Another main reason things become obsolete is because they are no longer needed and once there function ceases they are useless. This is the same with buildings, for example many old working class suburbs have recently become popular and expensive, this changes what the suburb’s original purpose was, factories and warehouses.

The Hoffman Brick Works redevelopment is located in Brunswick in Melbourne. Brunswick was originally a working class district and the brickworks were the main industry with their factories taking up 18 acres. Brunswick has now become a popular suburban area due to its location so close to the thriving Melbourne metropolis. When the brickworks closed down the land and buildings were saved and redeveloped into popular apartments. This is a great example of changing something that was not serving its purpose anymore and creating it into a thriving community. Creating new life out of old.

This is the original brickworks, the character of the building would have been a shame to loose.

This is the brickworks today, as you can see from the photo's they kept some elements of the building, i think they also retained the character successfully.

I think this is a really good thing to do; these building already have a history and a story. It is a very sustainable thing to do, rather than tear them down because they are obsolete, instead make them fashionable again by changing their purpose, this is exactly the same principal that Gary Harvey uses to create his high couture dresses, taking something old to create something new.

The Walsh Bay redevelopment is located on darling harbour and was originally used and built to accommodate trade to and from Sydney harbour. This is no longer required so now it has become a thriving commercial, residential, retail and cultural place. This has become one of the most desirable and expensive places to live due to its picturesque location on the waterfront.

Walsh bay and the amazing location

Walsh bay Today

Architecture - An insight into a new way of thinking.

When it comes to designing houses in Australia, the aesthetic appeal of the structure plays an enormous part in selling the building, if it looks good it will sell. Other factors including the effects on the environment and sustainability often get over looked or in many cases thrown out the window. If fact however these should be the main ideas architects should be designing around to ensure the environment we all live in exists for future generations.

An architect by the name of Michael Reynolds is someone we should all be inspired by. His take on saving the environment and sustainability is incredible. His designs are based around a home that provides its own water, heats itself, grows its own food, recycles its own waste and has its own power source.

Although his designs are based in other parts of the world including Mexico, USA and India all of which have different climates to each other, some of these ideals surely could be experimented with in housing designs in Australia.

One of my favourite designs of his is the concept of the 'Earthship': built from used car tyres rammed with earth, it recycles rainwater and sewage and it is a solar powered home which has a minimal cost to keep it running all year round. The inital concept was not the most attractive building I've ever seen, however the latest model fits in with the surrounding environment extremely well. I do have to question though, if aesthetics are really that important when compared to the environment and sustainability.

Other ideas for building materials included the use of cans filled with water and also glass bottles.

His dream of changing the world might just be a distant dream at present but surely future generations all over the world will have to change there dependency on declining supplies of water, gas and oil and think about other means of supplying these.

For more information see:

http://www.garbagewarrior.com/

http://earthship.org/