Cristin Cortez

The Urban Territory Map explores the existing urban fabric of Melbourne as well as features that existed before colonisation. This includes the wetlands pre-European era and areas of heritage sensitivity' which were sand dunes above sea level 1000 years ago.

The exploded isometric drawings illustrates garden's natural landscape, location of the nodes and pathways. It also presents the proposed material for the pathways, which corresponds to the existing concept in the garden that separates the garden beds (woodlands, heathland, dryland, etc.), and to the theme or narrative of the project.

The entry node is a representation of the wing of the emu and is inspired by the weaving of the plant, Lomandra Longifolia. It acts as a wayfinding element because it gradually increases in size as it gets closer to garden.

The Lost Waterfall at the Lake refers to the sand dunes above sea level (Areas of Cultural Heritage Sensitivity) and the waterfalls that used to exist in Melbourne (Wetlands Pre-European Era), as shown in the Urban Territory Map. This node influences users to interact with the landscape by allowing them to submerged their feet into the water and walking on the stepping stones, which maps out the constellation of the Emu, particularly its position during June-July.

The reflective nooks portray different configurations of the Emu, through the roofs of the structure, mimicking the experience of being under the stars.