Brunswick's newest tenant might look like a chic design space or boutique architecture firm from the outside, but step inside and you'll find a team of university researchers working alongside the community in a shopfront studio in the heart of the inner north.
Nestled beneath the Jewell Station apartments on Union Street, RMIT PlaceLab will connect researchers with community members and local organisations to identify community needs, champion community ideas and address urban challenges and opportunities.
RMIT PlaceLab Co-Lead Brock Hogan said RMIT PlaceLab was taking a radically different approach to research, by making it inclusive, fast-paced and hyper-local to achieve real and timely impact.
"RMIT is taking a fresh approach to doing research, one that's collaborative and informed by the people who know their neighbourhoods best," Hogan said.
"The aim is to facilitate research and strengthen Brunswick's liveable, adaptive, and inclusive future by conducting collaborative, 'bite-sized' research projects with the community that are locally relevant with immediate application and impact," he said.
Designed as a flexible space for community engagement and research, RMIT PlaceLab will hold events, public and student forums, workshops, artist residencies and exhibitions.
The Brunswick research studio is the first RMIT PlaceLab to open its doors to the local community, with a second site in Melbourne set to open in the coming weeks.
Research outcomes in Brunswick will focus on building the district's culture of design and creativity, driving urban innovation, liveability, and creative and economic opportunity. The two projects already underway at the site are exploring socially sustainable housing and how local creatives are responding to the challenges facing the arts.
More research projects will be developed at both studios and rolled out in six-month cycles of engagement, research, and delivery.
RMIT PlaceLab is supported through the Victorian Higher Education State Investment Fund (VHESIF) to promote urban improvement, inclusion and access, economic growth, productivity, jobs, and social impact. It will be delivered with local government and other partners, including the Brunswick Design District.
Community members and local organisations are encouraged to connect online via the website, Instagram, or LinkedIn, or drop in to one of the research studios.
RMIT PlaceLab Brunswick Shop 1, 17 Union Street Brunswick VIC 3056
