Harwood Quarter

Extracts from the brief: Well-designed public housing promotes economic and social diversity and improves the quality of life for its residents. Without public housing, many vulnerable Australians would be unable to access accommodation, forcing them to make desperate choices about how they meet their need for shelter. Place-responsive infill housing can also create more sustainable cities by providing diversity in the housing market, by countering urban sprawl, by creating more opportunities for social engagement and by consolidating services to deliver better public infrastructure.

The Hilton Design Competition (Competition) will tackle these challenges head-on by demonstrating how design quality can be achieved through an ‘economy of means’ to create public housing that is modest, inclusive and ‘placeful.’ Restraint can engender clarity rather than paucity: as Alejandro Aravena has it “The power of architecture is the power of synthesis, to say what you want in two words instead of three, to achieve a solution in as few moves as possible.” The Competition will also demonstrate how infill development can be sensitively designed to retain the unique character of an area.

This stage of the Competition requires the submission of an Initial Concept design for two public housing units up to 80 square metres each on a rear battle-axe lot in Hilton. A maximum of four short-listed entries will be invited to participate in Stage 2.

Hilton is located approximately five kilometres east of the Fremantle town centre and was originally developed for state housing in the post-war period. Hilton’s design origins are found in the ‘Garden City’ design philosophy, with curvilinear streets and single detached houses situated well back from the street in generous landscape settings.

A number of the original houses that were constructed in Hilton were prefabricated in Austria at the end of World War II or were designed by notable Western Australian architects Krantz and Sheldon, which make a valuable contribution to Hilton’s unique character. There were 900 ‘flat packed’ Austrian prefabricated houses imported and built in Hilton which were a response to the housing crisis in the early 1950’s which also saw 341 Austrian tradesmen in Perth to build them.

However, as these homes do not meet current accessibility standards and require a high level of ongoing maintenance many older tenants have difficulty in maintaining independence in these homes. In recent times, Hilton has become a more desirable place to live due to its tree lined streets, its close

proximity to public transport and the range of amenities on offer in nearby Fremantle. Its older homes have become particularly attractive to people interested in mid-century design and the typically large lots are popular for planting edible gardens and harnessing natural resources for power generation.

Unfortunately, the lack of housing diversity combined with the gentrification of the area has contributed to Hilton’s rising unaffordability, making appropriate public housing more important than ever. New, well-designed one- or two-bedroom homes would be ideal to meet this demand, but smaller, accessible dwellings are scarce in Hilton.

Getting the landscaping to present in pivotal points and vistas is essential in what are otherwise environments dominated by vehicles and parking. In Neil’s scheme each battle-axe house has a front garden with a low fence for visual interaction as though it would if it had a regular street frontage.  In communal space would be located fruit trees for the immediate neighbours to mutually enjoy. In the competition entry it was to be a lemon tree as everyone needs lemons! 

Lemon trees could be found in almost every backyard of Perth’s older suburbs with many of these lemon trees still remaining. So, the thinking was that a landscaping focus around lemon trees weas befitting the scheme.

Most rear battle-axe block sites suffer from a lack of identity as ‘let over spaces’ sitting behind the street front building leaving the occupants feeling like ‘second class citizens.' Our design for Harwood Quarter addresses this issue with the creation of positive place making with presence that provides the owners with a sense of place and pride.

We have created houses with their own ‘street frontage’, like an oasis as an end destination. A sense of community is encouraged through the mutually owned areas of landscaping.

The houses have been designed to allow construction through modular off-site fabricated timber components, thereby minimising waste, speeding up construction time and providing sustainable outcomes through the use of locally sourced sustainably grown timber.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

Sense of place – not the usual ‘left over space’ in a battle axe site. The creation of a positive place with presence that provides homeowners with a sense of place. The space outside the building envelope provides the strong sense of place.

Identity – providing an identifiable yet simple architectural language developed in response to location, culture, history and environmental performance that speaks to members of the public (not just architects). 

Equality / Street frontage – the occupiers of these homes are not treated like second-class citizens behind the Harwood Street front houses. They are provided with their own ‘street’ frontage. Both houses have been provided with equal ‘street’ frontage. One home does not have precedence over the other.

Activation / surveillance – we have created a shared streetscape providing opportunity to engage with neighbours. Security is enhanced through the communal surveillance of the streetscape.

Oasis / refuge – through the placement of the landscaping and potential for communal areas within the ‘street’ frontage a sense of refuge or oasis has been created. 

