HOME ‘3 Stories’ – March edition

HOME will be hosting one event and co-hosting a second during the Geelong Design Week 2020, an initiative of Geelong UNESCO City of Design and the City of Greater Geelong. Both take place on the 26th March. The first is an extension of the Accessible & Inclusive Geelong Feasibility Study, and is entitled “Co-designing the brief for a Geelong Inclusive Visitor Centre.” The focus is on five principles of action: i) adopt inclusive co-research and co-design approaches for development; ii) embed principles of Universal Design; iii) ensure built environment improvements are available for all; iv) prioritise attitudinal change towards inclusion and access; and v) adopt inclusion as a core value for Geelong. The AIG project applied a systems-thinking approach so that a wide range of stakeholders – disability advocates, people with disability and those most at risk of exclusion – could work with government, policy leaders and researchers to identify approaches to overcome entrenched obstacles to accessibility and inclusivity. Our event continues this process of co-design and co-research to move forward with the implementation of our recommendations with the community that have design implications for the built environment.

Event information:

The second is entitled “Prefab 21: A prototype for a prefabricated tiny home in the 21st century.” This event focuses on the sustainable design, fabrication and exhibition of a prototype tiny home based on prefabrication technologies from FormFlow, Deakin Architecture and the HOME research hub Microvillage team. Prefab 21 will showcase and explore next generation design and manufacturing for 21st century houses. In doing so, it will help put Geelong at the forefront of sustainable, smart and efficient advanced manufacturing. This project is a partnership between Deakin Architecture, FormFlow and Samaritan House. The prototype prefabricated house will be installed for this event.

Event information: 

It has been 2 years since we made our pitch to the Deakin University Research Network (DURN) to fund HOME. Although we have made great strides in developing our research program, we have been less diligent in creating an effective governance framework. However, over the last several months, the co-leaders of HOME have undertaken steps to ensure the employment of better governance and management practices. This will ensure that all HOME members have a better understanding of the strategic direction of HOME, the embedded processes, the role of governance bodies, the model for allocating research funds, and so on. A draft governance manual has been prepared, and the next step is to invite comments from the HOME steering committee before providing a copy to all HOME members. The leadership group believes that this is a positive and important step to ensure HOME’s success and longevity.

Dr Fiona Andrews (co-leader of HOME) was recently invited to present as part of the MPavilion ‘Future Homes: Speculations on Melbourne’s Future. MPavilion is Australia’s leading architecture commission, and a cultural laboratory for the community to engage and share. The event explored how to best accommodate a doubling of the population without doubling the footprint of the city and compromising Melbourne’s liveability. Dr Andrews’ presentation focused on research undertaken in conjunction with HOME member Dr Elyse Warner on family-friendly apartment design.

You can read more about the event here: Future Homes: Speculations on Melbourne’s Future