SENSE OF PLACE MATERIAL BOARD DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE
As Australia’s first public women’s hospital, the Royal Women’s is a place where disadvantaged women could give birth safely and receive proper medical attention. Over half a million babies were born on this site - the same land as Science Gallery now.
to R are
Nurses with babies and isolette/incubator.Many lives wouldn’t have survived without the incubator and the care from the Royal Women’s Hospital.
“The
The Birthing Tree is a place of refuge where Aboriginal women traditionally sought shelter during childbirth, symbolising safety, support, and care. The symbolism resonates deeply with the history of the former Royal Women’s Hospital, honoring the strength and nurturing roles of Aboriginal women in both cultural and medical traditions tied to the site.
In the courtyard of Melbourne Connect, a poem by an Aboriginal poet is engraved into the bench slat, telling the story of a tree’s life, its growth, and rejuvenation. This artwork reflects the deep connection between nature and Indigenous culture, symbolising cycles of life and renewal.
Dr. Julie Wells, from the University of Melbourne, said, “There is great historical significance affiliated with this site. That history is intertwined with an emotional connection.” Yet, these emotional and historic stories remain untold on-site today.
Inspired by the baby incubators and the symbolism of the Aboriginal Birthing Tree, this design seeks to create an evolving installation that honours the site’s history and celebrates Aboriginal culture. The Birthing Tree reflects how people are nurtured by nature, and in turn, this design encourages people to nurture and care for the natural world.
Witnesses think of the memory of trees shedding bark in layers of memory back to forest floor to the underground story of deep time growth and age flourish and decay rot and rejuvenation
Dr Jeanine Leane
The Digital Birthing Tree, the first temporary content on the digital mural wall, visualises a world where colonialism has not interrupted First Peoples’ culture, more Indigenous plants may be flourishing and customs continuing. The story is to honour Aboriginal women’s contributions to the health system, including at the former Royal Women’s Hospital.
An artwotk of the Aboriginal Birthing Tree Artist: Valerie Ah Chee
L
Mrs. Graf, Mrs. Whitmore, Mrs. Moran and baby Brenda - Four generations of women born at the Royal Women’s Hospital.
Reflection
Former the Royal Women’s Hospital
Digital Birthing Tree”
Aboriginal Birthing Tree
Design Concept Diagram
Sun / Shade Analysis
The site experiences minimal direct sunlight, with limited exposure during early mornings and late afternoons in summer. For the majority of the year, it remains predominantly shaded, with no sunlight during the winter months.
Temperature and Precipitation
Melbourne’s climate is characterised by warm, dry summers, with temperatures averaging between 14°C and 26°C, accompanied by occasional intense rainfall despite generally lower precipitation. Winters are cooler, with temperatures ranging from 6°C to 14°C, and experience more consistent rainfall. The city sees an average annual precipitation of 600–700 mm, peaking in the spring months from September to December. With climate change, Melbourne is likely to face higher temperatures, heavier rainfall, and more frequent extreme weather events in the future.
Wind Analysis
speed and direction rose at 9 am
speed and direction rose at 3 pm
The site is influenced by strong northern winds in the morning and strong northern and southern winds in the afternoon, with milder western and southwestern winds throughout the day. The tall building effectively block the northern winds, while southern and southwestern winds are redirected upwards, downwards, and to the sides. A significant portion of the wind flows downward, generating air turbulence along the sidewalk.
Given the site’s shaded conditions, particularly during the winter months, the design must prioritise creating a vibrant and inviting environment despite limited natural light.
The presence of strong southern winds and air turbulence caused by the building highlight the need for protective elements for both users and plants.
Melbourne’s seasonal temperature fluctuations and variable rainfall patterns, coupled with the shaded location and increasing risks posed by climate change, highlight the importance of selecting hardy and resilient plant species suited to these conditions.
Summer Solstice
Average Monthly Precipitation
Average (Highest and Lowest) Monthly Temperature
Southeastern Wind Pattern
Southern Wind Pattern
Winter Solstice
Reflection
Wind
Wind
Reflection
The sidewalk sees minimal activity, with people typically walking past without pausing. There is a lack of comfortable seating options that cater to diverse populations, limiting opportunities for rest and interaction. While the Science Gallery and the digital brick wall offer potential for engagement, the absence of seating near the entrance fails to invite people to stop, gather, or explore the space further. This disconnect highlights the need for functional seating and design elements that encourage interaction and engagement with the site.
for the Bus
Resting
Grattan Street
Seating Type 1: Brick seating against the walls, with hard surface and heights ranging from 49 to 78 cm, which poses comfort issues, especially for shorter individuals.
