What if trees were understood not simply as landscape elements, but as architects in their own right? Drawing on years of observing trees throughout Australia’s urban and natural landscapes, consulting arborist Sita Bresnihan introduces the concept of Treechitecture – the recognition that every tree species possesses its own genetically encoded architectural blueprint, expressed through unique patterns of growth, branching and form.

Trees are often valued primarily for their utility, providing shade, habitat, cooling and environmental benefits, yet their contribution extends far beyond function. Trees are living architecture: sculptural forms that shape our experience of space, create identity, ignite and embody emotion, awe, wonder and delight.

From the buttressed architecture of a Moreton Bay Fig, to the intricate zig-zag geometry of Acacia merinthophora, to the extraordinary diversity found within Australia’s more than 900 species of eucalypt, every tree speaks its own architectural language. Every species carries its own architectural blueprint, and Australia’s forests represent one of the world’s great libraries of living design.

Unlike buildings, trees are alive. They do not merely occupy space; they occupy time. This presentation invites us to rethink trees not as objects or infrastructure, but as living co-creators of beautiful, meaningful and liveable places.

Full address:
Ode to Sirens
25 High Street Fremantle

Run time:
6:30pm – Doors open
7:00pm – Talk begins
8:00pm – Q&A
8:30pm – Finish

The Ode to Sirens bar and restaurant will be open for drinks and food. Ticket proceeds will be donated to Perth Doctors Medical Aid for Palestine.

For questions about this event, please contact the organiser.

Sita Bresnihan

Born in Ireland, Sita Bresnihan began her career in Fine Art and Computer Animation, working at the forefront of emerging digital technologies. During the early development of the internet, she collaborated with MIT on pioneering 3D virtual environments and helped pilot one of the world’s first 3D surgical training platforms with the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. After migrating to Australia in 2002, she followed a growing fascination with Australia’s remarkable flora, retraining through Kings Park and Botanic Garden and building a career in arboriculture.

Today, Sita is a leading consulting arborist with ArborSafe Civica and Greehill Singapore, using advanced LiDAR and digital-twin technologies to map and manage urban forests. She advises architects, planners, developers and local governments on integrating trees into the built environment, helping create more resilient, sustainable, beautiful and livable cities.