Please feel welcome to join a week-long online book launch and a chance to meet the contributors. Thank you Dr Sarah Breen Lovett for asking me and my philosopher colleague Dr Nikos Patedakis, PhD, PDC to contribute to the wonderful 2025 Routledge Handbooks of Architecture, Urban Space and Politics, Volume II: Ecology, Social Participation and Marginalities.
On Thursday, 8 May, for the online session, I will share how ecosocial creativity and values education with the peoples’ and UNESCO-endorsed Earth Charter (that has evolved from the independent Haumea Ecoversity https://lnkd.in/eUqWXFEF) can help us holistically envision and act for a just sustainability in the Chapter edited by Sarah on ‘Fast Slow: Prefabricated Architecture, DIY Earth building, personal and planetary wellbeing’.
Congratulations to the wonderful editors. Information on the discussions this week: https://lnkd.in/eta_Wa5J
Sarah gives a wonderful overview of this chapter below:
Grateful thanks to Dr Sarah Breen Lovett. Sarah was a former learner on the Haumea Ecoversity Earth Charter course while she was temporarily resident in Ireland and Nikos and I were delighted to contribute eco-social perspectives from the holistic ecoliteracy and philosophy we share in our work.
About
Dr Sarah Breen Lovett is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Architecture and Built Environment, Newcastle University, Newcastle NSW, Australia, engaging in practice-led, industry-collaborating and socially-engaged research projects. Across all of these modes of engagement, Sarah focuses on interconnectivity between self, community, built and landscaped environments through a combination of earth building, prefabricated architecture, wellbeing and eco-social practices.
Working with industry and peak bodies, Sarah is driven to research the use of earth materials in the building industry for more regenerative architecture.Sarah is a committee member of the Earth Building Association of Australia and incorporates earth building into teaching in architecture, industry led research and advocacy activities.Sarah is particularly passionate about how earth building is on one hand a sustainable, low carbon material, which can be used to support planetary wellbeing; and on the other hand has many health benefits that can be used for the development of personal wellbeing.Sarah recently received a Fellowship from the Irish Arts Council to investigate the relationship between Earth Building and Prefabricated Architecture.
Sarah is driven to explore how earth building has many wellbeing benefits. This ranges from the building of DIY earth buildings to inhabiting buildings made from earth. Sarah is exploring ways to extend this research through collaboration and has recently co-published on this topic in a recent book chapter “Routledge Handbook of Architecture, Urban Space and Politics, Vol II: Ecology, Social Participation and Marginalities”.
Sarah’s architectural research began following her architectural and interior design career which spanned 10 years on numerous residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Sydney and London. Experience with Industry-collaborating pre-fabricated research has been with a number of Tier 1-3 Industry Partners, Peak bodies, Government bodies, Educational Institutions and SME’s.
This has been through her roles as: Engagement & Education Leader at Building 4.0 CRC, Lecturer and Lab Manger at Future Building Initiative, MADA Monash University, as well as Post-doctoral Researcher and Lab Manager of the Innovation in Applied Design Lab at The University of Sydney.
Eco-Social research projects have been carried out through the creation and curation of many regional contemporary art exhibitions and performances focused on environmental and socially engaged practices.These were held on Gadigal, Wiradjuri, Dharug and Gundungurra Countries.
Hello! Kia Ora! Dia daoibh!
I’m Cathy Fitzgerald, an ecological artist, educator, and founder of Haumea Ecoversity.
Originally from Aotearoa, New Zealand, I’ve lived in rural Ireland, the ancestral home of my family, for over 30 years.
Together with my philosopher colleague Dr Nikos Patedakis (USA), we’ve guided over 400 creative professionals worldwide in transformative ecoliteracy training since 2019.
Haumea Ecoversity Community Membership is a vibrant space for lifelong learning, collective wisdom, and creative transformation for a more beautiful, just, and life-sustaining world.
Dr Cathy Fitzgerald
“In these times of great challenge, I’m passionate about bringing ecoliteracy—including new ecological thinking, values, language, and head-heart-body practices—to creative, sustainability and cultural sectors. These areas have a crucial leadership role: they can inspire communities to embrace new values and actions for living well on Earth, together with all life.”
In 2022, I was honoured to be nominated by Earth Charter International and UNESCO Chair for ESD as Earth Charter Focal Point Communicator for Ireland
About Cathy
- Ecological Artist: Creator of the ongoing Hollywood Forest Story
with new-to-Ireland continuous cover forestry (begun 2008). - Educator & Advisor: Accredited ESD Earth Charter educator,
Creative Drummin Carlow Bog project ecoliteracy advisor. - Researcher & Mentor: Specialist in Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) at Haumea Ecoversity.com
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