Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this website may contain images of people who have died.

About Bower

Bower Studios are a sequence of Master of Architecture build/consult/design projects at The University of Melbourne’s School of Design. They involve students working alongside indigenous groups in remote locations in Australia, Thailand and Papua New Guinea to improve their built environments.
Our Team

Bower’s leadership team demonstrates diverse and complementary skill sets. Most are ex-Bower graduates who excel at building community relationships and mentoring new student groups.

The Bower Studio thanks its sponsors past and present

Architecture & Design 11 September 2019: Retrospective showcases Bower Studio’s community projects [Read it on Architecture & Design]
NITV Radio 10 September 2019: Architectural projects making a difference in remote communities [Read and listion on NITV Radio]
Shepparton News 12 April 2019: VCAL students complete university subject [Read it on Shepparton News]
The National newspaper Papua New Guinea 20 December 2018: Aussie students build toilet, classroom for Tumarawa [Read it on The National]
ABC Radio Darwin 4 July 2018: Interview with Bower Studio/University of Melbourne's David O'Brien
Green Magazine 18 April 2018: Australian Pavilion at 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale revealed [Read it on Grean Magazine]
Architecture AU 13 April 2018: Australian projects to hit the world stage at Venice Architecture Biennale [Read it on Architecture AU]
The Fifth Estate 12 April 2018: Repair and nature-sensitive design at Venice Architecture Biennale [Read it on The Fifth Estate]
ABC Radio Darwin 5 June 2017
NT News 8 June 2017: New home to help save artefacts
ABC Radio Darwin 19 June 2017
Architecture AU 19 June 2017: Winners Revealed – 2017 NT Architecture Awards [Read it on ArchitectureAU] – Wave Hill NT
Architecture & Design 19 June 2017: 2017 NT Territory Architecture Awards winners announced [Read it on Architecture & Design]
Norwich University School of Architecture and Art Design/Build Symposium: April 14, 2017 [Watch on Vimeo]
NU SoAA D/B Symposium - Relationship of D/B to Practice [Watch on Vimeo]
ABC Radio Melbourne Breakfast 11 August 2016
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association Radio 11 August 2016
Radio Larrakia 12 August 2016
ABC Radio Darwin 20 August 2016
Pursuit 22 August 2016: Indigenous Memory-making meets architecture [Read it on Pursuit]
EMTV 14 December 2016: Custom-built toilets for Climate Change Adaptation at Morobeen Village
National Newspaper Papua New Guinea 15 December 2015: Two new toilets in Sipaia to improve sanitation
ABC Radio Sydney 21 April 2015
National Indigenous Radio Service 23 April 2015
ABC Radio Adelaide 23 April 2015
ABC Radio Northern Territory 27 April 2015 [ Download MP3 (12.4MB) ]
Koori Radio Sydney 20 April 2015
SYN FM Melbourne 21 April 2015
SBS Radio 23 April 2015
Centralian Advocate 24 April 2015 [ Download as PDF ]
MUSSE 15 April 2015: Students build shelter with remote Indigenous communities [Download as PDF ]
The Age 8 May 2015: Architecture students create vital infrastructure in remote communities [Download as PDF ]
World Architects eMagazine Top 10 worldwide design/build programs that are making a difference.
Pursuit Magazine, Times Higher Education Supplement March 2014 Indigenous Housing by Design
Architecture and Design 12 May 2014 Indigenous Outdoor Housing Designed by Architecture Students
ABC Darwin 6 May 2014
ABC Alice Springs 6 May 2014
Darwin Sunday Territorian 18 May 2014
Koori Mail 21 May 2014
Centralian Advocate 9 May 2014‪
MUSSE May 12, 2014 Designing and building living spaces for remote communities | MUSSE
Sanctuary Magazine Issue 26 Autumn 2014 Humanitarian Architecture
ABC Darwin 18 September 2013
Koori Mail
Wagaitear Vol 12. No 10. October 2013
Melbourne University Magazine August 2013 Building for Indigenous Communities
CSHE 2013 Using ‘real world’ experiences for student learning
Victorian Architect Winter 2012
Gumala Radio 29 June 2012
Architecture and Design’ 16 July 2012 Architecture students collaborate with Pilbara's Indigenous community on new hall
Container Architecture ‘ArchiTel TV’
Koori Mail July 11 2012
Post-Courier 22 November 2012‪
MUSSE Jul 24, 2012 Guest Column with Dr David O'Brien | MUSSE
‪MUSSE Aug 8, 2012 Architecture, Building and Planning academic honoured by Rio...
‪MUSSE Nov 12, 2012 Recognising excellence in teaching | MUSSE
The Age Newspaper 18 July 2011 Students help build better future for isolated children
ABC Radio National ‘Bush Telegraph’ 8 July 2011
ABC Radio North West 27 June 2011
SBS Radio ‘Living Black’ 22 June 2011
The Age Newspaper 21 June 2011
Visions July 15 2011 Construction for Community Podcast
Pilbara Echo 16 July 2011 Official Opening of the Gumala 0-5 Studio
ArchDaily 18 July 2011 Early Childhood Learning Centre
Koori Mail 30 June 2010
SBS ‘Living Black’ 22 August 2010
SBS ‘News’ 22 August 2010
ABC Darwin 18 May 2010 Shipping Containers Help Local Community.
The Age 6 July 2010
The Age Voice Vol 6. No 8. September 12 2010 Shelter, Space and a Community Place
Visions Episode 85. September 17 2010 Making of a Media Box
Open Architecture Network 2010 Gudorrka and Knuckeys Lagoon Media Boxes.
ABC Triple J ‘Hack’ 24 August 2009.
ABC Darwin ‘Morning Show’ 16 June 2009
ABC1 ‘Stateline’ 3 July 2009
ABC Radio ‘Connect Asia’ 19 October 2009

