HOT HOUSE

Acknowledgment

I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands at which this project lays, both where the research was undertaken, the Awabakal and Worimi people, as well as the lands in which the project is proposed, the Luritja people. I would like to extend that respect throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters & culture. I pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging.

Abstract Hot House

As climate change data continues to rise, as does the extreme heat events in remote communities of Australia. These events continue to have a serious impact on health, housing the ability to remain on country, making indigenous Australians the first climate refugees. A Kit-of-Parts including a phased suit of design strategies is proposed as response to a brief given by non-forprofit organisation HealthHabitat as part of a research cluster into Indigenous housing. Led by evidence-based design, the proposal is informed by data provided by HealthHabitat, first nations people, research into the governance, social structures and inequality of infrastructure, finance, ownership and justice. Outcomes of the design strategies are informed and supported by data received from thermal modelling software, costings and feasibilities as well as lifecycle analysis.

A HEAT + HEALTH ISSUE

In July of 2019, Alice Springs experienced an alarming 55 days with temperatures exceeding 40°C, marking the driest period in 27 years. As these issues continue to impact these communities, the risk of them becoming the first climate refugees increases.

As a result of these changing conditions, further issues begin to rise, exacerbating the living conditions of the communities, further contributing to relocation, from their homes and further off Country.

Energy insecurity occurs more often, houses are disconnected from power at a larger rate and communities are forced to pay increasingly higher prices, leaving cooling a last option. Crowding increases these issues around heat and heath, with a lack of housing infrastructure, people are forced to share more of the housing stock. This situation intensifies discomfort and raises internal temperatures within homes, offering less opportunity for respite from the external heat.

How can we as architects, students and educators contribute to assist in resolving some of these issues of energy insecurity, housing inadequacy, and environmental sustainability?

AMUNTURRUGU (MT LIEBIG)

A COMMUNITY OF THE LURITJA NATION, ONE OF TOO MANY IMPACTED FROM HEAT.

HOT HOUSE THE FRAME

A SHORT DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THIS CHAPTER COVERS

PREFACE VI A HEAT + HEALTH ISSUE

WHY SHOULD WE CARE

A METHOD OF DEFINING THE THE KITOF-PARTS

MACRO ANALYSIS

AN EXERCISE IN EXTRACTION

THE BRIEF

A COMPREHENSIVE SET OF REQUIREMENTS ADDRESSING A WIDER SET OF ISSUES AT PLAY

MAINTAINING A CONNECTION

A CONNECTION TO COUNTRY

HEALTH HABITAT PRINCIPLES

ONE OF THE MANY CLIENTS THE FRAMEWORK

A PRECEDENT STUDY INTO THE WORK OF KERE

THE INITIAL PROPOSAL

A PRECEDENT STUDY INTO THE WORK OF HEALTHHABITAT

A REFINEMENT AND DETAIL

A PRECEDENT STUDY INTO THE WORK OF LINDSAY JOHNSTON

AN ELEMENTAL BREAKDOWN

THE FRAMEWORK

AN ELEMENTAL BREAKDOWN

TESTING ALL OPTIONS

Introduction

The Brief

In July of 2019, Alice Springs recorded 55 days above 40°C and was the driest in 27 years. As climate change continues, extreme heat wave events occur and a greater scarcity of water, lingers over towns and communities in central and remote Australia, are becoming and will be the first climate refugees in Australia. Non-for-profit organisation HealthHabitat have engaged The University of Newcastle to form a research cluster and contribute to ongoing project work in the remote community of Amunturrngu (Mt. Liebig) in south west Northern Territory. The research is to involve a proposal of a Kit-of-Parts, a suite of design strategies that mitigate the thermal stress of the existing housing in Amunturrngu. The kit of parts is to align with Health habitat’s methodology and must address a set of wider issues such as heat on health, energy insecurity, climate justice and the importance of remaining on country. Further along the project phase, documentation and costings of proposals is to be included as part of the set, forming an argument to take to governments and governing bodies to provide outcome to these communities at risk.

Health Hardware

Health Hardware plays a major role in the outcome of ones health in remote Indigenous communities.

