PROFILING MELBOURNE SOCIAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

Lacaton and Vassal successfully applied retrofitting in Paris and Bordeaux. In ‘Tour Bois-le-Prêtre’, flats were extended by 2260m2. Prefabricated elements allowed models to be connected within a day. Energy usage was halved due to the thermal performance of the winter gardens and the overall cost was half of a demolition and reconstruction process (Karakusevic & Batchelor, 2017).

Fig. 20. Top Right - Transformation of 530 dwellings, interior view of extended winter garden

Fig. 21. Top Left - Exterior view of façades showing extension of space and homogeneity of the façades from the exterior

Fig. 22. Bottom interior view of extension and balcony spaces for residents

‘Transformation of 530 Social Housing Dwellings’ Lacaton & Vassal, Frédéric Druot & Christophe Hutin Bordeaux, France. Retrofitted 2016 (1960)

Yet their buildings, still exude modernist iconography. The individual building over the collective. They don’t engage with the scale, nor do they try to dissolve these buildings into the contextual framework of the city. Their winter gardens maintain the homogeneity of the façades and without imbuing a sense of human scale. Contrastingly, a programmatic mix and form which dissolves the monoculture of housing, creating a relational building to the context will further promote a sense of welling-being for residents.

Extensions: winter garden Extensions: heated extensions Circular Core: north / south

+ 0.90 / 39.17 NVP

2.1.7 Section, before and after modi cation, scale 1:500 Fig. 23. Section before (Right) and after additions (Left) highlighting the extension of the interior and exterior spaces. Fig. 24. Typical floor plan with highlighted winter gardens (light pink), increased interior space (dark pink) and new vertical lift circulation

Tour Bois-le-Pretre Lacaton & Vassal & Druot Paris, France. Retrofitted 2011 (1960)

Fig. 25. Tour Bois-le-Pretre Original Facade

Fig. 26. Right Tour Bois-le-Pretre Adapted Facade

Fig. 27. Below -Tour Bois-le-Pretre View of Winter Garden

MODULAR CONCEPTUALISATION FOR THE PLANET

Opportunities arise in implementing modular and volumetric prefabricated building approaches such as efficiencies in time, construction, quality and reduced wastage. Through modular retrofits extension to the existing framework of the high-rise typologies can support additional amenity to residents whilst being implemented at mass scale. Treet Apartments towering at 49m conists of a series of volumetric CLT modules which are stacked and framed within large glulam framing system.

Fig. 28. Modular construction methodologies where glulam elements surround and support CLT modules

Fig. 29. Modules are locked into place and stacked ontop of one another.

HUMAN RESOURCES FOR RESILIENCE

Rogers Ulrich’s 1984 study on the effects of nature on the recovery of patient, highlighted the intrinsic link between the effects of architecture on health and wellbeing of individuals and communities (Ulrich, 1984). Architecture can be psychologically manipulative. In providing context to a person, this effects behavioural systems, the brain and body, therefore architecture can directly influence health (Mittlelmark, et al., 2017).

Co-Health, the largest health provider within Collingwood and Unison Housing, the largest provider of services to the homeless in Melbourne’s West outlined a vision of co-housing social housing and health services (Unison, 2022). They have advocated for government funding inorder develop cohousing and community health centre together (Figure 31) (CoHealth,2021).

In meeting the needs of 18,000 additional healthcare visits each across the City of Yarra by 2030, there should be a focus on preventative health which reduce pressures to hospital and age care sectors, allowing people to maintain their lifestyle at home for longer (Co-Health,2021).

Fig. 30. Top Right - Blackburn Centre co-locates traditional and transitional housing with health care in Portland Oregon.

Fig. 31. Middle Right - The breakdown of the building with 51 units of respite-care housing, 81 transitional units for people overcoming substance abuse, 34 units for low income earners. Treatment and health care floors in the middle.

Fig. 32. Middle Left - Urban design principles

CCC Blackburn Centre Ankrom Moisan Portland, Oregon, 2019

Fig. 33. Bottom - Exterior view and solar collection

PRECINCT SITE

Fig. 34. Spatial Mapping in relation to walking distance (800m) from site. Co-health north of the site, advocating for co-location of housing and health with Unison. Opportunity to provide this through our sites development.

Located within Collingwoods housing commission precinct this thesis will explore adaptive reuse in relation to high-rise social housing typologies. Through a programmatic hybrid of housing, health and community functions this thesis interrogates how social housing can be resilient. This typology envisions a dissolution of scalelessness and challenges the current monoculture of housing (Figure 33). Through harnessing social, environmental and health resources it will promote resilience and wellingbeing for residents and the planet within a disrupted 2050.

Fig. 35. Site Plan and Brief intervention area

Fig. 36. Shows the progressions in models to retrofit social housing, this thesis will explores a dissolution of scale, providing outdoor amenity, adaptive re-use of existing structure and increasing of density on site. This contrasting to the business as usual approach and the plug in extension of Lacaton and Vassal