Towards a Collective Production

The School of Urban Commons is founded on a participatory design praxis set to return architectural discourse to the contemporaneous public realm in a time where cities confront increased densities of enclosed territories amongst ecological disruption consequenced by modernist progression. Located on Cockatoo Island’s Eastern Apron against the sandstone quarry are the democratic grounds established with terraced roof gardens for both students of this forte and public members to roam, commune and execute their agency - a revitalisation of social affordances to a site exhausted of its industrial prime. With agents adept at reclaiming what had been rightfully common, Hardin’s Tragedy of the Commons needn’t become the destined urban condition.

The space and resources of the common sits on existing vacant land with two adaptively-reused accommodations, neither private or state-owned and is managed by the student’s own rules and governance.

The northern face presents a series of public-educational commons replete with learning spaces, lounges, internal and external exhibitions through walls of transparency visible from the island’s ferry wharf.

Student learning spaces are located on the south along the quarried sandstone face and are within close proximity to the heritage industrial warehouses. The homebase working areas at the mezzanine level.

Access to the upper plateau and the dining commons is facilitated by a terraced form that provides additional green recreational space and retains views to Sydney Harbour on all levels.

The School’s praxis serves to reclaim urban commons by dissolving perceived enclosures and re-instilling a sense of agency, ownership and participation - instituting a new era for the island.