The Cycle of Life: From Lava Flows to Lemon Tree

Half of the garden displays pioneering plants growing vigorously and wildly from the gravel, as to represent the ecological progressions of plants after eruption. On the other side, various plants are cultivated in a geometrical pattern as in man-made terraced orchards.

In the middle of the garden hanging glass tubes slowly release seeds of native Sicilians’ plants, such as lemon, olive spreading them around. They will germinate during the existence of the garden. This process simulate the interaction of humans and nature in the cultural landscape of Sicily.

Zoom in details are also presented to show the construction details of the garden.

To manifest our idea and celebrate biodiversity, plantings are chosen to reveal the character of each planting design zone. Each plants are selected from the plants catalogue with consideration of their climatic zone and their appearance in terms of color and texture, creating a poetic garden.

Pioneer Plants

Wooden Vine Trellis

Seed Bank

+ + TERRACED GARDEN CACTUS GARDEN

May 2023

Rockdale Wetland Corridor, Sydney

Masters Capstone 1

Low Carbon Landscape: Instituting Environmental Restorative Carbon Sequestration at Sans Souci

The Rockdale Wetland Corridor is an 8km area that spans twelve suburbs in the Bayside Council LGA. The northern part of the corridor is mostly man-made, while the southern part contains some natural areas mixed with recreated wetlands and open spaces.

Rockdale Wetland Corridor currently offers few benefits and has little to no relationship to the community. This research study explains design principles to maximise carbon sequestration at the Rockdale Wetland Corridor through blue carbon ecosystem to ease the negative results of climate change by lowering carbon emission.

Sans Souci is chosen to be the site location due to its complex and rich biology and environment. Located towards the southern end of the site in Rockdale Wetland Corridor, the site is surrounded with water, blessed with a narrow beach area. It is also a popular family location during the weekend.

Scott Park: Recently renovated and upgraded area. Water channel is naturalized, however, not welcoming interaction with the visitors. Poor structural vegetation diversity. Vegetations is scattered.

Riverside Drive Playground: Standardized playground repeated throughout the corridor. It is not exciting, no educational value and does not encourage children to interact with nature.

Sandringham Bay: The entire corridor feels very enclosed and confined. As we approached the end of the corridor, the waterfront provides a lot of openness and contrast in comparison to the dull wetland corridor.

Situated at one of the best vantage points, St. George Sailing Club draws a lot of visitors to the site during the weekend. The Sailing Club structure increased habitat complexity and diversity in presenting submerged hard surfaces for animal and plant fouling organism to attach to and create colonies.

The presence of endangered vegetation communities (1) Seagrass, (2) Salt Marsh, in the area should be restored and expanded, meanwhile this provides a great opportunity for landscape designers to improve the community understanding for low carbon.

The site is prone to sea level rise, Every 200mm rise in sea level will result in landward movement of 3-5m of the tidal planes.

The implementation of carbon sequestration from the nurturing and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems represent the scientific and governmental consensus across different levels of policy-making.

On a global level, the United Nations initiatives provide the principles on the highest level, applicable across disciplines. On the national level, improvement of resilience amidst the changing climate has become a policy highlight, with carbon sequestration within the toolbox for decarbonisation. On the state level, strategic planning plans and directives support the development of good quality green spaces to achieve sustainable and healthy environments, coinciding with objectives for restoring carbon ecosystems.

To maximise carbon sequestration, good design restore vital habitat and ecosystem functions, facilitate the landscape in becoming a carbon neutral environment. Prioritising low carbon landscape construction, good design uses native and adapted species, durable and long life-cycle materials to enable a self-regenerative and low carbon footprint landscape. To increase public literacy in low carbon landscape, good design promotes opportunities to understand, share and act in low carbon landscape practice.

Diagram showing the implementation of carbon sequestration from the nurturing and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems represent the scientific and governmental consensus across different levels of policy-making.

Diagram showing the design strategies for each design principle.

Carbon Landscape Construction

Literacy in Low Carbon Landscapes

Perspectives showing the scenarios for the three different design principles.

Time Location

Perspectives showing the slow transition of the four lanes from an urban forest to cultural shrubs, then shopping area and finally a leisure area.

May 2022

Tweed Heads, NSW

Realm

Tweed Grove: The New Community Room for

Tweed Heads Public Realm

Tweed Grove: The New Community Room for All

The Tweed Mall, one of the largest shopping centre at the NSW-QLD border was sold in 2016 for redevelopment . With the evolving needs of the community, this studio explores scenarios for the transformation renovation. The main goal is to integrate open spaces and public domains between the buildings. With the rebranded name Tweed Grove, the design aims to create a new image and promote the mall as a tourist destination of the area.

