Evelyn Rachel Suresh

My project ‘Gather’ is a space for the community to convene, recover, revive, and rebuild. The community kitchen helps streamline daily requirements and the multipurpose hall serves as a spot for gathering, dining, storytelling - maintaining a strong connection to country.  The project focuses on ecological community living, encouraging self-sufficiency of energy, water and food, enabling interdependence and knowledge sharing. The natural slope of the site is used to hold rainwater to hydrate the soil and sustain endemic trees and permaculture farms. Construction is with materials that are sourced locally, like earth and ferrocement reinforced with reeds. These materials require minimal maintenance, are fireproof and can be built with community participation. Sensitive use of country combined with local community involvement elevates the connection to country. The community spaces are designed to be built in phases, starting with the core areas that require electricity and water supply and expanding to cater for a growing community in the future.