ARCH3003: Rethinking Urbanism
Design Thesis
Fatima Al Bihia (22054866)
Tutor: Sam Jones
Introduction
Context and Research
The Site Site Analysis Details
Demographic Analysis
Parramatta River Flora Analysis
Precedent Analysis
Preliminary Concept
Aboriginal Cosmology Concept Design and Theory
Final Design
Proposed Design
Eternal Stair Circulation
Gabrugal Yana
The following portfolio showcases the summarized design process of an unconventional community centre on Indigenous Dharug land, in Parramatta, New South Wales. The proposed design offers an abstract view on Indigenous Australian Dreaming and it’s relation to geometrical knot theory.
Dreaming stems from the Arandic word alcheringa, which is used by the Aranda people of Central Australia, though some believe that it is a mistranslation or misunderstanding. Some scholars argue that the word’s meaning is closer to “eternal, uncreated”, which is an accurate description of this project, considering the unconventional “infinity” theory behind the design.
We were first assigned to analyse three different proposed sites, all located on Western Sydney University’s Parramatta South Campus., in pairs.
Ultimately, the chosen site for the Dharug community centre was an existing parking lot situated near Victoria Road, north of the university campus.
In addition to site context, we were tasked with selecting a relevant precedent to analyse, to aid in developing a concept for our community centre.
Data, 2021
Dharug elder Kerrie Kenton describes the trees as Aboriginal people’s history books. They represent a people’s soul and the embodiment of their culture and history. A record of their people living amongst the trees, on the land for generations.
An array of flora can be found around Parramatta, especially along the Parramatta River. Some of these trees include the Parramatta Green Wattle, the Parramatta Red Gum, and Paperbark trees, which the Dharug people had many uses for, such as traditional bush medicine and smoking ceremonies.
Smoking ceremonies are an ancient custom which involve burning various plants to produce smoke. The smoke is believed to have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits. One of the fire starters used is paperbark, and there are scar trees resulting from these smoke ceremonies that now show the connection between the past and present culture.
The building we decided to analyse for our precedent study is IJburg Tennis Court, or The Couch, by architecture firm MVRDV.
The site is based on the new Ijburg district in The Netherlands, and was designed with the goal to attract people to the surrounding area.
The aim of the club is to be as accessible as possible; open to the public, free of charge, 365 days a year. The concept was to create a building that works as a central gathering for the area. A living room for IJburg, where the building becomes a part of the community like a piece of street furniture, hence the name.
The club house is a long open volume with services on either side such as a cafe and seating area, dressing rooms, a kitchen, storage and toilets. The main space is multifunctional, so it can be used for the club’s many events. The roof dips down towards the south side and is raised towards the north up to a height of seven metres, creating an informal tribune for the club.
The design principles that stood out the most to us were the circulation and overall composition of the site.
Based on some of the research we did on how the Aboriginal people designed their layouts, we noticed that the designs were quite symmetrical, not unlike our precedent.
I will expand on these ideas and how they connect to the socio-spatial structures of Australian Aboriginal people in the next few sections.
My preliminary design concept manifests the interrelations between cosmology and the Australian Aboriginal people, in regards to socio-spatial layouts, geometric knot theory, and the abstract philosophy of Dreaming.
I started the research for my concept by looking for any connections between the Dharug people, cosmology, and mathematical forms. I ended up going into a deep dive on Australian Aboriginal stories on cosmology and space, and how the stories they told related to their ideas on earth, the galaxies, and beyond.
Although I did not end up using a cosmology concept in my final design, I will still include a few brief explanations and diagrams in this section.
For Aboriginal people throughout Australia, the sky and the earth are intricately linked and provide the guiding maps that allow seasonal safe travel across Country for thousands of years. When looking up at the night sky, they would read the stars to navigate the land when travelling for ceremony and trading. From the moving constellations, they also derived knowledge about seasonal changes back on Country. This ancient knowledge ensured their long term survival and was interpreted as stories and songlines that were passed on throughout the generations.
Because of this spiritual connection with constellations, I decided to study some of the many Aboriginal sky-lore and ethnoastronomy stories in books, articles, and journals. The Crux or Southern Cross constellation is one of the best known constellations in the Australian sky in Aboriginal history. While other constellations such as Pleiades and Orion have similar stories throughout Indigenous Australia, the Crux seems to have different interpretations from group to group. Astrophysicist and aboriginal astronomer Ray Norris at Western Sydney Uni hypothesizes this as an issue of distance.
Aboriginal architect and anthropologist Paul Memmott describes Dreaming as a philosophy that defines the complex ideas of “time, change and stability, matter and spirit, the seen and the unseen, appearance and reality, and human identity”.
In one of Memmot’s books, Gunyah Goondie and Wurley, I came across an illustration of a socio-spatial structure camp for a ceremonial festival in Alice Springs, whose circularity prompted me to look into knot theory. Specifically, looped knots that go on infinitely and symbolise the eternal circularity of life. This links back to the idea of Dreaming and how it correlates between the past and present.
The division of spaces and circularity in the illustration brought me to the seven-one knot, also called the septafoil knot, which is one of the types of prime knots in knot theory that crosses itself seven times to create an infinite loop (diagrams on pg. 17).
Traced illustration displaying sub-camp clustering according to class identity. The image showcases the socio-spatial structure of a ceremonial gathering near Alice Springs Telegraph Station in 1986 (Paul Memmott, Gunyah Goondie + Wurley).
