We live in an era of mass extinctions, biodiversity loss, and growing urbanisation. In addition to protecting and restoring existing habitats, we can also design places for non-humans in our cities.
This is the second iteration of the R_Lab that investigating the design and fabrication of non-human habitats. We will prototype and utilise 3-D clay printing, handheld scanners, and advanced and traditional fabrication methods. Our site will be McGeorge Bequest, a University of Melbourne-owned site at Darebin Creek, near the Yarra River.
In the first weeks of the semester, we will review the prototypes developed in Semester 1, 2022. We will observe the habitats and stories of non-human species, learn about the more-than-human approach to design, and review fabrication methods suited to the unique challenges of interspecies design. Our research will inform an artificial habitat design for a single species.
In the second part of the semester, we will prototype, design, build, and install this artificial habitat. The outcome of this elective will be presented during the Melbourne Design Week in March 2023.
The Maker Spaces, especially the MSD Robotic Lab lead by Ryan Pennings (Robotics Lab Coordinator) and Lewis Edwards (Robotics Lab Lead Technician), will support our experiments, prototypes, and final design. Students in the R_Lab elective will use robots to design and construct 3-D printed clay structures. Sound Rhino and Grasshopper skills are essential.
This elective allows students to develop non-standard objects and structures. Students will develop new workflows, typologies, and designs that enrich non-human and human lives.
Dates:
Semester 2, 2022
Applications no later than July 11, 2022
Further information refer to the handbook:
https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/2022/subjects/abpl90412/further-information
Tutors:
William Ward and Ashley Davis
Guests:
Prof Alex Felson, the Elisabeth Murdoch Chair of Landscape Architecture
Dr. Stanislav Roudavski
Subject Coordinator:
Associate Professor Rochus Hinkel
For detailed information regarding applications, dates, and assessments please consult the handbook, course code ABPL90412.
Image Credits
Rochus Hinkel