Harry Kingston

The Growling Grass House, located at a highly trafficked intersection between Harding St and Sydney Rd in Coburg, challenges the current suburban landscape it is situated in. The Axonometric captures the spatial arrangement of the proposed environment, consisting of a gridded structure that holds platforms for native grasses and shrubs to grow and offers a new experience for people to connect to their own understanding of 'country'.

Level 1 of the Growling Grass House provides platforms for two food venders, spaces for local artists to exhibit works and a large mezzanine that overlooks the stage below. The dynamics between the interior and exterior is explored through the natural ground coverage as the floor and the intent of opening the environment up to weather conditions as apart of the architecture.

The set of four detail drawings illustrate how water sensitive design has been implemented throughout the Growling Grass House. Whilst many of the strategies are water sustainable, they also offer transparency for the public to engage with water and for the water to be one of the atmospheric qualities experienced at the Growling Grass House.

The cascading edge of the existing facade unveils the new structure to keep the dialogue between architectural heritage and new connections to Country.
Along both sides of the main road swales are implemented to blur the hard edge into its more natural state. The elevation captures the layers of materiality and space that encourages the native ecology found in Coburg.

Inside the new structure holds specialised habitats for the Growling Grass Frog in an attempt to bring back its population from being critically endangered. Through implementing swales onto the street's edge the new environment can connect to the natural corridor that extends towards Merri Creek whilst encouraging water sensitive design practise. The skeletal column and beam structure allows for the ecology to be the focal point and opens up wall space to be covered in specialised algae tiles designed to filter water vertically. The design also incorporates a central glass elevator wrapped around by a staircase so all levels are accessible by all members of the community.

Seen in the ground level plan, weather conditions and water have a large influence on the use of the space. The ground floor is open to the natural soil and for native vegetation to grow. This open earth ground also provides undulating dirt mounds and diverts which create small water catchments during wet seasons. All year round, the river is a key feature to the biodiversity of the environment.