More from this Issue
New Life for Gordonvale
Written with June Fermo. Looks at the issues in a townscape project, faced by the community of Gordonvale 21 km south of Cairns in northern Queensland.
Earth-Sheltered Building using Timber
Earth sheltered housing is not new. The most common way of keeping the soils at bay has been with reinforced concrete and masonry walls and roofs.
The Re-humanising of Water
Ecologically sustainable development is a stated aim of our national and state governments. Unless we can stimulate a higher and more sustained level of discussion on what this means, our progressis likely to remain fitful and unfocussed. Hopefully this article will stimulate the debate!
Community Architecture: High on People Power, Low on Fossil Fuels
Gregory Burgess and Associates are a remarkable architectural practice which places high value on the collaborative design process with clients and users as well as low energy use now has three major community projects to its credit...
On Empowering Clients and Collaborative Design Processes
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)
Exponential Losses, Collective Guilt: The Work of Jeannie Baker
Change, and how it effects the evironment and the quality of life, is a recurring theme and metaphor in the work of artist Jeannie Baker. While celebrating the beauty and fragility of the environment she delivers a provocative and powerful message about our responsibilities towards the natural world.
2040: A Message from the Future
The Brisbane Community Action Group CART (Citizens Advocating Responsible Transport) have recently won two awards....
Look See. Gnarogin Park
The headbutting syndrome which is normally associated with the oppositional mental locations of the engineering versus the environmental are here reconciled in the combined communities' new park. It should become their most treasured recreational amenity. Located two hours south of Perth, Western Australia.
Solar Houses: an Introduction
Faced with these complexities, it is hardly surprising that many designers find the proto-type solar house to be a preferable starting point.
Creating Livable Places
Affecting one's city, state or country requires wit, wisdom opportunity and a sense of fun. Robert McNulty, President of the extraordinarily successful Washington based 'Partners for Livable Places' gives a thumb-nail sketch of the last 15 years of the organisation and some of the tools they have used as operational forces for action.
The Art of Living Sustainably
Written with Andrew Bryan The increasing urgency for us to achieve a harmonious relationship with the environment is stimulating artists in many media and designers in a range of disciplines to work in new ways with one another and community groups who share this concern.