Journal v1 test by lukenmadden

Bower Studio 2014 Luke Madden 359911

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Due to the large variety of social health and lifestyle issues afflicting Indigenous communities, there is no one solution or project which can address them all. In an effort to provide help for as many people as possible, I have chosen to address the issues of lifestyle diseases and mental wellbeing by designing a set of adaptable exercise apparatuses as well as providing a framework for their usage and exercise planning. Exercise is self-driven, requires no outside involvement beyond equipment installation, in addition to being an effective treatment for a broad range of lifestyle diseases. These issues are far too complex to be solved under the scope of this studio, but my proposal intends to take the first step towards teaching individuals and communities that they have the capacity to improve their own situation. Bower Studio Journal

Bower Studio Journal

3 Introduction 4 General Research 8 Esquisses 30 Creswick Intensive 50 The Project at Titjikala 62

Individual Project Research 56 Final Project 96 Appendices 134 Bibliography 142

Left: Madden, L. (2014). Photograph of the climate in Central Australia. Bower Studio Journal

Introduction

BACKGROUND

A ‘bower’ is a simple structure traditionally used by Indigenous Australians to shelter from sun, rain and wind. The ‘Bower Studio’ projects undertaken by postgraduate students at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne reference the bower as the basic component of shelter and seeks to build upon its relevance for contemporary Indigenous development and housing in Australia and neighbouring countries. While a basic bower structure may not represent the aspirations of all Indigenous peoples, it does help us understand the key issue of shelter for the climate, culture and technologies (which in turn link with spatial forms and their capacities to define ‘place’). In many respects the bower is a powerful metaphor for the pedagogical approach that grounds the Bower Studio’s teaching and learning practices. The bower is a gathering place for the coming together of peoples in teaching and learning across contexts and cultures, but with disciplinary purpose. - David O’Brien

Left: Artist unknown. A 19th century engraving of an Indigenous Australian encampment. Used Under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Bower Studio Journal

Introduction

BOWER 2014 STUDENT GROUP

Sam

Brendan

Kurt

Alex

Luke

Amelia

Kat

Linda

Mark Bella Shinae Introduction

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Nicky

Bower Studio is a subject which has been run at the University of Melbourne since 2008, where students take part in building community infrastructure in remote areas. But it is more than that, students engage with the needs of the community to ensure the project meets their needs, to teach them work skills, and to encourage community participation to take ownership of the project. This is done by a combination of research and practical work to equips student with the skills and knowledge to fully tackle the issues presented in this studio.

Previous studios have varied in scope, purpose and location, which projects ranging from a house renovation in Gudorrka, Northern Territory, to an early learning centre in Wakathuni, Western Australian to outdoor pavilions in Papua New Guinea. This year, the project is two outdoor living spaces in Titjikala, approximately 120km south of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. The build may be different, but the focus and execution will remain the same - an integrative approach where the benefit is beyond the physical structure. The team is to be led by Dr. David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, a Senior Lecturer in Architectural Design and Technology at the Faculty of Architecture, Building and planning at the University of Melbourne. He will be assisted by George Stavrias and Matt Breen, previous student who have returned as teaching staff, and James Neil, a builder who has worked closely with Bower Studio on previous projects. Lastly, the student body is composed of 12 students enrolled in the Master of Architecture Program at the University of Melbourne, each selected for their interests in community development, volunteerism and hands-on construction. Bower Studio Journal

Introduction

General Research

JOBS AND HOMES, from UP FROM THE MISSION: SELECTED WRITINGS What would have happened if “handups” would have been given decades ago when the government started providing for Indigenous Australians, instead of “handouts”? That is to say, rather than simply building housing and infrastructure and giving it to Indigenous Australians, providing the tools or assisting communities to create their own outcomes. The thesis behind this point is that the handouts given by the government have over time bred a sense of entitlement in the recipients - their has never been a need (and perhaps even an opportunity) to work for their own future. Without this opportunity, there has been no opportunity to receive any sense of ownership for what could have been created, no sense of responsibility for being entrusted with any tasks of consequence, no chance for skills development and many other missed opportunities. Over a long period of time, this has affected multiple generations of Indigenous Australians to the point where any sense of an industrious and hard working nature has been completed separated form Indigenous culture.

Also brought up is the fact that as a disadvantaged group, Indigenous Australian are among those most in need of encouragement. The “handouts” given are not sufficient to provide an increased quality of life. The empathy, compassion and guilt felt towards the situation of Indigenous Australians interferes with this action as friction would be felt at first. But this is no excuse - as a disadvantaged group of people, it means they have the most to gain from such opportunities, even if it means initial discomfort or bitterness towards being given hard work. While it certainly true that Aboriginal culture has been forever changed by such a history of handouts, the difficulty of comprehending this point lies in the fact that it can only ever be speculative. Despite this fact, there is no reason to continue with such an approach - benefits could still be found by using a procurement model which emphasises assistance and encouraging sweat equity, rather than provision, if introduced carefully.

