How would you design a city on a spaceship, revamp an old mental asylum to support well-being, improve the concept of a funeral home, reuse an abandoned mine or redevelop Newcastle Ocean Baths to retain its 100 years of memories?
These are all questions graduates of Newcastle of University's Masters of Architecture have posed and attempted to answer over the past year.
The students will showcase their fascinating solutions on Friday night at their "Augmented Alchemy" exhibition on the rooftop of Bolton Street Carpark from 6pm.
Hamilton's Caroli de Villiers, 23, says she was inspired by her move from Adelaide to Newcastle two years ago to re-imagine the future of one of the city's icons.
"I did not know what I would do for my project so I started exploring my city and I saw the baths and the state they were in, and the potential they hold for the people of Newcastle," she said.
"I really love the seats and how you can sit there and have the view to Nobbys, and how close you are to the water, hearing the water. That's what I love: how exposed you are to all the elements."
She said in the first half of the year she came up with a design for the site that was "very out there" and then realised it was not right.
"The one thing that really intrigued me was looking at the old photos of it, the history aspects it holds and those precious memories it holds for everyone," she said.
"I think bringing back some of those memories was the main thing I wanted to do in the end and not overpower the heritage aspects of it."
She said her plan for the site, which she has called "The Precious Point", aimed to enhance people's experience of the site, redeveloping the change rooms and toilets, maintaining the facade, adding therapeutic pools and incorporating a venue that would allow people to use the site at night. The concept includes areas to display the old photos she found.
Ms de Villiers said she did not realise the redevelopment of the baths had become a politically contentious topic.
"I saw it in the paper a week before I presented my work. The baths are so beautiful. I can see why they are so special for everyone in Newcastle."
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