//IT’S MY BELIEF THAT WE BENEFIT


SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN WE FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE NATURE AROUND US AND EVEN TO OUR OWN SPIRIT THAN WE CURRENTLY DO.//


perspectives, in order to create designs that reflect the ‘spirit of the place’. I have found that visiting the outback and listening to indigenous people tell their stories is a good place to start; another way is through our conscious awareness of our own spiritual nature which helps us to relate to the landscape at a much more profound level. Developing an openness and


sensitivity to the more subtle realms, opening our mind’s eye to what lies beneath the surface, and listening to our intuition to see where it leads are, I believe, the keys to a closer understanding.


THE ‘HOLY GRAIL’ OF DESIGN This is arguably the ‘holy grail’ of design, sensing the elusive essence of the land and expressing it in built form in such a way that enhances, rather than diminishes, the land’s intrinsic beauty. It could be argued that most places


are better left alone, without any human intervention, artfully designed or otherwise. However, with our increasing population and people’s continued desire to connect with nature, this is not a realistic option. Two projects I have come across


recently that facilitate people’s access to the landscape without compromising its natural beauty are: Teresa Moller’s coastal walk at Punta Pite between


Zapallar and Papudo, north of Santiago in Chile; and, closer to home, Craig Burton’s design of Bradley’s Head Wharf on the Sydney Harbour foreshore in Australia. Teresa Moller’s granite pathway and


steps fit easily, even playfully, into the rocky ground, providing access along the headland with the minimum of disturbance. In a video about the project (vimeo.com/52563082) Moller talks about how her design of the trail sprang from a desire to interfere with nature as little as possible. She hoped that her method of ‘fitting in’ rather than ‘imposing on’ the landscape would


create a more interesting journey and the result is an engaging pathway that rewards the mindful walker. In Craig Burton’s design of Bradley’s


Head Wharf, the sinuous curve of the shoreline is extended from the steps into the slope, creating grass seating- terraces, while delicately tracing the invisible contours below. The sandstone was carefully sourced with the aim of it weathering to a similar patina as the surrounding naval fortifications, to ensure the new steps blended in effectively and did not stand out as a recent addition to the cultural heritage of the foreshore.


MARCH | APRIL 2018 37


PHOTOS BY CHLOE HUMPHREYS


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