Pearson, N. (2009). Jobs and Homes. In N. Pearson (Eds.), Up from the Mission: Selected Writings (pp. 313-322). Melbourne, Australia: Black Inc. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

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A SELF-HELP APPROACH TO REMOTE AREA HOUSING, ST PAUL’S VILLAGE, MOA ISLAND, TORRES STRAIT, 1986-92 Given the nature of the project we are to complete in Titjikala, it is important that its carefully integrated into the community. Paul Haar has worked extensively with local communities in a number of remote areas to carry out similar project, albeit with a different method of procurement. His method, which he refers to as a “self-help” approach emphasises the project is for the community and is therefore carried out by the community using a local workforce and entirely local materials where possible. There are a number of reasons for this: - Engaging the community to take part in the construction process to help create something they can be proud of. Additionally, the communal effort helps build them up as a community and as individuals. - By involving the community to heavily, they are able to more closely consult with them to construct something which is appropriate to there needs and desires. - The involvement have a two fold effect of encouraging hard work in addition to teaching the workforce valuable skills which can then be applied to later projects. Ideally, this would be to the point that they are able to successfully facilitate their own projects with zero or very little outside help. - Enjoyment is part of the process. Figure 1: Two locals negotiate a thoughtful design for their new home at St. Paul’s Village. Haar included the locals in the design process to ensure that it would suit their needs. It also helped form a relationship between the two parties, assisting in communication and teamwork.

It is important to note that this approach is much more flexible in terms of materials and project schedule (generally taking significantly longer, but costing significantly less), with this flexibility also culminating in an overall more sensitive approach to local culture. It can be surmised that the greatest benefit of this method of procurement is the positive effect it has on the overall community in terms of education and the satisfaction, pride and motivation gained from completing the project - they are constructing homes, not houses. Haar’s own words, “sometimes fishing lines are more important than deadlines”, reflect the situation quite well - the benefits lie within these intangible qualities imparted on the community. It is not without disadvantages, of course - this type of project has a significantly more drawn out schedule, and so may not be suitable for a situation where the priority of is for the structure to be completed in as little time as possible, if the scope of the project is quite large or complex, or if there are a great number of projects to be completed. As such, the effectiveness of such a method should not be discredited, but rather assessed against the situation where it is to be applied.

Haar, P. (2000). A Self-help Approach to Remote Area Housing, St Paul’s Village, Moa Island, Torres Strait, 1986-92. In P. Read (Eds.), Settlement: A history of Australian Indigenous housing (pp,221-233). Canberra, Australia: Aboriginal Studies Press. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

HOME TO OWN: POTENTIAL FOR INDIGENOUS HOUSING BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE After considering the writings of Haar, reading O’Brien’s thoughts on procurement methods for community building projects provided a refreshing perspective. Not only that, it presented concrete data to argue the advantages and disadvantages of each method of method of procurement. 12 This discussion is important as it brings up the issues faced by the majority of housing roll outs - they are not appropriately designed for the conditions they are placed in. This is not surprising given that they are procured through a top down method, where the emphasis is placed on quantity rather than quality. Despite being painted as an approach which does not successfully respond to cultural needs, the intent is not misguided. The desire to provide housing rapidly compromises the ability to provide housing with properly considers the needs of the users. It is indeed a factor that needs to be considered, but a long term consideration must also be made about how useful this housing will remain in years to come. Suitability of housing is not the only concern for top down procurement methods, the increased emphasis on short construction time frames also correlates to an inflated delivery price. While the success of such projects should

not be measured purely from a financial perspective, it is still an important consideration as it directly relates to the amount of work that can be done. This is demonstrated in comparisons that can be seen between top down procurement methods, self-build approaches and anything in between. It is understandable that a self-build approach may not be perfectly suitable, given the incredibly long time frame of such projects, but this opens up the possibility of a third approach somewhere between the first two - the “supporter” process. Considering these procurement methods from quantifiable objectives, it quickly becomes clear that an intermediate approach offers some of the most impressive benefits. When the non-quantifiable benefits of such an approach are also considered (such as the inflated sense of pride and social well-being experienced upon involvement in the project, among other incentives), such projects would appear to be the mos attractive to consider. However, the government resists changing from top models despite the apparent benefits. Certain legal barriers exist which could slow progress to altering procurement models, but such issues should be treated as barriers .

O’Brien, D. (2011). Home to own: potential for Indigenous housing by Indigenous people. Australian Aboriginal Studies, 11 4), 65-80. General Research

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STRATEGIC INDIGENOUS HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM - REVIEW OF PROGRAM PERFORMANCE The Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) was a joint program between the Federal Government and the Northern Territory Government to design and construct housing for Indigenous communities. The SIHIP review was undertaken in order to assess how it could be improved. The overall findings of the review were as follows: - The program has been “slow to deliver”. - The governance of the program has been “overly bureaucratic” (possibly contributing to the slow delivery time). - To program is “too costly” (housing and administrative). - These issues have been identified early enough that the original planned timed of completion remains a realistic goal. Interestingly, the review has picked up on a number of points which are seemingly brushed off in top down procurement methods - most notably, a longer term view which aims to produce a sustainable housing outcome. The social aspect of this is quite important, as employing a local workforce benefits the community in terms of not only skills training, but a sense of ownership of the projects which acts as an incentive to maintain the works that are completed to a much higher standard than it otherwise would be (which synergises well with the fact that skill training opens up the possibility of maintenance).

