region information - architecture projects

I came across these projects located within the RMIT Architecture website when researching Western Australian Architecture, in particular the Great Sandy Desert region and surroundings.

http://www.architecture.rmit.edu.au/Projects/Aboriginal_Architecture_Projects.php

In particular, this post-grad research project looks into similar context, environment and design considerations that we should also take into consideration for Domus.

http://issuu.com/iredalepedersenhook/docs/pedersen_masters?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true

Soil Types.....

I looked at the soil types around the Fitzroy Province.....this area extends east from the Dampier Peninsula to Wolfe Creek.....including the towns of Broome, Derby and Fitzroy Crossing.
Fitzroy Province is divided into 5 different zones based on soil and landscape. Djimbardi is in the North Fitzroy Plains Zone.....characterized by Floodplains and sandplains on Permian sedimentary rocks of the Canning Basin. Self mulching cracking clays with red deep sands, red sandy earths and red/brown non cracking clays, Yellow sandy earths and yellow loamy earths ( Loamy- 1)an easily worked fertile soil consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, and silt and sometimes also organic matter 2)a mixture of moist clay and sand used for making bricks and in plastering).

Based on this I would say it is possible to have some underground construction on our site.

Solar calculation

Hey guys,

Found a good website where you can calculate the amount of solar panels you need based on location and amount of energy usage we take up, which can be calculated by adding a number of appliances and their energy properties.

http://www.energymatters.com.au/climate-data/

Hope it's useful!

A little touch on the Aboriginal's Way of Life

• Live with nature, sentitive to surrounding and landscape, record events and maps through The Dreaming.
• Built homes to be as open as possible, connect to the nature in many ways.
• Ground and landscape are sacred to the aboriginals. Avoid destruction and disturbance to the ground-elevated and light structures-Glenn Murcutt-Touch the Earth Lightly.
• Keep warm with fire, outdoor sleeping during hot days-adaptibility.
• Barks were used to build huts for centuries old. Currently with corrugated iron, regarded by the aboriginals as man-made bark.
• Obtain water from waterholes and still doing so in some rural areas.

And a little touch on the Art and Belief of the Kimberley region:

• Wandjina Figure
• Bradshaw figure-stickman
• Records of dreaming through strokes of brush-circle
• Painting usually have desert and waterhole as the focus or landscape-importance of desert and waterhole.
• Rainbow serpent-holy symbolic figure

Minima

And here's my minima. Gone through it quite well with the exception of a finished model which is a shame. Final presentation:

The whole project is about dealing with minimal space and so my main points were to create a space as small as possible and to relate it back to the site.

Planks of timbers were used as the skin to represent the decking of the pier. The space is only as large as a bed plus a bathroom which will make it around 800W x 2400H x 2400L to minimize energy use and save on heating and cooling. Stoves and area to cut and prepare food can be opened up to the outside for people to cook inside while furnitures are movable such as table and a shelf for a mini microwave oven(behind the open-up stoves). One half of the space to the bathroom side were having frosted glazing while the other half having fully transparent glazing. The WC is shrinkable and retractable to stand on for shower when it is not in use and may as well be used as table. Bed can be folded up. And some of the planks of timber on the outside can be opened up as seats. There are water tanks to collect water and solar panels above to harness electricity as well as skylight which are filtered by the ceiling and shelves. And finally the whole space is composed of 4 parts with wheels which could be opened up for ventilation and lightings during hot and sunny days and for the ease of transportation.

Opened-up view

Interior with the table and shelf moved-down

A tweaked night shot showing the light effect.

I have incorporated my minima ideas along wtih my other teammates minima idea in our domus design. And for last week's domus development, we' ll post it in the next few days after sorting out.

research-

http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.iit.edu/arch/projects/images/alum_koliopoulos_3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.iit.edu/arch/projects/alumni.shtml&usg=__wO9X_3x8JgnsYNrfByY240ws39Y=&h=322&w=500&sz=35&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=BDmrW9e_RVo8hM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPeter%2BKoliopoulos%25EF%25BC%258CDuke%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

Peter Koliopoulos B-Arch '86 won a 2008 AIA award for this urban desert residential environment in Scottsdale, AZ, called The Duke

From the architects:

The single-family residence renovation represents a forward thinking approach to desert life. The one-acre site is within a single-family residential neighborhood, surrounded by textured desert mountains to the south, west, and northeast. The pure structure cuts a clean sharp edge through the revegetative desert landscape. The newly added program focus in the renewed design is to perforate the original frame of the existing home to allow a vibrant, natural daylighting experience. A large overhang on the South façade screens the plane of glass from the harsh summer sun, while allowing winter light to wash the interior walls. The east elevation is shaded by mature vegetation, while the west face of the residence has limited, strategically placed openings protected with large overhangs. Views to the surrounding mountains and desert sky naturally radiate through the home. The additive program refines the circulation experience and relationships between uses for a spontaneous and organic residential experience.

