Designed with a low-carbon mindset, it is constructed from a lightweight, demountable frame that sits atop the retained concrete slab of a former building—preserving the memory of what came before. The structure expresses its temporality through an exposed steel frame, gabion walls filled with site-sourced rubble, and materials selected to age gracefully. These gabion walls form a cocoon-like envelope, designed to be dismantled and reused, reinforcing principles of circular design.
These gabion walls form a cocoon-like envelope, designed to be dismantled and reused, reinforcing principles of circular design. Generous windows break through the solidity of the façade, framing views of the evolving master plan and future parklands. A central internal garden forms the building’s spatial anchor, offering a moment of quiet reflection while also organising circulation—mirroring the role of Central Park within Melrose Park. Operable walls and strong landscape connections allow nature to permeate the interior, blurring boundaries between indoors and out, as a clear intention of future living at Melrose Park. More than a showroom, the structure serves as a living demonstration of regenerative, adaptable design—light in footprint, respectful of place, and intended to one day disappear, making way for the next chapter in the site’s transformation.
Alister leads the Living Environments team as a Principal in Architecture and Urban Design. His passion for design and leadership throughout Australia and the UK underpin his unique design approach, demonstrated by his extensive architectural and urban planning portfolio of complex, successful, and innovative projects, many of which are award-winning.
