Bower Studio
This year Bower Studio headed to Kalkarindji, Northern Territory to build three shade structures around the Gurindji Community Centre. The ten day build consisted of assembling the three structures (with preliminary work being done in Melbourne prior to the trip), seats, landscape as well as installing the corrugated metal verandah soffit for the centre. (Master of Architecture, Bower Studio, 2021)
Team Members Gina Dahl, Leif Canuto, Shalini Rautela, Mac Caithness, George Avraam, Grant Cullom, Tom Huntingford, Ashwin Gunawardana, Cheryl Cheukyee Lai, Maria Bulmaga, Maddy Laslett, Alice Woods Studio Leaders David O’Brien, James Neil
All three shadies were built over ten days. Elements were pre-fabricated in Melbourne and sent to the site in a single container. The large Z-columns were lifted into place and bolted to the pad footings. The team was divided into three, each to work on one shaide, to get the steel angles and perforated screens into place to be welded in. The exact positions of the screens were determined on-site along with the location of the timber seats to maximise the shaded area. Other jobs completed during the ten days included the installation of the soffit for the verandah. Steel benches and some landscaping.
One of the key landscaping features are the stone pavings located between one of the shade structures and the building entrance. Conversations between ourselves and community members lead to a strong desire to integrate elements of the local landscape into the design.
