Design students confront Sydney’s problems

November 9th, 2010

From Thursday 11 November at the FraserStudios in Chippendale, you can observe the innovative ways in which issues such as waste, consumption, food and movement in the city have been tackled by University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) design students.

Far from the abstraction of most university design projects, UTS students were forced to consider real problems pertaining to Sydney and then generate realistic and implementable solutions, while working alongside external partners.

“In this project, design is conceived of in its widest and most exciting sense — as an agent for change in a complex world,” says the project co-ordinator, Dr Lizzie Muller.

One of the projects on display is a proposal for a soon-to-be-decommissioned Sydney Water pumping station.

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After considering land use, building heritage and the changing nature of the city, a group of students proposed that the Guildford station be transformed into a vibrant space for the community.

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“Instead of fencing the site off, vandalism can be deterred and heritage buildings preserved if there are people picnicking, cycling or attending events at the site,” said studio leader Professor Douglas Tomkin.

DLAB: Designing Sydney opens on Thursday 11th November from 7-9pm at FraserStudios in Chippendale.

Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, UTS
dab.uts.edu.au

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