As illustrated on the right, Heath Hardware can be considered everything it takes to provide the opportunity to maintain a healthy practice. This includes the essential services such as power, and storage as well as the transporation through to housing the hardware systems needed, down to the parts requried to maintain the healthy practice. A methodology was developed by the Nganampa Health Council of 9 healthy living practices:

1. Washing People.

2. Washing Clothes and Bedding.

3. Waste Removal.

4. Nutrition.

5. Reduce Crowding.

6. Separation of dogs and children.

7. Dust Control.

8. Temperature Control.

9. Reduced Trauma.

Health Hardware for Housing for Rural and Remote Indigenous, Vicki Taylor, 2005

Image Source: Health Hardware, Paul Pholeros, HealthHabitat 1990

↗ The Nine Healthy Living Practices from top left, Washing people, Washing clothes and bedding, Removing wastewater safely, Improving nutrition, Reducing the impact of crowding, Reducing the impact of animals, insects and vermin, Reducing the impact of dust, Improved temperature control, Reducing minor trauma.

↖ Image of illustration of the concept of Health Hardware, broken down into simple elements.

Health Habitat

HealthHabitat is a non-for-profit company founded in 1985 by medical officer Dr. Paul Torzillo AM, Anthropologist Stephen Rainow and Architect Paul Pholeros AM. Since 1988, HealthHabitat have worked with communities in poverty in Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Nepal, India and South Africa to improve the health of people and their environment.

Their process includes working closely with the residences of local communities, to start making small repairs and improvements. Data collection and recording is imperative to their process to build a statistical portfolio, facts that support funding to continue to improve housing and health. With this, HealthHabitat has well and truly adopted Professor Fred Hollows’ mantra “no survey without service”. Through their work, HealthHabitat have been able to produce research and development, academic articles, project reports and their greatest achievement so far, The Housing for Health Guide.

Source: Pholeros, Paul. HealthHabitat, Housing for Health

AMUNTURRUGU (MT LIEBIG)

Amunturrugu, known as Mt Liebig, sits on Luritja country west of the MacDonnell Ranges, 325km west of Alice Springs and the Northern Territory. With approximately 156 residences, Amunturrugu is a stopping or meeting point for families and communities in the surrounding areas of Haasts Bluff, Papunya, Kintore and Kiwirrkura with approximately five language groups of Luritja, Watiyawanu include Pintubi, Warlpiri and Arrernte.

Methodology

The Frame

The method taken in response to the brief, involve design principles that create a level of accountability throughout the process of design to maintain an evidence-based design outcome. These principles are informed by the research undertaken into indigenous housing in remote communities and into Amunturrugu (Mt. Liebig) as a specific site. These Design Principles help to inform the proposed Kit-of-Parts, a version of a framework to which a suite of design strategies is proposed. Using the Kit-of-Parts as a framework allows the insertion of a process or phase into the proposal, aligning the methods of HealthHabitat. Through this methodology, the outcome of the proposal is to achieve the needs and requirements of the case study but also the needs and requirements of HealthHabitat as a acting organisation currently undertaking this work.

The Yard

A space typically overlooked, the yard to these dwellings has just as much, if not a greater contribution to the social and cultural methods of inhabitation.

The yard as a space begins from outside walls of the dwelling, the porch, a third space between yard itself and the house, one of respite and security. It continues to the defined fence line and becomes a spatial preference of domestic behaviors allowing indigenous agency to preserve and adapt their cultural traditions.

This area become one of spatial relief from the dwellings, for sleeping, cooking and heating. The yard is space to continue a connection to the ground, the sky and the remaining Country, but importantly is a space for gathering, comfortably and safely which aids in the ability remain on Country and with culture.

Through the initial phase of the project, the research was undertaken remotely from the project site, from this, a greater understanding of the tangible and intelligible qualities and impacts that are at play were to be understood. A macro analysis of Mt Liebig began as an exploratory exercise of the landscape to emerge oneself and gain a further understanding of the site. A digital flaneur of an aerial image began to map the areas of the site that struck interest and required revealing. Road patterns revealed with walking pattern is the landscape show the contrast in pattern and how one moves though the landscape. Image strips form to create a language, an interpretation of the horizon and features of the area, site one in the landscape and build an understanding of its context. This is repeated through the imagery of the case study houses, to continue to reveal the built language of Mt. Liebig and the context in which our work takes place. Intangible narratives begin to fill the image, an early child health report begins to reveal the realities of the occupants of these government houses and the

A Macro Analysis

amount of people that reside in them, reflecting on the issues of crowding embedded into the housing system. These narratives continue with the digicard reader. Digicard readers are installed on all government indigenous housing and require a prepaid card that is inserted to allow power to be connect to the house. These meters have been known for years to have an impact on the autonomy of the occupants, held to the remaining balance in the meter. During severe heat waves, when prepaid cards have not been purchased, electricity becomes quickly consumed leaving the chance of black outs causing much more serious issues involving cooling, food and hygiene. This highlights itself in the emergency credit button designed into the meter, and how often it’s been used seen by the marks. Further, a chart of numbers reveals the average temperatures of every month since 2014, highlighted are the temperatures that insulation tested to Australian standards exceeds, illustrating the climate neglection of arid, central Australia.

