Designing with Country: Plants

'Plants: Past, Present and Future' is the latest offering in the remarkable “First Knowledges” series.

Wed Jul 26 2023 at 6:30 PM at The Capitol (113 Swanston St, Melbourne)

Register here

An Open House Melbourne event

Positioning plants in relation to deep time, Plants further explores them in the context of contemporary Australian spatial, social and cultural relationships.

Moving beyond the framing of plants as constituent elements of either gardens or nature, the book powerfully demonstrates what landscape architects can (and should) learn from First Nations people – and how this knowledge can help us effectively engage in and provide leadership on landscape issues at a national scale.

Hear from the authors Zena Cumpston, Michael Shawn-Fletcher and Lesley Head in conversation with the Yulendj Weelam Lab's Dr Christine Phillips, Beau de Belle and Jock Gilbert.

Speakers:

  • Zena Cumpston (Barkandji researcher, writer and storyteller who also sometimes works as a curator and consultant)

  • Michael Shawn-Fletcher (Wiradjuri geographer and scientist, and Director of Research at the Indigenous Knowledge Institute, University of Melbourne)

  • Lesley Head (Geographer, Professor Emeritus of the University of Melbourne, and President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

  • Dr Christine Phillips (Senior Lecturer, RMIT School of Architecture and co-director of Yulendj Weelam Design Research Lab RMIT University

  • Beau de Belle (Gamilaraay architecture graduate and VC Indigenous Pre-Doctoral Fellow at RMIT University, Yulendj Weelam Design Research Lab RMIT University)

  • Jock Gilbert (Program Manager of Bachelor Architectural Design and co-director of Yulendj Weelam Design Research Lab RMIT University)

'Plants: Past, Present and Future' will be available for purchase at the event and you will have the chance to get your book signed by the authors following the event.