FUTURE HOMES
STATUS
Competition - Finalist
LOCATION
Melbourne, VIC
TRADITIONAL LAND OWNERS
Wurundjeri People
The Great Australian Dream is evolving. As the population grows, housing affordability decreases and household compositions vary; the concept of raising a family on a quarter acre block not only becomes less attainable, but in many cases is seen as unnecessary or not even preferable. We propose an apartment building which will evolve to meet changing needs throughout the lifespan of occupants, creating better homes in established communities through considered densification. A building that provides residents the opportunity to up-size, down-size and reconfigure to suit changing needs throughout their lives while enjoying the benefits of a strong building community.
By implementing a simple set of site planning principles and an architecture composed of a kit of parts, the proposal is easily adaptable to a range of site variabilities.
A perimeter of canopy trees planted in feel soil provide a cost effective and simple way of achieving great amenity and sustainability outcomes. Living modules are projected to the corners of the floorplate as a priority, maximising amenity in terms of aspect, ventilation and natural light. Between these are located a series of secondary modules which are designed to provide ease of reconfiguration within an apartment, or conversion from one apartment to the adjacent unit.
Social spaces stitch together the apartments and are designed to cultivate a strong building community. At ground level, a shared studio provides residents with a place to work, study or create while activating the street frontage. The studio sits within a micro-orchard, designed to be enjoyed by both residents and the surrounding community. The central circulation zone is a gallery like space designed to facilitate chance resident interaction across multiple levels within an environment filled with the colour of changing artwork produced by local artists. On the rooftop, a pair of functional and enjoyable spaces provide residents with great view over the roof and tree-tops.
The honest architectural expression is directly resultant of the arrangement of living and secondary modules with finer detailing influenced by environmental and contextual factors such as solar orientation and the arrangement of neighbouring sites. As such, the resulting architecture informed by site variation will present a tailored outcome derived from the parameters and influences of a particular project.
This project is a genuine alternative to the suburban detached family home - a re-imagined future of the Great Australian Dream.
Entered as "Urban Rhetoric", our proposal was a finalist in the Future Homes Design Competition run by the Victorian government. We welcome the opportunity to develop the concept further in relation to specific project opportunities.