Bower Studio

2018. Venice Architecture Biennale

The Wave Hill Walk-off Pavilions were selected for the ‘Repair’ exhibition at the Australian Pavilion Australian Institute of Architects

2016. Yali-McNamara Award for Small Project Architecture

Australian Institute of Architects

2015. Innovation Award - Planning and Building

Australian Regional Development (ARDC)

Bower Studio HomesPLUS

2014. Vice-Chancellor’s Engagement Award

This award recognized the Bower Studio’s innovative HomesPLUS projects at the Beyuen and Titjikala (NT) communities. It noted the team’s capacity to positively engage with community groups and industry partners.

Matt Breen, Ilari Lehtonen & Trevor Galgal

2013. Dreamlarge Student Engagement Award

This award enabled students Matthew Breen, llari Lehtonen and Trevor Galgal to return to Papua New Guinea to research and refine the prototype composting toilet design built by the Bower Studio at the Sipaia Community in 2012.

David O’Brien

2012. Rio Tinto Excellence and Innovation in Indigenous Higher Education

"David O'Brien is to be congratulated for developing and delivering such a program over many years, and for involving a wide range of community and corporate partners in order to help support it. The Rio Award is a well-deserved accolade for this excellent program."

2012. Australian Government Office for Learning & Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

For innovative and collaborative approaches to engaging architecture students with Indigenous communities to realise development projects alongside local partners.

2012. Neville Quarry Architectural Education Prize - Commendation

Jury Chair Brian Zulaikha noted in the commendation citation "The Jury acknowledged Dr O’Brien’s dedication to research and his integration of this into the Bower Studios program. The studios produce a student culture which is deeply interested in the indigenous architecture of many communities. Students have the unique experience of engaging with the community to deliver meaningful outcomes as well as the practical application of going on-site to construct the designs."

Hannah Robertson

2011. Royal Institute of British Architects Dissertation Medal

Hannah Robertson received the prestigious Dissertation Medal for her work Bush Owner Builder, which developed culturally sensitive and appropriate housing for a remote Aboriginal community in Australia. "This thoughtful and thorough piece of work shows how architecture students are providing clever and sensitive solutions that aspire to vastly improve people's quality of life," Institute president Angela Brady said.

