Open Core project explores adaptive reuse in response to both environmental and social emergencies in Melbourne.
First Floor Plan
Removing the central part and adding a courtyard to penetrate daylight into the building became an act of spatial repair rather than demolition; a necessary intervention to allow the building to breathe again.
Section 01
The proposed central courtyard is redefining the building’s environmental and social performances. It provides natural daylight, ventilation, and a vertical connection between floors, turning what was once a sealed office block into an open and community-focused structure.
Basement Level View
The program combines engaging with the community through recycling and upcycling-focused workshops, a second-hand retail store, and a basement warehouse where demolition leftovers and second-hand materials are stored, resold, or upcycled.
Second Floor Hallway Perspective
The first and second floors are repurposed as residential accommodations: pods for students, and longer-term units for families and individuals. This decision responds to Melbourne’s ongoing rental and homelessness crisis, positioning the building as both a living and working community.
In the spirit of reconciliation Monash University acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
