https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/sub-tropical-living-queensland-apartments-take-cues-environment/
13th December 2016 | Category: Architecture, Construction, Features, Inspirational Urban Design, New Developments, Opinion, People, QLD, Residential, Sustainability, Top Stories, Town Planning | Staff Writer
By David Jessup, Studio Director, Hayball Brisbane
Most of Australia’s multi-residential property developers are in competition to make theirs the biggest and most eye-catching design on the market, with the aim of capturing the attention of buyers and investors alike. But in Queensland, an understated design revolution is afoot. The ethos? To let properties speak for themselves.
The right material for the right climate
As a consequence of our country’s natural diversity, each state has its own cultural and environmental peculiarities which inevitably affect architectural projects. When it comes to climate, however, Queensland has a bit of everything to offer: sub-tropical and coastal, dry heat in the west and rainy season in the north.
Queensland’s sub-tropical environment is home to a vast array of lush foliage and vibrant plant life. With natural inspiration in abundance, it’s crucial to take a leaf out of the landscape’s books when it comes to building design.
A property in such an environment should be authentic in its use of natural materials, and celebrated for its street-level presence and its impact on the lifestyles of those who use it, as much as for its striking façade.
Chester and Ella in Newstead, a soon-to-be-built residential development, takes this emphasis on authenticity in its stride, with chiseled facades bringing texture and movement to the streetscape and breaking down the mass of the buildings.
The weather conditions a building will be exposed to directly impact the choice of materials used to construct it. For example, timber can become warped and shrunken when exposed to extreme heat.
It’s also a hygroscopic material, meaning it absorbs water from the air around it, so can expand when used in a humid environment. In contrast, the environment found in coastal areas, with its heat, salt-water spray, and winds can enable timber structures to fade in colour and age gracefully.
Making a conscious decision to choose materials which work with the local environment not only ensures structural stability, but enables the property to adapt to its locality and develop a character which is congruous with the landscape.
Responding to the landscape
However, it’s equally important to consider the external environment when designing the street-level from which passers-by will view the building and residents will enter their home. In one of Hayball’s multi-residential projects currently underway in Brisbane, a primary consideration was how the residential tower would connect with the ground plane.
We have included elements such as tropical landscaped gardens and an entry space which is a naturally ventilated semi outdoor room loggia. Unlike common residential buildings, these elements reflect the sub-tropical environment in which the building will stand.
The climate must also be considered when it comes to designing a building, to ensure it reflects the lifestyles of those who will use the space. In Brisbane more than in our other major cities, versatile outdoor living space in multi-residential buildings is vital.
Balconies must be large enough to accommodate outdoor furniture, which enables people to dine outside, and roof space should be maximised, with landscaped rooftop gardens, catering facilities such as barbecues, and ample space for communal entertaining.
Given the extreme temperatures, the building should be designed in a way that allows for natural shade to be cast over any outdoor living space.
Future-proofing design with quality
For a building to become a seamless part of the locality and its community, it needs to express core principles of design which respond to its context. This is both in the social, built form and climatic context.
Designing a building to be able to meet the lifestyle needs of those who will use it over time will not just ensure it remains aesthetically pleasing, but it will also reduce the amount of maintenance a property needs over time.
In order to benefit current and future users of a space, a new building should be timeless, reflective of its environment and of the highest quality.
From the street level to the rooftop view, and the design of individual apartments within the building, residential buildings in Queensland need to be able to naturally and effectively respond to their environment to truly become a part of their community.
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Australia’s population growth is being felt in our cities, but are we adequately prepared for the future of high-density living?
Higher density urban living has become a primary concern for urban planners, who grapple with issues such as infrastructure development, traffic management and housing solutions. But beyond these physical concerns, there are a number of very real human issues that also need to be addressed by planners as well as developers and architects.
For all of its benefits, city living isolates people from the natural world, and new research is finding that this isolation affects the wellbeing of urbanites. With some clever design thinking, however, we can create cities that are more sustainable and offer a higher quality of life.
As cities grow, it’s easy for green spaces to become an afterthought in the planning process. This is not just the case in public spaces, but also in the development of residential and commercial projects.
Many city councils now have limited regulations in place specifying how much green space a new building should deliver, but going above and beyond this will have a positive impact on the environment, wellbeing of residents, the liveability of the property and its resale value.
In the last week alone there has been a great deal of public discussion over the design of apartment buildings in Brisbane, after research by Associate Professor Rosemary Kennedy from QUT’s Design Lab found that many new developments are too hot for the city’s sub-tropical climate.
Due to the excessive heat generated from their glass facades, these building require a higher amount of air-conditioning for temperature regulation.
“One of my major concerns is that we’re not designing our buildings using good design; we’re using electricity to solve design problems,” she said in an interview with ABC News.
She believes that as buyers become aware of these design issues, resale prices will suffer and tenant turnover rates will increase.
