Brunswick Design District: Open Studio Series

How might we recover Country, where so much has been colonised, cleared, and concreted?

Last week we had a rewarding evening hosting a session as part of Brunswick Design District’s Open Studio Series. REALMstudios’ Jon Shinkfield and Grounded Studio’s Emily Cox presented some insights about recent Country-led projects that prioritised de-colonialisation, deep listening to Traditional Owners and Aboriginal project partners, and design to support thriving native ecosystems and endemic species.

Across three projects, we shared methodologies and outcomes that treat Country as a living partner. At Logan Avenue Garden on Wurundjeri Country, a six-year regeneration process involved deep observation, investigation and curation to restore remnant seed banks, microbial soil life and endemic plant communities within what had become a lawn-dominated environment.

Meanwhile, Victoria University’s Moondani Balluk creates a culturally safe space on campus and asks non-Indigenous people to consider their responsibilities to Aboriginal Country, community and kin. Situated on the escarpment of the Maribyrnong floodplain, the new courtyard intervenes and inverts convention by creating ‘floodable’ landscapes and perched wetland planters that capture discarded roofwater. The Country-responsive landscape design, and integrated artworks reflect an involved and iterative co-design process with Dr Paola Balla.  

And at Wunggurrwil Dhurrung Centre on Wadawurrung Country, deep consultation with Koling wada ngal allowed the courtyard to hold space for both culture and ecology. Passive water management reuses all available water in a capture and release mode, and intermittent streams and water features appear across the landscape in a playful mimicry of gentle and familiar rainfall patterns.

As co-located studios, REALM and Grounded collaborate often on projects, with both practices enriched by cross-disciplinary inquiry and by the diverse experience of our people. Thank you to RMIT, Merri-bek Council and Creative Victoria for recognising and celebrating the depth of creative talent and knowledge found within Brunswick!