It also acknowledges some of the shortcomings of the project, most notably that despite the aim of producing house which appropriately responds to the needs of the residents, this balance was lost in an attempt to preserve target unit cost. Effectively, when cost and effectiveness were weighed up against each other, cost was decided by those in charge of the project to be of greater importance. This is an interesting result, as failed housing projects in the past would seem to indicate that quantity of projects is meaningless without quality. The reasons for this decision are not explicitly mentioned, but other findings (namely that the project has been governed in an “overly bureaucratic” way) would seem to suggest that such considerations were perhaps politically motivated rather than being in the best interests of the project. The fact that cost can easily be quantified, and that target housing costs were already $100,000 beyond initial target would appear to support this notion. Despite this, such a large project (estimate at $672,000,000 at the time of the review) is bound to have issues to some degree, but the fact that the SIHIP has acknowledged the needs of the residents in the design process (whether or not they were considered) sets a more positive precedent for future projects to follow that what has been seen in the past. Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2009). Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program - Review of Performance. Retrieved from http://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/05_2012/ sihip_review.pdf. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HANDBOOK: A PRACTICAL MANUAL FOR REMOTE COMMUNITIES As with the National Indigenous Housing Guide, Environmental Health Handbook: A Practical Manual for Remote Communities provides information on housing and general lifestyle issues for Indigenous communities. In addition, the information in this book seems to be aimed more towards a member of the community looking to build a new house or improve an existing one, or possibly towards anyone considering undertaking a housing or community building project.

Of further interest is the division of health issues brought up: - Infectious diseases - generally afflicting children as a result of environmental conditions and the hygiene issues caused by such conditions. - Social issues - issues such as addiction and mental wellbeing, generally afflicting older children and young adults. - Lifestyle diseases - generally afflicting older adults, ultimately 15 as the result of colonisation.

Issues discussed vary in causes, such as the tendency to favour sweet drinks over water, an tendency contributing to health issues such as obesity and diabetes. It was noted that this has partially stemmed from issues of maintenance of water pipes, where poor servicing has resulted in tainting the colour and taste of water, discouraging people to drink it. This is but one example of a fixable issue spiralling into a larger problem.

This general distinction is not unlike many other societies, but significantly more pronounced in Indigenous communities. As a vague classification, there is not much to further discuss. However, I would like to draw attention to this as an area which could potentially be the focus for further research, as health and lifestyle issues (especially physical wellbeing) are of particular interest to me.

Figure 2: Drawing of a child being washed in a sink. Simple activities such as these can make a big difference in combating infectious disease rates in small children, but plumbing and water connections are often not sufficient to do so.

Harris, G. (Ed.) (2000). Environmental health handbook: a practical manual for remote communities. Darwin, Australia: Menzies School of Health Research. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HOUSING GUIDE The National Indigenous Housing Guide is a resource that documents information on a number of safety considerations that are of particular importance in Indigenous housing, more specifically focused around hardware and maintenance. While recommendations are not the focus of this document, there are a number of guidelines provided to create a standard by which 16 housing conditions can be measured, in addition providing points of interest when assessing these guidelines. While it is generally accepted notion that Indigenous housing is broadly considered to be sub-par or below the standard of housing seen across the rest of Australia, some of the results are particularly surprising. For example, less than 15% of Indigenous houses can be considered to have safe electrical systems, with broad variety of issues contributing to this figure, ranging from small issues such as faulty light switches to more dangerous issues such as exposed cables. What is even more surprising, however, is how easily a number of these issues could be resolved by teaching the residents how to perform routine checks, and more some equipment,

basic repair skills. Licenced tradesmen would still be needed for certain tasks, but tasks such as checking for a gas leak can be as simple as coating a pipe with soapy water and looking for bubbles, as recommended under the maintenance section of chapter A2 Gas safety. In addition, the preventative measures outlined under Design and Specification of each section are generally quite simple guidelines, which if followed properly, could greatly improve the safety figures outlined in this document. For example, avoiding the use of certain light fittings, as mentioned under A1.4 Power points, lighting and other fittings, or keeping gas bottles away from windows and doors, as mentioned under A2 Gas safety, could both easily be handled by the resident if properly instructed. In addition to the management of hardware, sections on hygiene and animal control would be of much more usage if it the resident were actually briefed or consulted on such matters rather than it simply being reported. As such, the overall information of this document clearly stands out as good, useful information, but could of much more positive use if it were actually put into practice.

Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2007). National Indigenous Housing Guide. Retrieved from http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/ indigenous-australians/publications-articles/housing/nationalindigenous-housing-guide?HTML. General Research

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THE DREAMING, from THE DREAMING & OTHER ESSAYS Despite being a much less recent piece of literature than some of the other texts investigated in this section, the issues discussed in The Dreaming qualify its reason for remaining relevant to this day. Put simply, time has traditionally been irrelevant consideration to Indigenous culture. For the same reason, such a culture had remained relatively static and unchanged for many years, up until colonisation. Building on this, it becomes clear that regularity in routine is something that has also remained relatively unchanged to Indigenous culture. This is not surprising, given the devastating impacts that a violent change such as colonisation has had on Indigenous culture - there was simply no coping mechanism. Even now, this aspect of Indigenous culture

remains relatively unchanged - their may be a tendency to live in one place (as enforced by colonisation) but there has still been very development in Indigenous communities over the past decades. With communities primarily funded by the government and community members lacking the skills and drive to work for more, these communities lack the modern technology and infrastructure of traditionally European settlements. This inability to cope with change has had drastic impacts in Indigenous culture. While it is certainly true that the situation faced is ultimately the result of colonisation, this static culture has also served as a barrier for self-help.

W. E. H. Stanner (2011). The Dreaming. In. W. E. H. Stanner (Eds.) The Dreaming & Other Essays (pp. 57-72). Melbourne, Australia: Black Inc. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

REMOTE CONUNDRUMS: THE CHANGING ROLE OF HOUSING IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES

While traditional European housing is undoubtedly not suited to the needs of the majority of indigenous communities, it does in fact represent a number of ideals, most notably that of citizenship and equality. This poses a problem as the union of these two ideals separated almost to the point that they are mutually exclusive. To suggest that the Indigenous housing 18 paradigm should be further homogenised to follow that of the European housing paradigm would be to remove some of the only remaining aspects of Indigenous housing that set it apart. After first being removed from the traditional lands which they lived on, divided by roads, feces and settlements and finally forced out of a nomadic lifestyle, the housing groups in which Indigenous Australians live a perhaps the last major difference between the two societies.

Housing projects have been focused on less on the social requirements of the occupants, and more on the technological aspects of the housing - the needs of the user have been prioritised poorly. Considering the previous lifestyle of many of the occupants relied on makeshift shelters that constructed and abandoned on a regular basis, the technological requirements have little need to be anything beyond what is required of standard housing. From a financial standpoint, this presents inappropriately proportioned spending, which could otherwise be redirected towards more pressing issues. The issues discussed in this text relate to the same themes as the majority of Indigenous housing projects - they are flawed in terms of responding to the needs of the occupants.

B. Wigley & J. Wigley (2003). Remote Conundrums: The Changing Role of Housing in Aboriginal Communities. In P. Memmott (Eds.), TAKE2: Housing Design in Indigenous Australia (pp. 18-25). Canberra, Australia: The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. General Research

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Figure 3: Manufacturing stabilised soil bricks in Warrabri, Central Australia. Policy changes in the mid-1970â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opened up the possibility of self-managed building, greatly improving variety and equality in living conditions. More cent government programs have focused on pro-forma designs, losing this benefit. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

FROM HUNTING TO DRINKING: THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON AN AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY

Colonisation presented a significant cultural upheaval to Indigenous people all across Australia, with this change being brought about forcibly, with no opportunity to resist. Not surprisingly, after such cultural upheaval it was difficult for the society to adapt to changes. As time has gone by, further adaptions have not been made, and what the culture once 20 was is nothing but a memory in the minds of older Indigenous Australian. Pointed out in this text is the fact that current generations have had to deal with more social changes, without having those same cultural resources to help cope. This is an interesting, and somewhat surprising point, as many of the most well known issues to hit Indigenous culture lie in the past. While this is possibly an issue relating to how well events can be judged in hindsight, the result is clear - this day and age is a very difficult time for anyone struggling with their indigenous identity.

In an age which is becoming increasingly bureaucratic, the voice of Indigenous Australians is drastically underrepresented in political, social and economic discussion. When decisions are made “for” Indigenous people, it is rarely someone Indigenous. Having that voice be from within that culture or identifying with that culture would gives a sense of inclusion, power and worth. To add to this, if the Indigenous Australians represented by this person don’t feel as if their best interests are in mind, or if they don’t feel understood by that voice, barriers to communication arise Of course, the issue of having no real political voice is not that simple, as not just anyone can step into that role. However, it comes back to the argument that Indigenous folk have not been adequately equipped to make such steps - and until that happens, it is unlikely this situation will see any improvement.

McKnight, D. (2002). From Hunting to Drinking: The devastating effects of alcohol on an Australian Aboriginal community. London, England: Routledge. General Research

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HOUSING WITHOUT HOUSES Indigenous housing projects have been a point of focus for this research, with a particular focus on participatory approaches. The benefits of such approaches have been praised by numerous texts as detailed in other texts, but it also needs to be understood why. This text approaches a number of these issues, with a number of guidelines coming to mind: - In a participatory process, everyone needs to have something to gain from the project, and a level of control over the outcome. This ensures a unified goal for all stakeholders in the project. - The responsibilities, profits and risks are shared by all stakeholders in the project. This ensures that no one stakeholder has more to lose or gain than is proportional to their stake in the project. - Partnership is bred from necessity based on these

considerations, rather than as a luxury. This builds on the first point where everyone needs to have something to gain - the partnership being a necessity ensures a professional and serious understanding of the working relationship. These considerations point to one important consideration in particular - these projects need to be cooperative, integrated and unified without division of intentions between participants. Even with a team which is on the same page and otherwise works well together, it should be noted that issues may still present themselves that do not have immediately intuitive solutions. Organisation and clarity in responsibilities and leadership is not always enough to solve these issues, and by ensuring that each individual has a personal interest in the success of the project, you are ensuring that the team has the same goal in mind.

