Architecture - Honours

Binowee: Hall of Democracy

Binowee, meaning “a green place” is a collaborative design project with Richelle Lim, located along George Street, Meanjin (Brisbane). Functioning as a ceremonial ground for the exhibition of Australian traditions and heritage, Binowee integrates values of curiosity, connection and conversation / collaboration. The proposed Hall of Democracy provides a place for citizens to engage in meaningful conversations and educated participation through various exhibition, workshop and collaboration spaces.

Emily Prass

BINOWEE: GREEN PLACE

Democracy today is broken. With our current government based on a system of division and opposition, the answer to a healthier democracy lies in the system that operated in Australia well before settlement. Indigenous Australians have implemented a system and a culture of learning, connection and conversation for hundreds of generations, forming a foundation for the continuous sharing and expansion of knowledge. Binowee ensures visitors have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the relationship between people and the land, and the significance this has on First Nations communities.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

THE CONCEPT

Binowee aims to foster community through the integration of curiosity, connection and conversation / collaboration, which form the hierarchy of spaces.


GROUND FLOOR: CURIOSITY [LEARNING]
Ideas of curiosity are explored through the architecture of the site and ground floor, with a lack of defined paths creating an individual experience for visitors as they journey through the building. The planter boxes on the ground floor symbolise the presence vs absence of nature and create a memorial for Australia’s natural landscapes destroyed by human activity.


LEVEL ONE: CONNECTION [TO COUNTRY & PLACE]
Connection has been explored within the building through the provision of various exhibition spaces located on Level 1, as well as an outdoor rooftop exhibit. These exhibition spaces will provide indigenous artists with the opportunity to display their work, with a focus on sensory installations that connect individuals to Country.


LEVEL TWO: CONVERSATION & COLLABORATION [CARING]
Level two hosts numerous opportunities for conversation and collaboration. Organisations can hold meetings, workshops and educational symposiums to initiate discussions, allowing the users of the space be a catalyst for change.

the kinetic luxfer facade

The Kinetic Luxfer Façade is made up of individual panels which rotate on their central axis forming a delicate tapestry of glass that is draped over the built form. Within the building extent the façade acts as a means of controlling views, offering glimpses of the surrounding context. Depending on the time of day and climatic factors, individual panels rotate, allowing for a variety of perspectives from within the building.

the luminous luxfer tile

The Luminous Luxfer Tile integrates ideas of connectivity throughout the building and site, drawing inspiration from traditional Aboriginal songlines, which have been a central feature of First Nations cultures for over 60 000 years. Songlines were used by First Nations people as a form of communication across the continent, and as a way of mapping Country.

Within the design the pressure sensor floor tile and motion sensor ceiling tile act as a means of drawing people through the site. Individual tiles scattered throughout the ground plane connect the buildings three circular points; the pool of reflection, central atrium and Margaret/William Street entry. These spaces are a symbol of the collective consciousness of First Nations communities and links individuals as equals, representing the harmonious balance that existed between people, place, plant and animal.

EXTERIOR spaces

THRESHOLD experiences

INTERIOR spaces

ROOFTOP EXHIBITION

MODEL PHOTOS

VIDEO

Emily Prass

Through her architecture, Emily aims to integrate the built form and surrounding natural landscape, creating a strong sense of place that makes a meaningful contribution to users and the wider community. Emily is passionate about sustainable design, with a keen interest in sub-tropical design that responds to Brisbane’s climate.