Inquiring sustainability in Melbourne’s suburbs: Reflections on DSL studio 2005-2010.

This paper reflects on and analyzes teaching and learning activities framed by the notion of ‘sustainability’ as applied in the capstone BLArch studio at the University of Melbourne utilizing Brookfield’s ‘reflective lenses’ from the point of views of the studio coordinator, a collaborator and a graduate. The Designing the Sustainable Landscape (DSL) studio engaged with urban sustainability principles as applied to the multi-scalar open spaces of Melbourne where each year, the studio investigated a different council ranging from those in the outer suburbs and exurbs to the inner suburbs to the center, each characterized by differing urban evolutions, physical fabrics and socio-economic contexts. In the first group phase, students carry out reviews and analysis to synthesize design frameworks for the whole council, focusing on open spaces and ecological/rural/urban patterns over time. From these broad design …