The design students at RMIT University needed a space of their own to work late. The community needed a space to see the future of their city while paying homage to their past. RMIT: Focus provided.
Tasked with turning an old warehouse used for storage into a "student hangout space", I wanted to make the building one that could both be celebrated by and celebrated for the students in design at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia where I was studying abroad. The current design building did not lend itself to the typical studio space that is so vital to an undergraduate design degree - there was no opportunity for camaraderie and community to form because the building closed at 8 pm. I designed a space that catered to the needs of the students but also gave the community of Melbourne to participate, in the form of a cafe and a gallery that displayed student work.
Melbourne: At Its Essence
I wanted to boil Building 19 down into the three things that I found to make Melbourne, Melbourne. My semester abroad in the fair city left me extremely inspired and awe-struck - it was the first time I had ever been in a city where it felt like anything goes when it came to design. After some research and immersion into the culture, I decided the major three elements of the city consisted of the following:
Imaginative Architecture
color, pattern, texture, and optical illusions played a major role in the architecture of this city.
Coffee... & More Coffee
whether it's a flat white or an espresso, coffee culture was huge in Melbourne. Home to some of the best beans, I knew I wanted to incorporate this element.
Vibrant Pattern & Color
Nothing shied away from color of texture, and these vibrancies snaked their way into the everyday, whether it be on walls or wardrobe.
Building 19... What We Were Working With
The space itself was a blank box, equipped with high ceilings and an open warehouse layout. The high ceilings and beautiful wooden beams were something that I wanted to preserve in the design of RMIT: Focus.
Mood = Melbourne
Focus On : Zoning
