Xinyi Li

Located in Hawthorn, a suburb shaped by its student population and growing urban density, Live Together, Live Alone proposes a new co-living model that reimagines the spatial and social dynamics of student housing. The core design driver is to renegotiate the relationship between solitude and sociability, enabling students to live alone without feeling isolated, and to live together without sacrificing autonomy.

The project responds to the increasingly cramped and isolating nature of student accommodations in Melbourne by offering generous, flexible bedrooms that students can personalize, alongside spacious communal areas—including a double-height shared living room—for meaningful social interaction. The housing units are arranged within middle-size blocks that rotate to form a series of semi-private courtyards, fostering diverse modes of gathering and soft thresholds between private and collective life.

Built using prefabricated CLT and GLT timber systems, the architecture embraces sustainability and adaptability, allowing for efficient assembly, future reconfiguration, and minimal environmental impact.