Hamidi, N. (1991). Housing without houses: participation, flexibility, enablement. New York, United States of America: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

CUSTOMARY ABORIGINAL BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS AND HOUSING DESIGN The behavioural patterns of Indigenous people, are, unsurprisingly, different to those of the people of other cultures. As discussed in other literature in this section, there is a tendency for much higher numbers of people to live together in a house than traditional European housing. Unfortunately, this situation generally occurs in housing which is drastically 22 unequipped for such housing arrangement. The houses are not big enough, resulting in very crowded living and dysfunctional spaces. The amenities of the houses are not designed to cope with the number of people they end of serving, which, when combined with the maintenance issues that are prevalent in so many communities, results in a great number of damaged or non-functional toilets, showers, sinks, etc. These issues are further compounded by visitors (it is a socially expected to accommodate guests) using these facilities, adding further strain. Quite simple, the hyperinstensive usage of the facilities of houses (and the houses themselves) presents issues of maintenance and damage at much faster rater than would normally be occurring, with such maintenance not being carried out frequently enough to match the usage.

Privacy is also a concern. Housing designs commonly used in Indigenous communities are simply not appropriate for the behviour of the occupants in terms of privacy and security as the overcrowding of houses removes any and all personal space. Additionally, the frequent partitions in the housing make it difficult to judge this level of privacy, therefore removing any true sense of privacy and the piece of mind that would come with it. The origin of this desire is quentionable, whether it stem from a fear of theft or intruders, a different approach to personal space or if has simply always been part of Indigenous culture. No matter what the reason, to design and construct housing which does not acknowledge this lifestyle is to disregard the needs of the users and ignore the cultural reasoning behind it. If Indigenous housing projects are to continue being rolled out, these issues must be considered, or such projects will continue to be criticised, continue to be unsuited to the needs of the users, and possibly have a negative influence on the already shaky relationship between Indigenous communities and the white communities around them.

Memmott, P. (2003). Customary Aboriginal Behaviour Patterns and Housing Design. In P. Memmott (Eds.), TAKE2: Housing Design in Indigenous Australia (pp. 26-39). Canberra, Australia: The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. General Research

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Figure 4: Customary layout of a small Western Desert group of three households. This diagram illustrates the great divide between traditional European household groups and customary Aboriginal household groups. Given these differences, it is not surprising that housing programs have been so drastically unsuited. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

JUST FOR LIVING - ABORIGINAL PERCEPTIONS OF HOUSING IN NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA

One of the main issues with Indigenous housing programs is the housing paradigms upon which large scale projects are modelled. The lifestyle of many Indigenous communities differs greatly from that of traditional European living, not to mention differences between communities. While there are certain aspirations voiced by Indigenous folks that relate to traditional 24 European housing, that does not automatically qualify it as the most suitable option. The traditional European housing model that many housing projects are modelled upon are simply not suited to the lifestyles of the people they are made for.

To start with, living groups are not divided specifically into platonic families, but more closely resemble clusters of extended families or groups of a similar demographic. By providing a traditional European housing model, these clusters are forced to either live in separate household units or pack large groups of people into smaller rooms, simply because the sizes of traditional living groups have not been considered. This overcrowding translates to a lack of privacy for the occupants, an issue for any culture.

This lack of responsiveness leads to occupants to modify the housing to fit their needs rather than attempt to conform to the intended usage of the housing (which would already be difficult or even impossible as a result of overcrowded houses). The housing itself limits the changes that can made, however, resulting in something which is not the intended usage of the house, nor is it the traditional or ideal lifestyle of the occupants. This is especially apparent given the traditionally nomadic lifestyle of Indigenous Australians, which has a very different approach to maintenance and upkeep of living conditions. Thus, it becomes apparent that the style and design of these houses does not reflect the needs of the user, but instead the needs of the designer. The situation could at least be partially remedied by proper consultations with the users and observations of the way they use their properties, as well as collecting ongoing data. The costs of such a change may be discouraging at first, but it would undoubtedly become beneficial in terms of cost in the long run.