Fiona Lew

2010. BlueScope Steel Glenn Murcutt Student Prize

Fiona was awarded the prize for her work Single Men’s Community at Palmerston Indigenous Village - an examination of suitable self-help housing for itinerant men near Darwin. The awards jury said they “appreciated Fiona’s resolution of simple shelter housing that is sufficiently flexible to accommodate indigenous patterns of living with elements that can be added or subtracted”.

Allison Stout, Charlotte Fliegner & Karina Piper

2008. University of Melbourne Knowledge Transfer Award

After participating in the 2008 Bower Studio, students Allison Stout, Charlotte Fliegner and Karina Piper received funding to continue the project into 2009 and liaise with the Gudorrka community. Their consultation and designs informed the 2009 Bower Studio engagement and led to the renovation of House 8 at Gudorrka.

What is Homes Plus?

Homes Plus is a new way of delivering housing options for Indigenous Communities in Australia. This program considers both the house itself but also the additional items you may wish to add to your house to make it your home. Items such as shading, screening and outdoor shelters for cooking or for your cars will help to make your new home more suitable for the way you live.

Working through this website (or the catalogue) you will see you can select a home and a number of add ons, depending on your needs and budget. The Add Ons will be delivered to site with your home and you will be joined by the Homes Plus team to build them yourself, or with a few friends, depending on how big the project is. For the first few Add Ons, the Homes Plus team will be there to help out but before long you and your friends will have all the skills you need to build the Add Ons yourselves.

Download Catalogue

Example Construction Manual

Bower Homes Plus at Belyuen 2013

How can I get involved?

If you are eligible for a new home, contact your Aboriginal Corporation to see if they are involved in the project. In the mean time, you can view the Homes and Add Ons on the website (or in the catalogue) to see what Home and Add Ons will be best for you.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact the Homes Plus team by email.

djobrien@unimelb.edu.au

Dr. David O'Brien

Phone: 03 8344 8761
Email: djobrien@unimelb.edu.au
Address: Melbourne School of Design (Building 133)
University of Melbourne VIC 3010
AUSTRALIA

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Upcoming Bower Projects 2021

