Interview about The Hub Tourism , winner of the A' Architecture, Building and Structure Design Award 2021
Mixed use development combining of Heritage market, epicurean center, brewery, hotel, restaurant and function center the design concept is to bring the outside in, the design linked by unique pedestrian link service all uses on the site the challenge on this design of which gain local council support is to maintain the unique neighborhood character by designing building will attract and support the tourism hub for Healesville in Victoria, Australia.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design Details“The mixed-use concept for The Hub Tourism didn’t appear as a single idea — it evolved from listening to the land, the community, and the heritage of Healesville itself. When I first explored the site, I realised something important: this place already had a strong cultural memory. Markets, food, family gatherings, and community life were always part of its story.My goal was not to replace that heritage but to elevate it. So the design approach became an integration rather than an intervention. I asked myself: How do we honour the charm of a heritage market while giving people the comfort, variety, and sophistication of a modern hospitality destination?That became the core challenge — and eventually the innovation.During the design process, the concept evolved through three major stages:First, we studied the site as an ecosystem — not just a plot of land. We mapped pedestrian desire lines, light movement, view corridors, and community behaviour. This revealed natural gathering points and inspired open courtyards, food lanes, and green pockets.Second, we layered modern amenities around the heritage character. Instead of imposing a single building, we designed a network: brewery, hotel, epicurean centre, market, event spaces — all connected like a living spine. The architecture became a circulation experience, not an object.And third, the design matured around the idea of ‘bringing outside in’. Natural ventilation, soft materials, greenery, and transparency allowed the heritage feel to merge with contemporary architecture seamlessly. It created a continuity between past and future, between local culture and visitor expectations.This balance is what ultimately earned international recognition, including the A’ Design Award. The Hub Tourism proves that when we respect the story of a place and combine it with thoughtful innovation, we create developments that feel both timeless and alive.”
“When The Hub Tourism was first proposed, we received more than 3,000 objections. And honestly, I saw that not as resistance, but as a message: the community cared deeply about their town’s identity. That level of engagement is rare — and it meant we had a responsibility to listen, understand, and respond with respect.My strategy was built on three pillars:1. Genuine Dialogue, Not DefenseWe didn’t approach the objections with the mindset of convincing or arguing. Instead, we created open forums, workshops, and one-on-one discussions. I wanted to hear concerns directly — about heritage, traffic, scale, noise, and community character.People softened immediately when they felt heard, not dismissed.2. Transparency and Education Through DesignMuch of the fear came from misunderstanding what the project actually was. So we presented the vision clearly:It wasn’t a commercial invasion.It wasn’t replacing community heritage.It wasn’t disrupting the town’s identity.Instead, it was a development designed around the heritage fabric — celebrating the market culture, enhancing walkability, and uplifting local producers.When people saw the drawings, the materials, the scale, and the pedestrian approach, objections naturally reduced.3. Adapting Without Compromising the VisionWe made thoughtful, strategic adjustments based on community feedback — but without losing the heart of the project.Key concerns like traffic flow, parking, noise management, and heritage interface were refined with better solutions.The essence remained intact: a tourism hub rooted in Healesville’s character.These changes weren’t concessions — they made the design stronger, more relevant, and more embraced by those who would live with it.
“Bringing the outside in isn’t just an aesthetic concept in The Hub — it’s the backbone of the entire spatial experience. I wanted the building to breathe with the landscape, not stand apart from it. So every architectural decision was made to dissolve the boundary between interior and exterior.“Bringing the outside in was achieved through very deliberate architectural moves.We broke the project into smaller interconnected buildings and inserted open-air courtyards and laneways between them. Large operable façades, transparent materials, and natural ventilation keep interiors visually and physically connected to the outdoors.We used warm natural materials and created outdoor dining, market spaces, and terraces that flow directly into the internal programs.Overall, the goal was simple: no hard boundary — just one continuous indoor-outdoor experience.”
