The client wanted to provide an exceptional product that stood out in the townhouse market. Value was placed on sustainable design, and pride was taken in quality construction and architectural detailing. With this in mind we were asked to consider how many townhouses could reasonably fit on the site, and develop their design.
The challenge was to provide designs that allowed north light to as many spaces as possible on the four north-south sites, while balancing sustainable design features and material selection with the project budget and intended resale values.
The 'end user' was not known, so design features and materials had to be flexible, low-maintenance, and have low environmental impact, to provide value for potential purchasers. The resultant townhouses present an innovative approach to medium density housing, each designed with excellent connections to the outdoors, maximised access to north light, natural ventilation and a high quality of finish and detail.
Internal spaces allow for flexibility and the varied lifestyles of inhabitants, while the whole building sits comfortably in the tree-lined street.
Sustainable design:
In addition to being well orientated, a thermally efficient envelope was created, enhanced by specifying appropriate materials and systems and designing passive solar elements that ensure the building minimises the energy and water use required to live in it comfortably and efficiently. For example:
- Local, sustainably grown radially sawn Silvertop Ash cladding chosen for its durability and reduced milling wastage. - Low-maintenance of standing seam cladding and corrugated metal roofing help offset embodied energy in manufacture. - Feature grade Vic Ash flooring dramatically reduces timber wastage. - Raking roof forms and central, operable clerestory windows allow 'stack effect' ventilation and north light to southern rooms. Each strategy and specification amounted to excellent results when measured against relevant standards.
The development achieved energy ratings of up to 7 stars and on average exceeded Steps targets by more than 100%. Building upon these traditional design strategies, the project applied the following concepts to deepen the sustainable outcome.
Respectful construction: quality over quantity:
To ensure the townhouses fitted into their leafy established neighbourhood we:
- stepped the townhouse layout down the block - incorporated a layering of lightweight 'skins' to reduce the perception of bulk - included north-facing backyards and landscaped street frontages, retaining existing trees - contrasted standing seam cladding with natural elements such as angled timber balcony screens - grounded the lightweight first-floor structure with recycled red brickwork
The layout, scale, materials and vegetation combine to create a building that sits respectfully in its neighbourhood. The result is a contemporary, aesthetically striking development that has received positive feedback and support from the local community.
Architectural Innovation:
One of the standout features are the internal courtyards that provide direct natural light and ventilation to all rooms. This avoids the common townhouse design problem of dark internal spaces, enhancing the quality and comfort of those areas, and providing an improved connection with the outdoors.
This courtyard model is innovative in the context of the typical multi-residential development market as it is a conscious choice to sacrifice potential internal floor area for well designed spaces. Large sliding doors allow first floor internal spaces to expand into one another or to close down for privacy, creating lifestyle flexibility for inhabitants. This further enhances the sustainability of the building, allowing users to adapt spaces to suit their changing lifestyle needs.
Circulation space is minimized with the open staircase designed to extend the courtyard lightwell. To avoid using high embodied energy steel, we employed a new-to-market floor structure. The MEGAjoist long span timber floor joist system offers a more environmentally friendly option for volume market builds.
We worked with the builder, structural engineer and MEGAjoist team to take the product further - enabling a double cantilever system in the same structural plane - a previously unheard of application for the system.
Collaborating with the developer led to a built outcome that excels in the housing market, offering higher quality spaces that respect the inhabitant. The developer's risk paid off with the townhouses selling for considerably more than the suburb's average, proving that focusing on smart layouts and sustainable processes doesn't have to mean a trade-off in income for developers.
People will recognise and pay more for good-quality design, if it is made available.
