Architecture for Complexity: Speculative Design as Enabler of Engagement in Co-Designing Post-Mining Futures in the Hunter Valley

The imminent closure of seventeen mining sites in the Wonnarua Nation in Australia’s Hunter Valley over the next two decades has significant social, cultural, and economic implications. Transitioning to a post-mining future requires integrating rehabilitation efforts with socio-cultural and economic considerations. Speculative design and co-design approaches involving stakeholders from local communities, industry, and government offer alternative solutions for this complex scenario. This paper examines how architects can engage effectively in such transitions by using mixed-methods research, which includes in-class analysis, synthesis and design observation, and qualitative data from student interviews involved in a master’s degree at the architectural design studio exploring the future of a major coal mine in Australia. In contrast to the conventions of assessing “before” and “after” conditions that propose a singular answer to the research, this paper describes the innovative testing of these wicked problems in the setting of the creative design studio. Anticipating the potential for multi-stakeholder co-design processes, the outcomes of this research extend beyond local perspectives. The overarching project, of which this experiment is a key part, aims to identify valuable opportunities for landscape rehabilitation in the Hunter Valley and help to articulate a scalable and replicable process that can be applied to address the environmental challenges faced in other Australian regions. This in-class approach presented the opportunity to rethink and reframe the methods used by reflecting on the interview feedback from students. This can enable students to actively engage in design-based responses to impending mine closure and promote inclusive planning in post-mining landscapes.