Cummeragunja On-Country Learning Pavilion
The Cummeragunja community lives on the banks of the Murray River in New South Wales close to Barmah township. Formerly known as the Cummeragunja Mission the land is now owned by the Yorta Yorta Land Council. Elders from the Yorta Yorta community have approached Bower Studio to support the development of an on-country learning pavilion to become a focal point for a range of cultural activities. Community members have identified on-country learning as an important way to celebrate their cultural heritage and foster their future identity.
A stockpile of ‘thinnings’ from the local red river gum forests provides timber for posts and beams. At the community’s suggestion a number of poles of appropriate length and diameter have been selected from the main stockpile. A number of consultation meetings, sketch models and drawings, have led the Bower team towards the current design – a forest of nine timber columns supporting a perforated steel roof filtering dappled light. The columns and beams are connected by custom steel brackets and supported on textured concrete footings and seating inside the pavilion.
Later in the project we will install additional screens to help storytelling.
During one of the consultation visits three timber poles were installed as part of an impromptu landscaping exercise outside the local health clinic. Using local timber, the Bower team tested a series of connection details at 1:1 scale to help facilitate community discussions. These prototypes have since been modified with the support of Arup engineers.
Process
This program begins at the Parkville campus before relocating to the Cummeragunja community with an intensive phase from between four to fourteen days. Students will be instructed to use power tools to contribute to the building process. Student assessment will include drawings, booklets and multi-media presentations.
Eligibility
Masters level students at the Melbourne School of Design are eligible to join the program via two subjects;
- APBL90356 Bower Studio (25 credit points) to be run in semester 2 2021,
and,
- ABPL90286 Construction Methods A (12.5 credit points) for students in the 300 point architecture program.
Applications
Applications for Bower 21 @ Cummeragunja are now open and due by 5pm Saturday 24 July. No late submissions can be considered.
Submission Process
Applications for Bower Studio must be submitted directly – it is NOT on the CDE ballot.
Please email your application to the selection committee and tell us why you are excited about the project at Cummeragunja (300 words). Please tell us if you are applying to have this processed as a Design C, D, or E subject or if you would like to do the project as Design Thesis. Add your telephone number in case we have any questions.
Successful applicants will be notified by email by Monday 26 July.
Please be aware that this project includes extended time ‘on-country’, travel, hard work and some very basic accommodation and food. Check the student blog on the Bower Studio website to get some idea of the students’ experience.
Proposed Schedule
This subject is scheduled 9:30am to 12pm Monday and Thursday (weeks 2, 7, 10, 11, 12) Parkville Campus, MSD room 137
Room 224 MSD Building
There are three intensive site work components proposed (tbc):
Site survey
Sun/Mon (week 3)
Build #1 & Next Stages Design Consultation
Sun/Mon/Tues (week 5)
Build #2 & Next Stages Design Consultation
Mon – Fri (week 9)
Allow approximately for accommodation $300
Further information
Contact Dr David O’Brien or George Stavrias gst@unimelb.edu.au
Staff
David O’Brien, George Stavrias, Zoe Diacolabrianos, James Neil, Nicky Henderson.
Email David O’Brien at djobrien@unimelb.edu.au for further information.
Student mentor 2020/21
Damien Cresp.
Latest Progress
https://bowerstudio.msd.unimelb.edu.au/projects/2021-cummeragunja-nsw
Gurindji Community Hub
- Gurindji Community Hub, Kalkaringi, Northern Territory
- Design/Build
- 12.5 point mid-year elective
- Open to MSD students (limited places available)
- Predeparture classes will begin in May with a two-week site visit to Kalkaringi in June/July
- Applications are now open
Bower Studio has a long-established relationship with the Gurindji people on their homelands in remote Northern Territory. Previous Bower projects with the Gurindji include the award winning ‘Wave Hill Walk-Off Pavilions’, in 2016 and the ‘Karungkarni Arts Centre Extensions’ in 2018. Additional projects completed by Bower at Kalkaringi include leisure and sports facilities. See, www.bowerstudio.com.au.
All projects are completed after extensive consultations with the community and include local labour and support.
This time we will be focused on the exterior space around the community hub designing and installing gathering spaces, shade structures, landscaping and general placemaking. This will first involve prefabrication of steel components in Melbourne and assembling a ‘kit of parts’ that will be sent to Kalkaringi before our twelve days work within the community.
Conversations with the community during the build phase will inform your final project which can include design and video submissions.
Pre-departure classes will run in May with cultural competency training and research seminars before working at Kalkaringi. A pre-departure building exercise is held to help you familiarise yourselves with the building processes and tools. The studio is intellectually and physically demanding – please review the website carefully! Allow approximately $1,800 for airfares, 4WD hire etc.
Applications
Applications for Bower 20 are now open and due by 2pm Friday 2 April. You should first attend an information session to understand the scope of the project. Register your interest with Dr David O’Brien to receive an invitation to attend one of our information sessions in March.
Submission Process
Please email your application to the selection committee and tell us why you are excited about the Bower 21 project at Kalkaringi (300 words or less). Please add your telephone number in case we have any questions.
Successful applicants will be notified by email in mid-April 2021.
Please be aware that this project involves some long-distance travelling, hard work and some very basic accommodation and food. Check the student blog on the Bower Studio website to get some idea of the students’ experiences.
Further information
Contact Dr David O’Brien

2021 Cummeragunja, NSW

2020 Kalkaringi, NT

2019 Kalkaringi, NT

2018 Suanum & 2019 Sirr, PNG

2018 Kalkaringi, NT

2017 Wadeye, NT

2016 Sipaia, PNG

2016 Wave Hill, NT

2015 Areyonga, NT

2015 Amoonguna, NT

2014 Suanum, PNG

2014 Titjikala, NT

2013 Belyuen, NT

2012 Sipaia, PNG

2012 Bellary Springs, WA

2011 Wakathuni, WA

2010 Gudorrka, NT

2010 Knuckeys Lagoon, NT

2010 Morobe Province, PNG

2009 Gudorrka, NT

2008 Gudorrka, NT

2008 Nong Tong Lim, Thailand

About Bower

Our Team