Studio 5/02

Riverfront

Madhu Lakshmanan

Studio Description

Two main rivers flow through Melbourne, the Yarra and Maribyrnong. Whilst the Melbourne CBD and Docklands are synonymous with the Yarra riverfront, the Maribyrnong River receives much lesser attention from locals and tourists. The Maribyrnong River Valley extends from natural bushlands in the west to the Port of Melbourne in the south. It links a variety of public open spaces offering glimpses of the industrial port, historic wharves and other sites of cultural significance and the racecourse. It, thererfore, serves as an important green wedge for the greater Melbourne area. The Maribyrnong River Valley Guidelines has set a framework and vision for planning and development of the river interface (DPCD,2010), with a focus on developing a healthy river. The Riverside project presents an excellent master planning and landscape design opportunity and students will have an opportunity to develop creative solutions to shape area, which will invovle site and contextual analysis, program development, and detailed design of both soft and hard landscape features for this mixed-use waterfront development.

Studio Outcome

The scope of this studio is to sensitise students to key sustainability challenges along the Maribyrnong River and facilitate generation of sustainable design outcomes for future of the “other” important riverside of Melbourne. Students must develop and demonstrate their capacity to address sustainability outcomes along specific initiatives as follows:

• Heath and landscape: Respond to natural flooding and sea-level rise – incorporate grading and water sensitive urban design to conserve, manage and create habitats
• River and heritage; Develop a marina sensitive to existing heritage character
• Access: Develop new landscaped streetscapes and linkages to Maribyrnong River
• Use: Program activities and infrastructure for the riverside’s disused rail corridor
• Development: Integrate a redeveloped mixed used precinct and active frontages to the Footscray Community Arts Centre

Studio Leader

Madhu Lakshmanan is a registered landscape architect with AILA and an Accredited Professional in Neighbourhood Design with the US Green Building Council (LEED AP-ND). With over 15 years of professional experience, he has successfully planned, designed, and documented a range of public, residential, commercial, and industrial projects in Australia and overseas and has been routinely involved in landscape and visual impact assessments, environmental impact statements for various major projects, such as wind farms, mines, quarries, urban renewal and master planned urban developments. Madhu is completing a PhD through the University’s Climate and Energy College focussing on green urbanism in the age of climate change.

Studio Tuesdays 18:15-21:15 in MSD Room 237, Thursdays 18:15-20:15 in MSD Room 449

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