Tweed Grove sits on the site of the former Tweed Mall Shopping Centre. It has been a casual mall for the nearby residences for shopping. The mall however did not have a very good urban connections. Coupled with the absent of an urban plaza in the area, the Tweed Grove Mall is positioned to introduce a new urban typology.

The Tweed Grove Mall is ambition to provide a new experience for the neighbourhood with landscape, food, art and culture. Tweed Grove aims to realign and converge the city, becoming a landmark of the neighbourhood.

To activate the mall and allow Tweed Grove to be a gathering hub of the neighbourhood, multiple programs are included in the open space design. Located in the centre of the mall, a flexible open designed in the hope to hold various multi-cultural events to attract the neighbour to visit the mall.

Bringing in nature from the Jack Evans Boat Harbour, our design shows a gradual transition from to an urban plaza. Extending from the central plaza area, the mall is connected to the Wharf Street lanes within the commercial buildings, each provide visitors a different experience as they enter multiple open space is mall. from a forest Street with 3 the mall. are wood

Careful material selection enhances the naturalistic design of the project. Most of the materials are and stone, in order to make the whole plaza look harmonious and natural.

Jack Evans Boat Harbour Park

Bicycle Lane

Bay Street Sunken Plaza

Bioswale

Bay Street Dining Area

Bike Parking

Urban Forest

Shrub Area

Wood Seating with Tree Planters

Outdoor Dining Area

Playground

Flexible Open Space

Step Seating & Sloped Lawn

Picnic Table and Benches Covered Dinning Tents

Tweed Grove: The New Community Room for All Supermarket

The Tweed Grove mall open space have also implemented design details to address policy frameworks. Working closely with the Greener Place and Better Placed frameworks, the multifunctionality and ecological values are maximised in the design.

Native plantation has been used for the urban forest to promote biodiversity. A variety of trees and shrubs have been planted in layers to amplify the ecosystem services.

Appropriate built form with the open space help defines the public domain, contributes to the character of Tweed Head. The accessible space acts to enhance the community’s lifestyle, promoting safety, healthy, comfort and well-being for all.

Tweed Grove: The New Community Room for All

Master Plan for Canterbury North Recapture Cooks’ River: Canterbury’s new destination

Canterbury is a suburb located southwest of the Sydney central business district. In 2016, Sydney Metro has decided to open a station in the area, leading to increasing development and population growth. It is expected that current social services such as schools, childcare and public spaces will be insufficient for the future residents, hence, the project aims to provide the town a new master plan that provides a comprehensive vision.

Through understanding of both the natural and urban conditions of the town, a master plan and a detail design of a public space is developed to reconnect Canterbury’s residents to the Cooks River.

Canterbury is gifted with the Cooks River where people used to have a strong relationship with it before the construction of the racecourse. The redevelopment of the area therefore gives an opportunity to provide not only a large gathering open space but also the past connections between the residence and the river.

Three key principles are therefore incorporated in the new master plan: 1. Improve the river front accessibility and connectivity; 2. Enhance quality and the quantity of green space; 3. Activate the riverfront

The area along the river is designed as a trail, preserving some of the vegetations and transition from a naturalistic forest to a man-made promenade.

Regional map showing Canterbury in Sydney

Diagram showing the existing landuse within Canterbury North

Diagram showing the landuse of the new Canterbury master plan

Block size plan

Street priority plan

Diagram showing the progression of building heights

Diagram showing the new land use

Suburb Map

Walkway

Focusing on the design of the promenade, I observed that art and cultural centres are far away from Canterbury and absent at the surrounding neighbourhood.

Four principles are developed for the design. They are 1. Provide multifunctional use public space; 2. Nature conservation, protection and enhancement; 3. Integrate urban management system; 4. Provide pedestrian safety

Recapture Cooks’ River: Canterbury’s new destination

Design Process Drawings

Build Form Response: Shadow Analysis

APRIL 26TH

Below are shadow analysis diagram use to understand building design in relation to the open space. In the design, the dining spaces are located at places that receive maximum shade from built form. Plants are also planted where they are able to receive a good amount of sunlight in a day. Heat during the noon time in the large open central area is controlled by introducing a forest and canopy trees.

03:00 pm

Isometric View Of Built Form Scenario

9:00am March 21th

03:00 pm

Isometric View Of Built Form Scenario

9:00am July 21th