Avalon SLC - Architecture on the Edge
Studio Master: Rob Brown
2013 l ARCH 7201 Research Studio
2013 l ARCH 7202 Graduation Studio
UNSW Masters of Architecture Programme Architecture + Design
Avalon SLC - Architecture on the Edge
Avalon Beach on the northern fringes of Sydney is a quintessential Australian coastal suburb/town where life revolves around the local school, the shops and the beach. The Surf Life Saving Club (SLC) is the hub of community activity for the residents in their leisure time. Part of a distinctly Australian tradition surf life saving has been around ever since bathing in the sea became legal 100 years ago.
Avalon Beach on the northern fringes of Sydney is a quintessential Australian coastal suburb/town where life revolves around the local school, the shops and the beach. The Surf Life Saving Club (SLC) is the hub of community activity for the residents in their leisure time. Part of a distinctly Australian tradition surf life saving has been around ever since bathing in the sea became legal 100 years ago.
Nearly every habitable beach in Australia has some form of surf live saving club. The club at Avalon built in the 1940’s is located on the beach surrounded by a vegetated sand dune. Unlike most beach suburbs development has been excluded from the dune retaining a large area of natural vegetation and the original topography for the entire length of the beach. The current building is in poor condition and does not meet the needs of the community.
The studio aims to
develop an architectural proposal for the site that reflects current Australian
conditions, customs and history. In particular a contemporary response to the extreme
environmental conditions and visual prominence the SLC has to the beach. The
studio will be seeking innovative solutions grounded in a deep appreciation of
the place, the importance and needs of
the community as reflected in the
traditions of the surf life saving movement. These often conflicting
expectations will need to be interwoven with the fragile environment.
