Catherine O'Brien

For the design brief, nature in the form of a food web of three species was our client and our goal was to create a hybrid of a common nature reserve and a constructed zoo where people could experience native wildlife in an everyday setting. The process of design involved learning about ecological design principles and researching the specific relationship between the three species we chose. I chose the Common Imperial Blue Butterfly (Jalmenus evagoras), a type of Rainbow Ant (Iridomyrmex rufoniger septentrionalis) and Black Wattle (Acacia mearnsii) as my species. We started with a base knowledge of one ecological vegetation class, community and plant in Assignment 1, which took us to site analyses of Galada Avenue in Assignment 2, moving forward we investigated our three species in a research essay and ecological knowledge poster in Assignment 3, and finally, we created our masterplan, detailed design, sections and finalised poster for the final submission. Each assignment built our knowledge and design skills, and work was taken from each assignment to construct the final design.

Design Intent
Through the planting of Acacia mearnsii trees and the sustainable reuse of Black Wattle timber, Galada Avenue Urban Wildlife Park will become a shared messy habitat and inviting nature play space for animals and humans alike. Regular planting of new saplings and the reuse of wood grown onsite will ensure that Galada Avenue is a resilient novel ecosystem dedicated to Jalmenus evagoras and Iridomyrmex rufoniger septentrionalis. Indirectly, the Park will appeal to a range of diverse species through its undisturbed habitat-dedicated spaces and flowing water body. The Park will offer visitors a diversity of choices, to explore, relax and observe the native wildlife around them, whilst encouraging them to learn and seek out new experiences. Tactile and engaging, the Park is designed for the everyday experience, giving visitors simple moments where they can simultaneously be present and lost in the moment.