Project Highlight | Eucalyptus Lawn Entry and DDA-Compliant Access
The Eucalyptus Lawn Entry redefines the experience of threshold and transition within a contemporary cemetery setting. As part of GMCT’s broader commitment to accessible and sustainable legacy landscapes, this entry project delivers a spatially legible, materially honest, and ecologically sensitive intervention that balances ceremonial function with community openness.
At the heart of the design is a DDA-compliant access sequence, combining integrated ramps and generous stairways with gentle landform modulation. These are constructed using site-suitable in-situ concrete, selected for its durability, low maintenance, and thermal compatibility with Melbourne’s climate. The detailing of the concrete—soft-edged stairs, tactile surfaces, and curved transitions—supports both functional use and visual harmony with the surrounding softscape.
The principles of placemaking guided the spatial logic of the arrival area:
- Threshold: The entry acts as a defined threshold, both physically and symbolically, marking transition into a space of memory and reverence.
- Pause & Progression: Informal seating zones and an upper landing terrace offer places for pause, quiet conversation, or small gatherings.
- Legibility: The composition maintains visual clarity and intuitive wayfinding for all visitors, regardless of age or ability.
- Material Honesty: The use of raw concrete, recycled steel handrails, and native timber seating ensures tactile and aesthetic authenticity, creating a grounded spatial identity.
Surrounding the structure, native planting and water-sensitive design strategies introduce a self-regulating microclimate. These green layers buffer the landscape and extend habitat corridors through the site, reinforcing both ecological function and emotional resonance. Monumental plaques are positioned to provide focal points for personal remembrance, carefully integrated into the gradient and views of the landscape.
Services Delivered:
- Best practice for earthworks simulation using Rhino–Grasshopper.
- Evidence-based cemetery entry design with DDA-compliant access strategy.
- Site-suitable in-situ concrete detailing for longevity and landscape integration.
- Self-sustaining, passive irrigation through native and water-sensitive planting.
- Minimal-impact earth shaping with attention to microtopography and drainage.
- Placemaking through pedestrian sequencing, seating nooks, and gathering edges.
- Integration of TPZs and habitat connectivity via indigenous landscape palette.
Design: Hamed Tavakoli (Meso Space)
Site: GMCT (Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust)Year: 2023–2024 (Construction Phase)
