View more
Alberto Quizon of BVN Architecture and Jordan Silver of Architecture AND
How does small public architecture affect relationships between people and the environment? How can stories of place be shared in an authentic and meaningful way? Could thoughtful interventions in regional areas contribute to enriched community development, connectedness with nature, and collective sensibility? What processes of design, planning and engagement would contribute to such an outcome, and what effect could this have on the pathway to public work for small and emerging practitioners?
This studio invites students to consider these and related questions through research-led practice. Students will contribute directly to a live initiative developed by Jordan Silver in collaboration with Government Architects NSW, Destination NSW, Transport for NSW and National Parks & Wildlife Service. Drawing from the highly successful ‘Norwegian Scenic Routes’, ‘The NSW Scenic Routes’ seeks to amplify the natural beauty of regional NSW and reinvigorate communities through the creation of thoughtful architectural interventions along established scenic driving Routes.
Students explore a Scenic Route anchored by the spectacular Fitzroy Falls and its surrounding landscapes. Together, they draw from Country, hydrology, geomorphology, and community to inform a master plan for the route. Each student then interrogates typologies of nature tourism (e.g. rest stops, lookouts, visitor centres) through three site-specific interventions of their choosing. The relationship between the water cycle, human consumption, and non-human habitats is of particular interest. The outcomes of the studio serve as provocations, inform policy development, and reveal opportunities for local initiatives, businesses, and recreational activities along the chosen Scenic Route.
