Roberta Esbitt: Off the grid and in the groove
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Peter Cowman: Living architecture

Off the grid and in the groove
Roberta Esbitt

There’s an island not far from RMIT: it’s large, it’s natural, it’s mysterious. Many have sailed or fished around it, but few have been. There’s no bridge, so the 90 people who live there come and go by boat. It’s off the grid, with no services or infrastructure: no paved roads, no mains power or water or sewage or garbage delivery. No Council, no rates, no police, no booze bus, no doctor. One general store/post office/café. No, not Bali Hai, but French Island in Westernport Bay (just north of its smaller but better-known neighbour Phillip Island). The quirky aspects of this “cowboy country” Island, its unusual logistics and myriad local legends, never fail to intrigue.

I am an international architect and I live there.

I have recently finished designing and owner-building a house on the Island, a dwelling relatively self-sufficient (solar power, rainwater, wood heating) yet full of 21st century ‘mod-cons’ and architectural detail. This case study considers the design and construction of the house, situating it on the sustainability spectrum not only in terms of design, materials and systems, but also size (the true space requirements for a household) and budget (one builds what one can afford – no aspirational spending here). The fascinating logistics of its construction process will also be discussed: the house was built by one man singlehandedly, and all materials – from windows, rainwater tanks and concrete to the smallest nail – came across by boat, subject to tides and weather. The result is a wonderful space with a wonderful view, and offers a connection to the bush and the sea that is unparalleled….an hour from Melbourne.

The change from urban to rural island life, from accessible to remote, from on- to off-the-grid, has been a huge eye-opener, a life-changing re-examination of meanings and re-ordering of priorities. It has changed my life and may serve to inspire yours.

Both architect and builder will be on hand to answer questions.

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Living Architecture
Peter Cowman

In this stimulating presentation, architect Peter Cowman takes us on a mystery tour within the quasi-secret world of architecture.

From Newgrange to New Age, from tree house to temple, we are invited to explore architecture inside and out. Within this juxtaposition of time and space are to be discovered threads, emerging from the past and snaking forward to inform an invisible future. This insight leads us inwards to where dreams and expectations are forged. It is here, we come to realise, that the experience of architecture is conceived and a missing link between architecture+life awaits discovery.

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