Project Utopia- Fremantle Port Redesign
Project Utopia 2021
Project Utopia was a one in a lifetime opportunity where we could reimagine the Fremantle Port. As a cohort, we have worked hard in most subjects, (like HASS, English, and InnovatED) on achieving a community which was sustainable, innovative and a place where everyone can thrive. We had to think about the Liveability Factors and the Seventeen Global Goals the United Nation has set in order to create a problem-free world. We also had to talk with our teachers, peers and guest experts every week so we could create and improve different, innovative ideas. My group, Jacob, Mitchell, Asha and myself, had to collaborate and communicate together, thinking of ideas which would be special to our society.
Main Focus
Our main area of focus was sustainable transport and tourist attractions. Our idea includes;
A sustainable playground- Which will be made using recycled construction waste, demolished parts from the Fremantle Port and old boat parts. There will be solar panels across the different, fun play equipment which will charge LED lights and light poles at night. The fountains will be using sea water and the grass will be artificial as we don’t want to use fresh water which would otherwise be wasted. There will be many eco-friendly benches across the park which will be made using recycled construction waste, have solar panels and a device charging station. Different aboriginal artwork will be around the park meaning meeting place, fun and ocean.
Trams and light rails- The trams will be the most convenient way to move around the ‘zero car area’. We figured that light rails was the most sustainable option. The station will be a modern design which provides shade, holds the bikes, has LED lights and more.
Electric bikes and scooters- They are easy to charge (using solar energy), and are sustainable. We have taken inspiration from LA as they have a great system with their scooters. The council will provide the bikes/scooters and you can rent them out.
Bridges- The bridges will be able to open/close across the river to let boats pass through. It will have a different and modern design to most other bridges.
Liveability Factors and Sustainable Development Goals
What are the liveability factors and the sustainable development goals? The Liveability factors are factors which provide quality of life, e.g. access to healthcare, education, clean water, fresh food etc. We want the new Fremantle to be a place where we have the opportunity to have a high liveability. The Sustainable Development Goals are seventeen goals the UN have set to make a perfect world by 2030. We linked these goals to our redesign by trying to achieve them in our ideas.
Our Sustainable Development Goals include goals number 1,4,6,7,8,9,11 and 13 (Shown on the right). Although we really focused on Affordable and Clean Energy- (The main source of renewable energy used will be solar energy. It will charge not only different lights on the playground, but the different modes of transport) , Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure- (Lot’s of Infrastructure will be built to make the buildings safe, secure and aesthetically pleasing. For example, the light rails for the trams will require a lot of infrastructure to support the tram and the rails) , Sustainable Cities and Communities- (Our main focus in this new ‘city’ is making a sustainable tourist attraction. We want it to be a community where there is lots of new and innovative infrastructure which will solve global climate problems), Decent Work and Economic Growth- (Creating this new community will create many potential jobs which include architecture for infrastructure, maintenance, checking whether all equipment is safe etc. Also, our community will attract lots of tourists from all over the globe).
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We thought about the Subjective Factors when creating the tourist attractions, (we had to make them well liked amongst the tourists and respect the traditional owners of the land, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation). This is important because we want the attractions to be enjoyable and will become an economic benefit. The five objective factors include Climate, Environmental Quality, Infrastructure, Health/Education, and Safety/Stability. We thought about Environmental Quality when we made our idea a ‘zero car area’. This will prevent air pollution and less carbon emissions. Also, we created a sustainable tourist attraction which allows us to recycle materials. Infrastructure played a vital role in our redesign as lots of buildings were created to make our transport, stations, and playground. The infrastructure has to be strong when extreme whether occurs.
The Process…
The Giver-
In English we read a fascinating novel called The Giver. The Giver is set in a ‘perfect world’… also known as a Utopia. In the Giver’s utopia, they solved problems, like discrimination, pandemics, climate change etc. As a class, we analysed how they solved some of our worlds issues and took some inspiration when recreating the Fremantle Port.
Learning about Liveability in HASS and InnovatED-
Throughout the term we were learning about the Liveability factors that we needed to think about when redesigning the port. We did tasks like watching a video about a sustainable city in Dubai, where they used many recycled materials and try to prevent carbon emissions. We took inspiration from them to our idea by creating a zero fuel car area.
Excursion-
Throughout the process, we had the opportunity to visit Fremantle Port and explore it’s rich history. As a cohort, we learned about the significance of the port and how it’s cherished by many across Australia. They talked to us about work, live, play; Work, meaning one’s occupation, Live, meaning one’s lifestyle and how they survive, and Play, entertainment across the community. As a cohort, we can all agree it was a memorable experience filled with interesting information and knowledge.
Public Speaking-
At the end of Term 3, we were given the challenge of presenting our well thought-out idea in front of the class. We had to remember what we learned in Term 2, Connected Learning, in debating. We had to make an interesting speech under one minute which gives our peers a deeper understanding of our idea. We had to remember to make our voice sound engaging so we can capture the audience’s attention and be more articulate.
Vision Board-
Along with our oral presentation, we were assigned to create a vision board which had pictures of our different ideas. Our Vision Board was designed to be eye-catching and have lots of great images which outlines our idea well. The board needed to be relatively simple but informative so that our audience can be impressed and engaged. Our board had to include; our idea, our goals, liveability factors, sustainability etc. The vision board was important because at the showcase, the guest experts and adults needed to have a visual presentation so they could comprehend our idea more.
ASC Capabilities
Throughout the process, we had to think about the ASC capabilities. These capabilities are what we strive for when doing all projects. In most of our previous projects, we link back the capabilities wheel. During the planning weeks, we had to work together in order for the group to succeed. But yet, we had to overcome lot’s of obstacles, like collaborating with people you have never worked with before and collecting innovative ideas that work. For example, the initial star of our idea was an under-water glass tunnel along with a pool (connected with the ocean) where you could swim with sea creatures. We thought about how an under-water glass tunnel would be a very easy way for people to cross along the parts of the port. Although, we then realized that it would be impossible for large boats to pass through. Also, the water seen on the outside of the tunnel won’t be a nice colour and there will not be sea creatures around (it won’t look like the one in AQWA). The pool idea was unsafe and the water would be dirty. It wouldn’t be a very successful tourist attraction. Therefore, we had to communicate, and come up with new creative ideas. Communication played a key aspect at the showcase. If for example, someone messed up or forgot what they were saying, we had to communicate quickly and help them. Leadership played an important role when problems occurred. We needed to be leaders of ourselves to fix the problem and cooperate as a group.
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Overall, Project Utopia was an exciting journey which I really enjoyed being part of. As a cohort, we are all extremely privileged to have this opportunity to be surrounded with experts in their fields and supporting teachers, who guided us to success. We all learnt several important lessons and skills throughout this incredible term, like collaboration, problem solving, leadership and more.