Kunshan Projects

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Background: Water Sensitive Design (WSD) was a novel engineering/science field for stormwater treatment and science collaboration (‘Interdisciplinarity’ Nature 525)). Designs integrating WSD were limited to cold (Dutch) climates and small squares/parks. Engineered solutions had not trickled into urban and large landscape designs. The CRC for Water Sensitive Design (CRCWSD), an Asia-Pacific forerunner, with engineers, climatologists, ecologists, approached us to address this gap: How could technical solutions integrate within urban/landscape designs, work in sub-tropics, and how to design collaborative processes?
Contribution: The Kunshan projects combined research, practice, education, funded reports for Kunshan city council, within the Chinese Sponge City Initiative. The transdisciplinary design process from inception, generated collaborative propositions. Design approaches instead of program-driven, started from WSD integration. Spaces framed around the experience of water processes and seasonal change, created unique atmospheres and seamless integration. For collaboration, projects were subdivided into investigation approaches/ areas, to be later re-joined into comprehensive strategies. This novel process led to uniquely integrated landscape and urban designs, demonstrating value to design practitioners, WSD- scientists (DAPr symposium), clients and government (award).
Significance: The work received an Award for Excellence in Innovation by the Minister for Science and Innovation in Canberra, for transdisciplinary collaboration with CRCWSD. It recognised the outstanding research results and knowledge transfer for a wide range of users, communities, and government agencies (Kunshan Municipality). The project was presented at DAPr symposium on Interdisciplinary Creative Practice Research joining 14 Australian Universities and prominent researchers, and expanded collaboration with CRCWSC (Melbourne Cool Lines).