas | UC School of Architecture, Chile
2022 | Intervenciones Mínimas | Young Architects Festival (YAF) Constructo, Chile
2019 | Nomadic Dome | Monash University, Australia
2019 | Finalists for the Tallinn Architecture Biennale
2018 | Estructuras en el límite material | Campus Creativo Universidad Andres Bello, Chile
Architecture | Landscape | Research
Ephemeral acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work, and pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. We are committed to addressing the climate crisis through thoughtful design and sustainable practices that reduce our environmental impact.
ABN 68 862 363 628 © 2025 Ephemeral Studio
contact@ephemeralstudio.com.au
Melbourne, Australia
