Common Senses

Water is at the cultural heart of Australia and nowhere is that more iconic than Sydney harbour. But over the years we have watched the attitude towards water evolve beyond its poetic origins to a clinical process of management. The ephemeral nature of water inherently creates deeply personal experiences for each user. These experiences are facilitated through our senses. We rely on our senses to keep us safe. All the time our brain is absorbing information about the world around us through our senses - our brain combines our previous information with the sensory input from our immediate context and answers questions about the world around us. Rejuvenating the bays offers a unique opportunity to explore personal relationships with water through sensory exploration. ‘Common Senses’ focuses on the context of deep time in landscape led designs. This approach transcends any one user group and is informed by the context of the site. Four large habitat Islands, a naturalised storm water channel, and a series of connective paths from the new metro station above a habitat rich retention basin form the key design moves that engage users with the site. The future of the site is explored through the lens of water and what might happen when the harbour starts to take back the land.