Creating unique site-based user experiences which are responsive and authentic to the communities they reside is central to the Buchan design ethos. Conceptualising our vision through sketch and precedent images is a method our teams employ to communicate our design intent and to shape the client’s project vision into a reality.  

For this project, located in Melbourne residential growth area Truganina, the client was eager to reshape the traditional business park model; Buchan approached the site as an opportunity to reimagine an existing typology from master plan down to human scale. A new type of neighbourhood centre was envisioned that bolsters the essential commercial requirements of a business park with unique retail and community offerings to cater for the onsite population and local visitors. The vision, ’Fuel’, is centred on the idea of complementary activities arranged around a town square civic space to create a unique destination where both work and play are supported. The scheme proposes a bold mix of uses including a motorcycle showroom, coffee roaster, and a tattoo parlour-barber shop. Short term factoriettes to attract fabrication trades and artisans are also part of a proposed staged master plan, while a botanic nursery and unique fresh food specialty retailers act to create a point of difference for the site.

The Buchan team communicated the vision and unique narrative by presenting loose and evocative hand-drawn sketches alongside precedent images to the client. This aspect of the early concept design process is especially important to enable clear lines of communication to ensure the client’s vision is achieved.