California Dreaming

Full description

BACKGROUND
In 2009, the researcher was commissioned to design two duplex residences in Launceston, Tasmania. The work contributes to Architectural Design, specifically the adaptation of Australian suburban residential typologies for evolving urban environments. The project adds to areas of research that have been explored by NMBW & Atelier BowWow, in their examination of typological information within existing built environments and C M Lee/Series Architects’ exploration of serial adaptation of typological models.
CONTRIBUTION
California Dreaming is a project by the researcher Ben Milbourne, with Evie Blackman, as the duo behind Bild Architecture. The research challenge addressed in this project was the identification of typological traits within an established built environment, development of a design technique for adapting this information and judgement of the degree of transformation of the identified information for a new designed work. The project context characterised by inter-war ‘California Bungalow’ type housing was mapped and catalogued. The identified formal language was adapted to the specific project conditions; sheering the floor plate vertically to minimise cut and fill, slipping it horizontally to address the street crossover and provide northern oriented open spaces, and finally wrapping the signature double-gable roof form around the building to optimise passive solar benefits. Judgement of the degree of transformation rested in the threshold of legibility of the familial relationship between the new building and the existing built context, tested through perspective photomontage.
SIGNIFICANCE
The project was reviewed by Michelle Galindo and published in ‘Bungalow: Masterpieces Architecture + Design’ by Baun, Switzerland (2013), which notes “this residence represents how Australian suburban typologies can be adapted to contemporary housing requirements”. The project was also published ‘Utilisation: creative home space design’, by SendPoint Publishing, Hong Kong (2012), and featured in the local press, appearing in the Sunday Tasmania Newspaper (22nd April, 2012).