Northern Memorial Park Depot

Process with Purpose: The Northern Memorial Park Depot emerged from a deeply collaborative process between the design team, Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (GMCT), engineers, builder and fabricators.

From the outset, the client articulated a vision to move beyond a standard industrial facility, seeking instead a workplace of longevity, dignity, and sustainability. Working in close partnership, the team explored ways to embed GMCT’s values into the functional brief. Regular design reviews allowed emerging ideas—such as mass timber construction and passive design principles—to be tested and refined with input from operational staff and a broader consultant team.

The bespoke glulam truss system required advanced digital modelling, with each of the 20 trusses individually shaped to accommodate mechanical services, structure, and spatial planning. A high-detail LOD400 model was developed to coordinate prefabrication, enabling an efficient construction sequence and minimal on-site waste.

Sustainability was not treated as an afterthought but embedded from the outset—from selecting recycled bricks sourced 50 metres from the site, to prioritising spatial connections that support mental wellbeing. Certification systems were explored but ultimately set aside in favour of more meaningful outcomes tailored to the building’s unique context, user group and indoor–outdoor spatial sequences.

The final design was implemented with focused attention to detail. Elements such as custom joinery, amphitheatre seating, and external walkways integrated seamlessly with the architectural intent.

The result is a facility that operates with the efficiency of an industrial building but feels more like a civic and community space—proving that collaborative, values-led processes can deliver design excellence in unexpected contexts.

Human-Centred Design: Design excellence in the Northern Memorial Park Depot is defined by its commitment to human-centred design in an industrial context.

Rather than following a conventional, efficiency-first model, the project begins with empathy—acknowledging the emotional and psychological needs of the cemetery operations staff who work in roles shaped by grief, care, and community service. Every element of the design supports wellbeing: natural light, cross-ventilation, planting, acoustics and tactile materials work together to create an environment that is calming, warm and welcoming.

The structure itself contributes to this experience—the soaring glulam trusses and exposed timber floors bring spatial generosity and visual interest, without sacrificing function. The program is carefully calibrated to the rhythm of staff life: an amphitheatre stair serves as a gathering point for morning meetings, while CLT walkways connect shared breakout spaces. These thoughtful interventions support interaction between GMCT’s horticulture, burial, and operations teams, fostering community and shared purpose.

Materiality reinforces the building’s emotional intelligence. Recycled brick grounds the structure with resilience and history, while the perforated metal façade filters light and offers a sense of protection without enclosure—reflecting both the weight and lightness of grief.

Functionally, the project exceeds expectations. It delivers expansive, flexible workspaces while providing areas for rest, reflection and social connection. This synthesis of utility and humanity is rare in civic infrastructure—and even rarer in depots.

In doing so, the NMP Depot sets a new benchmark for design excellence—not just in Victoria, but internationally—for how we think about infrastructure, wellbeing, and architectural care in public-facing operational environments.

Mass Timber Engineering and Adaptive Typology: Innovation in the NMP Depot lies in its reimagining of a typically overlooked building type through advanced timber engineering and thoughtful typological adaptation.

At the heart of the project is a series of 20 bespoke glulam timber trusses—each one uniquely modelled to span 35 metres across garage spaces while supporting a functional upper level. Unlike conventional depot construction which relies heavily on steel, the use of mass timber enabled a lower embodied carbon structure, while also creating a warmer and more tactile environment.

The innovation was not only in material selection, but in how timber was used. The glulam trusses were digitally modelled at a LOD400 level, enabling seamless integration of mechanical and electrical systems, optimised prefabrication, and minimisation of construction waste. Between the trusses, solid CLT slabs were inserted as the floor structure, incorporating cut-outs for views and cross-level engagement. The resulting spaces are light, open, and full of visual connections.

This timber-first strategy was paired with adaptive program thinking. Workshops and garages sit below, while above, a network of walkways, quiet zones and meeting areas is suspended between the truss chords. This arrangement transforms the depot into a vertically layered, connected workplace—supporting collaboration between diverse teams and giving dignity to essential services.

