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.
No comments:
Post a Comment