Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association
The Australian Vietnamese Women’s Association (AVWA) have been supporting their community for more than 40 years. It was started in 1983 by Cam Nguyen to assist refugees and migrants settling in Australia. They provide various community services for mothers, education, drug and alcohol support and wellness. The community regularly comes together for cultural events such as Lunar New Year and other traditional ceremonies filled with dance, food, vibrant traditional clothing and storytelling.
Their newest community centre is a 3000sqm concrete warehouse in Springvale. This blank canvas lacks any evidence of their vibrant culture and intangible heritage.
How can the space be adapted to highlight intangible heritage so the community feels their cultural identity is represented through the design, connecting people to place?
New community centre in a concrete warehouse
The AVWA’s newest community centre is in a concrete warehouse and lacks any evidence of the community’s rich intangible heritage. How can a space be designed that allows them to feel connected to their culture through materials, storytelling and performance, while still remaining neutral enough to all them to embue their own identity into the space?
Design that brings community together
The materiality draws on Vietnamese intangible heritage techniques such as basket weaving and textible production to create timber batten design features. The flowing river exhibition with interactive lighting on the floor to guide viewers through the experience. The exhibition connects to Vietnam’s waterways and the journey refugees and migrants have had to take to get here. The performance space allows for large gatherings and highlights traditional dancing and music. The restaurant draws on the same materiality and lighting choices cast beautiful shadows on the walls. This is a space where the community can feel themselves represented but can also adapt as they need so the space can grow and change with them.
Project Details:
Created for: Swinburne University of Technology
Subject: 2023 Honours Year Capstone
Software: Revit, Enscape, Adobe Suite
Designed by Darshana Thapa