“I treated each component — the epicurean centre, brewery, hotel, and function spaces — as individual ‘personalities’ within one larger family. To keep them cohesive, I used a unified architectural language: similar materials, shared courtyards, and a continuous pedestrian flow that links every program.At the same time, each space was given its own identity through scale, lighting, internal layout, and the way it interacts with the surrounding landscape. So they feel different in experience, but connected in character — like distinct chapters of the same story.”
“We approached sustainability in a very practical, site-driven way. The Hub uses natural materials such as timber, stone and matte metal finishes that age gracefully and blend with the landscape. These materials reduce embodied energy and create a warm, grounded atmosphere for visitors.Environmentally, we designed for passive cooling, natural ventilation, shaded courtyards, and minimal mechanical reliance. Operable façades, deep overhangs, and pergola structures reduce heat gain while maintaining comfort. We kept the footprint porous to allow water permeability and preserved existing green elements wherever possible.Sustainability wasn’t added on — it shaped the experience. The natural materials, soft textures, and open-air circulation make the project feel connected to nature while quietly reducing its ecological impact.”
“I approached the project with one clear goal: let the new development amplify the character that already exists, not replace it. To protect neighbourhood identity, we respected the scale, materiality, and rhythm of Healesville’s built fabric, and we kept the architecture grounded in familiar forms, warm textures, and open community spaces.The innovation came through how these elements were reorganized — creating new experiences without losing the town’s soul. We introduced modern functions like the hotel, brewery, and epicurean centre, but wrapped them in a pedestrian-friendly, market-style layout that feels authentic to the local culture.In short, we preserved the spirit of the community while introducing programs that drive tourism and economic growth. The project feels new, but never foreign — and that balance is what made it successful.”
“The pedestrian linkages were designed as the spine of the entire project. Instead of treating pathways as circulation, we treated them as experiences. We mapped the natural desire lines of how people would move between the brewery, hotel, epicurean centre, and outdoor spaces, then shaped the architecture around those movements.These pathways create a seamless flow — every link opens into a courtyard, a view, or a gathering point. They encourage exploration, slow movement, and natural interaction. By connecting all the components through walkable, open-air routes, the development feels unified and intuitive, while still allowing each destination to maintain its distinct character.”
“The 6-acre site had complex natural contours, so the biggest challenge was avoiding heavy earthworks while still creating a comfortable, walkable destination. Instead of flattening the land, we allowed the architecture to step with the terrain.This approach shaped everything — building heights, circulation routes, views, and the placement of courtyards and terraces. The stepped design created natural transitions between the brewery, hotel, and epicurean centre, and allowed us to frame the landscape rather than fight it.In the end, the topography became an advantage: it gave the project character, improved accessibility through gentle gradients, and created layered spaces that feel organic and connected to the land.”
“Healesville’s food and wine culture shaped the architecture from the very beginning. Rather than designing generic hospitality spaces, we studied how the region produces, shares, and celebrates its wine and culinary traditions. That led us to create human-scaled spaces, open courtyards, tasting terraces, and market-style lanes that mirror the rhythm of vineyards and farm stalls.We placed the epicurean centre, brewery and food areas along a flowing pedestrian spine — just like a winery journey — where visitors move from tasting to dining to gathering. The materials are warm and grounded to reflect the earthy tones of wine production, and the spatial planning encourages slow movement, conversation and discovery.In short, the architecture became an extension of the region’s food and wine culture: authentic, experiential, and deeply connected to place.”
“I believe The Hub sets a new benchmark for how mixed-use tourism destinations can grow without disconnecting from the communities around them. What we achieved — respecting local identity, embracing the landscape, and using sustainable, human-centered design — is a model that future developments can build on.The Hub proves that tourism projects don’t need to feel imposed; they can be integrated organically through open public spaces, walkable connections, natural materials, and architecture that brings nature inside.Looking ahead, I see more developments adopting this approach: working with the community instead of around it, designing from the land outward, and prioritizing sustainability as the foundation rather than the add-on. The Hub shows that when you balance innovation with authenticity, you create destinations that last.”
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