Red Location was set up as a model native township in the early twenties. This ‘relic urban structure’ is kept as the basis for our design and enriched with new layers. The new enlightened layers use the space between existing layers in an active, pragmatic and engaging manner, as a living community orientated urban space. The bulk of this extensive program is cut into the natural slope of the ground to reduce the scale of the new structures in the existing urban landscape.

The design retraces the existing pedestrian routes that inform the layout of public spaces and buildings. The diagonal route through the shacks that connects the beer hall and station is imprinted on the architecture and articulated in the form of public space.
Running from east to west is a series of activated public strips that have been introduced. The strips are active urban movement spaces for day to day use and for cultural purposes. The strips include all forms of the reality of urban life and overlap the activities of the new programs. The existing North-South dirt road through the centre of Red Location is proposed as a dedicated pedestrian spine linking the strips and all parts of the program.

The linear sweeping rooflines of the new structures form a layer that contrasts with the staccato layout of the existing housing fabric. The new structures spatial and physical texture consists of lightweight materials, long sheeted roofs with deep overhangs creating a sense of shelter and well being. Materials are used to define space, protect from sunlight and guide movement. Long glass elevations create a transparency that enables passers by to look inside and those inside to sense the urban life. Long natural stone walls guide movement routes and position buildings in their context.

The revisited red location houses are proposed to be made of brickwork and sheeting, the new infill housing finished in colourful plaster. The proposal suggests an adherence to the grid and a set of guidelines which insure that the new residential structures have the same roof pitch, basic footprint and scale of the historical precinct.