Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Urban Development Institute of Australia & Shaping Mackay
SMART ARSE
Designing for the Tropics - Troppo Architects 1980 - 2004
Apologies...
Troppo ADELAIDE
25 years on
TOWNSVILLE
BYRON BAY
DARWIN
PERTH
Designing for the Tropics
Troppo Architects 1980 - 2004
25 years of housing for the tropics
Troppo’s approach:
be regionally based
be regionally appropriate
be a response to climate and local setting
promote a sense of place
be emotive
be dynamic - adjustable
connect indoors with out, or outdoors with in
be non-constant
embrace informality
...
Troppo is Australia’s third most awarded practice…ever
Architecture failed to meet any of the criteria that guide troppo’s work
B. Ventilation by convection
…to reduce the build up of heat
7. 8.
the ten patterns of content
There is an hierarchy of display, There is opportunity for creative
security and accessibility for all activities.
consumer belongings.
9. 10.
the ten patterns of content
Designing for the Tropics
Troppo Architects 1980 - 2004
A clear need existed in Darwin in 1980 to readjust public opinion or
the understanding of the meaning of the term housing.
2. Ventilation by convection
The rhythmic rise and fall of ambient temperature from one day to the next can be
harnessed, passively, to store either heat or cold
Designing for the Tropics
The built response to the climate of Mackay
4.00am Internal temp./ external temp.
Temp.
Time LIGHT
Designing for the Tropics
The built response to the climate of Mackay
4.00am Internal temp./ external temp.
Temp.
Time LIGHT
8.00am
Internal temp.
Temp.
Time MEDIUM
Designing for the Tropics
The built response to the climate of Mackay
4.00am Internal temp./ external temp.
Temp.
Time LIGHT
8.00am
Internal temp.
Temp.
Time MEDIUM
12.00pm
Temp.
Internal temp.
Comfort level
Occupants choice
Opportunity
Temp.
The city represents a condition where the issues of proximity tend to lead design
Designing for the Tropics
The built response to the climate of Mackay
Although microclimate will tend to govern, lightweight elements
will still be valuable
Upper story ‘vents’
Verandahs
Annexes
Awnings
They will offer different environmental conditions
Vertical stacking
The microclimate of the street will play the most significant role
in dynamic thermal performance in city centres as this will
effect all users to varying degrees and will not be controlled by
mechanical means
0 Time
NOW
NRR Consumption
0 Time 0 Time
NOW STEP 1
NRR Consumption
NRR Consumption
0 Time 0 Time 0 Time
NOW STEP 1 STEP 2
0 Time
SUSTAINABILITY
The code defines ‘comfort’ levels and limits construction systems and
parameters in order to maintain ‘comfort’ with the aid of artificial means
OBJECTIVE
O 2.6 The Objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by efficiently using energy.
FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
F 2.6 To reduce Greenhouse gas emissions, a building, including its domestic services, is
to be capable of efficiently using energy.
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT
P 2.6.1 Building
A building must have, to the degree necessary, a level of thermal performance to
facilitate the efficient use of energy for artificial heating and cooling…
Designing for the Tropics
The Building Code of Australia - Energy Efficiency Provisions
What does the BCA do?
The BCA controls aspects of house design to, supposedly, efficiently use energy
The maximum annual energy load value may be increased by 20MJ/m2 if:
A solar hot water supply system having a minimum of 2 solar collectors and a Square metres?
storage capacity of not less than 270 litres is installed to serve the building No HWS?
Designing for the Tropics
The Building Code of Australia - Energy Efficiency Provisions
What does the BCA not do?
reduce materials consumption
reduce required infrastructure
improve public transport
maintain natural heritage
encourage building re-use
stabilise the housing market
enhance social equity
maintain historic values
improve accessibility
reduce car usage
improve public health
encourage economic stability
provide places for people
ensure population presence
encourage regionalism
protect natural public assets
etc...
Designing for the Tropics
The Building Code of Australia - Energy Efficiency Provisions
What does the BCA not do?
reduce materials consumption
reduce required infrastructure
improve public transport
maintain natural heritage
encourage building re-use
stabilise the housing market The code does not deal with
enhance social equity ANY aspect of sustainability
maintain historic values other than greenhouse gas
improve accessibility emission
reduce car usage
improve public health
encourage economic stability
provide places for people
ensure population presence The code does not motivate
encourage regionalism
protect natural public assets
etc...
Designing for the Tropics
The Building Code of Australia - Energy Efficiency Provisions
Sustainability is a collective responsibility.
The code simply allows us to purchase a clear conscience We now spend a great
deal of design time
The code gives us the impression that we have engineered the solution trying to mitigate the
problems imposed by
the code
The code implies that the house is the problem - this is not the case
Ambient temperature
Minimise maximum
Outside is inappropriate
The answer lies in completely reconsidering our ways of life and the resultant or generative
patterns of development.
Economically exorbitant
Ecologically catastrophic
Socially destructive
…but so safe and secure…
Retail
Commercial
Residential
Industrial
Agricultural
These elements each have a role to play in a complete city, the city is the sum of these
component parts
…and the true costs become someone else’s problem (in the future)
We have been doing this for far too long with obvious results
Designing for the Tropics
The City - What is it?
Mackay exhibits a quite typical pattern of development
The cost of ‘the great Australian dream’ is now being paid but
we still cannot seem to break the cycle
Designing for the Tropics
The City - What is it?
Our cities typically display a significant degree of history in both built form and structure.
Historic buildings are our memory They tell us from whence we come
Our cities are a product of a different era and they maintain references to design parameters that
once were, but are no longer.
We must acknowledge that we continue to design to the wrong brief
Designing for the Tropics
The City - What is it?
The contemporary city
The challenge now is to transform these cities into contemporary, sustainable centres.
Transport is only to facilitate the above. Ideally it will consume minimum space.
Designing for the Tropics
The City - What is it?
The goal must be to create a comfortable and attractive range of climatic zones that are
conducive to and encourage communication and exchange.
Streets...
...are beautified
...and engineered
…treatment of street is legislated
…and cars reign supreme
The Bounded City
The Solution?
Designing for the Tropics
The bounded city - The solution?
The Boundary of or the Bounding of a city
Historic cities have endured and now enjoy the blessing of boundary:
In practice
Designing for the Tropics
The Bounded City - in practice
TOWNSVILLE
3km
Population
150,000
Density 5:1
Current footprint
3,000,000
Designing for the Tropics
The Bounded City - in practice
Streets
Streets and buildings
Edges and surrounds
Choose your future