Reducing the footprint:
A vision towards sustainability
Tara Cull
Wodonga TAFE
I'm a Graduate Landscape Architect working for a Landscape Consulting firm in Albury and undertaking studies in Landscape Design and Sustainability at Wodonga Tafe.
Originally from Melbourne, I moved to Albury to escape the fast pace of the city to retreat to the quieter country life.
I love being outdoors in the sun, riding, bush walking and enjoying life’s simple pleasures.
I'm passionate about landscapes on both a large broad scale and a small intimate scale. In particular I'm interested in the interaction between humans and the natural and built environments. In landscape design I aim to create a practical space whilst drawing inspiration from the features and processes of the natural environment.
My biggest inspiration comes from the famous garden designs of the Australian landscape designer Edna Walling and her passion for Australian plants.
My future career aspirations include travelling the country-side to experience the unique landscapes of Australia whilst drawing inspiration from them for the design of the built environment.
Design Explanation
How often, while completing our daily activities do we stop to think about our actions and the consequences that follow? How often do we think about how big a footprint we are leaving on the earth with every single thing that we do?
Every time we turn on a tap, do we really stop to wonder where it comes from and where The waste water is going to end up? Every time we turn on a light do we stop to think about how the energy is created to turn it on? Everyday, on our way to work do we think about the impact that using the car has on the environment? My guess is not nearly as much as we should.
It’s rarely something that crosses the minds of most people. Why? We have fallen into the reassuring comfort of having resources that are just always there without knowledge of the intrinsic process behind how it reaches our homes. They are so readily available to us that when for example our water stops working, we call the plumber to fix it straight away because we are very reliant on it as a resource. If we rely on it so much then we need to take steps to be more conscious of preserving it.
The design explores how we can be re reintroduced to the input and output processes of our precious resources, in the hope that we may only use what we need. The 'Footprint Shape' is the backbone of the design. All the elements of the design promote sustainability in one form or another.
The main feature of the design is the water feature which begins by the interactive turning of the wheel by the viewer of the space. This is an important feature of the garden design as it demonstrates a way in which humans can give back to the environment by including natural processes in the built environment. With every turn of the wheel the water is pumped from an underground reservoir up to the pergola roof before flowing onto a sculptural wheel, into a water tank, through and overflow pipe, down a shoot and back into the reservoir. A completed cycle.
One connection the viewer can make is that if the wheels stop turning then the process ceases. Not only does it highlight the importance of our involvement in restoring natural processes, it helps up to be more aware that we can only turn the wheels for as long as the human body limits us. Therefore we are more likely to be conscious of what we consume on a personal level. There is no way we can leave it going, unless we make the decision to continue operating it. Why then, for example, would we leave a light on when we don't need to use it if it meant having to do hard work at the same time?
To compliment the idea of resource use and consumption the design explores Sustainability through careful choice of materials. We are confronted with the six R questions:
- Can we Rethink what materials we use or do we really need it?
- Can we Restore something to its original state to minimise the use of new manufactured materials?
- Can we Reduce the amount of water needed, or the amount we waste?
- Can we Recycle or Reuse before discarding items into landfill?
- Can we Return materials or nutrients back to the environment by providing a balance between consumption and restoring natural processes?
The design uses a number of recycled materials including recycled railway timbers, corrugated iron, old car tyres and recycled wine barrels and turns them into usable construction materials all with the idea of contributing to sustainability.
The vertical element is also apparent in the garden, emphasising the idea of using less ground space by building up to reduce our Footprint. This is also emphasised where the hammock hangs over a bed of lush green Acacia cognata.
Artistic Sculptural elements are apparent in the design in order for the viewer to make connections with processes that are sometimes invisible to us.
The sculptural wheel enables the viewer to physically engage with the water cycle and watch it turn as the water feature operates. The water urn which has fallen over displays colourful swirls of recycled glass to give the impression that water inside the urn is flowing back into the earth. The wind twirls, made from recycled fence timber show us the invisible resource of wind. Some sculptural animals made from recycled materials are also hidden amongst the vegetation.
The result is a conglomeration of ideas in order to encourage a different way of thinking. In particular the footprint shape is embedded strongly in our minds through separate elements which make up the overall design.
