Gable Vent

As mentioned when looking at ceiling insulation, an ideal cooling method would be to apply reflective foil roof blanketing to the underside of the mestal roof sheeting to reflect heat before entering the house. When retrofitting a house, this is not possible due to cost and labour required.

When applying ceiling insulation without a roof blanket, it still allows heat to enter the building envelope and traps is in the ceiling cavity. When the heat gets trapped, this can effect the composition of the ceiling insulation, and its effectiveness.

A solution to this is roof vents. The roof structure of the existing house will determine what kind of roof vent will be required. If the house has gable ends, then installing gable vents will allow for cross-ventilation through the ceiling cavity, allowing the hot air to escape. If the existing roof system does not have a gable, then a roof cowel is another option to allow the heat to escape.

When specifying the gable vent, the materiality should be galvanised steel with a zinc coating to vbe more resistant to corrosion. It is important that the gable vent is installed with apron flashing to ensure no water gets into the ceiling cavity. A vermin mesh should be installed to the back of the gable vent to prevent vermin from entering the building.

Gable vents help ventilate the ceiling cavity which reduces the build up of heat that can heat the internal temperature of a house. This improves the thermal envelope of the building, and as such creates a better thermal comfort temperature within the house, which can reduce the effects of overcrowding.

Gutters, Downpipes and Rainwater Tank

As aforementioned, there are two seasons at Mt Liebig - hot and wet, and dry and cold. When investigating arid areas, water as a resource becomes one of the most valuable assests avaliable to tenants. The addition of gutters, downpipes and a rainwater tank to harvest this resources is invaluable to reducing stress of water security. Water serves many purposes in architecture - including washing clothes and people, potable drinking water, watering plants which can produce shade or food, and can provide an alternative to bore water which can make artificial cooling systems last longer due to ‘softer’ water composition.

Having these integrated systems from a single resource acknowledges many health living practices, but also can reduce stress on key healthardware items within a home - and still aid temperature reduction methods indirectly.

When specifying gutters and downpipes within arid envrionements, choosing durable materials such as UV resistant PVC pipe reduces noise, is economical and is easy to install. When installing gutters, a hydraulic engineer should be consultant to calculate the gutter and downpipe size, but typically on residential houses a 150mm gutter with a 100mm diameter circular downpipe. Having rounded gutters and downpipes reduces the likelihood of blockages within this system. Installing gutter guard on the gutters prevents leaves and debries becoming stuck in the gutter. Having a leaf trap further reuces this risk. It is advised that in arid environments which does not experience frequent rain, a first flush diverter is recommended to ensure that the water collected can be used for potable purposes, but can also reduce the risk of rainwater tank contamination.

The rainwater tank should be light in colour, polythylene material, fitted with vermin mesh, inlet strainer, diverter and antimicrobial lining.

Rainwater tank and harvesting devices can indirectly aid temperature reduction through reducing overcowding of bathrooms and laundry facliities by offering an alternative, provide water for shading plants which will also reduce the effects of dust, which will also create a better outdoor environment which can aid the affects of overcrowding.

Outdoor Bough

A key aspect of this project is to be Country-led. One design decision working towards this, is looking at how the site is already being used, and formalising those areas. As aforementioned, the yard is an integral place for outdoor living, sleeping and cultural activities. Creating a modular system which allows a placemaking and formalised space to continue this use and connection to Country enable practices to continue.

The bough structure was derived from the shape of existing shading structures used by First Nations people historically across the nation, which allows for sitting use under a curved or encircling structure. Typically these were made from bark, branches and tree boughs - but in an attempt to formalise this structure for durable use, using blockwork, steel hollow sections and metal roof sheeting should allow for passiv ventilation, whilst formailising the shading structure.

These structures can be adapted by the tenants to facilitate cooking facilities such as fires, or they can be used as sleep-out shelters during hot periods during summer - or any other habitable purpose.

The materilaity of the structure means that it cannot catch fire, will not entrap smoke or heat, and can be hosed down if dirty or swept. The structure can be placed anywhere on the site, and uses materials already being transported to the site.

Outdoor bough structures provide ancillary shade structures away from the house which can reduce overcrowding and formalise external living areas predetermined by the tenants living there. These structures can also reduce the effects of dust by creating outdoor lving areas, and can reduce temperature through the minimisation of overcrowding, and has natural ventilation methods if placed in the correct context on site.

Outdoor Bathroom

The outdoor bathroom has been designed to reduce stress on cleaning facilities such as indoor toilets, showers and hand washing basins in instances where there is extreme overcrowding, or events that increase populations within a house. This bathroom block should be placed near existing services or outlets, such as an elevation of a house that has toilet/shower/laundry facilities. This reduces the length of plumbing or electricity reticulation to the outdoor bathroom block.

The block is designed to have minimal plumbing, with a compositing toilet which is used to create fertiliser that can be used on the gardens, and the shower utilising water from the rainwater tank system. The greywater collected from the shower should be collected into a greywater system that can be used to water plants within the yard. The interior cladding has been specified as Knauf Aquapanel which is waterproof, easy to clean and is durable. The floor finish should be a heavy duty non-slip vinyl floor. The shower tray will be a pre-made stainless steel with built in grades to a floor waste which ensures compliant falls and prevents flooding of the room. Robe hooks should be installed on walls to hang towels and clothing. Shelves or benches should be installed in both the toilet and shower to place toilet paper, clothing or other items on while showering. The doors should be specified for external weatherproof use such as fibreglass, and be fitted with lever action stainless steel handles, fitted with one way locks to ensure privacy. The walls will have galvanised wall vents to let the building breathe. The basin tap will be a timed-flow tap to ensure that it does not drain the rainwater tank.

Contractors should refer to the guide made by Healthabitat to ensure bathroom durability and suitability to arid climates.

Outdoor bathroms provide a soultion to removing waste water, washing of people, effects of overcrowding and all of these create the opportunity to reduce the effects of heat and overcrowding within a home.

Overlayed Contextual

The Yard - Things belonging to the land

Any Indigenous symbols presented within this compendium is made on the basis of exploration and is not meant to offend Indigenous peoples.

As aforementioned, the yard plays an integral role in creating outdoor living spaces in the context of thermal comfort and cultural connection for First Nations peoples. The yard can support cultural, social, spiritual, ancestoral, financial, health and environmental paradigms of this brief.

The aim of this strategy is to provide a set of rules to which any arid site within Australia can apply to create an environmentally responsive solution to thermal comfort whilst attempting to formalise ways of caring for Country.

To begin from an architectural perspective, examining the site in relation to its environmental conditions such as prodominent wind directions, solar directions, cardinal directions, existing trees and significant planting, existing orientation of the house, and existing use of surrounding land can give key insight in how to functionally and thermally improve the house.

Orienting the house to minimise wall masses on the Western and Northern elevations can drastically reduce the heat within a house. If this cannot be achieved, large or shading planting should be applied.

Prodominant winds should be considered when creating ventilation paths through the dwelling for days beneath 35 degrees.

Examining existing uses of the house can inform the design on how tenants like to experience the home, or where they have found thermal comfort already. These areas should be formalised when considering the yard.

The yard can reduce overcrowding, provide shading through planting, reduce dust through planting, fencing, and reduce vehicle proximity to windows and doors - all of which improve the health of the tenants whilst creating a strong connection to Country.