Turner Avenue Homes
2023 Turner Ave Homes //
Qld Architecture Awards, Award for Residential Architecture- Multiple Housing
National Commendation for Residential Architecture - Multiple Housing
The project responds to the issues of today’s housing crisis by employing a ‘Missing Middle Housing’ strategy to provide “low rise”, medium density outcomes to an inner city residential suburb with character housing stock. Sensitive densification was created by masterplanning the site with one street front detached home & three attached homes at the rear of the site, sympathetic with the scale of the character residential context and location. Previously occupying the 810sqm in Brisbane was a large post war family home for 40 years.
Strategically locating the carparking & storage in a basement, enables much of the ground plane design to be human-centric. The design focuses on providing private and communal open spaces, abundant with landscaping, carefully integrated between the built forms.
An important outcome for the project was to create a new smaller, detached home for the client, designed for her to continue residing in the community she loves. The new home, located at the street front of the site, is designed for universal access at the ground floor, directly connected to the activity on the street. Additionally, the ability to accommodate visiting family, guests or carers via separate bedrooms and living spaces is located at the upper level.
The rear homes are accessed from a central courtyard, also connected to the street by a covered link. The communal central court is “semi-private” creating a space that encourages neighbourly interaction. Adjoining the central court are private courtyards overlooked by balconies creating privacy whilst offering the opportunity of ad-hoc neighbourly interaction in daily life. The rear garden is also communal, presenting as a larger (borrowed) landscape for the enjoyment of all households.
The layering of courtyards facilitates the home interiors’ access to abundant natural light & ventilation. Internal atrium courtyards foreshorten the building depth increasing the effectiveness of passive design principles including cross ventilation and day lighting. The atrium space of each townhouse brings landscape into the interiors, whilst acting as both light well and a natural thermal chimney. The building’s sustainable features include insulated and sealed façade envelope, solar panels, EV chargers, rainwater collection/ irrigation and low water garden and plant selection.
Materials were selected for their connection to both regional architecture & the client’s heritage values. This combination resulted in a palette of robust & tactile finishes that includes timber frames, metal wall & roof sheeting, and stucco finishes to masonry & concrete elements.
