09 July 2009
Jury announced for 2009 Design Challenge
The 2009 Design Challenge has announced a jury of leaders and experts, which will consider proposals for bushfire design solutions.
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Prominent leaders and experts in their fields, including the Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Innovation, Gavin Jennings, have joined the jury for an RMIT University design challenge looking at creative solutions to extreme bushfire events.
The RMIT Design Research Institute has announced a seven-member panel to examine proposals put forward for the 2009 Design Challenge.
RMIT Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Margaret Gardner AO, will join Mr Jennings on the jury, which will award a research and development grant of $25,000 to a design solution to the threat of bushfires presented in the Challenge.
Other members of the 2009 Design Challenge jury are:
- Jenny Bonnin, City Director, Clinton Climate Change Initiative
- Naomi Brown, CEO, Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
- Brandon Gien, Executive Director, Australian International Design Awards and General Manager, Corporate Services, Standards Australia
- Justin Leonard, Research Scientist, CSIRO
- Tim Shannon, Managing Director, Hassell
More than 75 researchers, industry and community experts have collaborated in transdisciplinary teams and will present their ideas to the jury and the public at a free event later this month, as part of the 2009 State of Design Festival.
The Design for Fire: Challenge Pitch will feature a series of brief competitive presentations to the jury, with more than a dozen proposals to be considered including shelter and protection devices, early warning/prediction systems and strategies for rebuilding communities.
The design team participants come from a diverse range of backgrounds, including chemical engineering, mobile learning and cartography.
Five teams will be shortlisted following the pitch presentations, with the finalists further developing their proposals for public presentation and exhibition in November.
The winning team will receive the $25,000 Design Challenge Award to support further research and development of their bushfire design solution.
A free public forum will be held after the Design for Fire: Challenge Pitch to explore the challenges of designing for fire across the spectrum of prevention, emergency response and post-fire regeneration.
Speakers will include Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council CEO, Naomi Brown, CSIRO Research Scientist Justin Leonard, urban developer/town planner Roz Hansen and North American design activist, Michael Reynolds.
The Design for Fire: Forum is presented by the Design Research Institute at RMIT and Melbourne Conversations, the City of Melbourne’s program of free talks.
The 2009 Design Challenge is supported by Standards Australia, the Australian International Design Awards, the State of Design Festival and the Victorian Government.
Design for Fire: Challenge Pitch and Design for Fire: Forum
When: Friday, 24 July
9.30am-11.30am (Pitch) and 12pm-2pm (Forum)
Where: BMW Edge, Federation Square
RSVP essential: State of Design Festival
