Sustainable architecture: How we reduced the footprint of Anne Street Garden Villas
Anne Street Garden Villas is all about being socially responsible towards tenants and the community. To uphold this intent and the values of this project, we also looked for ways to make the project sustainable in the long term.
Anne Street Garden Villas is a demonstration project of 7 residences. It was established to explore how we can design human-centred social housing that improves the wellbeing of residents and the community.
Given the exploratory nature of this project, it was important for us to make environmentally responsible design decisions too. But because Anne Street Garden Villas is a social housing project, we had to ensure its design is low-maintenance and will serve residents for the long term.
To balance these practical considerations with the goal of exploring sustainable design, we made decisions that will reduce the cost of running and maintaining Anne Street Garden Villas. And many of them (especially the passive design moves) did not require any additional upfront investment.
By sharing how we incorporated sustainable architecture into Anne Street Garden Villas, we hope this project demonstrates ways we can tread a little more lightly when building multi-residential developments.
Permeable edges responding to climate
1. Green space
It is not common for social housing or other high-density residential developments to have communal green space. But our consultation with current social housing tenants revealed the need for outdoor space they can use for gardening and socialising (see more about this in our post about the garden’s design).
Typically garden space in multi-residential social housing developments is limited to a small private space adjoining each dwelling. Residents generally grow plants in pots in these smaller spaces, which limits the amount of shade and breeze available to the homes.
So in this project, we integrated a communal garden to the design, which allows for large trees to be planted in her heart of the complex. These trees will create a cooling effect via shade and breezes.
Each residence still has a small private outdoor space sufficient for hanging laundry and having a coffee outside. By allocating a modest amount of space for private use, we were able to create a larger shared garden with more amenity and environmental benefits than small private spaces offer.
To help breezes flow, we also designed each home as a stand-alone residence. The gaps between the dwellings allow breezes to flow through to garden.
2. Passive design
Being on the Gold Coast, Anne Street Garden Villas benefits from ocean breezes, mild winters and long sunny days. We sought to enhance the virtues of this climate through passive design that reduces the need for heating, cooling and artificial lighting.
Passive design strategies include:
Screens allowing breezes from the garden to flow through each home, while also providing privacy and added shade.
Cross-ventilation in the dwellings and shade from the garden, negating the need for air-conditioning. Each home is equipped with fans instead to assist with air circulation.
Orienting living spaces for good natural light during the day, reducing the use of artificial lighting.
3. Energy and water
To further minimise the footprint of the development, solar panels are installed on all dwellings and a 25,000L water tank is located under the shared garden. The tank provides water for outdoor use in the garden, the private outdoor spaces attached to each dwelling and in the carpark for washing cars.
These are the only elements of the development that required upfront expenditure on top of typical construction costs. However the long-term savings will provide a return on this investment.
Why sustainable architecture is so important
Buildings and construction contribute to 40% of the world’s C02 emissions, and they disrupt the natural environment. That is why we have publicly pledged to incorporate sustainable design into our practice.
This project is an important investigation into how we can design and build greener homes, even in high-density urban environments and on a modest budget. If you are interested in sustainable residential architecture, reach out to us to discuss your project.
Read more about Anne Street Garden Villas: