ReRoot
Individual - RMIT Graduate Student - July to November 2024
I co-designed ReRoot, a landscape retrofit project situated in Birrarung Marr, Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by the morphology of the murnong (yam daisy), this project reimagines public space through the lenses of regeneration, circularity, and pluriversality. The result is a dynamic cultural playground that
guides visitors toward existing Indigenous artwork and allows users to reflect and engage with the history of Indigenous Australians.
I created a digital twin of our project using Rhino and Grasshopper. I also collaborated with my team to construct a 1:200 scale model using laser cutters and 3D printers.
I created a digital twin of our project using Rhino and Grasshopper. I also collaborated with my team to construct a 1:200 scale model using laser cutters and 3D printers.
ReRoot is located in the Birrarung Marr and harnesses the morphology of the murnong, or yam daisy, as a design catalyst. ArtPlay is a children’s playground located in the Birrarung Marr park.
The project translates the murnong’s natural form into a dynamic cultural playground, creating a living connection between traditional wisdom and contemporary design.
Through cultural engagement, ReRoot prioritizes Indigenous perspectives to create spaces that authentically honor and embody First Nations knowledge systems.
Currently, there are many works of Indigenous art placed around the Birrarung Marr to acknowledge the importance of the park to First Nations people. However, this art seems almost hidden or isolated from individuals who visit this playground.
Retrofitting the Artplay children’s park provides an opportunity to honor and highlight the First Nations artwork and cultural practices tied to this area.
Our aim for the design was to direct visitors to areas on the site where the indigenous artwork is located.
The first model we created was a low-fidelity prototype model of the current ArtPlay design with temporary components for the structure we planned to redesign.
Centenary Lakes Nature Play (2018) Queensland, Australia
Root Benches in Seoul (2018) South Korea
After conducting further research, we were inspired by themes of nature play and connectivity to inform the principles of our final results, as these themes relate to a root system and Indigenous people’s emphasis on connecting with nature. We found two precedents that embody nature play and connectivity in the innovative designs of Centenary Lakes Nature Play in Queensland, Australia, and Root Benches in Seoul, South Korea.
In order to honor the existing artwork, there would be no modifications or removal of any art from the park.
We aimed to integrate all areas of the playground into a cohesive, interconnected design. As such, we decided to have the focus of our design be four pathways that lead to a collection of ancestor stones currently next to the ArtPlay playground, as ancestor stones are used as a gathering area by First Nation peoples.
We aimed to integrate all areas of the playground into a cohesive, interconnected design. As such, we decided to have the focus of our design be four pathways that lead to a collection of ancestor stones currently next to the ArtPlay playground, as ancestor stones are used as a gathering area by First Nation peoples.
The four pathways would be comprised of stumps of varying sizes and densities to allow children to use their imagination to engage with the stumps in different ways.
The current shade is provided by very dirty plastic semi-permeable sheets strung across select poles. We aim to replace that shade with reed shading supported by the same poles.
The current shade is provided by very dirty plastic semi-permeable sheets strung across select poles. We aim to replace that shade with reed shading supported by the same poles.
I created all the Illustrator files used to laser cut the MDF and all the STL files to 3D print the stumps and remaining artifacts.
I developed the 3D model in Rhino and Grasshopper.
I rendered our 3D model in V-Ray. To the left are my first attempts at rendering, while below are images of the final render.
Material selection was vital for our project to
align with regeneration.
We had three
criteria for our selections, and each material
needed to satisfy at least two.
Our design’s shortest
lifespan is tied to the reed shading structure.
Still, reed is an abundant natural resource that
can easily replace the shading as needed.