A sample Community Social Housing Project at Blakes Crossing that challenges the traditional government & affordable housing type.
C4 Architects have continuously worked on multi residential Government, Social, Community, Seniors, Disabled and Aboriginal Housing Projects within the practice.
The Blakes Crossing is a sample of our affordable housing projects that shows the successful development of 25 new homes of varying sizes to cater for Affordable housing tenants that included Housing Trust and Essential Services Workers. The aim was to develop a range of houses that can be adapted to suit the different size and shaped allotments found across typical subdivisions to maximize yield and therefore value for investors for this project .Within this standardization to allow enough variety to create dwellings that are not ‘collectively’ recognizable as affordable housing. To create a series of flexible dwelling types that maximizes amenity, liveability, affordability and sustainability for the resident. A fresh approach for Community Housing models.
Through a series of testing a number of sketch layout options for houses across the sites, we focused on 4 main house types. This simplified construction detailing and enables more prefabrication of standard elements such as roof trusses, wall framing and windows and door systems. Streetscape appearances / entries and external materials are then detailed to provide points of difference for the houses.
The houses and site layouts have been developed with the following issues at the forefront:
- Provide high quality sustainable medium density housing at an affordable price
- ‘Thin’ plans to allow maximum light, winter sun, and natural ventilation to minimize heating and cooling costs and to allow maximum amenity for all rooms in the house
- allowing for maximum environmental benefit using best practice environmental design principles
- Incorporating good community housing design principles with the Council’s Development Plan and Developer’s Detailed Encumbrances.
- maximizing yield on site
- constructability
- maximizing value by providing separate private entries and attached secure garaging (in lieu of group garaging)
- Allowing for ‘universal’ disabled access for ground floor dwelling types
- Streetscape variety and appeal
- Adaptable orientations for each house type
- Allowance in each design for different materials and roof types to provide variety and complement the streetscapes.
C4 Architects have continuously worked on affordable housing projects for Government, Social, Community, Seniors, Disabled and Aboriginal Housing clients. Projects have ranged from one-off homes on greenfield sites, to significant multi-residential urban consolidation developments across New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.