DfMA Project: The South Melbourne Market External Food Hall by Bourke and Bouteloup
In this interview with Bourke and Bouteloup Architects, we explore the design process behind the DfMA Project – South Melbourne Market External Food Hall. As a practice committed to collaborative and innovative architecture, Bourke and Bouteloup emphasizes a deep understanding of client needs and community context.
This project exemplifies their approach, utilizing Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles to enhance efficiency and minimize disruption during construction. Join us as we delve into the design strategies that prioritize sustainability, functionality, and the unique character of the market, creating a dynamic space for both locals and visitors alike.
Photography by Peter Bennetts, Published with bowerbird
Can you tell us about your practice Bourke and Bouteloup Architects and your general design process?
Bourke and Bouteloup Architects are a creative and collaborative architectural practice with expertise in the design and delivery of specialist Community, Learning and Support environments.
Our collaborative interactions with stakeholders ensure a detailed understanding of a client’s brief, which can yield innovative design solutions. We are interested in the culture, practices, methods and ambitions of client or community and how the architecture can respond to these drivers. Sustainability, flexibility, and technology are implicitly part of our thinking to maximise the potential and longevity of any investment.
We are focused on design solutions which address the climate and biodiversity emergency, and with this we have an inherent interest in a site and its relationship with the city and environment.
How did the principles of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) influence the overall design and construction process of the External Food Hall, particularly in terms of reducing construction time and minimizing disruption to the market?
The design was refined in collaboration with the fabricator to ensure precision machining of rough sawn plantation pine into modular elements for assembly. Custom steel junction and node details were developed to minimize their visual impact and allow for a simple bolt-together installation without the use of a crane.
The DfMA principles allowed the design to develop to suit the preferred construction methodology with small timber elements which could be handled by a maximum of 2 installers on scissor lifts. Using a large crane was unsuitable due to the loss of market car parking space, an existing tree and an adjacent kindergarten. The design allowed a minimal shutdown period for the entrance to the busy market. No cranes were required in the construction, and with all structural elements carefully shop drawn and pre-manufactured, the timber was able to be constructed quickly as a ‘meccano set’.
The timber diagrid structure and ‘A’-frame columns play a crucial role in the design. Can you elaborate on how these prefabricated elements were engineered to optimize strength while maintaining aesthetic harmony within the market environment?
The columns were designed as ‘A’-frames to spread load and minimize the need for deep footings which reduced soil removal from the site. The columns are arranged to create a semi-enclosed space, and have been designed to incorporate benches to allow for a greater variety of dining opportunities.
The canopy design, inspired by the traditional market palette, creates a visual connection with the market’s identity. How did you approach balancing this symbolic reference with functional aspects like weather protection and light control?
The front edge of the canopy extends out as a profiled edge to create depth and weather protection, but also to give the appearance of a flat front as the foreshortening of the roof projection flattens the appearance of the roof fall. Light is brought into the depth of the canopy by cutting a large rhomboid hole in the centre which is covered with a translucent roof for weather protection but brings daylight into the space to animate the timber frame and provide a protected outdoor space.
The layout of the dining spaces is intimate, encouraging informal social gatherings. How did you design the flow of movement and seating arrangements to create a balance between privacy, comfort, and openness within a busy market context?
A furniture layout was required to ensure critical egress dimensions are maintained which is paramount in a building with a large population. The furniture and column locations also provide access for equipment and forklifts to turn and access existing store areas. The location of the A–frames assists in providing some definition in the occupiable space and also in creating intimacy.
Can you share any insights into the community’s response to the new External Food Hall and how it has reshaped the dynamic of the South Melbourne Market as a social and culinary hub
The space is well used in a relaxed manner, particularly if weather is inclement or warm. It provides a much-needed external space adjacent the internal food hall which supports the bustling internal space and provides some respite. The project was awarded a design and development award by the City of Port Phillip in 2024.
