Lauren Buttigieg

Hi! My name is Lauren Buttigieg, and I am Architectural Design student at Swinburne University of Technology.

My passion for Visual Communication and Physics led to me to this course, however how we engage and are influenced by architecture is a psychology that I have always been interested in. This stemmed from my first reflection on the word ‘sonder’, and how individuals perceive and engage with space differently. Through my studies, I aim to discover how architecture can blend the old with the new. Spaces hold memories and I’m interested in exploring how these spaces can remain in our environment but evolve with society.

I hope to one day explore the world, and the architecture it has to offer, while designing and constructing meaningful environments for future generations.

My interests extend to music and media, where I’m drawn to the energy and atmosphere of a live concert or the shared excitement of a cinema audience reacting to an unexpected cameo in a classic superhero film. With architecture offering many creative pathways, I hope to one day continue my passions into a career of set design. Beyond these studies, I also enjoy graphic design and share my projects to my account, Bylu Designs.

The Intersection

A catalyst for Newport’s growth, this Studio 5 project – The Intersection finds the connection between contemporary art, recreation and history to foster a sense of unity amidst the suburb’s current gentrification. Extending from an existing local precinct, this mixed-use building recognises areas for opportunity and introduces collaborative study and workspaces alongside galleries of kinetic and static art to create meaningful contribution to a community defined by its rich industrial history.

The Currentside

This Studio 4 project reactivates the quiet end of the North Wharf within Melbourne’s Docklands. The Currentside, a promenade resort and social hub is a mirror of the city’s integral spine, the Birrarung River, that encourages movement, connection and reflection. A unique waterfront experience is introduced through gourmet dishes under the stars, bustling bars and communal sport courts. From its form to its programmatic layout, and to its materiality, all elements of this project are rooted from the concept of the Birrarung River.

Nexus Era

Through a retrofit of Swinburne’s AMDC building, the Nexus Era aims to blend and display the internal creative programs with its exterior. In elevation, the programs are categorised across storeys, creating a variety of blocks across the façade. In conjunction with the colour theory, the 4 main programs are provided with a colour that will improve productivity within that space.

Akuna Precinct

At its core, Akuna Precinct is a senior housing project that integrates opportunities for intergeneration interactions while welcoming the older generation into the social fabric of their community. Located within Abbotsford, inspiration stemmed from the nearby Yarra River and its history as a gathering space. This transformed into mixed use precinct formulated around ‘flowing water’ to blend the existing conditions into new opportunities for the community to gather.

Surfers Centre

Exploring the Rhino interface, Surfers Centre’s foundation was transforming simple arched geometry into a community centre. Placed along Surfers Paradise beach, this recreational hub elevated the current activities along the shoreline and put the coast and its captivating skyline on display.

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.