Design Options Inquiry

[Swati KashyapParticipant]

Hi Anthony,

I have prepared a few questions related to my 3 design options. The designs are based off from the passive evaporative cooling techniques that have existed and worked for ages of time. I find it difficult to obtain certain information, so if you or anyone else such as a representative from TSIRC can answer it, it would be greatly helpful?

1) What suppliers of mangrove timber, euclyptus gum, porous clay and euclyptus gum exist on Saibai Island?

2) Where would I find their sale costs for these products listed? Would I directy contact them or can I have the information from TSIRC?

3) What furniture construction workshops with its basic woodworking tools do the Saibai people have, so I know what is available? Also, what are the costs for hiring someone inland to woodwork the designs? If so, what is the range? Or where can I find someone inland with such specialist woodworking skills to volunteer?

4) Where would I find a clay making workshop on Saibai Island for producing a huge clay jar? What are the costs of hiring someone to do it? Or there is a volunteer inland who understands clay making?

5) Who is the supplier of a small thermoelectric cooler and solar photovoltaic panels? What are the range of costs? These things are easy for assembly for the people inland, so I still chose it as part of one design option.

Thanks,

Kind Regards,

Swati Kashyap

[Anthony BradyKeymaster]

Hi Swati,

Thanks for your questions.

As I’m sure you can appreciate from the design brief and the 360 degree interactives, Saibai Island is a small remote island and therefore the suppliers that you’ve listed simply do not exist on the island. If your design needs these materials and/or services, then you will have to research what suitable options are available – this is part of the challenge of working in remote communities!

As part of your research, you might want to start with potential suppliers in North Queensland and then you may need to expand your search to QLD and beyond depending on what you can find. Remember that it is perfectly acceptable to make assumptions based on the information you can find – you do not need to know the exact costs, a reasonable estimate is okay. It’s already great that you’re thinking about these different potential costs for the project, just being aware of these costs (even without the exact value) is really good work.

Please remember that as part of our agreement with community, we ask that students do not attempt to contact the community partner or any related organisations.

If after doing your own research you still have questions, please post them to the discussion forum.

We really encourage you to consider how your design idea could promote and weave in local knowledge (woodworking, clay making, materials commonly found on island communities). How could your solution give Islanders an opportunity to bring in their own traditional knowledge and take ownership of development and sustainment of your design?

Cheers,
Anthony

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