THE UNDERCURRENTS

This project recalls the lost hydrology and layered histories of Blackwattle Creek, a tidal watercourse that once flowed through the grounds of the University of Sydney. Drawing from counter-mapping, Indigenous custodianship, and the presence of stone artefacts found on campus, the design repositions the site as a place of memory and renewal. A zigzag ground plane evokes the slowed rhythm of a creek, while rammed earth and porous stone walls anchor the building to Country. Through principles of layering, circular ecology, and porosity, the project reconnects land, water, and culture, revealing what urbanisation has long overlooked.

Carly Chan

THE UNDERCURRENTS

This project recalls the lost hydrology and layered histories of Blackwattle Creek, a tidal watercourse that once flowed through the grounds of the University of Sydney. Drawing from counter-mapping, Indigenous custodianship, and the presence of stone artefacts found on campus, the design repositions the site as a place of memory and renewal. A zigzag ground plane evokes the slowed rhythm of a creek, while rammed earth and porous stone walls anchor the building to Country. Through principles of layering, circular ecology, and porosity, the project reconnects land, water, and culture, revealing what urbanisation has long overlooked.

Carly Chan

We recognise and pay respect to the Elders and communities - past, present, and emerging - of the lands that the University of Sydney's campuses stand on. For thousands of years they have shared and exchanged knowledges across innumerable generations for the benefit of all.