Ross, H. (1987). Just for living: Aboriginal perceptions of housing in northwest Australia. Canberra, Australia: Aboriginal Studies Press. General Research

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HOUSING DESIGN IN ALICE SPRINGS TOWN CAMPS As many any type of housing design, Indigenous housing needs to adapted to the climate in which it is located in order to properly respond to the needs of individuals, an issue which has caused problems in large scale housing roll outs (especially when it is considered the difference in climates between cities such as Alice Springs and Darwin, which fall within the jurisdiction of the same state government as each other). With the project location of Bower Studio (Titjikala) falling in the same climate as Alice Springs, this text provides some excellent insight into relevant conditions: - Verandas with raised floors - the location of the project is quite dusty and sandy, and by raising the floor off the ground, it minimises issues of health and hygiene caused by dust and sand. It should be noted, however, that this is a generalised concern, as not all areas are at risk (grassy areas are one such exception), only those with sand and dust in the immediate vicinity. - Selective shading - the summer sun is incredibly hot, but the winter sun can still cold. By creating shading the appropriately responds to angle of the sun, the maximum benefit can be obtained from shade structures. - Use of trees - building from the previous point on shading, trees offer an excellent natural solution. While the degree to which the shading is appropriate may vary from season to

season (with deciduous vegetation being most appropriate), the natural feel they give to an area can provide extra comfort. They also offer benefits beyond shading, such as providing privacy by obstructing vision, but this again is situational as it also blocks the view of the resident, depending on the density of the vegetation (this is a benefit which not specific to Titjikala, but still beneficial). 25 - Semi-enclosed sleep areas - these can serve as accommodation spaces in the warmer months. Such spaces are useful as they can be used seasonally by the occupants of houses, in addition to acting as overflow spaces for guests. - Roofing insulation - diurnal changes in central Australia are significantly more noticeable, with variation of up to 20 degrees Celsius not being uncommon. With roofs being a point that sees some of the largest losses (and gains) of heat in standard housing, it becomes important to ensure it does not become an area of weakness when dealing with such shifts in temperature. Further conditions and solutions do exist, and the many of the standard concerns for Indigenous housing (overcrowding, living groups, etc.) are also relevant. Both the regional and cultural considerations will be important when proposing a project relevant to any Indigenous community, with this set of considerations being especially useful for the area on which Bower Studio is focused. Dillon, J. & Savage, M. (2003). House Design in Alice Springs Town Camps. In P. Memmott (Eds.), TAKE2: Housing Design in Indigenous Australia (pp. 40-47). Canberra, Australia: The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Bower Studio Journal

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OUTSTATION DESIGN - LESSON FROM BAWINANGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION IN ARNHEM LAND A well thought out methodology is useful carrying out any project with a design component. This methodology provided by this text may be derived from the results from a specific area, but the principles remain the same for any design project. Unsurprisingly, it begins by researching and assessing cultural issues and site conditions (something which is somewhat of a persistent theme when compared against the other texts analysed, the importance of which has already been pushed). The following steps are somewhat intuitive and acknowledged in architecturally designed projects of all kinds, but there are a few which stand out as being particularly important:

- Involving the client - typically, this would mean consulting with the client and considering their needs, and their is no difference here. However, given the radical difference in living groups and housing paradigms in Indigenous communities, extra care must be taken to ensure the architectural response properly considers the needs demonstrated and voiced by the client. - Ongoing maintenance - prevalence of property damage in Indigenous communities have a poor reputation, and has come to be that way for a number of reasons (inappropriate

usage of housing due to inappropriate design, over usage due to overcrowding, etc.). As such, maintenance is increasingly important, as permanent damage emerges at a much faster rate than traditional European housing. Maintenance is preferable to repairs, but it is even more preferable to choose technology and amenities that are durable with a low maintenance requirement, in addition to being simple enough that the residents can perform it themselves with little or no formal instruction. Of course, much of what is presented here is for an idealised situation - a fully customised design for each build would substantially increase housing roll out times and prices, which would effectively reduce the number of properties to receive such works to remain under budget. It comes back to quality verses quantity. A large number of houses will not be of use if they are unsuited to the needs of the user, but a small number of houses could be equally unsuccessful even if properly suit as only a small number of recipients will benefit. A middle point needs to be struck between the two extremes, which doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appear to have been found just yet.

Figure 5: Drawing of some of the design features of houses designed by Build Up Design and constructed in Arnhem Land Outstations for the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation. This design takes into account the needs of the occupants, as well as their ability to perform routine maintenance. To achieve this, client involvement is absolutely required, as they will eventually be responsible for the outcome.

Scally, S. (2003). Outstation Design - Lessons from Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation in Arnhem Land. In P. Memmott (Eds.), TAKE2: Housing Design in Indigenous Australia (pp. 84-89). Canberra, Australia: The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

DESIGNING FOR THE NORTHERN TROPICS (OR HOW TO AVOID MANGO MADNESS) Similar the previous analysis of the previous text, this text focuses on a particular type of climate - tropical regions. It serves as a useful comparison the conditions experienced in Titjikala, in addition to further demonstrating just why “off-theshelf” housing can’t possibly work in such different locations. For example: 28