Maintaining A Connection

Through the enherant nature of the project and its breif, it is easy to consider that the project is maintaining a connection to country, as revealed through previous projects and case studies, projects often fall short in fully exploring the project’s potential, how it connects and aligns to place, people and culture, resulting in a rejection of the projects and their solution, exacerbating the challenges faced by the affected communities.

Alongside the draft framework for connecting with Country by the NSW Government Architect, strategies of exploring sensory narratives through research were adopted to ensure in my own efforts, the project maintains for the occupants, a connection to Country.

The importance of constant viewline to the horizon and to the sky were two important considerations when producing the modification or kit of parts to the existing buildings. These began to shape decisions around shading and drove th idea not to enclose the exisitng structure, with more walls or heavy screening, but to look to the roof

As the roof sits higher above , when standing, the roof is positioned so that the base begins to frame the top of the horizon. From this position, a glance up and roof sheeting separates to reveal the sky whilst facilitating the escape of heat.

← Illustration depicting the relationship towards the sky and the horizon.

↙ Diagrams showing in space, uninterrupted view lines to the roof opening and the horizon.

→ Illustration depicting the connection maintained towards the horizon.

↘ Section details showing the view line maintained through the screens, as well as restricting the direct sunlight.

Screens to the porch have been considered to shade the wall of the house as well as the porch slab whilst maintaining view lines to the horizon for security and connection.

EVIDENCE-BASED DESIGN

Evidence-Based design is critical to the success of any solution when it comes to dealing with health and housing. Solutions that are supported by empirical evidence and/or surveyed data, helps to support a design that is objective in nature.

Through the initial phase of this research project, maintaining an evidence-based design strategy has helped to structure a solution, set as stages based on previous case studies and research. Through this rigorous method of design, this strategy has also supported through to the detail of materiality and construction techniques and well as methods to ensure the success of the acceptance of the project.

With support data collected from thermal modelling, the project aims to continue the evidence-based strategy ensuring true success of the project.

Principles

The frame-work for the principles looked to research taken into Mt.Liebig and Indigenous housing throughout remote Australia, as well as methods and approaches already conducted by HealthHabitat. Broader topics and concepts extracted from the research and were distilled though the definition used; the fundamental ideas and elements that can be used to achieve a successful design. These topics or concepts include climate, environment, isolation, services, adaption and retrofitting, financial insecurity, energy insecurity, energy, water, changing climates, operational cost, embodied cost, lack or resources, crowding, overuse, cultural practices, Country, connection to Country and cultural traditions. Through these principles, the topics needed to connect and relate to as many as possible to ensure the principle was to be effective. The following outlines each principle and their definition or importance to the project and its outcome.

COUNTRY-LED

The success of this kit-of-parts is embedded in its recognition, connection and continuation of culture and the practices within, for this intervention to succeed a Country-led design approach in essential. The project needs to facilitate and celebrate the need to continue traditional cultural methods of occupation, ceremony and practices. This aims to increase the likelihood of the modification to be adopted and begin to make a difference to the impact of heat on these communities’ health and keep communities on country.

“This is not a Pipe” by Tess Lea and Paul Pholeros helped re-imagine the context in which housing in indigenous communities is seen. It helped to shift my perception and understand the deeper connections to reasons why the current indigenous housing is seen as it is and the systems at play that contribute to the stereotypes the exist.

Through this paper Quilty, through impirical data, reiterates the critical levels of excessive heat, poor quality housing and energy insecurities and the governance involved that contribes to that. The lack of governace to building codes and basic design standards, resuluts in housing that functions poorly and therefor requiring reliance on energy and active cooling methods.

“I think there needs to be a Country guided research approach, through body, spiritual, a relationship of people to place, the story of place and a sense of pride”, Associate Professor Liz Cameron

“For the project to be successful, that is to be adopted by the people using it, the design has to have a Country-led approach” Associate Professor Liz Cameron

Through the conversations with Associate Professor Liz Cameron, key quotes have become embedded in the development of the design principles as well throughout the development of the proposal. Liz continued to reiterate the importance of Country being threaded throuhg the project how indoing so, leads to the success of the project.

