During the evening of Thursday the 22nd of August, the TCL Brisbane studio had the pleasure of hosting their first Field Conversations – evenings that identify progressive avenues of enquiry, discover new territory for design, and inspire innovative forms of practice.

Entitled ‘River Resurgence’, we explored the potential of our creeks as social infrastructure, enabling greater connection to place, culture, environment and each other.

The event was a resounding success, thanks to the insightful contributions from our panelists and the enthusiastic participation of our attendees.

Our panel comprised of:

Judy Watson

Kim Markwell

Christopher Bassi

Together, a few of the topics explored include:

The ongoing challenges faced across all industries but also the significant adaptation and improvements that have been made in short timeframes and which we continue to work on.

Reflections of how we think and present ourselves in, of and with Country and how this language can shape how others see Country and themselves within and of it, as well as impacts on how we may design.

The importance to visit and revisit the places we are designing and working on, cementing connections we initially made, but also revealing things we hadn’t observed or noticed before.

The importance of cross disciplinary collaboration and how the arts, sciences and design disciplines can bring attention to important matters through new perspectives, creating outcomes that are more robust and richer in their reaches for both the Client and users.

Designing with consideration for environmental movement and adaptation, considering the rigidity of urban edges and the impacts this has on fauna and flora and their ever-changing habitat, alongside the need to prevent damage to and restore upstream areas and the challenges associated with resource management and funding allocation.

The discussions were both inspiring and thought-provoking, highlighting the importance of collaboration and forward-thinking across our fields.

A huge thank you to all our guests, who attended and contributed to the vibrant discussion. We look forward to continuing these conversations through our work and driving further positive change collaboratively across industries.