Modelling Test of Intervention

Extruded warehouses in model form without walls. Some of the buildings on site have missing walls, windows or are blocked off from the open land in front of them. The model tries to reconnect both.

Elevation in and around the walls was the first step in interconnecting land and building:

Adapting to what already exists on Site

How can the building be connected to the landscape without simply making it just for residential housing?

Using Materials such as old train railing for potential pathways through buildings?



Establishing some sort of pathway through building facades


Utilizing existing materials, rubbish/rubble on site to connect land to building

How can both be connected to the adjourning river?

First 'quick' Interventions on site

Site break-up



Elevated buildings proposed to become residential housing

My question after reading the Kensington Councils proposal for a better community as well as analyzing the structure of the site (especially with the abandoned warehouses) I intend to investigate how I can apply vernacular design ideals to propose a new residential area while keeping current traits of the site

Guides for Site

These are some elements included in the Moonee Valley Council document and its ideals for the future of Kensington in Melbourne.

The abandoned warehouses and abattoirs are planned to become residential areas with the following in mind:

Preserve Kensington’s historic character

Reduce heavy traffic & noise pollution

Reduce parking on streets- provide more parking in residential areas for residents

Reduce Speeding Rat Running

Encourage Local Shops to stay in the area

Set Aside legal graffiti areas

Add a music area

Improve bicycle networks

Improve access to Maribyrnong River

Encourage a diverse and Vibrant Community

Defining Composition

After site visit and establishing that my vernacular landscape must be constructed from a composition of different parts placed into a context, I had to define what the actual composition would be.

Since my site in South Kensington had all sorts of materials lying around 'loosely' I decided to take a pre-defined form of a model submarine and take apart the pieces just as they are in South Kensington and try to make different arrangements for them. The pieces were labeled W6 for instance therefore each W6 had to connect to each other. I tried to challenge this by rotating w6's at different angles in order to construct a different form that may have a different function.

With various re-iterations my form took on an abstract look however in making this model I found that the placement of my rotated pieces opened up more options in the model itself. For instance if one w6 was rotated then I could add another w6 piece into the model rather than connecting it all up as the instructions for the submarine stipulated.

With this construction method in mind I would like to take the parts from South Kensington and form different arrangements for site to show beneficial functions for different communities in the space currently and in the future.

Everyday Example

Herzog and de Meuron attempted a similar blending in their lower Manhattan condo building at 40 Bond Street, this time, street art (graffiti) into architecture

The model was constructed from what was found on site. In most common cases the vernacular is perceived as using what is already existing on site in order to construct some sort of design. This was the misconception in which this model was constructed in, however its overall construction fits in with what I learned from site analysis at South Kensington.

The last image was a random shape drawn into the ground. This was drawn into the ground according to the feelings I had of the site. This could potentially be a reflection on the graffiti found in the warehouses.

The second last image shows all of the parts which are found on site. This could potentially reflect all of the loose rubbish and abandoned building facades found on site. In the initial stage of the model the sticks were used to form a shelter-like structure. This was because of the vast open space exposed to sunlight. After close magnification of the model, immediately after a couple of minutes insects started to move on the structure. Their intention of moving onto my structure is unknown, however the form made from the sticks created an object that they felt comfortable in. In the warehouses the rubbish and abandoned building facades could form something that the user of that particular site needs? Did the insects feel safe on the stick structure? Do the users of the warehouses feel safe?

The final two show the form without a roof (grass) and with a grass roof. This shows that the model can continually be built upon and more layers can be added onto the structure. Another important factor of the vernacular is that the object(s) that are designed in the landscape must adapt in the land and adapt to its processes. With the collage I intended to show that graffiti can also be layered upon and that it is not the final product of a design. It can become something more...