In his white paper, ‘Diversity Isn’t What Divides Us, Division is What Divides Us,’ Muldoon says segregation of groups isn’t good for acceptance of diversity: “When people are not exposed to others that are different from themselves, it becomes easier for them to rely on stereotypes, which are then reinforced by politicians or the media. People are only able to see evidence that supports the stereotype.”
Muldoon says public spaces are critical infrastructure in reaching our goals of accepting diversity. When people come together and connect in public spaces, what was seen as different amongst us, can be transformed into curiosity and an acceptance of diversity.
Muldoon says, “Whether it’s beer gardens or playgrounds or outdoor concerts, all this activity of creating consistent spaces where you can expect cross demographic mixing gives people more examples or more stories to tell themselves of positive experiences of meeting, interacting and connecting with diverse people. Maybe then a particular neighborhood is no longer thought of as intimidating, and people feel more comfortable around people who are different. These are good initial steps and at the same time, can make a city more lively and fun.”
Rebecca Caldwell, director of Brisbane-based architecture business, Maytree Studio, shares how she turned a ‘suffering artist’ mentality into a strategic business approach in her article for The Parlour Collective.
“It took me a while to find my voice. For a long time, I felt like I couldn’t find the happy place between offering the prestigious service that is architecture, and my personal discomfort with the elitism that sits within that.”
Having a family changes everything for everyone, and this too was what catalysed a ‘big correction’ for Caldwell. She found her voice and challenged her myth that “good architectural practice and making money are incompatible.”
One of these changes for Caldwell was letting go of ‘profit’ being a dirty word. She says, “Being paid well for a job gives you the time to design. The time to design means you meet (or hopefully exceed) your client’s expectations. Time to design allows you to create a portfolio of work that makes you more desirable to work with.”
Caldwell says she now lives by ‘3Ps: profit, people and portfolio’ and says these are the fundamental parts of how she defines success.
“I love what my team and I have created at Maytree, but it is just a business. It has to work for me, my team and my clients. And if it isn’t, I am not afraid to pull the levers I need to get back into balance.”
To celebrate the unveiling of the Piatto Chair at our annual product launch party with AILA NSW in Sydney, Jazz at The Mint, clients were invited to enter this quirky contest. The competition called for teams to incorporate Piatto Chairs into an ‘Awkward Family Photo’ portrait, for a chance to win Piatto Chairs of their very own. Congratulations to the creative crew from Yerrabingin, who delivered the strongest awkward family vibes on the night. Highly commended goes to the entrants below, and the full photo gallery from the event is available for viewing. Please contact marketing@streetfurniture.com if you would like to request a high res file to print and frame for your best room.
Clients from Sydney, Adelaide, California and Texas joined Street Furniture Australia and AILA NSW to celebrate the unveiling of new products on March 14, 2024, with margaritas and live music. Jazz at The Mint is an annual product launch held at The Mint, an iconic site in the heart of the Sydney CBD. It is an elegant affair and a unique opportunity to connect with landscape architects and built environment professionals at a global scale. This year’s party featured the new Linea Planter System and upcoming Piatto Chair, a single-seater hybrid between cafe and robust public space furniture – available now for specifications. The gathering was opened by Uncle Allan Murray, representing the Metropolitan Aboriginal Land Council, with speeches from: Ben Stockwin, AILA CEO, acknowledged the 10 year relationship with …
The Street Furniture Australia factory, in Regents Park, Western Sydney, is both a manufacturing hub and R&D studio for our Australian-designed and made street furniture products. We run fun and informative group events for customers throughout the year, to share how products are designed, tested and built, and the latest products and projects. This tour is open to design specifiers such as landscape architects and architects, and place custodians including Councils, government agencies, developers and other place managers. Director of Tract Julie Lee said: “It was a great opportunity for our team to look behind the scenes and understand the innovation, research and climate positive outcomes Street Furniture Australia is focusing on. Thank you for having us!” Place Design Group Associate, Liam Isaksen, said: “The factory tour is a fun …
OCULUS supports Voice to Parliament campaign: Landscape architecture and urban design firm OCULUS have shared their support for the Yes23 campaign, which recently launched to encourage Australians to respond ‘yes’ in a referendum that seeks to enshrine an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice in the constitution. Dean Parkin, Director From the Heart says the campaign offers “a chance to explain how a ‘yes’ vote at this year’s referendum will give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a say in the laws and policies that directly impact their lives, and to deliver practical change.” Oculus says their team have been exploring this significant conversation, with in-depth discussions about the Voice, the upcoming referendum and Uluru statement. They write: “OCULUS is committed to continuing this important conversation and we encourage you …
Living a Healthy Life by Harvard University: Experts at Harvard University have released a collection of articles focusing on healthy living. The collection identifies and examines seven core precepts: ‘what we eat’, ‘how we move’, ‘what we feel’,‘how we rest’, ‘what we moderate’, ‘how we live longer’ and ‘how we find joy’. In one article they recommend to “spend time outdoors, it’ll improve your health.” This may be an obvious statement though we can easily forget this wisdom in our increasingly time-poor lives. Professor of nutrition and epidemiology Heather Eliassen says that some of the benefits include “improvements in sleep, blood pressure, cognitive function and physical activity, as well as reduced risks of chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Whether it’s a picnic in the …
Gardens and public spaces can be funny as well as beautiful: Patch Adams said, “Humor is the best antidote to all ills.” And I strongly agree. Life’s lighter with more laughs. Sydney Morning Herald’s Robin Powell writes about Canadian architect Claude Cormier’s exploration with humour in Toronto’s gardens and public spaces. Claude Cormier et Associes launched in Montreal in 1994, and now has international recognition for his exclusive works in public spaces. Cormier’s projects explore the history and ecology of a place, its contemporary context and sometimes add in a little funny element too. Powell writes, “Cormier believes that not just our parks but our streetscapes can do a better job of telling stories and bringing human relationships into public space, using colour, light and a sense of humour.” Powell …
