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The brief for this project was to create a public library, incorporating an optical illusion into the design. The site was located in Sir William Fry Reserve on the corner of Nepean Hwy and Bay Rd, Cheltenham, just opposite Southland. I created an installation (right) on the site to illustrate the illusion I was using. A green ‘skate park’ becomes the canvas and the circular green and black dots (grass and spray paint respectively) are arranged using an anamorphic projection so that from a specific vantage point (below right) they create the illusion of a flat image. The slight offset in the pattern of the dots creates another illusion, if you use the ‘magic eye’ technique and blur your eyes until two dots lock into one, you will see that every second dot appears to be floating in front of the other.
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illusion library
The curvilinear shape of the outer concrete skin catches the anamorphic projection and creates long, sinuous windows as seen in section below. The bookshelves are designed to mirror the slope of the roof and act in such a way, that the books always remain upright.
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My response to the library needing major signage was to turn the entire eastern facade into a giant billboard that would glow at night (see above) along the Nepean Highway. The 300mm windows spell out the word ‘library’ and would very effectively advertise the library’s presence.
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illusion library
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The north entrance to the library.
The children’s area looking west, general reading area looking north and internet/ramp zone looking south, are shown top to bottom respectively.
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The key illusion position, located on the edge of the existing skate park, is where the building can be read as a two dimensional pattern. This is achieved using contrasting paving colours and a dark tint on the west facing windows. The gentle slope of the roof was crucial for the illusion, as it makes the building appear to be flat from this position.
under the bridge This project is a redesign of the Richmond Station precinct and was my Major Project for the RMIT Masters program. The elevated Richmond Station rail bridge straddles two very distinct precincts. To the west is the lush, green Melbourne Park, and to the east is Richmond and the lively Swan St. These highly contrasting areas butt up against each other, split in two by the ever busy Punt Rd. By flipping the axis of division from one in plan to one in section, the Melbourne Park aesthetic and green space is drawn across the top of the bridge into Richmond, and Richmond in turn is drawn across Punt Rd below. The precinct already has a massive amount of potential energy but is currently inward facing. This project is about harnessing this energy and giving it an outlet. Programmatically the project draws upon the existing land usage and increases the amenity of both precincts with a 6000 capacity live music venue, arcade, micro brewery, and open events space below the bridge. The project celebrates this highly visible piece of infrastructure, and builds on and enhances the existing character and aesthetic of both precincts, with a focus on increasing amenity, permeability, safety and connectivity.
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under the bridge
The Swan Street bridge is reimagined as a boutique shopping arcade, activating what was once an underutilised and unsightly thoroughfare into a thriving retail space. The original steelwork of the bridge is retained for its iconic status and inherent beauty.
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Relocated tram stops and a zebra crossing increase pedestrian access and foot traffic to the area. The apartment towers are visible beyond, through the voids in the bridge.
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Local graffiti artists are commissioned to paint murals at strategic locations along the arcade.
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under the bridge
The public plaza is a multi-purpose open air space that comes alive on game day. Food trucks drive into the alloted spaces which also act as market stalls. The paved area is punctuated by green space beneath the voids in the tracks.
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Two giant screens are angled so that they can be viewed from any point on the gently sloping ground surface. Clear views to the hotel above and lobby passage below the bridge act as passive security measures to increase pedestrian safety.
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A rainwater collection system is incorporated into the elevated train tracks which services the apartment towers and micro-brewery.
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under the bridge
The micro-brewery is a reinterpretation of the old Richmond Brewery that was a landmark in its time, but was reacquired in the 1960’s. Accessed from underneath the Punt Rd bridge (right), the venue acts as a restaurant and public thoroughfare by day.
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Large specifically angled skylights allow light into the micro-brewery without direct sunlight to the copper stills. These skylights also act as seating on the train platform level.
The micro-brewery is planned around the two circular brewing voids that are accessed by gangway above and extend to the floor below. The entire area splits in two at night to service both the public at the front, and the live music venue located behind.
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Platform 12. An elevated public park bisects the two platform faces and extends the Melbourne Park precint over the bridge and into Richmond. This treatment also occurs at platform 1, bookending the station with greenspace and softening the elevations that can be seen from Punt Rd.
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under the bridge
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Above the bridge, the cores of four hotels to the west and two apartment towers to the east puncture through the voids in the bridge and are serviced by elevated platform interchange walkways. The bridge itself acts as the dividing line and is clad in an undulating steel that regulates wind and views on the platform level.
MICRO DWELLING This project was selected to be published in the STUDIOPLEX book by UCLA, shown right.
