A Huge House III - Blue Pavilion

Camperdown, Parramatta Rd

2024

University of Sydney, Aboriginal College

Designing spaces for social interactions and areas for students to gather and share stories from their home and culture with other students of the same background and practice are crucial to the development of the project.

Precedent Study - Le Corbusier’s Swiss Pavilion

  • Overall Ground & Typical Floor Plans

  • Typical Unit Plan

  • Detailed Section

  • Lounge Internal Render

  • Physical Building Model

  • Physical Detail Unit Model

Proposed Works

Site Plan

Located along the lively stretch of Parramatta Rd in Camperdown, the proposed buildings embody a focal point of activity: creating a space for student housing and accommodation aimed for Aboriginal and First Nations people. The programs are arranged into three main typologies, leaving large, interconnected spaces between which creates pathways and circulation, and invites people to wander in and around the site.

The ground floor functions provide a supportive environment for students to communicate, study, and socialise whilst staying connected to their cultural roots. Programs and workshops focused on Indigenous knowledge, arts, and practices are integrated through study spaces and libraries, and open social spaces such as cafes and green spaces activate opportunities for Indigenous ceremonies and relaxation.

The arrangement strategy takes full advantage of the natural sunlight which enters each building throughout the day, whilst providing the spaces in between access to the available light, with ample views towards the Camperdown landscape. By incorporating native plants and trees throughout the ground plane and vertically towards the roof, the proposal blurs the line between indoor and outdoor environments. Lightweight materials harmonize with the landscape, seamlessly integrating nature into the building’s fabric. The façade, using polycarbonate as the skin and cladding of the shared spaces, projects the activity and movement of people from inside, offering views towards Camperdown and away from the traffic on Parramatta Road.

Ground Floor Plan

Typical Unit Floor Plan

  • Typical Unit Plan

  • Physical Building Model 1

  • Physical Building Model 2

  • Lounge & Corridor Internal Render

  • Physical Model - Typical Unit 1

  • Physical Model - Typical Unit 2

Detailed Section and Elevation

Designing spaces for social interactions and areas for students to gather and share stories from their home and culture with other students of the same background and practice are crucial to the development of the project. The building prioritises social interactions and cultural exchanges among students, with multiple units transitioning smoothly between public and private functions. Shared areas within the design include kitchen, dining and lounge areas for social and casual encounters whilst leaving open, multi-purpose spaces with loose furniture for gatherings and yarning circles to be established - knowledge sharing and building respect and understanding. The open spaces along the corridors invite additions of Aboriginal artworks and murals to line the hallways which provide a means of cultural expression and are a vehicle for the maintenance and transmission of culture. The visual arts promote health and well-being and provides self-esteem and a sense of identity to young Indigenous people.

Cross Section

Overall Elevation

The existing trees and native plants are integral to the cultural, and practical aspects of Aboriginal life, serving as sacred sites and markers of ancestral connection. The planning strategies around this concept allows for the existing trees along the perimeter of Parramatta Rd to be retained, and the existing greenhouse stands as a focal point within the site to nurture and continue the growth of its native flora within the site - allowing students and the general public to interact and share their knowledge with each other whether it relates to the native plants grown within the greenhouse or about their Indigenous culture. The roof winter gardens then attempts to foster community cohesion and honour the inextricable connection between Aboriginal peoples and their land, serving as a sacred venue for ceremonial practices such as smoking ceremonies from both ground floor and above.

Axonometric Detail

Proposed Materiality