The concrete and stucco structure of the original house remains in tact minimizing material required to be sent to the landfill. A large percentage of the construction and building materials are high recycled content such as the glass, zinc siding, and concrete flooring. New high-efficiency HVAC units are utilized to condition the added space. All foreign landscaping and turf has been replaced with native plantings with very low water requirements. The one-acre parcel has been regraded to capture the entire roof and site rainwater, reducing the total amount of stormwater required to be treated by the municipality while naturally supplementing the vegetations needs. The layering of elements from the natural “filtering” of the desert landscape, to the exterior materials of zinc metal siding and glass sets a dramatic relationship of a refreshing living experience.

Residential Architecture called Loblolly House by Steve Kieran

Loblolly House recognized as residential architecture located at Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, Loblolly House also known as innovative prefab construction techniques. an architect Steve Kieran composed entirely of pre-fabricated components, most significantly the floor and ceiling panels that distribute the HVAC, an architect Steve Kieran added modern Residential Architecture with plumbing and electricity throughout the house and the exterior of this residential architecture with wall panels that provide the structure as well as the fenestration , insulation, and interior finishes.

Residential Architecture Loblolly House designed by fully integrated bathroom and mechanical room modules were transported to the site on Taylors Island along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and lifted into position. The 2,200 sq ft residence gets it’s name from the grove of loblolly pines on the site.

The umbrella element will funnel the cool water to a central holding tank to supply the hospital with clean water. The hospital rooms are gathered in clusters around the tank to benefit from the cooling effect of the water.This cooling effect is a bonus in addition to gathering rainwater or overnight dew for water use.

By facilitating air flow between the two roofs, the umbrella shape will act as a shading element for the hospital, because the roof is separated above the hospital building roofs. VisionDivision has created an inexpensive and very effective cooling mechanism without the need for air-conditioning (or the energy supplies that that would necessitate, even if possible), in the totally off-the-grid environment of the desert.

The materials are steel for the struts and a simple tentlike canvas made of a felt fabric to wick the scarce moisture into itself. Their prototype can be expanded by adding more fabric around the edge and moving the pillars away from the center point. As the structure grows, so to does the surface of the umbrella-roof supplying more water.

^{《http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.homedesignfind.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/visiondivision3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.homedesignfind.com/green/umbrella-design-harvests-desert-moisture-for-childrens-hospital/&usg=__EZfLzYMK4z2Z1_g7X1aLlUTl9MI=&h=447&w=500&sz=114&hl=en&start=83&um=1&tbnid=KmjA_JUkiRj3qM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbuilding%2Bin%2Bcentral%2Bdesert%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26start%3D63%26um%3D1》？}

minima

POST 1

POST 2

Bore Water, Aquifier Classification and Location

I have found a link which has a hydrogeological atlas that list out all the aquifier available for bore water on our site. It also contains other type of atlas that might be helpful. Link:

http://www.water.wa.gov.au/Tools/Maps+and+atlases/default.aspx

Djillumbardi

A clearer view on our site and its surrounding landscape on Google Earth

Mosman 2 - Thumbnail Progression

These thumbnails show the progression of our site plan

Our combined idea

The above picture is of chris response to combing our individual ideas. We have all agreed that we would like to pursue this idea. Chris has combined his idea of having multiple buildings with Blaise's roof system which Kim also explored. We also believe that it is important to have a dam for extra water surface. We plane to use the wind that comes of the dam as a method to cool our building.

My initial ideas

Bellow are my ideas on a design solution.

The above thumb nail demonstrates the positives of having a vaulted ceiling. As warm air rises air is allowed to vent out through louvers. It may be a good idea to use reflective paint which can can have a effect on reducing the interior temperature.

The next thumb nail demonstrates how water can be caught and we would store the water under ground. The benefits of storing the water underground allows for the water not to evaporate, therefore we are able to retain more water.

Building in the Desert

http://132.72.139.12/desert/EngSite.aspx?SiteId=4282&ItemId=4473

Here is a good website to show some details about the building design in desert, quite useful .

Marika-Alderton House

This is the Marika-Alderton House designed by Glenn Murcutt. It adapts to the hot, tropical climate of Australia's Northern Territory. Wide eaves shelter the house from the sun. Pivoting tubes along the roof expel hot air and vertical fins direct cooling breezes into the living spaces. The structure rests on stilts, air circulates underneath and helps cool the floor. Elevating the house also helps keep the living space safe from tidal surges. In our situation, this would prevent flooding from pooling monsoonal rain.

The Marika-Alderton House is open to fresh air, yet insulated from intense heat and protected from strong cyclone winds. There are no glass windows. Instead, Glenn Murcutt used plywood walls, tallow-wood shutters, and corrugated iron roofing. These simple materials, easily assembled from prefabricated units, helped contain construction costs.

Along the long central hall, tilting plywood panels can be raised and lowered like awnings. Slatted shutters allow users to adjust the flow of sunlight into the interior space.

A design such as this could resolve the issue of temporary/guest accommodation on the site. It would provide a place for guests to sleep in relative climate controlled comfort, without draining any of the energy captured to fuel a main residence for permanent residence.

http://architecture.about.com/od/houses/ss/marikaalderton_3.htm