Cumulus Studio has partnered with Housing Choices Tasmania and the Department of Communities to deliver a new social housing initiative in West Ulverstone on Tasmania’s north-west coast.
The Oak Rise Housing development is made up of two- and three-bedroom homes and uses contemporary design, locally sourced materials, and a naturalistic palette to reflect the surrounding vegetation.
The community of 48 courtyard-style homes, overlooking Bass Strait in an established natural landscape, strives to foster a sense of locality and belonging.
Cumulus architect and project lead Tim Blakeway said the team wanted to create a close sense of community through thoughtful design and activated communal areas.
Shared driveways and slow pedestrian areas create a vibrant sense of community.
Image:
Cumulus Architects
“We focused on the idea of creating a vibrant community through simple elements such as shared driveways and slow pedestrian areas, but also through a considered reduction of unused outdoor spaces that normally exist between each residence,” said Blakeway.
The homes have been designed with north-facing courtyards at the front of each residence, to fill the internal rooms with warm light, and create a natural extension for the living areas.
“The rooms wrap around the courtyards to give residents a sense of enclosure and privacy, but they are also spaces that can easily open up to the street, connecting each home to the rest of the community,” added Blakeway.
The architect said it prioritised visual diversity “by dotting the collection of houses with several design variations, including different brick patterns for the facades”. According to associate architect Edwina Brisbane, the variations provide moments of individuality, and the palettes are inspired by the changing seasonal hues of the mature elms and oaks that punctuate the development.
Cumulus was careful to ensure that establish vegetation was retained and celebrated on site.
The Oak Rise Housing development is scheduled for completion for mid-2023.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
