Xavier Jin

“The Neighbourhood Beyond Walls” tries to reconsider the static conventions of suburban social housing and its “simply habitable” characteristics, proposing a revised design that is dignified, versatile and socially dynamic─ one that caters to the people amidst our urgent housing crises. At the design’s core, the project balances out the needs and importance of having individual autonomy and collective living dynamics, achieved through a courtyard-based massing organization that reorients conventional linear block forms to maximize solar access, reduce hostile entries, and define shared communal landscapes.

Circulation systems are reformed and considered as part of the architecture, holding multi-functional possibilities. Open walkways and exposed staircases are treated as semi-public ‘extensions’ of homes, reinforcing opportunities for interaction, transparency, and layered sub-communal activities. Structurally, the design reflects a dialogue between the ‘Permanent’ and ‘Temporary’─ the ‘heaviness’ of modular concrete shear walls against the ‘lightness’ of steel, timber, and operable glazed elements, curating a rhythmic but adaptable system with possibilities to accommodate programmatic and personal shifts in living. Dwelling units are designed as ‘loose, adaptable containers,’ defined by the limited solid boundaries of a ‘hook’ and ‘square.’ Consequently, it allows for minimal partitions, reconfigurable layouts, and the extensive use of fenestrations that support passive cross-ventilation and visual transparency.

“The Neighbourhood Beyond Walls” acknowledges evolving family structures, shifting residential needs, and the long-term demands of affordability and a community. These are not simply just houses but buildings beyond walls─ Open, living infrastructures designed to flourish a sense of belonging, place, and collective identity within the suburban fabric of Melbourne.