Building our cities without any regard for climate regulation contributes to the urban heat island effect, which negatively impacts the liveability of a city. This effect occurs when building materials such as concrete, glass and bitumen absorb and hold on to heat and, as a result, increase the temperature of a city.
By incorporating plants into buildings through rooftop gardens or green walls, however, we can begin to offset this effect and cool the structure, in turn reducing the need for air-conditioning.
Parkroyal on Pickering, Singapore
If we were to create enough green spaces to cool Australia’s cities by eight degrees, it is estimated that the reduced use of air-conditioning alone will lower carbon emissions by 12–15 percent each year.
Integrating plants into city buildings is also an effective way to absorb stormwater runoff and reduce the noise levels experienced within office and apartment buildings.
These benefits are in addition to the well-known role trees play in filtering the air by soaking pollutants. So what seems like a simple element of city design can have a big impact on sustainable living and the practicality of a building.
It’s not just the environment that benefits from the practice of biophilic design – human health and mental wellbeing improves too. A recent 2009 Dutch study found that those who live less than 1km from green space had lower incidence of 15 diseases including depression, heart disease, diabetes and asthma.
Here at home, 83 percent of Australians relate relaxation and time out with green spaces, and 73 percent see their garden as a place to improve their mental wellbeing.
It is believed that this inherently positive association with nature lowers stress and anxiety levels, contributing to improved mental and physical wellbeing. Given this association, buyers are willing to pay more for a feeling of connection with nature.
Larger balconies, park views, access to rooftop gardens and even natural lighting in the home are all considerations buyers take seriously when seeking out urban dwellings.
Developments such as One Central Park (pictured below) and M Central (pictured above) in Sydney showcase what is possible when a green mindset is applied to property development.
One Central Park, Sydney
Not only do these buildings address sustainability concerns, they also provide greater amenity for residents and elevate the visual appeal of their respective neighbourhoods.
So as we start to consider how to best deliver high density living in Australia, will buildings like these continue to be isolated case studies or will they become the norm?
Carolynn Brooks is the co-founder of The Small Garden, a Brisbane-based design practice that specialises in creating green urban spaces that connect people with nature. With a belief that green spaces are essential for happiness, wellbeing and the health of our cities, The Small Garden shares their passion with the world through an Instagram account that boasts over 20,000 followers.
Brisbane apartment ‘hot boxes’ not suited for local climate, QUT research suggests
Dec 3, 2016Jim MaloProperty reporter
Does size matter? Domain takes a look at some clever ways the make the most out of a tiny apartment.
Much of Brisbane’s new apartment stock is not built to handle the city’s sub-tropical climate, leaving residents short-changed in an attempt to keep cool, new research suggests.
Of nearly 4000 planned apartments in 15 developments studied by QUT Associate Professor Rosemary Kennedy, the majority did not have necessary architectural solutions to deal with sub-tropical heat. The largest developments were the worst offenders, she said. None of the buildings examined were in the CBD.
Apartments in Brisbane tend to be more focused on views and glamour, Professor Kennedy said.
Professor Rosemary Kennedy has concerned apartments under construction will be ‘ bot’ boxes’. Photo: Robert Shakespeare
“I think the supremacy of the view is being used as a marketing tool,” she said. “They seem to be designed for short-term living.”
Sustainability consultant Valerie Bares, of ESC Consulting, agreed with Professor Kennedy.
“From a developer’s side of things there’s a perception that building a climate responsive building will be more expensive, so they won’t make as much profit,” she said.
Apartment blocks continue to shoot up along the Brisbane skyline. Photo: Robert Shakespeare
“I think we’re starting to see a trend now where people are becoming more environmentally aware but I don’t think that’s yet translated to demand for that type of product.”
Professor Kennedy is concerned the long-term value of the houses would take a hit as energy costs continued to rise and climate control became more expensive, Professor Kennedy warned, adding that many residents would pay for energy they did not need.
“In our climate in Brisbane, 80 per cent of the year, the natural conditions are quite conducive to not having to use air conditioning,” she said.
Professor Kennedy said buyers would eventually choose apartments with design that allow natural cooling. Photo: Glenn Hunt
“As better designs come on the market and people will vote with their feet.”
Future buyers could even shun the developments altogether, Ms Bares said.
“The generations that are coming up are going to be a lot more discerning in terms of what they’re looking for,” she said. “Millennials are more environmentally aware and will be more demanding in what they buy.”
The choice of whether to open a window or turn on the air conditioning has the potential to make or break a sale.
“If you can decrease that cost by moving somewhere else, where you can take that opportunity to stay cool in other ways, you may take that opportunity,” Professor Kennedy said.
She said the Brisbane City Council needed to step in to fix the problem before it reached crisis point.
Developers are guided by outcomes in the Multiple Dwellings code, but Professor Kennedy said acceptable outcomes should be strictly enforced.
“It’s just guidelines but it goes in the right direction and eventually they can build on that and make it mandatory,” Ms Bares said.
The council was contacted for comment.