Small case study on the circulation of the Mercedes Benz Museum in Germany, designed by the architecture firm UNStudio. Although our project brief is designed at a much smaller scale, the looping pathway of the museum seemed very similar to the knot theory circulation I wanted to implement in my design.
sketch: exploded circulation and routing diagram
The proposed design takes the shape of a heptagon, an ode to the number seven, to align with the final presented septafoil staircase form which wraps around the building, circulating eternally. A smaller, pavillion-like septafoil staircase is placed in the central atrium for internal movement throughout the building.
Externally, the community centre showcases native Parramatta flora and rainwater gardens to combat the sites high risk of flooding.
A key aspect of integrating native plants into an architectural context is the use of sustainable water management techniques, particularly rain gardens sourced by stormwater. Rain gardens are designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces such as roofs, driveways, and parking lots. By directing this water into planted depressions, rain gardens help to reduce the volume of stormwater entering the local drainage system, filter pollutants from the runoff, improving water quality, recharge groundwater, and provide a sustainable water source for the planted flora.
In the context of this design, rain gardens are strategically placed around the building to support the seasonal flora. Each plant species can be situated in a rain garden tailored to its specific water needs and blooming season.
The final form of the septafoil stairs encompasses the “infinite” circulation concept. The staircase goes up three levels and includes multiple “half-way” landings, for ergonomic purposes.
The user can start at any one of the ground floor spaces and circulate around the building, ultimately ending at the start point. Two individuals can start at different starting points, circulate the stairs, and never meet. This alludes to the Memmott socio-spatial structure diagram (pg. 16), with both men and women circulating the same camp but never meeting.
On the right, the diagrams show a potential starting point, which then goes around the flow of the entire staircase.
view: circulation flow diagram
BUNUL MARRAY (January to February)
Grevillea Juniperina (Prickly Spider Flower)
During the height of summer, the Grevillea Juniperina comes into bloom. This hardy shrub, also known as the Prickly Spider Flower, is well-adapted to the hot and dry conditions typical of this time of year.
Planted around the building's sunniest aspects, the Grevillea Juniperina provides a vibrant display of red or yellow flowers, offering a natural cooling effect through evapotranspiration.
BURRA (March to April)
Correa Reflexa (Native Fuschia)
As summer transitions to autumn, the Correa reflexa begins to flower.
This small shrub, with its distinctive bellshaped flowers, thrives in the cooler, more humid conditions of early autumn. Ideal for partially shaded areas, the Correa reflexa can be used to create interest at the ground level of the building, its flowers providing a soft contrast to harder architectural elements.
BAYIN DYARRA (May to June)
Callistemon Citrinus (Crimson Bottlebrush)
The cooler months see the Crimson Bottlebrush in full bloom.
This iconic Australian plant is known for its vivid red, brush-like flowers and its ability to attract native birds. Planted as a feature along pathways or in courtyard spaces, the Crimson Bottlebrush can create striking visual lines while supporting local wildlife.
(July to August)
Acacia Floribunda (White Sallow Wattle)
As winter sets in, the White Sallow Wattle bursts into bloom, its masses of pale yellow flowers brightening the landscape during the coldest months.
This fast-growing tree can be used to create natural windbreaks or privacy screens, its winter blooms providing a cheerful counterpoint to grey skies.
GURA (November to December)
Ceratopetalum Gummiferum (NSW Christmas Bush)
With the arrival of spring, the Hairpin Banksia begins to flower. This versatile shrub produces distinctive flower spikes that are rich in nectar, attracting both birds and insects.
Planted in groups, the Hairpin Banksia can create natural divisions in outdoor spaces while providing a rich sensory experience as spring progresses.
As summer approaches, the NSW Christmas Bush puts on a stunning display. While its true flowers are small and white, the red sepals that develop after flowering create a bright appearance.
Used as a feature plant near entrances or in high-visibility areas, the NSW Christmas Bush can provide a striking and seasonally appropriate display.
The Dharug people have a deep connection to the natural world. Their understanding of the local environment is reflected in their recognition of six distinct seasons, each marked by changes in flora, fauna, and weather patterns.
The design incorporates six native Parramatta plant species, each associated with a different Dharug season, and explores their potential integration into modern architecture as a living, seasonal clock.
The integration of seasonal flora into architectural design offers a unique opportunity to create a building that is both culturally resonant and environmentally responsive. By using native plants that flower at different times of the year, the design creates a living calendar that connects occupants to the natural rhythms of Parramatta. The use of rain gardens (pg. 20) fed by stormwater not only supports these plants but also demonstrates a commitment to sustainable water management. This approach creates a building that is not just situated on Dharug land, but is actively engaged with it, celebrating its ecological and cultural heritage while looking towards a sustainable future.
By incorporating these six native plant species into the architectural design, the project goes beyond mere aesthetics. It creates a living connection to Dharug culture and the natural rhythms of the local environment. This approach offers several benefits:
1. Cultural Recognition: The design acknowledges and celebrates Dharug knowledge and connection to the land.
2. Environmental Education: The seasonal 'clock' of flowering plants provides opportunities for learning about local ecosystems and seasonal changes.
3. Biodiversity Support: Native plants provide food and habitat for local wildlife, supporting urban biodiversity.
4. Sustainable Design: The use of native species and rain gardens demonstrates a commitment to environmentally conscious architecture.
5. Sense of Place: The integration of local flora helps to root the building in its specific geographic and cultural context.
As a non-Indigenous person who is still quite new to Australia, this was a very interesting term where I was fortunate enough to be encouraged with being experimental and very theoretical with my design.
This project was also a good start to learning about Australian Indigenous history, culture, and traditions. Learning to design for in very specific context while remaining respectful to the land and Country taught me many lessons that I cannot list here.
I thank my tutor and all those who helped me during this semester for these invaluable experiences throughout this project.
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