Visiting Science Gallery / Having Conversation
Interacting with Digital Bricks - Daytime & Nighttime
Melbourne Connect
Bike Parking
Seating Type 2: But stop seating with shelter. Not an option for pedestrians.
Pedestrian Flow and Viewing Directions
Waiting for crossing the street Waiting for crossing the street
the
* The intensity of colour indicates the density of pedestrian flow
View Analysis
If we imagine the street as a theatre, the Science Gallery is the only stage where the performance is happening. The rest of the site lacks activity and visual interest, with most pedestrians simply passing by.
These observations highlight the need for a design that enriches the experience, and encourages people to pause and engage in a more welcoming environment.
An intervention in front of the Gallery entrance could provide opportunities for interaction and add visual interest for both visitors and passersby.
Grattan Street
Sidewalk
A simple linear path bordered by the building and the street
Uninteresting view from inside of the gallery entrance
The seating area inside the gallery lacks a compelling view towards outside
Distinctive colour and form define the gallery entrance from across the street
On-street parking adds visual clutter to the scene
The brick wall and large windows, combined with the hidden gallery entrance
Artistic touches on the brick wall add visual interest but lack accompanying activities
Grey paving, tree pits, and silver bike racks blend more with the street than the building
- FORM, MATERIAL AND COLOUR
Spatial Forms
The site features geometric shapes and patterns both horizontally (paving) and vertically (building), with clear linear edges that define the space.
Materials and Colours
The building façade is primarily composed of dark red Nubrik traditional bricks.
Certain sections of the building façade feature Nubrik Artisan bricks with a colour gradient, from dark red to orange and light beige.
The colour combination, along with the indented layout of the gallery entrance, creates a 3D mosaic effect.
Austral Bricks
Venetian Glass is used for the digital bricks at the gallery entrance.
Coated Glass windows and doors provide clear views from inside and semi-reflective from the outside. (Clear at night)
Grey-colour Bluestone paving ensures the durability of the sidewalk.
Form and Shapes of Science Gallery Facade
The Science Gallery façade is designed to draw attention and spark curiosity.
Planting Material
Deciduous Elm trees provide shade in summer and maximize light penetration in winter; however, during winter, the space feels dull and bleak, with the bare trees adding to the sense of lifelessness.
Stainless Steel street furniture, including bench, bike racks, and bins.
Reflection
The existing materials exhibit a distinctive contrast in colours and tones (dark and light, warm and cold), with choices reflecting functionality or artistic expression.
The sharp boundary between the building and the footpath highlights the contrast in atmosphere - where the building feels warm and artistic, the sidewalk appears cold, dark, and standardised, lacking artistic expression. The design can draw inspiration from the materials and colours of the building, creating a connection between the sidewalk and the built structure.
Incorporating the existing trees as part of the design could further enhance the cohesion of the site.
English Elm Ulmus procera
Dutch Elm Ulmus x hollandica
ISSUES
The site’s history, its emotional connection to the Royal Women’s Hospital, is not visible or acknowledged on the sidewalk.
SOLUTIONS
Incorporate the concept of care through plant incubators, echoing the historical theme of nurturing while referencing the Aboriginal Birthing Tree, aligning with the site’s cultural context.
The sidewalk lacks comfortable, ergonomic seating with appropriate heights and back support, discouraging people from stopping.
Design seating with varying sizes and heights to accommodate diverse users, providing both comfort and the option for solitude or social interaction.
The absence of a buffer makes the sidewalk feel exposed to traffic, causing discomfort and visual clutter.
Strategically place the installation to create a buffer from the street, using the tree as a natural backing to offer refuge-like environment for relaxation or interaction.
The dominance of hardscape, monotonous bluestone paving, and the disconnected relationship between the building and the public space create a hard edge.
Extend the building’s design language into the sidewalk through the design, enhancing the connection between the built environment and the landscape, creating a cohesive sense of place for visitors.
The shaded location and bluestone paving make the current sidewalk dark and bleak, with minimal features to engage passersby or create points of interest.