Externally, the pleated metal façade brings aesthetic innovation to a utilitarian brief, filtering light and creating a nuanced, civic presence at the edge of an industrial street.

In a field where cost, efficiency, and minimal design intervention are often prioritised, the NMP Depot demonstrates how engineering and innovation can elevate even the most functional typologies—redefining what a depot can be.

Social and Environmental Legacy: The Northern Memorial Park Depot delivers enduring impact through the seamless integration of environmental sustainability and social wellbeing — demonstrating that essential infrastructure can be both functional and inspiring.

The project achieves substantial environmental outcomes. Over 150,000 recycled bricks were sourced from a recycler located just 50 metres from the site, significantly reducing transport emissions and waste. The timber structure incorporates 418m³ of PEFC-certified glulam and CLT, sequestering approximately 418 tonnes of CO₂. A 99kWp rooftop solar system offsets energy usage, supporting the goal of operational carbon neutrality. Passive ventilation, abundant natural light, rainwater harvesting, and landscape integration further contribute to a high-performing, low-impact building.

Socially, the project recognises and supports a high-risk workforce — cemetery operations staff who work daily with grief, ceremony, and community service. The design enhances their wellbeing by providing calm, restorative spaces that connect with nature, improving morale, reducing burnout, and affirming the dignity and importance of their role.

The project also extends benefits to the broader community. Positioned beside Gowrie Station, it forms a gateway to the future cemetery, wetland, and open space network. Through careful treatment of site edges — retaining mature trees, fostering biodiversity, and improving access — it becomes an integral part of a wider public infrastructure ecosystem.

A collaboration between the design team, GMCT, and the University of Melbourne, the Woody Meadows pilot introduced over 18,000 native, climate-resilient plants to strengthen biodiversity, restore habitat, and create a sustainable, resilient landscape aligned with the project’s environmental ethos.

This legacy extends beyond the site itself. As a visible public investment in design excellence, the Northern Memorial Park Depot underscores the power of architecture to elevate civic infrastructure. It exemplifies how even the most utilitarian buildings can foster environmental stewardship, social connection, and cultural care — reinforcing Victoria’s position as a global leader in sustainable and inclusive design.

Materials, Lifecycle and Local Supply: Circularity and sustainability are embedded throughout every aspect of the Northern Memorial Park Depot, embodying the Greater Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s commitment to designing for perpetuity. Rather than relying on checklist-based green certifications, the project prioritises long-term performance, contextual appropriateness, and low-carbon construction.

At the heart of this approach is material intelligence. The primary structure is composed of mass timber — 418m³ of PEFC-certified glulam and CLT — sequestering approximately 418 tonnes of CO₂. Timber was selected not only for its renewability but also for its durability, biophilic warmth, and capacity for disassembly and reuse at the end of its lifecycle.

More than 150,000 recycled bricks were sourced from a recycler located just 50 metres from the site, dramatically reducing transport emissions and landfill waste. These reclaimed bricks form the building’s base, paving, and furniture elements, adding rich character while saving an estimated 58 tonnes of CO₂. Broken bricks were innovatively reused in both structural and decorative applications.

During construction, 95% of waste was recycled, digital modelling minimised offcuts, and only VOC-free coatings were used. Passive solar design, mixed-mode ventilation, and a 99kWp rooftop photovoltaic system collectively support the goal of net-zero operational energy. Water-sensitive design strategies — including raingardens, a 40KL rainwater tank, and naturalised drainage — further enhance environmental performance.

Ecological resilience is reinforced through the planting of 18,000 woody meadow species and the preservation of mature gum trees, strengthening biodiversity and habitat value. Circular thinking also guided the building’s spatial and functional layout, ensuring adaptability, low-tech maintenance, and long-term resilience.

In sum, the Northern Memorial Park Depot demonstrates how sustainable design can be embedded through thoughtful material selection, lifecycle awareness, and local collaboration — offering a replicable model for future civic and operational infrastructure.