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2008 AILA Victoria Project Awards

Future Leaders Awards

City of Port PhillipLandscape Architecture Student Award
ADRIAN MARSHALL (RMIT) for Passage

“Passage” is a design response to an overseas studio entitled 37 North which investigated “illegal” migration across the United States Mexico border. The students, based at the University of Albuquerque travelled through the south of the United States and into Mexico for three weeks, prior to returning for an intensive design process in Melbourne. The overseas component included a period of voluntary work for Humane Borders, an organization that places water stations in the desert for use by immigrants.

This project deals with the loss of human lives as they try to re-establish their life in a foreign country by crossing some of the harshest desert landscape imaginable. It also celebrates the success of those who reach their goals. Adrian Marshall presented a design response which demonstrates a well researched and mature understanding of the complex geographical, environmental, historical ,economic, social, and political existing conditions which he has skilfully analysed to reach a well resolved, yet simple and practical solution. The design shows strength through the use of simple materials that sit lightly onto a harsh desert landscape. Low cost gabion structures and sandbags provide a sustainable shelter that could save lives. 

Adrian’s presentation was graphically excellent, succinct and educational.  This compassionate project outcome is one which could be translated into many other geopolitical problem places around the globe. And as a landscape architectural solution it is poetically spare and reasoned

Images
The migrants usually have to wait to be collected by their American contacts. Before they go on by truck, they must become like any Mexican workers in America. They must appear inconspicuous. They change into the clean clothes they've carried with them across the desert, and leave behind everything they no longer need.   The dry bed of a wash provides an relatively easy path through the desert.   Each water shelter is associated with a nine kilometre catchment area - half a day's walk at the most.   My first attempt at built form involved using sandbags heaped against water tanks to create shade for the migrants.   the water shelters needed to be visible, so as to be located by the migrants and used.   third proposal was to make a half-igloo shape from complicated and precisely shaped gabions so as to provide a maximum amount of shade.Sandbags are filled by sand dug out in setting the gabions in the ground, and protect the site from any water flowing across the slight grade.   Parts of the structure work as welcoming seating.   One corner of the gabion mattress is dug into the ground and cantilevers the gabion up so that the opposite corner bends to touch the ground.   A second low-visibility design might be sited in the secure location.   From within, there is strong sense of being sheltered, and view lines out are emphasised.   The form of this design is dependent on the direction of water flow, for the incised area needs to shelter behind the sandbags.

The form of this design is dependent on the direction of water flow, for the incised area needs to shelter behind the sandbags.   From within, there is strong sense of being sheltered, and view lines out are emphasised.   The protective line of sandbags is seeded with indigenous species in growing medium that over time provide further cover and security.   The protective line of sandbags is seeded with indigenous species in growing medium that over time provide further cover and security.   This then is how a final design might appear. Minimal, steel gabion cages filled with the migrants' discardings, providing shade   The visible structures grow cage by cage as they are filled by the migrants' discards. Over time these discards will age and compact, requiring the cages to be topped-up again with fresh discards to continue their provision of full shade.
 

  Last update: 22 November 2008