Melbourne International Design Week: Urban.com.au's choice events

Melbourne International Design Week is upon us again, showcasing the best of international design excellence coupled with numerous presentations from forward thinking industry participants. The event seeks to "Give everyone the opportunity to be inspired by the benefits of outstanding design for our lives and our economy."

Highlighting the role of design as a catalyst for innovation, Melbourne International Design Week provides the most accessible means for the general public to engage with business and industry participants.

Melbourne International Design Week is a series of landmark events presented in partnership with Ideas on Design and provides a platform to support and promote other presenters from the local and international community. We encourage programs and activities that showcase design excellence, build collaboration between, design disciplines, industry sectors and the local and international community.

Design Matters: Melbourne International Design Week 2015

Here's a chosen quartet of Urban.com.au's most notable events during the course of this week:

Curbing the Urban Sprawl

Billed as an event that will discuss the failings of suburbs and their ability to deliver a sustainable model for the Australian city, Curbing the Urban Sprawl will feature discussion lead by ROTHELOWMAN principal Chris Hayton and Hamton Development Director Matt Malseed. Covering issues relating to architecture, landscape architecture and planning, the event will present ideas based upon innovative and intelligent design, sustainability and higher density cities.

When

Saturday 16 May: Discussion 12:30pm - 1.30pm, followed by tours of the Haven development between 2pm to 4pm (no bookings necessary)

Where

Acacia Place - 677-679 Victoria Street, Abbotsford

Urban Tomorrows, Urban Todays: Dan Hill public talk

Executive Director of Futures at the UK’s Future Cities Catapult and Adjunct Professor with the School of Media and Communication at RMIT. Impressive qualifications associated with designer and urbanist Dan Hill as he spearheads a discussion on key urban challenges for our future, with an eye toward creating a more sustainable and desirable future.

A regular for publications such as Dezeen, Domus and Volume, Dan Hill is excessively well versed in contemporary urban issues.

When

Wednesday 13 May: 6.30 PM to 8:00 PM (free entry)

Where

Level 4 Lecture Theatre, RMIT Swanston Academic Building (80.04.011) 445 Swanston Street

Victorian Design Exhibition

The best of what Victoria can offer in terms of design will be on display this week. Free to the public, Victorian Design Exhibition will showcase in excess of 100 award winning designs. Chosen by industry leading bodies such as The Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Graphic Design Association, Design Institute of Australia and Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, the is the best of the best on display.

When

Sunday 10 May to Saturday 16 May

Where

City Square, Corner Swanston & Collins Streets

No Risk! A Century of Dense Living in South Yarra - Walking Tour

Join the Melbourne Architours team who know the architecture and design of Melbourne's inner suburbs inside out. South Yarra is on the radar this week with an informative walking tour on the agenda

South Yarra offers a physical laboratory for Melbourne’s renewed interest in density, providing a convenient cross section of built examples from maisonettes to walk-up flats and recent high end towers. Walking a meandering path from 1920 to today offers an opportunity to compare a range of dense building types, and observe changes in development activity, successive waves of architectural movements and the ever-present effects of urban governance.

This walking tour is intended to be highly interactive and seeks to provide a platform for positive debate about inner suburban Melbourne’s past, present and future.

Design Matters: Melbourne Architours

When

Thursday May 14: 9am-10.30am - more details

Where

Meet at 9-11 Claremont Street, South Yarra (bookings required)