K20 Architecture was engaged to provide an innovative design response to a popular foreshore precinct in Mordialloc. Various elements were considered in our design response to provide positive sustainable amenities that best service the Mordialloc foreshore. The elements include consideration of the coastal environment, the cultural heritage significance, the nearby heritage-significant art deco buildings, the Mordialloc Pier, and Creek boat users.

Based on a survey carried out prior to our works, the existing amenities on site were the most used facility within the municipality. The existing amenities on site were outdated and deemed non-compliant to the code at the time, making the project a priority to support universal access and adequate facilities.

Internal spaces include a beach All-Terrain Vehicle store, public toilets and a fully accessible changing places facility to serve the community and the many visitors to the popular location.

Despite budget constraints, we were able to create a functional program within a sculpted form celebrating the context and movement towards universal access to enjoy the foreshore and natural environment. Our design solution was a juxtaposition of the function of the toilet and the joy and playfulness that a sculpture element can bring to architecture, resulting in a building that is both functional and visually striking.

Our design story is based on the idea of a SEASHELL - the design seeks to create a sensory experience and tactile reminder of the rough exterior of sand and shell with its contrast.

The design emulates this familiar form through the play of inside and outside in the traditionally closed-off typology of a toilet block. The form generation in the Architecture has connotations to ridges of the shell form with 'slices' of the outside that are drawn and connected in. This play of interior/exterior seeks to generate a unique user experience.

The SEASHELL seeks to elevate a familiar typology of the public toilet block to create an elevated experience that connects to context and goes beyond functionality. The result created a sculpture with a focus on the building's exterior for exposure and the interior for function. Our design solution was driven by a sustainable approach to function, with low energy use, a low maintenance, easy-to-use, and easy-to-clean design.

Sustainable initiatives include:

• Durable materials suited to the Marine Environment and public use.
• Solar Power with battery store
• Water collection and reuse
• Natural Light and ventilation
• Natural Materials and materials with recycled content and end life recyclability.