UTS MArch Design Studio – Emergence

UTS Sydney / Ultimo, Australia

In the Hunter Valley, NSW one of the Australia’s most fertile agricultural areas, the legacy of the fossil fuel industry consists of hundreds of square kilometres of vast excavations for coal mining, which a collapsing industry will be unable to remediate.  Also left behind will be a huge network of infrastructure, including rail lines, power lines, reservoirs and the machinery of extraction itself.  Finally, the demise of the coal industry leaves eviscerated communities, full of unemployed but highly skilled workers.

The EMERGENCE studio investigated how these systemic changes can be conflated to regenerate a landscape and a region, speculating on new urbanisms and new industries for the future.  Central to the investigation were propositions for renewable energy production, strategies of adaptation and intervention, transport and connectivity issues, and the re-establishment of unexpected yet productive operations, activities and social enterprises within uninhabitable wastelands.

Services

  • Urban Design Framework
A man wearing glasses and a black sweater is presenting by pointing to a colorful, abstract collage on a large board in the UTS MArch Design Studio. He holds a booklet in his other hand, while the background displays partially visible technical drawings and additional collage elements.
A person with long hair is standing and speaking in front of an audience at the UTS Design Studio. They are holding a phone and are positioned near a wall displaying various abstract artworks and diagrams. Seated audience members, possibly MArch students, are attentively watching the speaker.
A vast open-pit mining site under a cloudy sky, with large excavated areas and piles of earth and rocks. The landscape is barren with no vegetation. In the distance, there are hills and mountains. Sparse dry grass emerges in the foreground, hinting at resilience amidst harsh conditions.
A group of people are gathered in a meeting room at the UTS Design Studio. One person stands and presents with a smile, while the others sit and listen attentively. Behind them are display boards with various MArch diagrams and sketches. The room has large windows and blinds.