The Observatory project was built at the Monash University Clayton Campus as a temporary pavilion that offered a place for students from the nearby student housing to gather and use. The project was also specifically designed to capture the sunlight during the equinox and solar solstice events.

The pavilion was made from a series of pre-fabricated modules that were constructed by students offsite and then assembled on site with use of a small crane.

Utilising bolted and screwed connections, the materials were able to be reused when the project was eventually disassembled.

The timber used for the project was Victorian Ash, sourced within 80km of the location for the project. As part of the project, students were able to observe the timber milling and production process from log to site.

When: Designed and Made 2010

Staff Responsible: Jeroen Hagendoorn, Damon Van Horne

External Collaborators: Aurecon

Level of Students: Bachelor of Architecture

Number of Students: 15

Completed Project Photographs: Shannon McGrath