Hi! I’m Georgia. I’m from Stanwell Tops NSW Australia but would rather be in an ocean villa in the Bahamas right now … or anywhere except my house. I live in an average house, with a not-so-average family. As I am writing this my two younger brothers, one of whom is STILL in his pajamas, are fighting over who gets the rest of the dip. And when I say fighting, I mean physically wrestling, grind the other's face in the dirt, choke them out kind of fighting. But then again, perhaps my family IS average during these times.
I am to be the first engineer in my family and aspire to be a drop that propagates the ripple of sustainable thinking that is washing over the world. Growing up you would find me designing villages for my Littlest Pet shops (are they still a thing?), to the point where I would write out rosters for all the residents… pedantic, I know.
But I don’t think this journey, which is my ever-growing passion for sustainable design, truly began until I was sitting in my Year 12 Geography class hearing about the challenges faced by megacities, particularly in the developing world. With some of the highest rates of urbanization and overpopulation, these cities are struggling to erect infrastructure fast enough to house citizens and inadvertently placing immense strain on surrounding ecosystems.
So, 17-year-old me, sitting in that classroom saw a problem and realized a way in which I could be part of the solution. And in the words of Bilbo Baggins I knew, “I’m going on an adventure!”
Fast forward three short years and I am currently in my third year of a five-year double major in Civil and Architectural Engineering (Honors) (Scholar) with a minor in Environmental Engineering at UOW. I know I know, the most overqualified, under-experienced (I haven’t been inside a lab in 2 years!) person you have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
The SHC (FYI that’s what the cool kids call it) guides us through weekly learning modules, however, as an architectural engineering student, I have not yet discovered anything revolutionary. Nevertheless, I have loved learning from and being challenged by my teammates and inspired by the guest speakers. Our team has chosen to explore what an affordable, healthy, sustainable, and innovative Indigenous home, made from waste-derived products in the Illawarra would look like (what a mouthful!). We hope to come up with a design that captures even a fraction of this so we can do this challenge and the client justice, whilst also starting a conversation that inspires change.
For me, the SHC is an exciting opportunity to create meaningful change. I see the challenge as a safe space to explore different innovations, ideas, and perspectives that come from different faculties and life experiences. I want the challenge to tear down my existing perceptions and open my eyes to new possibilities, in a way that can only be achieved by a team of passionate individuals with nothing to lose. As a team, we are charging into this challenge, ideas blazing, unsure of the final destination. Nevertheless, it means something that we are running, right? … We like to think so.