AWARDED PROJECT

Farewell Ex-Neighbourhood | The 2020 Landscape Architecture Australia Student National Prize

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Melbourne, citizens were forced to dramatically shift their daily living patterns, including being limited to the scale of their neighbourhoods. Many services, entertainment, and social venues were no longer accessible, with social distancing even leaving shopping on suburban high streets difficult. What if these changes become long-term or permanent? Focusing on the inner suburb of Richmond, this project explores a new future for a neighbourhood unit that encourages people to adapt and embrace new living and working patterns and spaces. A strategic insertion of a new mix-used development forms the basis for a socio-resilient hub that provides diverse work and cultural experiences and contributes a new multi-dimensional living space for the surrounding neighbours. Carefully integrating architecture, landscape spaces and green infrastructure the project positively introduces density into the inner city block, while a unique fencing system allows surrounding residents to negotiate and control their engagement with the new public space. Incorporating the existing lane way, a new green infrastructure forms a major landscape spine which retains water on-site and provides a cool public space in an increasingly warming climate.