This thesis explores how architects and the built environment can better support and recognise the value of carers in our community. Drawing from principles of the Carer’s Recognition Act, it seeks to establish a dialogue around compassionate design principles that prioritise carers’ experience. The pavilion, titled “Pavilion of Warm Hearts”, utilises the expo platform to highlight the strengths of carers, represented in three architectural elements as “The Strong Head,” “The Gentle Hand,” and “The Warm Heart”. The project is an invitation for further discourse on the role of architects and the built environment in supporting carers in our community.
The proposal is situated within the Forest of Tranquillity. The organic planning allows for meandering paths throughout the forest which provides diverse settings where visitors can take pause and reflect.
Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s Geodesic Dome, the Head represents the diverse needs of different carers and system of support necessary between carers and their community to help sustains the caring.
Drawing from Tim Booth’s photography series “A Show of Hands”, the Gentle Hand is a timber pavilion that symbolises carers’ commitment to caring for others.
The Warm Heart represents the unseen aspects of caring and asks the question: What sustains carers despite the sacrifices they make and how we can help them sustains the caring.
Through its three distinct yet interconnected elements, the project is a call to action, inviting visitors to consider how they can contribute to the wellbeing carers in their community.