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Using reclaimed aluminium off-cuts of 1000mmX200mmX2mm, this project proposes a portable micro-dwelling for use by students around university campuses. The primary structure is composed of a series of bent aluminium ribs fastened to a rigid MDF base with a series of transformable surfaces integrated for different uses at day and night. During the day the shelter provides a social gathering space with benches, grass and lounge space, while at night the Tyvek enclosure transforms the pavilion into a sleeping pod. The metal ribs were tested through the constraints of malleability, strength and rigidity individually and through the overall assembly, ultimately configured through Grasshopper and Kangaroo outputs. The use of modular pieces thereby transformed from flat-cut sheets to bent-rib, 3-dimensional structures, scalable up or down.
The pages as they appear in the publication
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micro dwelling
The aluminium ribs are held in tension by marine grade stainless steel fishing wire. The base lifts up using the built in aluminium seat, which then in turn becomes a desk, to reveal a custom mattress underneath.
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While conceived as a full scale prototype, the structural system could accomodate much larger urban program reproduced at a larger scale
Led strips run the length of two ribs and connect to a power cable built into the base.
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The entire structure was built by hand in the RMIT workshop. Each metal rib had to be manually bent on a MagnaBend to specific angles previously worked out in the 3D model.
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pecking order I was recently hired to do the design work for a new free range chicken restaurant in Richmond, Melbourne called Pecking Order. This involved creating the logo, brand identity, menu, fit out, plans for council and construction, packaging, and all marketing material and imagery. The brief was to create a healthy, cool, accessible and fresh brand that has the potential to turn into a successful franchise. Working together with the client, the fit out was kept simple with polished concrete floors, white tiles and clean, simple furniture. The black ceiling was the main feature with 45 edison globes softly lighting the interior and a 300mm mirror surround giving the illusion of an infinite ceiling. Having never worked on a project without supervision before, this was a great learning experience and taught me a number of invaluable lessons.
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pecking order
a a There were quite a few amendments made along the way due to our dealings with the City of Yarra council, but the final plan for the space is shown here. While the shop was completely gutted, it began its life as a noodle bar, so every effort was made to retain the plumbing, wiring and equipment where possible.
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As it was a very small space, the design decisions were made most effectively in 3D. The image on the bottom left shows one of the final renders of the dining area and the image on the bottom right shows the final built result. Luke Lucas, a well-known typographer, was chosen to do the mural wall.
furni ture design Before studying Architecture, I studied Furniture Design for two years - during which time I designed and built several pieces of furniture. The majority of time was spent in the workshop learning basic woodworking skills and how to use the machines properly and safely. This knowledge assisted me greatly when it came to model making and the 1:1 studios that I undertook in Architecture. Building things by hand and seeing the process through from beginning to end is a great passion of mine and, I’ve found, is a skill that translates across all design disciplines.
This coffee table went through two iterations, the first with a light blue glass tile (shown right) inside. The second (opposite) was with a red glass tile to match the kitchen splashback in the client’s apartment.
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Black ceramic + red glass tile coffee table. It measures 1200x1200x400 and uses a torsion box style construction. It is now nearly 10 years old and is still in great condition.
furniture
I have a keen interest in using raw materials, bringing colour into my designs where possible and creating pieces that have multiple uses - like a timber magazine rack that can flip into a desk organiser, or a bookshelf/wine rack.
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iq lamp This project was completed in an elective called ‘Intricacy’ at RMIT run by Roland Snooks. The brief was to work in pairs to create an intricate model - architectural or otherwise - using the laser cutters and computer modelling. Instead of designing a new construction system from scratch, we used the IQ lamp, designed by Holger Strom in 1973, as a precedent. A very thin walnut veneer was chosen as the medium for this project, due to it’s inherent beauty and delicacy which suited the project brief. Through testing, as seen above, the geometric logic behind the system was discovered and could then be translated into a 3D model in Rhino. From here, a more complex double curved geometry (opposite middle) was chosen to map the system on to. After some time, each piece was then individually arranged according to the grain of the veneer so that it would bend in the appropriate direction (opposite far right) and construction could begin.
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The finished model, while only partially built, shows the system was successful but was let down by the fragility of the veneer.
lyons model I was recently hired by LYONS to construct a model of the Queensland Children’s Hospital, along with another student from RMIT. The brief was to create a sectional diagrammatic model that highlighted the ‘trunks and branches’ that punctuate the building and connect the interior with the exterior. The model was to be used for an industry conference in Singapore, which meant that it had to be easily transported. Working backwards from the size of the allowable hand luggage size on the airline we split the model into two pieces that locked together with a hidden seam through the bulk of the model. Built at 1:200 and laser cut from plywood and card, the model includes coloured furniture and people to illustrate the scale and usage. The model currently resides in the LYONS office lobby.
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The Queensland Children’s Hospital, seen below, is currently under construction.
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