Case Studies
Stellar Violets Life Library, Living Museum & Gallery

Design Feature

Type of project
Landowner Strategy, Placemaking
State
Western Australia
Location
Regional
An exhibition at the 2010 Slow Food International Terra Madre Conference highlighted the rapid reduction in global agricultural biodiversity, which prompted deep concern over the food supply and the unsustainable system in which food is produced.
Modelling healthy food environments
Inspired by this, Stellar Violets was created - a multipurpose community health, arts and culture hub that serves as a model for sustainable living in Manjimup, Western Australia. This is showcased through an on-site market garden, mental health promotion initiatives, environmentally friendly transport, efficient energy use and waste recycling.
Stellar Violets operates within an organic apple orchard in Manjimup, south west Western Australia. Two decommissioned train carriages sourced from Pinjarra serve as both an event space that hosts groups of up to 50 people (such as schools) and a library where people can research land stewardship, art and philosophy, among other topics of interest.
There is also a living museum with a range of food and nature exhibits. For example, a market garden, mixed sensory food garden and the family’s organic apple and nut orchards, operate as educational spaces to showcase a healthy and diverse eco-system.

Other key elements focus on sustainable energy, waste renewal and a Nature Playgroup space to engage future generations in the preservation of nature. Future plans for the space include a seed library, so that community members can ‘check out’ seeds, as they would a library book, and at end of the growing season, return the packet with seeds they have saved from their harvest for the next borrower.
The vision of Stellar Violets has been translated into a community space that educates community members about sustainable food production and holistic health, through a reconnection with, and valuing of, natural resources. This venue allows designers, town planners and policy makers to observe theory in practice to grow healthy built food environments.
Project team
  • Stellar Violets
  • Community members
  • Volunteers

Project cost
$200,000 (funded from a combination of grants, private and corporate sponsorship).
Health value
  • The Stellar Violets market garden and Nature Playgroup spaces enable visitors such as school groups and families to develop an increased awareness and understanding of local food production, promoting healthy eating behaviours and re-establishing the physical, social and emotional connection to food that is currently lacking among many consumers [1].
  • Spaces such as edible and community gardens have also been associated with increased mental wellbeing [2] and physical health through increased socialisation [3]. The accompanying activities such as yoga, meditation and connection to nature further reinforce positive mental health and engagement between visitors.

Economic value
  • The growing, harvesting and consuming food on site, showcases a model for shorter food supply chains to provide low cost nutrient dense foods locally, supporting local food security.
  • The organisation is dedicated to ensuring the programs and activities are accessible for groups of all socio-economic levels, such that Stellar Violets assists low-income groups that wish to engage and use the space, with free or low-cost activities.
  • Stellar Violets harnesses local volunteers to enable the organisation to operate on a minimal cost basis, contributing to local employment through the hiring of occasional contractors from the region.

Environmental value
  • Stellar Violets promotes sustainable transport modes, and as such, operates using an electric ute (the first in the region). In addition, they promote the use of active, carbon-neutral transport such as bicycles. These initiatives are promoted through public and school presentations.
  • Waste from local businesses (i.e. paper) is recycled, used as mulch and compost in the garden spaces. The Stellar Violets site also showcases dry sanitation using a waterless, ‘dry sanitation’ composting toilet.
  • A waste renewal program includes a cold composting system, which has included the engagement of a leadership group from a local primary school. Students have visited the site to learn about composting and have since returned to their school to implement practices in their classrooms.
  • A fundamental component of Stellar Violets is a contribution to responsible and sustainable energy use. The proposed installation of a geothermal energy system, which will heat and cool the buildings and greenhouse will reinforce this dedication.
  • Furthermore, a black water treatment system, which will process kitchen wastewater and completely sustain one of the garden sites, are plans that have been approved for the site.

Social value
  • A key benefit of the Stellar Violets space is the opportunity for local community members of various generations and backgrounds to share educational and health-promoting experiences together.
  • The Nature Playgroup provides value, in that it was initiated by local women who identified a need for engaging children’s activities conducted in nature. The garden site has a specific space dedicated to the playgroup, which focuses on experiential learning in a ‘living classroom’, such as growing fruits and vegetables, flowers, herbs and animals. The space is complete with a sculptured ‘chook house’, where children and their families learn about animals.
  • In addition, there is a gallery space that can be used for yoga and occasional community workshops.

Use value
Stellar Violets is a multipurpose community space in close proximity to the centre of Manjimup, Western Australia. Its location - within an organic apple orchard - enables a unique approach to education in a natural environment. The many functions of the site facilitate engagement of a large range of community members including mothers’ groups, schools, community and corporate groups.
References
  1. Public Health Association of Australia, A Future for Food 2: Healthy, Sustainable, Far. 2012, Public Health Association of Australia.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community Gardens. 2010 [cited 2017 10 April]; Available from: https://http://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/healthtopics/healthyfood/community.htm
  3. World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research, Policy and action for cancer prevention. Food, nutrition and physical activity: A global perspective. 2009, World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research: Washington, United States of America.

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