Melbourne Design Week: A New Normal

22 April 2025

By OCULUS

Black and white image of back of person looking through flowers to a city, generated using Artificial Intelligence.

Image generated using Artificial Intelligence.

Melbourne Design Week,15-25 May 2025, is an annual celebration of design comprising of talks, tours, exhibitions, launches, installations, and workshops. The ideas-driven program provides a platform for designers, educators, enthusiasts, and thinkers, to come together to consider how design can be used as a force for good in an increasingly complex and precarious world.

We’re participating in A New Normal, a 5-day exhibition and talk series presented by Finding Infinity. This unique experience brings together leading architects and creative practitioners from across Australia to showcase a range of projects in motion to help transform our cities.

On Tuesday 20 May, join OCULUS Associate Director Claire Martin on Wurundjeri Country for Day 2 of A New Normal, focusing on naturally enhancing the liveability (for human and non-human-life) and comfort of our cities through cultivating landscape, enhancing biodiversity and adopting water treatment to provide an unlimited supply for the future. Through expert talks, real-world case studies and interactive exhibits, this day showcases how architects, urban designers, and First Nations practices are working together to ensure our ecosystems thrive.

A New Normal takes the opportunity to lay down the required policy to transform Greater Melbourne into self-sufficiency by 2030. It is held in partnership with the Robin Boyd Foundation, Hope Street Radio, and Long Prawn. For more information and ticket bookings, please visit the event website.

Exhibitors include: Public Realm Lab, Baracco+Wright with Monash Architecture Students, Kosloff, MUIR, NMBW & Esther Stewart, NH Architecture, OPENWORK & Kerstin Thompson Architects & Josh Riesel, OCULUS, Winsor Kerr & SBLA, Breathe, and Architect Brew Koch.

Latest

National Gallery of Australia Sculpture Garden Design Competition

A photo of ten smiling people holding three framed certificates and three trophies. One is giving a thumbs up.

03 Feb 2026 — Triple win for Seafarers

A digital render of a waterfront park filled with trees and people. The park is under a large concrete bridge, and a boat shed with ramp is visible.

27 Jan 2026 — New waterfront park sets ambitious goal for Women in Construction

A visualisation of an interactive water's edge with sandstone steps, alongside large trees, and large buildings in the background.

20 Jan 2026 — Renewing the old Sydney Fish Market site

A photo of people socialising in a laneway-like space between two buildings under the shade of trees and umbrellas.

29 Oct 2025 — Victorian Premier’s Design Awards: Triple Finalist

A horizontal cover with a green and blue landscape image reading "Nature Design Guide"

15 Oct 2025 — Nature Design Guide

An aerial photograph of a handful of people walking around a park with paved paths, lawn area, and Australian native plants.

30 Oct 2025 — The Oval at Subi East wins two AILA National Awards

A young vine with purple flowers growing out of rocky ground in front of blurry train tracks.

26 Nov 2025 — World Architecture Festival Win for Creative Reuse

A mock up of a document with dark green covers reading "Woody Meadow Guidelines: Naturalistic plantings of Australian woody plants for people and nature." There are flower graphics on the cover, and the document sits on an isolated white background.

24 Nov 2025 — Guide to Growing a Woody Meadow