By definition, placemaking is a multi-faceted approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces. Placemaking capitalises on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential, with the intention of creating public spaces that promote health, happiness, and well-being.
As both an overarching idea and an approach to improving a community, city, or suburb, placemaking inspires people to collectively reimagine public spaces as the heart of every community. Establishing a strong connection between people and the places they share, placemaking is a collaborative process by which we can shape our living spaces and enhance our lives, interactions and experiences.
Chris’s experience across a wide range of media allows for a flexible approach in his work – always looking for opportunities to explore a visual language to create an identity and a sense of place.
His design process begins with a site study to inform the visual language, focusing on two key principles – place and purpose. Place – as it relates to the context of the site to form a narrative for the artwork, and purpose – relating to the experience and community of the site.
This approach allows Chris to create abstract and stylised artworks that offer a unique perspective and connect to a strong local narrative, exploring the balance between the natural world and built form.
Be inspired by some of Chris’s incredible work
Nexus for Satterly, City of Melville. Willagee, WA
A painted ground treatment responds to the local flora and context of the site, with a focus on referencing the abundance and significance of the red ochre wilgee clay. Integrated lighting into the shade structures, furniture and ground plane responds to lunar phasing for scheduled lighting sequences to connect time and place and offer an elevated experience of the artwork of an evening.
“My intention for the entire gallery site was to become its own unique art trail, connecting time, place and purpose for a unique artwork experience for residents and visitors alike.”
Inhale / Exhale for Shire of Esperance. Esperance, WA
A painted treatment reflects the local natural forces shaping the landscape of Esperance and its surrounds. The purity of the landscape and strength of the community are depicted across the entire facade, elevated by programmed lighting that responds to local weather data in real time for a site-specific immersive experience.
Colour Migration for Satterly, Emerge Associates. Kwinana, WA
The artwork draws inspiration from the natural surrounds, balancing bold use of colour and abstract stylised forms with detailed textures and patterns to integrate the built environment with the natural world. The migration of the black cockatoo is depicted through abstract patterns as they weave through the firewood banksia with sweeping lines to track movement and connect the artwork across the entire site.
Richmond for The Walt Disney Company Australia. Melbourne, VIC
“Referencing the surrounds of Richmond, drawing on the historical significance of industry and threading a line to the future shaping of the area towards a design precinct. I injected forms from the nearby Botanical Gardens to bring the natural world inside and create a dynamic yet inviting piece of artwork to attract from a distance yet encourage closer inspection of detail to recognise familiar forms.”
Meeting Place for City of Mandurah. Mandurah, WA
A permanent public artwork installation combining the sculptural form with dynamic lighting and audio to connect with the landscape and reflect the nearby estuary and community of Mandurah, WA. The artwork responds to weather data in real time and sensors reflect the audience presence, informing the audio and lighting content for an immersive and truly unique experience.
The making of Meeting Place
Be an active contributor to positive change
By embracing the concept of placemaking, developers and planners (or anyone contributing to today’s constantly evolving urban landscape for that matter) can be active contributors to positive change and the legacy of urban development.
