My Vertical Backyard.

My Vertical Backyard.

Tutors: Mel Bright + Shelley Freeman

This studio investigated housing, green space and density. How do we have a dense urban environment and still maintain a large amount of green space?

We wanted to find alternative solutions to the current housing model of the big house on a block with an oversized entertainment room, the front yard, the back yard, the air-conditioning. We want ed to provide the ‘Australian dream’ but reduce the footprint (site and carbon).

With so much development pressure on land backyards are shrinking. We value this space and the relief it provides the city and want to find solutions that keep it. Green roofs / vertical gardens / urban agriculture / green houses. We took the brief of a large suburban house and tried to fit it onto a smaller inner urban site. In particular the brief and project explored inventive use of space and green space – the front yard / the back yard / the veggie garden / compost heap / shed / lawn.

How do we design houses on smaller footprints that still provide the amenity of the ¼ acre block?

Students have designed a house for a couple with 2 kids, 1 step child and a grandparent in Fitzroy.

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01: Vertical Backyard

340mm

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Project 01B Students then tried to understand how much space these elements usually required and to find strategies to reduce their footprint.

Inventive technologies were researched and each student designed a small vertical garden.

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340 mm 340 mm 3700 mm

Floorplan

perspective with lawn

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340 mm 340 mm 3700 mm

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Project 01A Students were initially asked to describe their idea of a backyard with a montage.

A lawn was important for some, whereas a paved area with a basketball ring was the priority for others.

A flowering garden full of birds or a shed full of tools, sometimes both.

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Roofplan

1: Water collection tank.

2: Ground Garden

02: Material 17

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Project 02 Inspiration was to come from site and materials found locally. A typical material / architectural component was studied and transformed. Using these material studies, a small space was designed.

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03: Site

FENWICK ST

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CLIFTON AVE

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HODDLE ST

RUTLAND ST

ROSENEATH ST

NOONE ST

MYRTLE ST

RAMSDEN ST

MY V

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BEDFORD ST

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WELLINGTON ST

BUDD ST

SACKVILLE ST

JOHNSTON ST

GOLD ST

HOTHAM ST

EASEY ST

HOUSE

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GORE ST

SMITH ST

OTTER ST

FAM

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NAPIER ST

GEORGE ST

CONDELL ST

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GERTRUDE ST

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a b c d e f

pa pa ch ch st gr

ROOMS

bedroo bedroo bedroo bedroo bathro bathro kitche lounge laundr landsc explode

the house is in three s each two storey. a diff roof garden is located circulation space betwe landscape, either green program can be apllied different ways dependin relationship between sp

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Project 03 Detailed mapping and design of the site at small and large scales. Passive solar design techniques and planning and heritage issues were discussed.

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des

the

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conpress

04: Subtract Massing Extrude

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Extrude

SUBTRACT

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SUBTRACT

extrude

extrude

Overlap

01 02 03 0

Overlap

Shift OVERLAP

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Shift

OVERLAP

shift Project 04 The brief was reviewed and interpreted and the typical house programs were negotiated – inventive use of space was important.

Diagramming and model making was used to test ideas.

The ‘stretch’ massing revolves around the idea of the massing program being stretched out to have a landscaped open concourse that would run the length of the site ideal for play. Adjoining the concourse two bedrooms at opposite ends with a central kitchen, and utilities and bathroom behind. Above, to maximise solar penetration and views another bedroom and bathroom is located, along with the entire interior living space. The open space on ground level is also enclosed by the inclusion of a green wall that would meet the height of the second storey.

shift

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Stretch

Final Projects

    

   

    

Ben Pakulsky 6

   

GROUND FLOOR PLAN 1:100

SECTION B-B 1:200

WESTERN ELEVATION 1:100

INVERTER, DC converted to AC

ELECTRICITY SWITCHBOARD

AC input

AC input AC Electricity supplied to home.

GRID, excess energy is fed back into the grid and more energy is supplied when/if necessary

HUSH 6m Turbine, 1.5 m blade diameter, requires wind speed above 2m/s to operate.

MOTORWIND plastic rotors, require wind speed of above 5 m/s to operate.

WIN

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°

ER 75

SUMM

29°

Intensive Roof Garden adds to thermal mass, reducing heat absorbtion.

Tank maintains a constant water temperature of 21° helping to passively cool the house during summer.

Deciduous apple tree provides summer shading.

Dark tiled floor assists the concrete slaba in ab sorbing heat during the day which is ‘re-released’ at night due to thermal lag.

Louvres closed to control the entry of summer sun

Gillian Hatch 7

Intensive Roof Garden adds to thermal mass, minimsing heat loss from the roof.

Reflective coating to reflect light into the courtyard.

Deciduous apple tree.

Louvres open to allow sunlight inside.

Jacqueline O’Brien 8

Hugh Feggans 9

1: 250

1: 250

1: 250

Yi Ching Yang (Joyce) + Xu Wencheng (John) 10

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NORTH ELEVATION 1:100

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WEST ELEVATION 1:100

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Grandmothers Bedroom and Front Lawn

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Kitchen and Thyme Lawn

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15 mesa arts center wind veil

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Parents Balcony and View

Madeline Joyce + Nick Van Lierop 11

mesa arts center wind veil

Q Lee + Loris Mikhail 12

Nick van Lierop Gillian Hatch Jacqueline O’Brien Sophie Allen Madeline Joyce Nick Johnson Loris Mikhail Ben Paulsky Q Chul Lee Hugh Feggans Wencheng Xu (John) Yi Ching Yang (Joyce)

Pamphlet by Gillian Hatch + Nick van Lierop

Studio Details Title: My Vertical Backyard Tutor: Melissa Bright + Shelley Freeman Pole: Expanded Field Date: Semester 02, 2009 This and other documented examples of design studios run as part of the RMIT University Architecture program can be found on issuu.com