- Diurnal changes - unlike central Australia, tropical regions experience very little changes in temperature between day and night periods. This relieves pressure in terms of ensuring a stables temperature, but it also means that housing becomes difficult to cool to a comfortable temperature, in addition to greatly increasing the cost of artificial cooling. Based on this, passive design (such as cross ventilation, open design, or operable windows in houses with very steep roof pitches) is generally favourable to artificial cooling. - Lightweight partitions - due to the minimal diurnal temperature variation, there is no option to cool down objects with high thermal mass at night. Accordingly, there is great benefit to building lightweight partitions which reflect heat, rather than absorb it. Floors are much harder to deal with, as the durability

of high thermal mass floors, such as concrete, is difficult to match. As such, shading floors is generally preferred to prevent continual release of heat. - Extreme weather patterns - tropical regions are often subjected to extreme weather such as cyclones, storms, and torrential rain (and flooding), meaning their are significant structural issues to solve when designing housing. In addition, the wet season presents additional issues such as mosquitoes, mold, rust and a number of other things. This also means extra thought must be put into designing for areas that experience wet conditions. These are but a few of the differences between the tropical climates and the arid conditions of central Australia. An reasonable designer will acknowledge the climate or region they are working in as being one of the very first considerations of their project, yet such thoughts seem to slip through the design process in large scale government housing roll outs. It has already been concluded in other readings, but the success rates of such projects will be difficult to improve until such issues are properly considered.

Groome, S. (2003). Designing for the Northern Tropics (or how to avoid mango madness). In P. Memmott (Eds.), TAKE2: Housing Design in Indigenous Australia (pp. 48-53). Canberra, Australia: The Royal Australian Institute of Architects. General Research

Bower Studio Journal

SUMMARY OF KEY ISSUES Based on the analysis of each of the texts so far, there are a few recurrent themes which seem to be of particular notability when considering the issues face by Indigenous communities: - Suitability of housing - it is seemingly unanimously agreed upon by each of the authors that large scale government roll outs do not appropriately respond to the needs of the users. This is also mentioned in the SIHIP review of housing performance, where it was noted that quality has been traded for quantity. - Handouts vs. handups - the tendency to simply provide for Indigenous communities has resulted in communities with very few members possessing skills for self-sustaining communities. - Decaying infrastructure - this shortage of skills means that even the most simple routine maintenance becomes difficult and expensive in remote communities, often being left ignored and causing preventable health issues. - Cultural issues - issues of health further complicate social issues and vice versa. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;stamping outâ&#x20AC;? of Indigenous culture has ultimately been the cause of many of the social issues faced by Indigenous people. - Slow change - while the treatment of Indigenous people is arguably better than it was decades ago, there is still a lot of room for improvement. This improvement has been slow thus far, often help up by political inefficiencies.

None of these issues have simple solutions, and it would be foolish to think they could be solved a single semester. In further research and making a design proposal, it is intended to take the steps towards tackling some of these issues. Bower Studio Journal

General Research

Esquisses

ESQUISSE 1 - BREAKING DOWN INSTRUCTIONS Group members: Nicole Henderson, Brendan Josey, Luke Madden

The first assignment given to use related to the HomesPLUS initiative - we were required to analyse instructions and distill their positive and negative qualities. In analysing the qualities, we were to consider what principles could be beneficial when preparing to hand over responsibility of the build to the receiving community. Considerations such as these are important, as the project initiative is so heavily targeted on educating members of the community to create a sustainable workforce, in addition to giving the community a “hand up” rather than a “hand out” to give the community a chance to create something they can be proud of. In order to understand the advantages and disadvantages of certain techniques being used when presenting in an instruction format, we chose to analyse two sets of instructions - one which we felt would be effective and one which would be ineffective, based on the target audience we would be catering to.

Figure 6: Bower HomesPLUS logo. Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

The instructions predicted to be effective were for a wardrobe from IKEA titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anebodaâ&#x20AC;?. It was a fairly simple structure which had a very forgiving construction process, and as such, the set of instructions ended up being very intuitive. The main advantages of the style used in this set of instructions were: - Effective use of pictographic drawings, often using emotional responses to convey meaning (eg. a frowning person in front of a broken product indicated that he was doing something wrong, whereas a happy person in front of 32 an undamaged product indicated he had done the correct thing). - The drawings were action based, meaning the reader understood the action required to reach perform the step being shown. - The drawings were not reliant on text - they were presented clearly enough through the use of detailed callouts to clarify less intuitive actions before any problems occurred. - The steps were logical and sequential - they were broken up into small enough steps that the user would not have to consider multiple actions at any given time. The size of the drawings was also advantageous, as they were easily legible and surrounded by generous amounts of white space to prevent convolution between steps. There were, of course, disadvantages too: - The lack of text meant that if a step was not understood there was no fall back method to clarify/ - This simple style is only applicably to simple tasks, and would not translate very well to projects using a higher level of precision and more significant risks to safety. Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

Figure 7: IKEA, Aneboda assembly instructions.

