Kah Chuan (Celdric)

Through the research process, the main challenges are remediating the Bendigo gasworks, lack of community cohesion, and lack of intercultural awareness among diverse communities. According to Dja Dja Wurrung Country Plan 2014-2034 & Taungurung Country Plan, long-standing inequity in law, policy and governance have left Indigenous people at a disadvantage in many other fundamental needs. In consequence, the demands of work and life make Indigenous people difficult to find time to regularly practice their cultural routines.

“Aboriginals have a special connection with everything that is natural. Aboriginals see themselves as part of nature.” As per Silas Roberts, the first Chairman of the Northern Land Council. The form development is inspired by nature, and “ there are no straight lines or sharp corners in nature.” per Antoni Gaudi, Spanish architect. Hence, the new building forms are curvilinear to adapt into the existing site.

In the overall building arrangement , the left side is the residential area indicated by purple and yellow dots and the right side is the public area indicated by red dots.

The research question is “How can co-housing create social integration between non-indigenous local communities and indigenous groups of Bendigo while resolving the main challenges of the site and Bendigo?” To address the research question, the art gallery is crucial for the co-housing because this floor is mostly used to display the indigenous painting and sculpture to promote their culture. Also, each floor has a particular communal space to encourage non-indigenous and indigenous residents to interact more instead of just staying on one floor to foster a stronger sense of community.

The linking bridge provides residents access from one block to the other block while exhibiting the indigenous art. The corridors of the right block are surrounding the central courtyard to create an oasis of calm.

In conclusion, this co-housing is designed to encourage non-indigenous and indigenous residents to interact more to foster a stronger sense of community while promoting indigenous culture to the public and residents.