Only the Beginning – A New Normal by Finding Infinity
Less than a year after A New Normal was launched at Melbourne Design Week, six of the 15 pilot projects have secured funding and discussions are underway for further projects elsewhere in Australia and around the world.
Merging technical solutions with cultural connections, A New Normal invites the city of Melbourne to re-evaluate its future. Curated by Finding Infinity – an organisation dedicated to encouraging cities to creatively transition into self-sufficient metropolises – A New Normal highlights Melbourne’s potential to shift from its consumer based foundation into a completely circular economy and producer of energy and water by 2030; an achievable strategy that will pay for itself in less than 10 years.
Melbourne, with a population of five million people, is known as one of the most liveable cities in the world, and yet it sits just outside the top one per cent of emissions per capita. A New Normal aims to transform the city, enabling it to function on resources that will never run out nor cause further damage to the environment. Finding Infinity forecasts it will cost $100 billion to transform Greater Melbourne, creating 80,000 jobs in construction and 40,000 ongoing positions in the process.
The transformation is working towards implementing ‘10 Key Profitable Initiatives’, including ending the concept of landfill, electrifying transport, improving the efficiency of existing buildings, using renewable resources and treating sewerage water. Many of these are being instigated in cities globally, and presently Melbourne has the potential to become the first city in the world to combine all 10 initiatives.
“The project seems to be moving faster than anyone in the team expected,” says Finding Infinity Principal Ross Harding. “On reflection, what we are learning is that we need to develop pilot projects with the private sector that are culturally engaging to bring people on board and use these projects to de-risk much-needed policy for politicians.”
Six of these 15 pilot projects have already secured funding after being launched at the 2021 Melbourne Design Week.
In 2020, A New Normal brought together 15 leading Australian architects to workshop, prototype and make transformational change in Melbourne. These pilot projects included transforming organic food waste into energy to heat swimming pools, reclaiming spaces to create community-centric facilities, turning waste into art and repurposing trash for a second life.
Six of these 15 pilot projects have already secured funding after being launched at the 2021 Melbourne Design Week. The first is a net zero energy efficiency retrofit; located in Fitzroy, the ‘Efficient Architecture’ project focuses on upgrading an existing three-storey brick walk up, transforming the structure into a net producer of energy. Poised to be completed mid-2022, the project – designed by Kennedy Nolan and funded by Tripple Impact Investing – has already begun. Another ‘Efficient Architecture’ project – this time located in Richmond – has also commenced. Designed by NMBW with landscape design by Openwork, this project concentrates on transforming an existing warehouse into a net positive office space.
As a result of these energy efficiency retrofit projects, the CFMEU is now working with Finding Infinity and The University of Melbourne to retrofit five of the union’s buildings with the objective of using these examples to lobby for policy to do the same for all of the buildings in the CBD.
Located in the City of Melbourne, a new 23-storey hotel will function as a net zero energy and zero waste structure. Designed by Kennedy Nolan, the building will generate more renewable energy on site than it consumes, utilising façade and rooftop solar panels and converting waste into energy. Additionally, Kennedy Nolan, Finding Infinity and Openwork have been appointed by the City of Moreland to deliver a carbon zero timber community building. Funding has also been confirmed for a new net zero Cremorne office building, with further details to come.
Meanwhile, The North Melbourne Tapestry Project Organic Energy Plant designed by WOWOWA, turning waste into energy, has currently completed both feasibility studies and concept designs and will soon be submitted for planning. Funded by Orb Property Partners, the ‘Organic Energy Plant’ will produce fertiliser and convert 10 tonnes of food waste per day into heat and power for a sauna and wellness centre.
Drawing on technology that already exists, these initiatives are beginning to take root in the city. With the hopes of getting all projects funded by the end of 2022, A New Normal is also aiming to establish the program within 10 cities around the world. Funding has already been received for projects in Hamburg that have moved into the prototyping phase and discussions are underway for projects in Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, San Salvador and Mexico City.
These projects are only the beginning. A New Normal is providing a clear path forward from here – an opportunity for Melbourne and the rest of the world to come together for future generations, redesign the existing, reconnect our society and make this radical future an authentic reality.
