Our cities and built environment exist within a narrative of growth. But they also exist within a narrative that is constantly rewriting itself in a context of economic changes, resource shortages and ongoing consequences of the climate crisis. Carl Elefante claimed, well over a decade ago, that the greenest building is one that already exists. It is a well cited fact that the construction industry consumes half of all raw materials extracted annually by humans and accounts for 40% of the global CO2 footprint. The decades old practice of demolishing existing buildings and replacing them with new ones has proved to be the wrong path. As we grapple with the challenges of resource scarcity and navigate a dynamically changing world, it is incumbent upon us to explore alternative avenues for gauging growth. Inflection vol. 11 proposes to direct conversations to an embrace of architectural regeneration.

Inflection is a student-run design journal based at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne. Born from a desire to stimulate debate and generate ideas, it advocates the discursive voice of students, academics and practitioners. Founded in 2013, Inflection is a home for provocative writing-a place to share ideas and engage with contemporary discourse.

Inflection is published annually by the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Books.