What is it about?
The article explores the development, after the 1973 Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, of an 'off-grid' self-build culture in the Northern Rivers region of NSW – a culture that was focused on building and living more sustainably, but felt the need to do this outside of conventional planning, development and construction systems. The article explores the creativity and innovation involved in these practices.
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Why is it important?
The article illuminates a little known chapter in the history of Australian countercultural architecture, and situates the Australian experience within an international context. It also points to the relevance of the 1970s experience to contemporary debates about 'off-grid' living.
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Negotiating Off-Grid, Fabrications, January 2015, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/10331867.2015.1006755.
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Resources
Northern Rivers Self-Build Architecture on By Design
Panel interview on ABC Radio National about ‘Not Quite Square: The story of Northern Rivers Architecture’. (exhibition at Lismore Regional Gallery and Tin Sheds Gallery, Sydney 2013)
"‘And Everywhere Those Strange Polygonal Igloos’: Framing a History of Australian Countercultural Architecture."
Conference paper discussing the history of countercultural architecture in Australia.
Architecture of doom: DIY planning for global catastrophe
Journalistic article on contemporary 'off-grid' experiments
Beyond protest: activism and participation in 1970s Sydney
Conference paper co-authored with Amelia Thorpe. Discusses architectural activism related to 1970s self-build architecture in the Northern Rivers NSW.
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