Ecological Novelty: The Role of Design in Rethinking Aquatic Relationships at Fishermans Bend
Presented by FB IDEAs
DETAILS
Free, booking required
Westgate Punt Ferry Service
179 Lorimer St, Port Melbourne VIC 3207, Australia
Hidden amongst the artificial structures and below the water surface at Fishermans Bend lies a biodiverse environment often overlooked due to human and ecological disturbances observed across the Lower Birrarung.
As Melbourne/Naarm’s urban landscapes continue to disturb these environments, how do we shift perceptions of these often-degraded environments and leverage ecological novelty as an approach to repair ecological function through site-specific responses to biodiversity?
Designer and researcher Shane Hunt from Haptera Design leads a walking tour exploring a series of artificial habitats deployed across Fishermans Bend, with the support of FB IDEAs and Port of Melbourne. The tour will outline how the project contributes to new approaches to designing for novel ecologies through generative design approaches to substrate design. Part presentation, part discussion, the session invites discussion about how design can facilitate new relationships and ecological function within urban waterways.
This is an outdoor event. Participants are recommended to wear closed footwear and ensure that they are adequately dressed for weather conditions.
Participants
Shane Hunt
Shane Hunt is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher whose practice explores the role of design in addressing ecological novelty within degraded urban waterways. Using generative approaches to develop substrates, his work investigates the potential of topological responses and their integration into the design of artificial habitats to address ecosystem novelty and raise awareness of the hidden biodiversity of these often-overlooked ecosystems. His creative practice currently informs his PhD research through RMIT’s School of Design and his studio Haptera Design.
FB IDEAs
FB IDEAs is a not-for-profit organisation established with the support of the Victorian Government to nurture incremental and experimental urban renewal and activation during the transformation of Fishermans Bend. Built on principles of Innovation, Diversity, Experimentation and Activation, the organisation supports a diverse range of activities that seed an innovation culture and attract smaller-scale activity ahead of major investments in the area.This is achieved by strengthening and building an innovation ecosystem, unlocking and making underutilised spaces available for emerging and growing industries, as well as initiating and supporting a diverse range of community- and industry-led events, public space activations, public demonstration, prototyping and pilot projects within the precinct.