I am a devourer of podcasts. I actually find it hard to keep up with all of the episodes of the numerous subscriptions I have going across various platforms and various devices. One podcast I never miss is 99% Invisible. Hosted by Roman Mars, the show is about the design decisions behind all the things that make up our manufactured world. While it can be a little American-centric, I give it 5/5 stars, so go check it out.
Recently 99% Invisible came out with a six-part mini-series titled “Not Built For This”, which explores how climate change is already impacting our built environment and how, in a lot of cases, it’s simply not built for it.
The first episode was about the reporter’s home town in Vermont being flood affected. Despite many articles and polls describing Vermont as a safe haven from climate change, the recent flooding there has put its ‘safe’ status in doubt.
This really brought me back to the floods in April that affected the Illawarra. With water-ways bursting their banks and stormwater culverts becoming overwhelmed, a number of houses were flooded even though they’re not technically located in a flood-prone area.
What’s this all got to do with a festival, you ask? Well, this year’s Illawarra Festival of Architecture & Design (IFAD) is going to tackle these very important topics around designing resilience.
On Sunday, 27 October, IFAD will be taking over Anita’s Theatre for a day of engaging discussions, kids’ archi-games, supplier displays and much more. This year’s curators, Trent Jansen and Davin Turner, have put together four exceptional panels of local architects and designers to discuss Cultural, Energy, Material and Trend resilience.
We have a keynote speaker, William Smart, presented by our platinum sponsor Brickworks, who will address the broader themes around regional resilience. This year will also see the first IFAD awards for the Best New House and Renovation in the Illawarra.
The very popular open-house tours will return and I will be hosting not one but two Archi-bike rides. Yes, this year I have decided to expand into heritage homes of the Northern Illawarra. On Saturday morning, the usual contemporary houses will run, but on the Sunday morning we will be exploring some of the amazing homes of the past, including one in which a German spy resided during WWII. You won’t believe some of the stories of our past that are connected to the heritage of this treacherous stretch of coastline.
Tickets are available from the Illawarra Festival of Architecture & Design website, so be quick and grab your pass for a fun, family-friendly weekend of architecture and design!
IFAD is on October 26 & 27, tickets at www.ifad.net.au