Combine colorful seating and plant incubators as focal points, drawing attention through their design and placement, introducing vibrancy and engagement into the space.
PRECEDENT STUDY AND DESIGN REFERENCE
Tree and plant beds provide natural refuge and enclosure, enhancing comfort from street traffic.
Flexible seating options with diverse heights and sizes to address ergonomic needs for different users.
Arrangement encourages social interaction and diverse perspectives.
Colourful seating with softer materials to lightern the space, complement existing dark grey asphalt paving.
The seats are generally large, which limits the use of backrests, affecting comfort and usability.
Benefits of Modular Systems
1. enables a diversity of design options
2. facilitates the replacement of damaged or wornout parts without wholesale reconstruction, thereby reducing costs, waste, and carbon footprint, minimising disruption to the public amenity
Source: Design and Construction Standards for Public Infrastructure Works in the City of Melbourne (City of Melbourne)
The layout provides both open views and refuge-like spaces with backing.
Use warm-coloured timber to create a welcoming atmosphere that extends the interior feel to the outdoors.
Despite its small scale, L-shaped seating is designed to encourage conversation.
Include a garden with edible plants and flowers to encourage engagement with nature.
Position the design in front of the window to create framed views, linking indoor and outdoor spaces.
Reflection
The seating design could be a modular system, and should incorporate backing and flexible options with varied heights and shapes with consideration of human scale. Use colourful elements and warm timber finishes to lighten and soften the space.
The installation should be stratigically placed to maximise its functional and aesthetic value to the space.
Instant City Life (Danish: Bylivskassen) by VEGA Landskab Architects
Agora Maximus by LAAB Collective + Signature Design Communication
DESIGN GUIDELINE AND REFERENCE
Anthropometric Dimensions
Seating Dimensions
Appropriate seating height for adults: 35.6cm - 49cm
Appropriate seating width for adults: 33cm - 48.3cm
Appropriate seating depth for adults: 43.2cm - 54.9cm
Appropriate seating height for children: 28cm - 30cm (dimension range derived from IKEA)
Concrete base for durability, with timber slats on top for comfort, aligning with the design of the courtyard seating inside Melbourne Connect. This creates continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
Ratio (length/width) = 3:2
Seating Design Reference
People seeking privacy choose spurs with good visibility. Favoured locations tend to have strong backing and clear views out into the open space.
People tended to occupy seating areas that felt sheltered but were directly adjacent to a more open and exposed area.
People tend to occupy spaces that had a range of furniture (e.g. with multiple heights and depths) to choose from.
The seating is designed to echo the brick shape, proportions, and colours of the Science Gallery entrance façade, providing a strong visual link between the building and the sidewalk.
Timber Batten Dimensions
Source: Human Dimension and Interior Space (Julius Panero)
Source: The Field Guide to Urban Plazas (SWA Group)
DESIGN ITERATION - CONTEXT, FORM AND SPACE
Layout 1 Layout 2
In front of the Science Gallery with highest pedestrian flow.
Inspired by the Science Gallery brick wall. Tree as backing for prospect refuge.
Problem: No buffer from traffic, difficult to have a conversation.
Incorporated indented façade brick layout. Easier to have conversations.
Problem: Some seats feel exposed and uncomfortable.
Layout 3
Layout 4
Seats at the edges are removed for better comfort and protection.
Added colours reflecting Science Gallery façade bricks for visual connection.
Gallery Lobby
Plan with View Directions
Gallery Entrance
Gallery Resting Area
Concept
Science
Science
Science
Digital Bricks
Grattan Street
Digital Bricks
DESIGN ITERATION - FORM AND SPACE
Seating Design 1
Raised middle bricks as backing with a long plant incubator across.
Problems:
Seats lack height variation, making it hard to meet diverse needs.
Connected seating limits privacy; two seats lack backing.
Incubators are all at a same level, and difficult to have direct contact.
Seating Design 2
Seating adjusted to different heights, with backing for all seats.
Created seating options that offer either more interactive or private experiences.
Incubators separated by species and placed at varying heights to engage people at different eye levels.
FUNCTION AND ERGONOMICS
Seating Typologies Functions and Activities
The seating, designed in various sizes and heights, accommodates the needs of a diverse population.
Offers diverse viewpoints with backrests, creating a sense of perspective refuge.
