For All Generations: Repurposing Underused Commercial Buildings to Residential Use at Melbourne | Bachelors Design Project on Urban Housing

Site Context

Situated at the corner of Bourke Street and Queen Street within Melbourne’s Central Business District, the site offers an ideal and convenient location for family homes. Its proximity to a tram stop and neighboring programs catering to all ages makes it highly accessible. However, the area lacked inclusive public programs that served multiple generations, creating a need for community-focused spaces designed for both the public and multi-generational families.

Furthermore, the surrounding urban landscape was dominated by modern office buildings with minimal greenery, underscoring the necessity of introducing residential spaces that promote a more welcoming and homely environment.

Design Process

The design process was divided into four distinct tasks:

Task 1 – Inhabitation: The initial task focused on researching the needs of multi-generational families to establish a solid foundation for determining the programs to be integrated into the building. Through storyboarding and narrative mapping of multi-generational living, the design process adopted a user-centered approach, ensuring the programs aligned with the specific requirements of these families.

Task 2 – Residential Clusters: This task involved the development of two distinct housing clusters, emphasizing the balance between private and shared spaces. The primary objective was to provide individual privacy for each resident while incorporating shared amenities and activities to foster interaction and community among family members.

Task 3 – Street & Public Realm: After addressing the residential aspect, attention shifted to the inclusion of public programs on the ground floor. A library was selected for its ability to serve people of all ages, catering both to the wider public and to the multi-generational families residing in the building.

Task 4 – Facade: The final task focused on the building’s facade systems. To address the spatial limitations within each unit for large families, balcony facades were introduced, with extended platforms incorporated into each unit. These platforms were complemented by replicating the vertical columns of the original building along the balcony edges, preserving its architectural rhythm of repetitive columns. Vegetation and shutters were also added to create a welcoming, homely atmosphere, offering a contrast to the corporate-dominated urban environment.

Final Outcome

The final design unites five distinct zones into a seamless multi-generational living environment. The ground-floor library fosters age inclusivity with pedestrian-friendly spaces and a central void that maximizes natural light. Cluster 1, designed for smaller families, includes shared amenities such as an outdoor garden and a basketball court to encourage community interaction. In contrast, Cluster 2 caters to larger families with spacious private units, featuring voids and lofted spaces to enhance openness and psychological comfort.

Above Cluster 2, a shared floor provides additional communal facilities, including a games room, gym, and outdoor court, ensuring spaces for leisure and activity. The rooftop acts as a communal hub for all residents, offering a garden for crop cultivation, a shared kitchen, and seating areas to promote social interaction and sustainable living.

Across the building, shutters and strategically placed trees create a welcoming and livable atmosphere. Timber trusses are integrated into the balconies to support heavy soil loads, allowing for greenery and enhancing the connection to nature. This thoughtful design balances private and communal needs, creating a harmonious living space for multi-generational families.

In the final deliverables, the color blue was consistently applied across all drawings to symbolize new additions, effectively differentiating them from existing elements. This visual concept was carried over to the physical model, where newly introduced components were represented using wooden elements. This approach created a cohesive and unified visual language between the two-dimensional and three-dimensional representations, ensuring clarity and consistency in the presentation.

Conclusion: Overall, this project successfully transforms an underutilized commercial building into a vibrant, multi-generational living space. It promotes inclusivity and community through well-designed housing clusters, shared amenities, a public library, and a communal rooftop garden, while fostering a sustainable and inclusive urban environment in modern Melbourne.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]