This article brought to the surface the importance of heat stress resistance compared to the concept of energy efficiency. The article draws from a variety of building simulation results from a casestudy project and the variability between the NatHERS star rating system. This helped to the importance of resistant solution not only an efficient one.

Passive

An modification that is passive in design and in operation is essential to the success of the proposal. Based on the conditions of the project site, and those that are similar, the project cannot and should not rely solely on mechanical conditioning of internal spaces. In these increasingly devastating conditions, mechanical methods of conditioning internal spaces are depended on, although in operation, are incredibly inefficient and consume large amounts of energy, bearing large costs on the occupants. This increase of dependence on mechanical methods of conditioning requires more frequent maintenance and an increasingly likelihood of failure.

Robust

To withstand a number of factors that would impact the usability and durability of the proposal, the design must be robust in nature. Issues caused by crowding and overuse, the nature of the environment of which it operates as well as the likelihood of something being repaired promptly if it were to break, all have an impact on the conditions and livability of the space. The proposal can not add to this cycle in the way it is transported, constructed and\or occupied. Maintenance is key to the success of any material or the function of any mechanism, what is important is that this is considered and designed to minimise or

This paper helped to reveal the necessary context in which how the houses are occupied and engaged with, as well as outlining the sometimes conflicting, cultural, behavioral and climatic factors need to be considered. It began to highlight design solutions to houses that were observed, but also the way in which they are designed to withstand over-use as well as impacts of the location’s environment.

The idea of procurement through the project was informed through the concepts in this article. To be scalable and built upon in phases, the project benefits through the manufacture, installation and cost. Uncovering this embedded the concept of a systemised approach of the procurement of the project.

This research article brought to the surface the importance of heat stress resistance compared to the concept of energy efficiency. The article draws from a variety of building simulation results from a casestudy project and the variability between the NatHERS star rating system. This helped to the importance of resistant solution not only an efficient one.

This reading by Horne and Martal outlines the variability in housing conditions and locations, and the social practices of comfort. Reflecting on the variability of how comfort is perceived contributed to the idea that the proposal need to adapt and adjust to varying conditions and perceptions.

Systemised

As communities change throughout central Australia, as do the camps and the way in which they are occupied. As well as these communities, the location and climates in which they sit are dynamic, shifting from one condition to another. The proposal should consider the dynamic nature of its site, and adapt to the conditions brought upon it. Not only should the system adapt to the changing conditions of the site, but also adaptable in the sense of being scalable, to adopt or configure itself to the conditions of the existing built fabric. Achieving this increases the likelihood of this intervention to be integrated and adopted into the ways these camps are occupied.

Longden highlights the insecurity of energy in remote communities in South Australia, in the unavailability to access energy, the limitations to prepay power but raised something I was never quite familiar with, which was the rate of disconnections from power the camps had. Through this article and the data it reveals, it began to cement the importance of resourceful as a design principle for the project.

Resourceful

To not see is to not use, to not use it to waste and to waste is a missed opportunity. The intervention should look to consider the scarcity of resources within these communities and when given the opportunity, utilise what it gains passively, and operate with sufficiency as well as efficiency. As with the resources gained from its environment, the design and operation should be in the sense resourceful, connecting and tying into principles of Frugality and Systemised to minimise waste through a scaled approach.

This article reiterated the importance of the yard to the communities and how they should be considered as a resource which can provide culturally appropriate adaptation, a space which is typically overlooked in the maintenance and modification of indigenous housing.

For this proposal to come to fruition, the costs need to be considered and distilled to decisions that are essential. Considering the significant benefits this could provide for communities that are vulnerable, providing federal, state and regional government agencies with a detailed scope would increase the likelihood of gaining funding to put the proposal into action. This also allows NGO’s to make greater impacts to communities demonstrating the benefits outweigh the costs.

Precedence Study

Build Upon Connection

The community work and process of Kere Architecture has a strong connection to culture, people and place. Their projects are typically located in remote communities in Africa, experiencing poverty, government neglect and lack of support. Climatically, Africa is also experiencing extreme heat events that impact these communities, their schools, hospitals and their homes. Kere’s work is funded through their foundation and through the support of the local communities. Through this process the work builds a strong connection to place and reflects the design principle of Country-Led Those who occupy the buildings are employed to constructed them establishing a sense of ownership of the work. Materials are sourced locally and used ingenious ways connecting to Resourceful and Frugality . Throughout many projects bricks are made on site from the earth of the site, for thermal mass as well as structural load. As much as the architecture responds to the climate and environment is similar to that of Amunturrugu, the processes that supports these communities impacted by climate, and the work as a result of that is the precedent taken from this, it is as much of the methods than it is the architecture.

