Subtropical Row Houses
Subtropical Row Houses // Qld Architecture Awards, Brisbane Regional Commendation
As part of a research project in conjunction with the QUT Centre for Sub tropical design, the Slip-Slide Rowhouse is conceived as an adaptable dwelling model for a variety of site locations. The arrangement of the house plan can be simply varied by slipping and sliding the linked ‘quadrants’ to suit site orientation and topography. The idea is derived by sectioning the entire site into quadrants and equally dividing the planning diagram into adjacent external and internal space.
The resultant sliding of the plan allows the row house to maintain a single room depth and maximise potential for passive solar gains dependant on the orientation of the site eg. Car space occupies least desirable quadrant and outdoor living court occupies the most desirable quadrant.
The central circulation axis hinges the plan halves together and links adjacent outdoor court areas to promote natural venting of all rooms in the plan. This concept carries through the building cross section and works on steep sites (site 1 shown) or flat sites (site 2).
On-site tandem car accommodation combines an external court area with
a single covered car court to maximise allowable outdoor area. This zone is secured using a breathable battened enclosure with a fibreglass roof so that ventilation is maintained and natural daylight penetrates into the site despite the narrow plan width.
Household diversity is accommodated in the planning with the incorporation of the semi detached room nominated as the multi-purpose room. This room can variously be used as a home office, granny flat, play/rumpus room or simply a third bedroom/guest room.
