Thesis Studio 03
GROWING UNCERTAINTY: Designing with the Viridic in a time of climate change
Jela Ivankovic-Waters
Studio Description
In his book Overgrown: Practices Between Landscape Architecture and Garden Design, Julian Raxworthy introduces the concept of the ‘viridic’ to highlight the importance of plant growth in shaping designed spaces and experiences. Yet too often, public open spaces are designed and maintained with the little consideration of how plant material continues to develop over time.
This studio explores the potentials of planting design AND maintenance practices in developing new speculative futures for the generic suburban parks of grass and trees.
Melbourne’s lock down highlighted the inequitable distribution of quality open space across the suburbs. Beginning with an interrogation of planting design and management strategies in suburban Melbourne, students will select a poor-quality suburban park to reimagine.
Studio Outcomes
Working across spatial forms, cultural practices and biological processes, students will design for two distinct times frames; the projected socio-cultural and environmental conditions of 2030 followed by further consideration of how planting material would intensify by 2050. The resulting strategy will foreground how an understanding of plant growth can rebuild systems and redefine landscape design practices. The studio will be supported by theory and techniques for exploring the impact of climate change, ecology and culture on plant growth. Off-shore students will be able to work with a Melbourne site or one in their own city.
Studio Leader
Jela Ivankovic-Waters completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and went on to study horticulture. Her experience working in Western Australia cemented an acute interest in how plants perform in their habitat and designed settings. She has worked across a wide range of Melbourne projects, including gardening, design-construction and community driven programs such as at The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Jela completed her Master of Landscape Architecture at University of Melbourne and is currently undertaking a PhD, which focuses on innovation and technology in landscape architecture practice. She is the co-author of the award-winning book, NATIVE: Art and design with Australian plants (Thames & Hudson).
Readings & References
- Behdad Alizadeh, & James Hitchmough. (2018). A review of urban landscape adaptation to the challenge of climate change. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 11(2), 178–194
- Marder, M. (2013). Plant-thinking: a philosophy of vegetal life. Columbia University Press.
- Plumwood, V. (2005). Decolonising Australian gardens: gardening and the ethics of place. Australian. Humanities Review, http://australianhumanitiesreview.org/2005/07/01/decolonising-australian-gardens-gardening-and-the-ethics-of-place/
- Raxworthy, J., & Harrisson, F. (2018). Overgrown: practices between landscape architecture and gardening. The MIT Press.
Schedule Fridays 09:00-12:00 and 13:15-16:15