Build Upon Reduction

As part of a research and development project, Health Habitat produced design solutions with the aim to reduce the reliance on active cooling and heating throughout the year. This project outlined the problems cause by inhabitable houses due to heat, including data collect through surveying finding that on average, houses running active cooling are only 3°C cooler than outdoor temperatures. The solution consists of a cladding system at the base of the buildings where it would typically be subject to the most of direct sunlight during hot seasons. The system battens off a steel sheet vertically to allow air to flow between the steel and the masonry wall, cooling the steel and reducing the amount of heat the thermal mass in absorbing and emitting into the internal spaces. Robust steel awnings block direct sunlight onto the most vulnerable portion of the buildings, to which only 51% of the houses surveyed had any protection. A new shade structure provides shade to the entry and creates and outdoor spaces thats shaded to spill out to. The Passive nature of the solutions as well as their Frugal nature provides a precedent showing solutions that can achieve and effective outcome whilst working to strict availability of funds.

Build Upon Solution

Beginning as an experimental project of passive conditioning methods, the fly roof was a construction and design solution to mitigate the hot summers and cool winters of the Watagans National Park. The spanning roof stretches over an internal insulated roof and outdoor courtyards to buffer the intense direct sunlight. This method allows air to continue to flow around the sacrificial fly roof reducing any continuing radiation into any cavity. As a post occupancy evaluation process, internal and external temperatures were recorded to outline the success of the construction method. As a result, during the 12th of December 1996, on average the internal temperature was reduced by 8°C whilst during the 29th of June 1997 the internal temperature was up to 10°C warmer than outdoor temperatures. This method proven by data, aligning how Health Habitat operate, passively controls the internal climate of the building without and dependence of mechanical methods of heating or cooling. This is crucial to the outcome of the proposed kit-of-parts as energy insecurity is increasing in poor and remote communities.

The Proposal

The Parts

To align with Health Habitats’ survey-fix approach and the Housing for Health methodology, the Parts within the proposed Kit-of-Parts are seen as a series of phases with incremental modifications, forming a suite of design strategies.

These stages align to the survey process of health habitat and include a series of modifications consisting of MODIFICATION EXISTING , MODIFICATION BUILT , MODIFICATION + and MODIFICATION INITIATED .

The intention is that the phases are to be implemented one after the other or in any order after the MODIFICATION EXISTING phase has been implemented.

MODIFICATIONS TO THE EXISTING FABRIC, TO MEET CURRENT STANDARDS

BUILT MODIFICATIONS APPLIED TO STRICTLY MITIGATE HEALTHY LIVING PRACTICE 8

BUILT MODIFICATIONS RESPONDING TO HEALTHY LIVING PRACTICE 8 AND INCLUDE AN ADDITIONAL HLP

For the project to be successful, the modification needs to begin from a solid foundation. The current housing situation for remote communities unfortunately is not built to or does not meet any standards or requirements. Through the initial phase, this part would align to the consultation processes of Health Habitat, assessment of the current situation, on-site implementations, improvements and installation of data collection methods. This part also seeks to understand the way in which the remaining parts are to be arranged and applied to the existing house that is Systemised

This Part looks to use built methods to strictly mitigate and reduce the impact of heat on the occupants determined from the data collected in the previous part. Alongside design principles of Country-Led, Passive Robust and Systemised modifications aim to address both tangible and intangible effects of social, cultural, economical and environmental in relation to heat and health. Iterations of this part and every other should be Country-Led in design, connection and occupation and aim to continue a connection to Country.

MODIFICATION +

This Part aims to address the number of complex issues that Health Habitat have been engaged in, that heavily impact the people of these communities. Informed by the design principle Resourceful it takes advantage of the opportunity of the proposal by addressing at least one other Healthy Living Practice whilst responding to HLP 8. Controlling the Temperature of the Living Environment.

Modification Initiated

BUILT MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE CAUSED AND INCORPORATE THE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES IMPOSED FROM THE INTERVENTION

This Part begins to incorporate and propose elements that use the existing and/or the proposed modifications. As addressing the design principle Resourceful it touches of the principle Frugality, as it attempts to capture and make most of the existing opportunities of the site, and those brought upon form the site and the modifications proposed. This is part is informed by the context and relationships of the location in which the site sits.