Eco-Acupuncture 2010 at Sustainability Victoria

Turning 2010 pressures into 2032 assets: Introducing Eco-Acupuncture 2010

The Eco-Acupuncture 2010 exhibition introduced two projects, one looking at a future development north of Docklands (the EBD); the other sited at Broadmeadows, a suburb currently wrestling with many of the problems facing Australian suburbs. New developments can create sustainable communities from scratch; Broadmeadows requires the ‘retrofitting’ of an existing community. VEIL work has focused on food, water, transport, energy, information and eco-businesses and services and the development of new Local Activities Districts (LADs). ‘Broady’ is a place of rich cultural diversity and history, opening up many possibilities for innovative design thinking.  The opening night was also the ideal occasion to launch the latest VEIL publication “Vision Broadmeadows 2032“.

To develop low-carbon resilient communities from within the existing fabric of (sub)urban life it is important to have two things: visions of desirable future living scenarios – and visible interventions, today, that can re-orient the path of future development. Since 2007, the Victorian Eco Innovation Lab [VEIL] has been exploring the transformative power of future visions for new developments in Melbourne. This work has been complemented by another program with design professionals, academics and students, working with an existing community, to design a suite of local interventions that can release community energy for building a sustainable neighbourhood. VEIL calls this new program: Eco-Acupuncture.

The exhibition featured work in collaboration with the Hume City council, from design professionals and design studios held at Melbourne University, RMIT University, Monash University and Swinburne University in the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, communication and service design, 2008-10.

Hosted in the foyer of Urban Workshop with the support of Sustainability Victoria, the exhibition ran for two weeks from September 27, 2010.

Exhibition Credits:

Curator: Dianne Moy
Producer (VEIL): Michael Trudgeon
Producer (Sustainability Victoria): Joanna Hansen
Project Management: Kate Archdeacon
Exhibition Design: Michael Trudgeon and Dianne Moy
Graphic Design: Youssef Tayeb

Many thanks to our Guest Speakers:

Ken Guthrie, General Manager Sustainable Environs, Sustainability Victoria
Mike Hill, co-Director, Westwyck Pty Ltd
Matt Wilson, Senior Urban Planner, Hume City Council
Prof. Chris Ryan, Director, VEIL

Opening Night Photography: David Veentjer