Barrabool Hills - Landscape Without Buildings

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RESEARCH BACKGROUND
This conceptual model by Mauro Baracco was originally prepared for exhibition in the international exhibition, Abundant: Australian Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale. It investigates issues of architectural sustainability, indirectly emphasising the essential contribution that open and natural spaces provide in relation to both contemporary urban environment and reshaped rural landscapes.

RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION
Directly referring to the Biennale theme, Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, this model goes beyond the first degree of 'beyondness' that intrinsically places it in a different context from a physical building. This work is twice 'beyond building': not only as a conceptual model, but also as an evocative representation of an unbuilt rural space. This space is preserved following a decision to create a new house by renovating existing architecture, instead of constructing new volumes and occupying open land. The research contribution of this work is seen in its investigation of the re-use of existing architecture instead of constructing new volumes on vacant land: this is one of the most obvious and yet radical ways to address issues of sustainability.

RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
Following the invitation to participate in the Venice Architecture Biennale, this work was included in a selection of works from the Venice Biennale exhibited at Object Gallery, Sydney in 2009. It has been reviewed in books and magazines including Naomi Stead, 'Abundance: The view from Australia', Architecture Australia vol. 97, no. 6, November/December 2008.