//design
I've been postless for the past 2 weeks or so due to the fact that I was nearing the end of my Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree, and last week I handed in my final studio project, which I will introduce to you in this post. This week has been 9:30am - 4:00pm everyday just intensive studio design, addressing the issue of dense living (again) but for a different paper called URBAN HOUSING DESIGN.
The Final Studio Project
Some of you have expressed interest in what my last studio project was and so I'd thought a post about the brief and my solution would be appropriate.
More than half the world's population live in urban centres and by the year 2050, this percentage is expected to rise to 70%. In New Zealand, the percentage is already more than 72%. It is also estimated that to keep up with the rising population of Auckland, 8000 new homes a year would need to be built for the ever growing city.
To address this exponential increase in population and to prepare us as the next generation of architects, we are introduced to low rise (4 storeys high maximum, or 15 metres above ground level), high density housing design. The problem is, New Zealanders are accustomed to each and everyone having their own SPACE, and the normal suburban houses that are detached with green garden spaces all around their house. We as architects are concerned that Kiwis would be reluctant to leave behind what they know as HOUSING.
For the brief, we were given a 3.7 hectare site in Parnell, Auckland, to design a multi house type residential development. The solution to this project should address the following issues:
- DENSITY: Building at a target of 700 habitable rooms per hectare, a much high density than what New Zealanders are accustomed to
- SITE: is a valley that dips down at the lowest in the middle of the site (see contour model)
- QUALITY: of living. Will people want to abandon their suburban houses for this new development?
- CONTEXT: Parnell is one of the oldest suburbs in Auckland, with a few listed heritage buildings within our site boundary. How we deal with the contrast of old and new
- GREEN SPACES
- ACCESS
- TARGET POPULATION
- SPACE AND LIGHT
- CONSTRUCTION AND SUSTAINABILITY
- COST
- APPEARANCE
This is a 6 week studio project.
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| Red line defines our site boundary |
My Solution
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| Final Presentation |
Design Intent:
Parnell is Auckland’s oldest suburb, as it dates from the earliest days of European settlement in 1841. Located on this 3.7 hectare site are several heritage buildings that have a rich history and are to remain. My approach to the project brief is to introduce a modern residential development that addresses the presence of the heritage buildings and the site’s surrounding context. To do this, the taller, 4 storey apartments are located on the busy Parnell Road and through different types of housing that are used, transitions to single family terraced houses on St Georges Bay Road.
As part of the brief was to bring more life to the side of Parnell Road on which the site sits, the ground floor of the 4 storey apartments will be retail shop spaces. With regards to the heritage buildings, the large, 4 storey buildings taper off to smaller, 2 storey terraced houses in the parts of the site that are immediate to the heritage buildings. This transition is softened by the use of green spaces and plantation on the site. On the east side of the site on St Georges Bay Road, the terraced houses harmonise well with its context that consists mostly of two storey single family homes. These terraced houses frame several sets of planned open spaces and these spaces open up to the existing Scarborough reserve which is located directly north of the valley. Access is also provided for the public through these open spaces to move from Parnell Road to St Georges Bay Road. Underground car parks are provided for the residents of this development only, and are accessed from the North end of St Georges Bay Road.
The building responds to the site by following the contours, making most of these orientate north-south which allows light to filter through the site. All living areas in all the buildings have exposure to air and sunlight. The apartments on Parnell Road feature shutters that can be controlled by the residents to their preferences. All building materials are sourced locally and are readily available, making it more cost effective and sustainable to the environment.
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| Site Plan |
It's a little hard to read at this size, but the red buildings are heritage buildings that are to remain untouched, the green are the planned green spaces, the yellow are 2 storey terraced houses, the pink are 3+4 storey (stepped) with retail on street level, blue are the 4 storey units and purple is back to back terraced housing.
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| View of Parnell Road showing 3+ 4 storey apartments with retail at street level |
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| View of St George's Bay Road, Terraced housing |
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| View looking south from Scarborough Lane |
The main difficulties I've had with this design was definitely building around the contours. It's an incredibly steep site, meaning a lot of the buildings had to be stepped, in both x and y directions. This was definitely a very tough project as we have never been tasked with a whole development before in our 3 years of architecture!
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| Site model, lasercut at 1:500. Each layer of card represents 1 metre. |
Can you believe that all of this presentation work was done in the 1 and a half weeks? Definitely slaved over it, but I'm very happy with the end result and got some good feedback from the tutors.
The Aftermath
Following this handin, it was a huge relief to all the students in my class, but a few of us still had the week long intensive studio, and some others had exams. But everyone really gave this project their all (as we could tell from their zombie-like complexions) and we all came up with exceptional solutions for a 6 week project.
The tutors invited us to their home for drinks and pizza to have a look at their house which they designed themselves. It was so inspirational! The living spaces lapped cleverly around the stairwell of their house on mezzanine floors, allowing light to flow through the stairwell and to each living space. Read more about it
here.
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| Center stair case |
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| Looking down from the staircase |
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| Light well |
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| Rooftop access |
It has been a crazy 3 years at Unitec Architecture and I can't believe how fast it has passed by! Through these years I definitely learnt heaps and cannot wait to put this all into practice. I'd like to congratulate and thank my friends who are finishing with me as well - you guys are an inspiration. Architecture school is a combined effort - we definitely wouldn't do as well as we are without each other. I'll miss you all!
Now to think about post grad...
-B
