Maribyrnong Park Bowls and Croquet Club, the venue for this event, is an example of a community facility in need of renewal.
Presented by the Festival of Urbanism, MADA and The Playground Project Melbourne
Renewing recreational facilities strengthens community life by transforming underused sites into inclusive, vibrant public spaces suited to the needs of contemporary urban life. Connecting these facilities to the broader public realm and local ecologies supports social wellbeing. This event will explore regenerative approaches to revitalising ageing and often unviable recreational facilities. Held at the recently closed Maribyrnong Park Bowls and Croquet Club, the session includes presentations of architectural projects that showcase renewed community infrastructure; presentations on strategic approaches to the regeneration of community spaces in the context of ecologies and inclusivity; and a keynote lecture will show how "problematic" or underutilised sites can be transformed into socially vibrant, inclusive places through architecture, curation, education and ongoing operations.
Panel 1
Built Projects: Renewed community buildings
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Chair
Dr Timothy Moore is Associate Dean (Engagement) at MADA , Monash Architecture Senior Lecturer, a founder of Sibling Architecture, and Curator of Contemporary Design and Architecture at the National Gallery of Victoria.
Panel
Nicholas Braun is co-director of Sibling Architecture, an innovative practice that includes designing for the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, delivering outcomes that are grounded, responsive and socially engaged. He will present the Darebin Intercultural Centre, a community building that aims to foster meaningful and constructive inter-racial, inter-cultural and inter-faith relations.
Sarah Lynn Rees, Monash Architecture Lecturer, Associate Principal at JCB Architects and a Palawa woman descending from the Plangermaireener and Trawlwoolway people of North East Tasmania. Working collaboratively with communities, ensuring Traditional Owners voices are heard, respected, and maintained, she will present the Phillip Island public building Berninneit that evokes the region's geology and topography.
Suzannah Waldron is the co-founder of SEARLE x WALDRON Architecture, an architectural practice that designs across scales, focused on inventive public, community and education projects, including the award-winning Maidstone Tennis Pavilion, which improved accessibility and functionality through a thoughtful addition to an existing building.
Panel 2
Strategic Approaches: connecting facilities, people and ecologies
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Chair
Catherine Murphy, Associate Professor, Monash Urban Lab and Course Leader, Master of Urban Planning and Design. Her research focuses on integrated approaches that are place-based and prioritise ecological systems.
Panel
Professor Nicole Kalms, MADA Associate Dean (Research), a Professor in the Dept of Design, and founding director of the XYX Lab, investigates underrepresented communities through the lens of Gender and Place. She will present the Women's Safety Audit on the Merri Creek and the importance of including 800 local women to share their perceptions, experiences and advice for the area.
Dr Michaela Prescott, landscape architect and Monash Informal Cities Lab Research Fellow. Her practice-based research relates to the urbanisation of water- and river systems, the impact of infrastructure on neighbourhoods and communities. She will present ways of improving and linking access and amenity through the Moonee Ponds Master Plan.
Valentina Tansley, Head of Festival and Events at Moonee Valley City Council will present the work of Art in Surprising Places , a pillar of the 23-27 Moonee Valley Arts and Cultural Strategy ‘Igniting Creativity’ that aims to support local artists, foster community engagement and leverage existing cultural assets.
Dr Liz Taylor, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design at Monash Architecture. Often using spatial and historical perspectives, her research develops understanding of long-term urban change and the role of policy. She will present recent research on public swimming pools as community spaces.
Keynote / in-conversation
Transforming Underutilised Sites: These Are The Projects We Do Together
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Chair
Professor Mel Dodd is the Dean of Monash Art, Design and Architecture, an award-winning architect, urban practitioner and academic leader. Her practice is underpinned by productive collaborations with industry, government and communities, contributing to inclusive and sustainable urban environments.
Panel
These Are The Projects We Do Together, led by Joseph Norster and Millie Cattlin, are Melbourne-based designers renowned for transforming "problematic" or underutilised sites into socially vibrant, inclusive places through architecture, curation, education, and ongoing operations. Their latest project Balam Balam Place is a purpose-built creative and community precinct located in the heart of Brunswick on Wurundjeri Country. The original site was purchased in 2010 when it was home to an old school with large buildings, a heritage house and public open space. In 2016 the Merri-bek City Council appointed These Are the Projects We Do Together, to manage the site as ‘Siteworks’. This activation provided the vision for the future of the site. In this presentation, followed by a conversation with Professor Mel Dodd, The Projects will talk about their approach to site through case studies from their practice.