Students of Popular Architecture and Design at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning are investigating the importance of everyday architecture, from kebab shops and laundrettes to painted garage doors and, this semester, barber shops.

Barber Shops in Melbourne, a book compiled by Studio Leader, Dr Derham Groves, presents a series of unedited student reviews of 50 barber shops across Melbourne. The accounts consider the shop fit-out, name and address, images of the shop and all advertising, merchandise and paraphernalia.

While locals and visitors alike can be consumed by the grandiose, it is the everyday architecture – houses and flats, shops and hidden cafés – which tell a city’s true story.

“It is always important to view architecture in terms of what we can learn,” Dr Groves says.

“Architecture is a narrative and I consider myself a storyteller. By investigating the everyday, I am encouraging students to explore what works in practice, not just what wins awards; to watch the people as they vote with their feet.”

The book presents a catalogue of Melbourne’s barber shops like modern day cabinets of curiosity.

Through the documented interviews and images, it is clear that personal passions and life stories are played out in the décor. Most of the shops contained personal collections, such as antiques and pictures, dolls and barber tributes, a feature which seems to appeal to the loyal barber shop customer.

Many of the barber shops exhibited a distinct masculinity. The barber shop is about an individual and enjoyable experience, not just a quick trim. One shop is described as “a handsome pastiche of times gone by mixed with modern contemporary touches,” while another offers a beer with your cut and a Live Cue Cam so customers can see how busy the shop is before going in.