Resilient Architecture | Architects EAT

Resilient Architecture

The word ‘resilient’ has such a broad interpretation. For some architects, this word suggests permanence, a sense of longevity that removes a design from the latest fad or fashion. Others refer to the materials used, plantation-grown sustainable timbers or using materials that respond to the local climate.

The devastating bushfires Australia has experienced, both in 2009 with ‘Black Saturday’ and more recently, over last summer across the continent, certainly make you pause and think about resilient architecture. The onset of COVID-19 has also made architects more conscious of factoring in working more from home. “It’s important to look at creating homes that last, rather than seeing temporary solutions,” says architect Albert Mo, director of Architects EAT.

PHOTOGRAPHY Derek Swalwell, Yaseera Moosa, Dave Kulesza | WORDS Stephen Crafti

Architects EAT

Architects EAT was one of hundreds of architects who registered with Architects Assist to give up their time to design houses for those who lost homes in the 2009 Victorian bushfires. Although Albert didn’t see one of his designs implemented in this venture, organised by the Australian Institute of Architects (Victorian Chapter), his practice has built a number of resilient homes that will continue to be enjoyed for decades to come. A concrete house in the Melbourne suburb of Kew, for example, is about as solid and monumental as one could hope for. “Concrete has been used for thousands of years, just look at the Pantheon,” Albert says, who was as mindful of the home’s thermal properties as much as its permanence and longevity. In winter, the concrete floors and walls function as a heat bank, absorbing the winter sunlight. And in summer, the home’s voids purge the hot air via the operable highlight windows.

Project Kew Residence

Photography Derek Swalwell

With COVID-19, Albert has noticed clients wanting not only two separate home offices, but in some cases, three, allowing the family the option of working from home going forward. “Resilient architecture needs to address issues such as COVID-19, not just in the short term, but well into the future. Spaces also have to be flexible if they’re going to relevant going forward,” he adds.