Courtyard housing
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Brick Screen Courtyard Housing - Design Statement
Our research focused on the infill and densification of an existing suburban block in the inner Brisbane suburb of West End. We considered the possibilities of two built-to-boundary courtyard house typologies set amongst the extensive rear gardens of the existing properties.
The first typology was a single level dwelling on a 25 x 10 metre lot. Four sleeping/ study rooms were placed at the corners of the site, surrounding a central courtyard garden and living pavilion. The single level dwelling has north-facing frontage, and can be combined to create a small enclave of brick terraced houses.
Access to the four rooms from the living pavilion is via covered walkways. The house is intended to appear as little more than a garden wall when viewed from the existing adjoining properties.
The second typology (and the focus of the submission for the Open Face competition entry) was a two level courtyard dwelling, also on a 25 x 10 metre site.
The main feature of the house is a double-height 3-dimensional perforated brick screen. This acts as a translucent veil between the public and private realms. It encloses and claims the conventional "front garden" space as the main communal space of the house, and becomes a trellis for climbing plants. A small seating / garden area at the base of this screen seeks to soften the relationship between the house and the street.
Other features of the house include: the roof above the living area being angled down to allow increased north light into the main courtyard space of the adjacent property; large sliding doors connecting the living area and the main courtyard; coloured entrance portals identifying each dwelling; and an allotment on the garage roof.
This typology could be mirrored about the rear wall of the site to provide dense back-to-back array of housing.
Although a small degree of repetition has a certain appeal, a combination several different house types would be a preferred way to integrate this infill typology into part of a new suburban environment.
The type of brick selected is a Boral "Lexington Woodstock" exterior face clay brick.