DESIGN SOLUTION

Curvilinear planning reflecting the suburb – the curvilinear streets of the suburb layout of Hilton are a ‘driver’ in the design of the layout and key identifiable building elements. The curvilinear nature of the suburb is reflected in the radius to the driveway access, front fences, pergola structure, fabric awnings, and selected windows.

Crescent or Quarter – we have referred to this scheme as being ‘Harwood Quarter’ due to the curvilinear nature of the planning. There are exponential advantages on mirroring this scheme on the adjoining lot. In doing so we would refer to such a scheme as being ‘Harwood Crescent’. The communal open space, advantages of outlook access to sunlight etc are more than doubled. The Crescent planning also reflects the curvilinear planning of the suburb.

Community space – The crescent shaped landscaping area on the ‘street’ side of the front fencing to the houses is designated as a community garden. This provides occupants with the opportunity to engage in communal gardening.

Garden City – the landscaping forms an integral part of this scheme. Generous front garden areas soften the ‘streetscape’. The rear more secluded landscaped courtyard creates a feeling of space on the double-sided outlook to living areas.

Referencing Post War period – shingles (terracotta roof tiles), fabric awnings, pitched roof form as an object. 

Accessibility  – the single level house complies with the ‘WA Liveable Homes’ essential criteria.

SITE RESPONSES

Access – vehicle – we have achieved adequate access and backing space while minimising the area required for vehicle access by locating the two single carports in the opposite corners of the site. This allows maximum site area for building and communal outdoor areas. A tandem open second car bay behind each carport provides an open area for alternative uses if not in use with parking.

Access – pedestrians – the front door to each house is effectively the front gate. The planning of fences and communal open space draws visitors to the gates. The entry gate points are further identifiable by the street numbers located on the continuous pergola ring beam over the gates. The entry area is the pergola covered forecourt thereby reducing the footprint of the house itself.

Orientation – overlooking - the building has been orientated to provide the maximum distance from first floor windows to a neighbouring site. The first-floor windows face diagonally across the site toward, and down the length of the driveway access.

Orientation – overshadowing – The first-floor footprint is compact to minimise overshadowing on neighbouring sites.

Orientation – solar access – a ‘slavish’ true north aspect has been sacrificed to provide better general amenity to the development. The building has been orientated towards North / North-East which maintains the advantages of a true Northern aspect.

Orientation – wind access – courtyards and single depth rooms provide maximum ventilation through living spaces & bedrooms.

BUILDABILITY

Budget – Construction methods and materials have been chosen in response to the budgets set in the client brief. Chosen materials provide robust, minimal maintenance solutions.

Areas – efficient, compact planning has achieved small footprints to each of the houses. The single storey house is 74 sqm and the two-storey house is 80 sqm.

Materials – structure - FSC Plantation timber to the modular components of 90mm studwork, timber floor, and timber roof structure. 

Materials – walls – external - Colorbond metal deck vertical cladding for the reduced requirement for maintenance, paint finish to Weathertex ‘Shingle’ paint finished to feature wall elements that reference the terracotta roof tiles to many of the houses in the area, along with providing a textural visual quality to the exterior.

Materials – walls – internal – Paint finish to Weathertex ‘Weathergroove Smooth’ cladding to internal walls for its environmental credentials, robust durability & the achieved aesthetic of panelised painted wall finishes. 

Materials – pergola - Webmesh rope system cladding to pergolas provide strength and durability while offering minimal visual obstruction in support of deciduous vines. All materials have been chosen for their environmental credentials and cost effectiveness.

Materials – roof – Colorbond roofing has been chosen for its durability, minimalistic appearance and cost effectiveness.

Materials – insulation – standard best practice insulation for economy and quality control. R3.0 batts with thermal break to walls for energy and acoustic rating, ‘Anticon’ insulation to roofing and ‘foil backed board’ below the ground floor structure.

Modular construction – in keeping with the origins of the suburb this building form has been designed to be suitable for modular construction. Each modular component of building form has been designed with maximum footprint dimensions of 15.5m x 5m.

Adaptability – The basic design philosophy of creating a sense of place, community and an identifiable architectural language through modular construction is adaptable to all sites. The specific requirements of each site in terms of orientation, access etc would need to be reviewed in each situation. 

Environmental – passive energy design principals have been used as drivers in the design of these houses; solar access and ventilation are key drivers of the design. Depending on the available budget and to the clients’ discretion, added environmental ‘plug in’ elements of solar panels and grey water are easily integrated with the scheme. Construction materials such as Weathertex internal and external wall cladding, and FRC timber framing have been chosen on the basis of their environmental credentials. A modular offsite prefabrication of the building provides the benefit of minimal wastage.