All the EcoDesign Foundation's activities, whether courses, publications, exhibitions, competitions, applied research or demonstration projects have had a strong educational orientation. The Foundation's role as a leading researcher and educator in the areas of sustainable design theory and practice direction is now being strengthened with the introduction of postgraduate coursework and research degrees.
The EcoDesign Foundation has created a new space of exchange between higher education, professional practice and industry through its courses and curriculum development for (i) tertiary students and educators; (ii) practising architects, engineers and other designers; (iii) managers in industry and government. The interface has also been created by the consultancy work of EDF on live design projects, which provide team learning opportunities in 'creating sustainments', and later, serve as case study material for courses. EDF can be commissioned to undertake curriculum development, educational content development and delivery for either professional organisations or higher education institutions.
EDF has worked collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams to develop sustainable design solutions for products, manufacturing, architectural and urban design projects, covering concept development; design reviews; site and impact studies; comparative environmental assessment of products, materials and technologies; writing and implementing environmental management plans. Past projects have included environmental assessment of a paper recycling operation; specifications for a 'green' storage warehouse; acting as ESD consultants (or 'sustainabiltiy co-ordinators') for the design of some of the Sydney 2000 Olympics facilities; and developing a sustainment retrofit plan for public housing. This experience has seeded the consulting work now undertaken by Team D/E/S Pty Ltd.
EDF has undertaken projects individually and collaboratively to develop and apply new knowledges of sustainability in practical contexts. Some of these are:
Using Timber Sustainably (1996-8)
Research on the sustainable use of timber for architectural specifiers
and other building industry professionals. Published by Construction Information
Systems as NATSPEC Guide No. 3, 'Timber in Context: A Guide to Sustainable
Use'.
ESCALS (1995-97)
A multi-partner research and development project to create an ecologically
improved solar lighting and control system. EDF acted as project managers
and ESD design researchers. Renewable Energy and Demand Management (1994-6)
Retrofit of former school building in Rozelle, Sydney, achieving significant
reductions in use of fossil fuel energy through the installation of a
4.5 kilowatt grid-connected photovoltaic system and demand management
measures such as insulation, low wattage heating and natural ventilation
enhancement.
Retrofit of Former School Building, Rozelle
(1994-5)
This incorporated a roof water collection/reuse system, specification
of low impact materials & products: floor coverings, timbers, finishes
and office equipment. In-kind support from many companies was sought and
received. The building became EDF's research, display and education centre.
Curriculum Development & Organisational Redirection
EDF's work has ranged from advising the
Institution of Engineers Australia on across-the-board introduction of
sustainability criteria into national competency standards (1998); professional
development workshops on design and sustainability for the Department
of Design Studies, University of Western Sydney (1998); through to writing
the brief for Future Generations Design Contest (1995-6) an international
invitational competition to design the built structures and learning concepts
for a proposed university based on sustainability, for an Australian/Japanese
joint venture. This involved developing a curriculum model based on life-long
learning, inter-cultural exchange, sustainable professional practices
and environmental management. Professional Development
EDF has presented Professional Development courses on designing for sustainability,
ranging from one or two day intensive workshops to part-time courses extending
over twelve weeks. Topics have included Design, Architecture and Ecological
Sustainment (1995-6), Planning for Ecological Sustainment (1997), Ecological
Assessment of Materials (1998) and Life Cycle Impact Assessment (1998).
These have been attended by architects, engineers, industrial designers
and environmental managers from small and large practices. Many of the
courses have been accredited by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects
under their professional development credit point program. EDF is also
registered as an education provider with the American Institute of Architects
Continuing Education System.
Course Subjects
The EcoDesign Foundation has run tertiary level, semester length course
subjects from its Design and Research Centre in Rozelle, Sydney. Some
of these have been Thinking EcoDesign I (1996 -98), Design as an Ecological
Practice I (1996-98), Ecology of the Image (1996-98), Environmentalism's
Problems (1997). Students from many architecture and design disciplines
from years 2 to 6 have attended, receiving credit towards their respective
degrees. The subjects have been run in association with the undergraduate
programs of University of Sydney; University of Technology, Sydney; University
of Western Sydney, Nepean; University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury; and
the University of New South Wales. In 1999 this activity extended to running
the compulsory design theory subject, The Designer's Environment for second
year design students at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South
Wales. Initiated Conferences, Events & Exhibitions
Wider audiences for sustainable design have been sought through outreach
activities. Our first curated travelling exhibition in 1993 was Green
Desires which showcased 50 products demonstrating ecological, low environmentally
impact design. Designing the Environment: Perspectives for an Ecological
Future (1998) was a major international touring exhibition about industry,
innovation and the environment from Germany. EDF organised its showing
and associated events in Australia in collaboration with the Goethe Institut
and University of Technology, Sydney. Between these was Ecodesign 2: The
Event, (1993) the second national ecodesign conference co-hosted with
University of Technology and University of Western Sydney and Waste not
Waste (1996) a collaboration with object makers and writers to explore
waste as a cultural category, supported by the Australia Council.
Event-Based Learning
Starting from performance elements within courses and experimental conference
presentations, EDF has developed an entertaining yet challenging form
of participatory learning concentrated in 2-3 days. This was taken up
by three major university design schools as the Sydney Design Forum (now
Sustainable Design Forum) in 1998, with 180 students participating in
the inaugural Design Ecology 2 day event. Commissioning universities were
University of Technology; University of Western Sydney and College of
Fine Art, University of New South Wales.