This Bachelor of Architecture studio was designed and taught by Frank Burridge at Monash University in 2021.
The studio involved developing a deep understanding of farm hydrology to make recommendations on regenerative interventions in the landscape of a farm on the edge of the Great Otway National Park. Students drew on the principles of Yeoman’s keyline system, utilising natural contours to maximise water retention, restore landscape health and enable a thriving and biodiverse agricultural system.
This new knowledge on the relationships between water, agriculture, landscape and life informed the students’ subsequent designs for an education centre on the farm.
One of the most impactful parts of this design studio was an overnight stay on the farm, enabling encounters with landscape, animals and nature. One student had never been outside a city or seen a full stary night without light pollution inteference. He stargazed throughout the night to observe the rotation of the planet firsthand.