Travelling Studio - Pretoria

This subject is not offered in 2013.

240 hours

Admission to a degree in the Melbourne School of Design.

Completion of ABPL90272 Regenerating Sustainability will aid in the depth of knowledge gained in this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

This project investigates how to create the potential for environmental and social sustainability in a degraded part of Pretoria, South Africa, with its complex social and political issues. We are interested in fast tracking the transformation of existing communities to sustainable communities in ways that would have been impossible in the past. In addition, we consider how the city’s professionals can facilitate this process.

• Engage in the redesign and development of solutions for a degraded urban area – both socially and environmentally
• Gain a deeper understanding of how to design for not only environmental and social sustainability but also restoration and regeneration
• Challenge the current reductionist efficiency-based approach to sustainability through exploration of contributive design practices

1. Online discussion participation over 3 weeks - 15%
2. Presentation of initial research to group, 1st of February - 5%
3. Presentation of concept to local stakeholders, 12th of February - 60%
4. Reflection, 18th of February - 10%
5. Exhibition, 22nd of February - 10%

Provided online
Hes, D. (2012) Contributive practice (draft chapter).
Birkeland, J. (2008) Positive Development: From Vicious Circles to Virtuous Cycles through Built Environment Design, Earthscan, London, UK.
Du Plessis, C. (2000) The Mythology of Sustainable Development and its Place in the Developing World: A Think Piece. Strategies for a Sustainable Built Environment (pp. 1-8). Pretoria, 23-25 August: CSIR.
Owen, C (2012) Pro bono publico.
Meadows, D. (1999) Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in the System, The Sustainability Institute, Hartlant VT, USA.
BioReginal & WWF. One Planet Living Principles.
International Living Future Institute (2012) Living Building Challenge 2.0.
Osterwalder, A. & Pigneur, Y. Business Model Canvas.
The Green Economy.
Gertner, J. (2009) Why Isn’t the Brain Green? New York Times Online.
Biomimicry Institute.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• Ability to work collaboratively in teams
• Ability to carry out self-directed research
• Ability to develop ideas and arguments for the proposed solutions to the redevelopment of the degraded area