Adaptability
Boonooloo Road Housing
What was the problem?
Our project at Boonooloo Road demonstrates an alternative to the current model of infill densification in Perth’s peri-urban fringe.
Located in an established suburb in Perth’s hills, the surrounding area had been up-coded in recent years, resulting in a grouped dwelling boom, loss of mature trees and private green space, as well as streetscapes dominated by driveways and carports.
What did we do?
What we did was design a low-key project, with a focus on minimising the effect of car-parking and amplifying space and tree cover.
Through close collaboration with the client, we designed four stand-alone, single-story dwellings – each developed in response to the site and hardwired for adaptability.
The homes are robust; solar passive; adaptable to allow ageing-in-place; they exceed the benchmarks for sustainable construction; and are a demonstration model for affordable housing.
Opportunities for ancillary dwellings are tested, with the fourth bedroom fitted with capped services for retrofit; the villa becomes a 3-bedroom home with separate accommodation (bedsit or granny flat) or even a home office in the future.
What was the impact?
The project quietly and intentionally nestles itself within the established streetscape. A design language appears through form, material, colour and texture – responding to place rather than competing with it.
Well-orientated courtyards maintain tree canopy and offer both private and semi-private open space within the site.
The character of the neighbour – marked by large trees, low-slung houses and open space – is maintained, despite the quadrupling of the site’s dwelling yield.