Allows users to choose between solitude or engaging in conversation.
Positioned at varying eye levels, the installations engage people of different heights.
The space can serve as an informal venue for performance art and interactive activities.
Plant incubator nstallations attract curiosity and add an artistic touch to the space.
DESIGN ITERATION DRIVEN BY PHYSICAL MODEL
Model Making Process
Seating Type Testing 1
Seating Configuration Testing
DESIGN ITERATION DRIVEN BY PHYSICAL MODEL
Seating Type Testing - Side by Side
Seating Type Testing - Conversation
Seating for casual conversation
Side-by-side seating forms a long bench for sitting together
Lower side-by-side seating for smaller individuals
Side-by-side seating for people of different sizes to sit comfortably together
Seating Type Testing - With Backing
Seating for casual conversation
Side-by-side seating with plant views Conversation seating with “table”
Terraced seating at different viewing levels
Larger seatinganother option
Seating with plant incubator as backing
Seating Type Testing - Side by Side with Plant Incubators
Seating beside plant incubator
Seating between plant incubators at eye level
Terraced seating with plant incubator backing, offering varied viewing levels
Plant incubator as backing with larger seating area for a more relaxed gesture
Avoid seating between tall incubators to prevent isolation and obstructed visibility
FINAL DESIGN - MODULES, CONFIGURATIONS, AND ERGONOMICS
The final design features nine different modular seating configurations, offering various options for user groups including adults, children, and families.
Plant incubators are positioned at seven different eye levels, providing comfortable, close viewing for people of various heights.
A framed view of the design from the Science Gallery’s resting area creates a connection to the outdoors, echoing the gallery’s interior while providing a prospect-refuge effect. This allows visitors to rest while observing the activity outside, enhancing the space’s sense of engagement.
The design forms a buffer between the street and sidewalk, allowing Science Gallery visitors to view an engaging landscape instead of the visual clutter of parked cars, without obstructing overall visibility.
From the Terraced Resting Area
From the Entrance
colour tone in the landscape
Toughened Glass 10mm Thick
Corrugated Plastic Drainage Pipe
Hardwood Timber Slabs
40*40*500mm
(e.g Spotted Gum)
Stainless Steel
Mounting Plates
50*650*10mm
Engraved Name Plate
(Plant species & name of the person/people taking care of them)
Corten Steel Frame
Matching
M20 Coloured Concrete
Surface finish similar to brick texture
PLANTING MATERIAL
These plants are native, robust, adaptable to shade, and drought-tolerant, making them ideal candidates for the plant incubators. They can thrive in controlled environments when young and be later transplanted into other open space (e.g University of Melbourne) settings.
Anigozanthos spp. Kangaroo Paw
Lomandra longifolia Spiny-head Mat-rush
Westringia fruticosa Coastal Rosemary
Citrus australasica Finger Lime
Syzygium smithii Dwarf Lilly Pilly
Viola hederacea Native Violet
Poa labillardierei Tussock Grass
Correa reflexa Native Fuchsia
Atriplex nummularia Old Man Saltbush
Pennisetum alopecuroides Swamp Foxtail
The choice of plants is not limited by the list.
THE INCUBATORS
DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE
TID-01 COVER SHEET
TID-02 SURFACES AND MATERIALS PLAN
TID-03 SPOT LEVELS PLAN
TID-04 SECTION
TID-05 ELEVATION
TID-06 LANDSCAPE DETAILS 01 - MODULE DIMENSIONS AND COLOR SCHEDULE
Unlike design studios, Detail Design goes beyond conceptual responses to the site, emphasising practicality and functionality with a focus on site specificity and user needs.
The Incubator began as an exploration of emotional connections to this historically significant site, incorporating a comprehensive study of site conditions and functional seating design to create a space that resonates with both place and people, fostering a sense of belonging and memory.
The design employs simple geometric shapes in a modular system, offering flexibility and adaptability beyond Grattan Street, with potential installations along Swanston and Cardigan Streets. Including nameplates with plant species and caregivers (nurseries) encourages community collaboration and honours the site’s history.
The design presents challenges for ongoing plant care, particularly as young plants will need regular upkeep to thrive in the environment and attentive transplanting to new environments. The potential for material maintenance also emphasises the importance of sustainable management practices post-implementation.
Overall, the project is an exploration of “What is good design?”.
