Mariam Najeeb

The projected influx of 70,000-80,000 overseas migrants per year for the next 36 years in Melbourne (The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, 2019), has cultivated a discussion around the accommodation of these new residents, beyond the means of housing. Despite Melbourne’s well-established reputation for its multiculturalism and diversity, its urban planning and design often leaves little room for un-programmed cultural expression and exploration, ultimately socially excluding migrants from the community.

This thesis seeks to reframe the common misconception of culture, as static, inherited and possessed by a group of individuals, to its rightful denotation as a learned experience, that is ‘practiced’ (Fuchs, 2009).  The design outcome will explore how food culture as a transitory state intersects with the transitory nature of a transportation hub, to facilitate in bring people together. The concept of ‘coming together’ will be explore both physically and culturally, through the exchange of experiences and practices over the making of a meal.

Please visit my at.studio exhibition for full panels:
https://at.studio/msdthesis_2020sm2_studio02#model=bfc299b0-2ba2-11eb-96ca-5f748cedd802