BUILDING MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS, FORMAL CONSIDERATIONS

Understanding the practicalities of a built system enabled designs to be informed through material considerations and its physical resolution.

The analysis of the residential precedent building, Wendouree Residence, in Construction Analysis, critically informed understandings of different building systems, through the dissection of primary and secondary structure as well as environmental protection. Understanding the structure, load paths and the qualities of materials enabled better decision making and realistic expectations on how different materials would perform in future designs.

Similarly in Construction Design, the dissection and analysis of civic precedent building, McKinnon Secondary College Senior School Building, developed an understanding of the conditions under which materials and construction systems fail.

Through studying Environmental Building Systems, the significance of material selection in relation to environmental impacts and sustainability was analysed. The impacts of material selection, orientation, and siting as they related to passive principles critically informed the design of future projects. Concepts like passive heating, passive cooling, cross ventilation, insulation, and waterproofing the external envelope was then taken into consideration in future design studios.

In Design Studio Gamma these combined learnings were utilised in the creation of Living House, Living Neighbourhood, where a dual-occupancy unit was designed to be situated on a multi-unit residential block.

The understanding of footing systems, wall thicknesses, and flood depths allowed for a realistic creation of space and form, informing the site's usable space and internal, private residential volumes. Knowing the standard sizes and dimensions of typical construction materials like concrete slabs, floor trusses, internal and external walls as well as timber studs allowed for a better understanding of how to detail the façade and the interior design of the unit.