ABOUT

As populations are moving into high-density urban living conditions, everyday opportunities for people to encounter tangible and healthy experiences of nature are being diminished. Through the use of the Docking Life installation the link between people and nature, and its affect on people’s lives and their connection to urban surroundings can be enhanced.
The design encourages and enables people to inhabit reconnections to natural systems and processes. By allowing them to experience nature at the Docklands waterfront through a series of installations, high volumes of people will be provoked to encounter and potentially experience the benefits of nature in this environment.
The installation utilises a felt made from 100% recycled PET plastic bottles, collected by locals from the Docklands area. As more PET bottles are collected, more felt pods will be made, allowing the installation to grow down through the Docklands wharf.
People are encouraged to partake in the lifecycle of plants, by taking cuttings from the plants and nurturing the cuttings elsewhere in the Docklands precinct. Participants are then able to return with more cuttings adding to the pods and continuing with the lifecycle and movement of plants around Docklands.
One of the important aspects of the design is its tangibility, as the connection to people’s senses creates a more memorable experience, enhancing the bond between people and nature. This is accomplished by selecting plants that are suitable for propagation from cuttings, which allows the public to engage with the plants lifecycle by interacting with the Docking Life installation.