Site Analysis
Opportunities:
· Facing parkland
· North Facing Block
· All necessities are within 10 minutes walk.
· Positive community around the KG village
· Easy access to bike/walk ways and public transport lowers the need for a car.
Constraints:
· 10 story building under construction next door. ( side)
· Privacy and security issues from public park adjacent to block
· Traffic noise.
· Site is in trough of hill, low wind and high water runoff.
Sun path:
Early morning will be blocked by trees and hill to east, after about 20% it will hit the site. Full sun exposure nearly all day. Last afternoon sun will be partially blocked by 10 story apartments and trees to west.
Wind:
Large barrier of buildings and trees to south and west but still open enough for a breeze from that direction. Entirely open on north and east. On site noticed slight breeze from south west and strong breeze from north east.
Noise:
Construction from apartments (temporary) Slight vehicle noise but nothing too dramatic. Minimal pedestrian noise.
Traffic:
Pedestrian: roughly 1 person past/min. mostly young/middle aged joggers or walkers. (Sunday) More student traffic on weekdays.
Vehicle: 2 cars/min. fairly low noise, 40km/h area. (Sunday)
Site Access:
Open to north and east. Small streets on south and west. Parking on streets. Easy public transport within 200m walk.
Privacy:
Being close to the outskirts of development there is a lot of open space surrounding the site. This makes privacy low as there is a clear view from all of the surrounding areas to the site.
Existing features:
On path to north, Bins, seats, water bubbler, 4 park path lights, also 3 trees. Path these there is a small gully for drainage.
On site there is a small sheltered table and chairs and a BBQ.
On the street adjacent to the site there are 2 street lights.
To south there is a garden bed and 4 trees.
Facilities:
Coles, fast food and cafes within a 2 min walk. Public transport in about a 5 min walk.
Site: 8,700x37,000
Buildable space:
width is 8,700 - [2,500 + 1,000] = 5,200. The site length is 37,000 - [10,000 + 2,500] = 24,500.
Adam Scott - Kelvin Grove Cabin
Stemming strongly from Elizabeth Watson Browns St Lucia House, the Kelvin Grove Cabin embodies similar fundamentals. The key elements relating are a large glass façade, interchangeable/flexible spaces, integration of inside and out, a strong journey through the space, solar gain, thermal zoning, design for a couple and passive sub-tropical design.
An environmental Filter:
Light weight upper storeys help cool the cabin while thicker lower levels use a thermal lag effect. The roof overhangs on the northern side just enough to supply complete shade indoors during the peak of summer, but allowing light to penetrate the large glass façade during the colder months. Opens on the N/NE and S/SW sides of the cabin allow for the peak winds (as seen in the site analysis) to flow efficiently through the building, these openings are variable so the user can control the environment within.
These are all passive sub-tropical design elements used successfully in the St Lucia House, and will also work to the cabin, creating a pleasurable living environment all year.
The ground surrounding the cabin is raised, serving two main purposes. Firstly to further merge the inside and out, and secondly to raise the ground level as there is a low lying drain for heavy rain fall in the adjacent park. This raise in level should ensure the cabin stays above water levels even with the heavy downfall we had in 2011.
A Container of human activity:
The space is very versatile as it needs to be to accommodate for the large range of uses of the space. Much like the St Lucia house, the cabin is made up of a series of different elevated rooms that fit within the two story height limitation. There are four levels of the cabin, all interlocked but able to be separated as needed. This was to promote inter-cabin communication, especially whilst working in the space. Due to the layout, and several movable/folding walls, the space has many different environments.
When open the space has a large void, visible anywhere in the cabin, which brings the park, and surrounding landscape into the building. Although this is great whilst working in the studio or eating breakfast, more personal times must be accounted for. The Bedroom is fit with blinds and a foldable wall, as in the kitchen/living space. (see Below).
Also shown above, the walls of the entry room fold back leaving this space as a covered verandah. This connects to the exterior verandah blurring the boundaries between inside and out.
There is a south facing garden court, that leads off the exterior verandah. This retains similar elements to the court in the St Lucia House.
Although there is no structural fence to the property, heavy foliage and gardens create a very definite boundary and make it possible only to enter the space by the entrance, onto the verandah, and down some stairs. This promotes positive neighborhood living as Peter Skinner stated about St Lucia House.
A delightful Experience:
The Journey through the space can take many paths, but whichever way the user decides to go, there is a universal accompaniment by the surrounding landscape. A lot of wood finishes allow this to continue even into the intimate areas of the cabin.
A gradient of intimacy compliments this journey, and although the most intimate room (bedroom) is the furthest from the entrance, it is the most absorbed by the landscape. Key to the cabin design is the heavy use of trees and gardens. St Lucia house is based around the existing trees, but as the site did not have sufficient vegetation, they will need to be planted. They are essential to the privacy and overall experience of the cabin.
