Architecture - Masters

Living Earth and Family Campus

In satisfying the three pillars of sustainable development, environmental, economic and social, it will be ever increasingly important that all resources, both inputs and outputs, are thoughtfully managed. The generation and recycling of material products must stay as close to their original source to reduce environmental impact. Through careful community planning intergenerational living and learning environments may be created to provide both young and older a place where they have purpose and where their social, physical and emotional needs may be deeply met. The LEAF Campus is an opportunity which harnesses the experience of age, travel, Permaculture design principles, sporting and family-recreational activities such as roller-skating. The campus is designed to evolve by the considerate action of those that care to call it home.

John Cullen

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L.E.A.F. (Living EARTh AND FAMILY CAMPUS)

The Living Earth and Family Campus is an intergenerational environment which blends the function of an age 60+ residential community with an educational secondary school environment. In it’s rural context, the campus intends to makes the most of it’s landscape for the investment in supplementing the future dietary, material and economic needs of it’s community through integrating permaculture design principles and agricultural science understandings. The site is divided by a district road which separates the primary stage 1 school campus from the LEAF Experience Camp Site. The LEAF Campus and Experience program is intended to be engaged with The Grey Minds Network(Fictional), a resourcing organisation designed to facilitate the movement of ‘grey nomads’ and other experienced travellers through rural school sites across the Australia. These individuals are intended to engage with a community of permanent residents and students in a spirit of collaboration and story sharing. Through these engagements it is expected that young people will develop a healthy respect for aging and also be exposed to a wide diversity of needs, understandings and potential lifestyle opportunities. It is also expected that the engagement of seniors within the community will lead to an enrichment of their own lifestyle leading to better health, mobility and a longer satisfying life.

As well as L.E.A.F. by acronym the primary Living Learning buildings are designed with the structural integrity of the leaf, a natural living appendage. A solid foundational spine draws in human activity and branches it outward into the site. All spaces are designed to capture ‘nutrient’ value both material and ideological for it to contribute to the social life as a whole. Whilst areas and functional space allocations are modelled on existing educational facilities, the building has been designed to make transitions from exterior to interior with as minimal impact as possible to the building and its landscape.

Masterplan
Green-roof access to residential units
Human movement around campus
Resident basement parking access
Living Learning Building 1 of 3
Living Learning Building 2 of 3
Living Learning Building 3 of 3
Living Learning Building Mezzanine and Upper Residential Level
Living Learning Building Basement and Ground Plane
Common Building
Common Building Plan
Library 1 of 2
Library 2 of 2
Library Plan
Administration Building
Perspective of Campus
The LEAF Experience Camp Site 1 of 2
The LEAF Experience Camp Site 2 of 2

John Cullen

My growing passion for space, scene, and the human perception of environment created in me an inner desire to improve my surroundings and opportunities for perception. This has led me to pursue a career in Architecture, where I am better positioned to influence the improvement of 'the experience' for those who seek it. During my Architectural studies, I focused upon lighting and its effects for residential developments, urban spaces and civic projects. My priority has always been to create energy efficient designs that provide outstanding spatial illumination effect for users. These designs have also needed to consider firstly the interests of the Environment, along with the client, and be flexible to the changing need of both space and the user. There is no more pure an experience than memory, and if Architecture is to be cast in the right light, lasting impressions that foster valuable ongoing relationships can be made.