News Archive

Things have 'hotted up' this year at The University of Western Australia's Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts (ALVA) with a bioregional design studio in landscape architecture.

The first year studio, which grappled with the big, bold, complex issues of global biodiversity, recognised the importance of 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity , and focused on the world's 25 geographical 'hotspots' of biodiversity significance.

Studio coordinator ALVA Associate Landscape Architecture Professor Grant Revell said from the tropical rainforests of Mesoamerica to the Mediterranean forests in Western Australia's south-west, students "rattled the libraries around the world to research and discover the historical and contemporary importance of these remarkable biological reserves".

"Studio project work has centered on designing posters and postage stamps to recognise and promote the 25 hotspots, as well as magic maps and artful representations of the collected research materials," he said.

"While the final studio project involved the design of a place-driven 'memorial' that celebrated different biodiversity hotspots, meanings of biodiversity in contemporary society and the discoveries of biodiversity through journeys of exploration."

Students' studio work was recently exhibited and judged at Perth's new Conservation Science Centre at the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC); images from the exhibition can be viewed here .

The memorial designs of 15 students were short listed for Awards of Excellence, while three awards were given to students Jessica Ledger, Nicholas Monisse and Susan McDougall for their studio work.

The short listed designs will be part of the ALVA Faculty's Architecture and Landscape Architecture End of Year Exhibition, on display at the Cullity Gallery from November 22 - December 3.

Grant said the bioregional design studio's staff and students would like to thank the DEC, the Western Australia Maritime Museum and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects for "all their support and encouragement over the semester".

The Cullity Gallery is open to the public Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Media references

ALVA Associate Landscape Architecture Professor Grant Revell, 08 6488 1566 or [email protected] .