The WA State Government has announced a partnership between LandCorp and The University of Western Australia.
The initiative will enable the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts to create a dedicated research and design program, including lectures, seminars and practical design exercises, to investigate cost-effective housing solutions with a focus on sustainability.
In return, participating students will have an opportunity to work alongside LandCorp to model their work on real projects, with the real challenges they incur.
The Built-form, Infrastructure and Landscape Design Innovation Program (BILD) will initially focus on the Government’s Mandurah Junction residential development.
Located next to Mandurah’s train and bus interchange, the medium to high-density development will provide an excellent opportunity for students to investigate innovative building designs and produce new concepts for the project.
The BILD initiative follows on from the State Government’s REAL Challenge in regional WA, which called for builders and architects to work together to develop housing designs that addressed the dual issues of housing affordability and climate-responsive design for the diverse climates of the Kimberley, Pilbara and South-West.
The three winners of the REAL Challenge are in the process of building their homes in Kununurra, Karratha and Collie, respectively, which are expected to be open for display within the next couple of months until the end of the year.
Similarly, all work and concepts from the BILD program, including a final design report and display, will be exhibited at the end-of-year exhibition at UWA’s Cullity Gallery.
The LandCorp BILD program at the university is likely to be followed by an extended project in Karratha.
Expected to start next year, the project would involve students looking at leading edge design solutions for new homes, infrastructure, landscaping and open space to improve lifestyle opportunities in the Pilbara.
