Alyssa Calderone

Email Address

I’m Alyssa Calderone, currently completing my final semester of the Bachelor of Design (Architecture) at Swinburne University. My time at Swinburne has shaped me into a more confident and capable designer, allowing me to grow from early explorations in Adobe Illustrator to modelling in Rhino and now developing complex architectural systems in Revit. One of the most defining moments in my studies was a two-week internship at Elenberg Fraser (Now Fraser & Partners) in my first year. Experiencing an architectural studio in full motion revealed how the skills I was learning translated into real practice. It also strengthened my ability to communicate professionally and collaborate within a team of architects, something I remain grateful for.

My interest in design has grown into a deep passion for architecture. I’m energised by the chance to create spaces that are not only functional, but purposeful, expressive, and grounded in human experience. I enjoy the puzzle-like nature of problem solving, and even when challenges appear, the process remains rewarding. I’m particularly inspired by modern contemporary architecture, especially forms that celebrate sculptural qualities, embrace curvature, and gently push boundaries.

As I continue developing my pathway, I’m still exploring where I want to specialise. I’m especially interested in multi-residential and commercial design, and I hope to work within a collaborative team environment. As an emerging graduate, I’m driven to create meaningful spaces that reflect client needs while contributing creativity, technical skill, and thoughtful design to every project.

Australian eXhibition of Locomotives | Architectural Design Studio 5

The Australian eXhibition of Locomotives (AXL) proposes a new Transport Museum and Community Centre on the Newport Railway Museum site along Champion Road. Designed for residents, school groups, commuters and transport enthusiasts, the project expands the current heritage collection into an immersive museum supported by flexible community spaces. The 13,275 SQM site allows for improved circulation, direct connection to the adjacent train station and the creation of inviting public areas that strengthen Newport’s identity.
The design transforms the museum into a contemporary community and education precinct that showcases Melbourne’s transport history. Slanted roofs optimise daylight, while locally sourced paneled facades form a defining architectural feature. The building is envisioned as a hub where people can gather, learn and engage with locomotive heritage in an open and welcoming setting.
The interactive exhibit wraps visitors into the imagery of trains and Melbourne’s locomotive history. Through large-scale projections, layered soundscapes and responsive digital displays, the space invites people to move through the stories that shaped the city’s rail network. Each element is designed to spark curiosity, allowing visitors to explore past technologies, historic journeys and the evolution of transport in a way that feels engaging and alive. The exhibit becomes a place where history is not only observed, but experienced, encouraging both learning and play for audiences of all ages.

Group Member: Sharonne Berenstein

AMDC Collaborative Hub | Professional Practice 1: BIM

Swinburne’s Advanced Manufacturing Design Centre (AMDC) in Hawthorn is a hub for architecture and design students. This project reimagines levels 5–8 to create open, dynamic, and collaborative learning spaces that enhance student experience and reflect industry practices. A central stepped platform improves circulation, encourages interaction, and fosters productivity.

The renovation caters to students, faculty, staff, and ProtoLab users, balancing quiet spaces for focused work with open zones for collaboration. Flexible layouts adapt to various activities and group sizes, integrating prototyping areas to connect design thinking with hands-on fabrication.

Level 5 serves as a social hub with a café and open study areas, while Level 6 focuses on technology with computer labs and the start of a collaborative bridge. Level 7 introduces the ProtoLab, bringing fabrication closer to learning spaces. Level 8 features adaptable studio classrooms, supporting cross-studio collaboration and flexible learning, creating a cohesive, interactive, and inspiring environment for all users.

Group Members: Oscar Jonas, Sharonne Berenstein, Senaya De Silva

Maribyrnong Defence | Architectural Design Studio 3

This project redevelops the 128-hectare Maribyrnong Defence Site into a safe, inclusive and affordable neighborhood. Once Aboriginal land, later a factory and now largely unused, the site offers major renewal potential. Focusing on uncontaminated areas, the proposal introduces new housing that supports local families and contributes to easing the housing crisis.

This project proposes affordable, sustainable housing on the Maribyrnong Defence Site using the WikiHouse modular timber system. WikiHouse enables efficient, eco-friendly construction through CNC-cut plywood components that slot together, making homes both affordable and easily adjustable as families grow. Its lightweight, sustainable approach also supports the remediation needs of the previously contaminated site. The development aims to foster a community-focused neighborhood, supported by the nearby river, walking paths, schools, shopping centres and existing public transport links. To broaden the demographic, the proposal includes a mix of housing types: a four-bedroom family home and a compact two-bedroom townhouse suitable for smaller households.

Oasis of Life | Architectural Design Studio 2

This project proposes senior housing in Abbotsford that prioritises safety, comfort and social connection for an ageing population. Responding to rising housing costs, crime concerns and risks of isolation, the design introduces affordable homes, secure environments and communal spaces. The vision, Oasis of Life, creates a restorative, inclusive setting where seniors can thrive.

The project centres on therapeutic design, integrating indoor and outdoor thermal pools to create calming, restorative spaces that support residents' wellbeing. Beyond accommodation, the aim is to form a nurturing oasis where comfort and tranquility shape daily life. Oasis of Life also strengthens community integration by opening its communal areas to the public, encouraging connection and reducing isolation among seniors. Accessibility and inclusivity guide the spatial design, ensuring all residents can enjoy the healing environment regardless of mobility or health needs. Sustainable materials, energy-efficient systems and resilient design strategies further support a long-lasting, environmentally responsible senior-living community.

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.