Jane Riley

This project proposes to reconfigure an existing share house owned by Disability Homes Victoria. It is located in Epping in the northern suburbs and was purpose built in 2003 for six residents. It sits in a quiet cul de sac, filled with large gum trees. The proposed frontage is designed to look like a home and not an institution and includes a generous waiting zone that allows residents to pause and prepare before arrival and departure. The carer has direct access to their office from their courtyard at the front and can see anyone who comes or goes.

The animation shows three key issues with the existing plan; clustered bedrooms that result in a lack of privacy, the large L shape corridor that is institutional and public living zones that are open and loud. The reconfiguration involved movement of the carport, subtraction of internal walls and addition of a bathroom pod. The proposed design focused on three strategies; Entry + that is a generous waiting zone that allows residents to pause and prepare before arrival and departure, dispersed private zones that have an exterior connection, and multiple living areas that gives flexibility to residents.

View full video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoJ2m6NQ6bU

The house is defined by a strong L shape corridor with one side running parallel to the street. An open plan kitchen, living and dining space sits centrally, facing north. The large scale of the building with long corridors and many doors, as well as the materials makes the interior look and feel institutional. The bathrooms, kitchen and bedroom sizes propose issues for accessibility. The main qualitative issues with the layout are the lack of light into the bedrooms and the interaction with the street. Additionally, the living areas are all quite open which means sound can travel through the house.

The proposed house focuses on the frontage, interior/exterior connection, internal space redefinition and additive architectural actions. The frontage aims to be protective upon arrival/departure by addition of a new carport and external waiting zone. The internal space is redefined with dispersed private zones meaning all bedrooms are on different sides of the house with no shared walls. The interior and exterior connection is gained through private outdoor spaces that open off the bedrooms. Multiple living rooms support large and small gatherings, quiet and loud use. The key architectural add is a bathroom pod on the northern side where a new ensuite is required.

All bedrooms in the house have an ensuite for privacy, and for equity, an external addition was required. A common issue with bathrooms is replumbing through a slab on ground, an external addition avoids that. The construction process aims to limit impact on the residents as much as possible. Therefore, prefabricated elements are used for additions to allow quicker construction and less time on site. This is only example of how this can be achieved.

Providing private outdoor space with exterior connection was a main aim for the reconfiguration. The ‘after’ view shows the inclusion of planter boxes that are accessible for all residents.