University of Melbourne, Welcome Ground

GLAS Landscape Architects was engaged to provide landscape design expertise for the Warrnambool Learning and Library Centre in 2019, working as a sub-consultant to Kosloff Architecture. The scope of the project focuses on the external spaces surrounding the hub, with a design aimed at integrating the new facilities into the existing TAFE campus and connecting them to the surrounding town, all while reflecting the local coastal environment and historical conAt the heart of the landscape concept is a desire to create spaces that not only function well but also connect people to nature and each other. The design takes cues from the coastal landscape, with its sand dunes, rock outcrops, and indigenous plant life, to inform everything from the material choices to the arrangement of planting and seating. The iconic Norfolk Island Pines that frame the entrance stand as sentinels, welcoming visitors into a civic plaza where the boundary between hard surfaces and soft greenery is intentionally blurred, encouraging exploration and casual interaction.

The site is on the land of the Wurundjeri people. A study of old maps reveals that this site was the location of the former Bouverie creek that ran seasonally north-south through Parkville and to the Yarra. In the early years of the formation of the University c. 1910, the creek was culverted and had lain hidden since. Research revealed that this culvert is still used as a migration path by Eels on their epic journey from the Coral Sea. The idea of restoring natural systems including water and ecology became key to the formation of the design.

As a part of the New Student Precinct project, Indigenous engagement was led by Greenaway Architects who provided a forum for GLAS to engage with Murrup Barak and indigenous representatives directly to ensure that the design for the Welcome Ground embedded indigenous values and stories. The creation of the ponds and the Eel story became an important narrative for the landscape memory that is still alive and thriving.

The design for the Welcome Ground is based on the idea of ‘rediscovering the ground.’ In response to the aspirations of the students to have a greater connection to nature, the design proposes to reveal and amplify the natural processes that lie hidden within the site.