Architecture - Masters

Centre for Future Economies

To sustain, is a cyclical motion, rather than a linear one. As a society we have become stuck in a utopian vision of limitless growth, on a planet with finite resources and finite space. Economies and ecologies are inextricably linked. To improve the ecological conditions of the Imbil State Rainforest, it is essential to propose economic alternatives to support local communities. The Centre for Future Economies is an Institutional Hub and Field Station for research that explores sustainable, circular economies as an alternative to linear, capitalist growth. The Centre is a collaboration between Cleantech Industries, Sunshine Coast Council and Queensland University of Technology’s Institute for Future Environments and Centre for Materials Science. The research will investigate each component of a circular economy, and work to optimise this process for application in the Mary Valley and eventually the Australian landscape. The proposal will also facilitate community engagement in local manufacturing, building upon Kenilworth as an eco-tourist destination. Centre for Future Economies acknowledges the traditional owners of the land, the Gubbi Gubbi people. In collaboration with elders and leaders, the centre also proposes a place for reconnection to country.