The second set of instructions analyses, predicted to be less effective, were for a gas barbeque from Rinnai. The tasks uses more mechanically inclined elements to form connections, and is generally a task which requires more focus. Despite being predicted to be less effective, there were still a number of elements which proved to be advantageous: - The drawings were more detailed throughout the entire set of instructions - this does remove some of the simplicity which was seen as being effecting in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anebodaâ&#x20AC;?, but it is an appropriate response as it is necessitated by the task. - The overall style used is suited to the demographic that the product is targeted towards - based on where this product can be bought (hardware stores such as Bunnings or Mitre 10), it can be reasonably assumed that the owner has some proficiency with basic tool usage and technical instructions. As predicted, disadvantages were also present: - The drawings are relatively small and packed fairly tightly onto the page. Given the more detailed style, this poses a problem - the legibility of drawings is greatly reduced. - Each step consisted of multiple each instructions being carried out concurrently. Combined with the smaller drawing size, it becomes much easier to accidently skip an action or carry out it incorrectly. Figure 8: Rinnai, Gas Barbecue: Assembly Instructions and Operations Manual. Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Based on the analysis of these two, we settled on a number of 34 qualities we felt we would be of great benefit when producing instructions for HomesPLUS: - Low reliance on text - pictures are significantly more engaging and much easier to read - the effectiveness of this universal approach is not effected by literacy or language barriers. - Sequential, logical and intuitive instructions - providing a definitive build path that closely follows the thought process of the reader enables a smoother overall construction process. - Action based diagrams - rather than simply showing the product, by demonstrating the action perform reach that point in construction is useful in ensuring clarity as well as eliminating unsafe practices. - The instructions must be specific to the demographic they are targeted towards - his means that research needs to be done beforehand to scope out the age, familiarity with construction, etc. of the participants in the process to ensure that the instructions are properly suited to their needs. Overall, we found the tasks be of great value, having had little experience with drafting instruction targeted at nonconstruction background demographics before. Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

ESQUISSE 2 - DEMONSTRATIVE MODEL AND PROCESS

Group members: Linda Kennedy, Luke Madden, Samantha Mofflin, Shinae Vredenbregt

The second assignment built on the idea of the previous one - we would now be applying what we had learned from the previous assignment to provide a basic set of instructions for the structure we would actually be building in Titjikala, as well as the construction of a model at the scale of 1:20. We were provided with a limited number of construction drawings in order to define the elements required as well as the process we would use. To do so, we worked backwards by first working out the measurements of each element, and then construction a digital version of the model, also at the scale of 1:20. We found this to be the most appropriate method as it allowed for fast changes to be made where necessary, in addition to be able to manipulate and move elements as necessary when we needed to focus on a particular joint, detail or piece. This ability to easily add and remove parts was also helpful in breaking up the process to find what would be the most appropriate method of construction.

After producing the digital model, we cut each of the elements to create the physical model and assembled it according to the rough approximation of the construction process we had devised through the use of the digital model. As a rough approximation, it was imperfect, but was able to be improved and optimised through the construction of the physical model. We made an effort to construct the physical model at a level of detail the reflected the actual project as closely as possible without over complicating it. This, of course, meant we were not able to work on a level of detail that investigated fixings and joints, as well as additional elements such as footings. Once we were satisfied with the order in which each step should be completed, we went back to the digital model and used it to produce a set of instructions. By duplicating the model a number of times, we were able to strategically remove elements form each copy until we were left with a set of instructions which progressively built the structure.

Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Once we were satisfied with the order in which each step should be completed, we went back to the digital model and used it to produce a set of instructions. By duplicating the model a number of times, we were able to strategically remove elements form each copy until we were left with a set of instructions which progressively built the structure. The steps were as follows: Step 1: The main support beams are fixed to the ground.

Step 2: The first horizontal purlins are put in place to provide stability. Note - it was later discovered that the full scale project would have instead assembled the “staples” on the ground prior to erecting and securing in place.

Step 3: The main structural beams are fixed across the “staples”.

Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

Step 4: The second row of structural elements are attached to the purlins. Note: it was later discovered that these elements were in fact lengths of equal angle, rather than linear spanning elements. In which case, steps 4 and 5 would likely be completed together, will the equal angle being fixed as each purlin is brought to the roof.

Step 5: The second level of purlins are attached to the purlins.

Step 6: The roof sheeting material is fixed to the second level of purlins, effectively completing the structure.

Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

The set of instructions was significantly less detailed than those which would be provided for the construction of the actual build, as the scale we were working at did not consider a number of details such as joining methods, footings or the weight of each element. Despite this, still reflected the rough order in which it would be properly assembled, save for a few details that did not translate to the scale we were working at. Once again, this assignment provided us with great insight on the project we would be undertaking. Specifically, we had now begun to familiarise ourselves with the actual project. Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

ESQUISSE 3 - OUTDOOR FURNITURE DESIGN Group members: Brendan Josey, Kurt Jury, Luke Madden, Alex Slater

Once again, our assignment built on the work undertaken in the previous assignment - this time in a literal sense. As the build has changed slightly from previous iterations (there is no longer a need for the deck based on the region in which we are building), there are a number of materials which could now be considered â&#x20AC;&#x153;leftoversâ&#x20AC;?. Based on the construction drawings, the materials were as follows: - 2 bearers (C25019 purlins), at a length of 4000mm. - 8 joists (C20019 purlins), at a length of 4000mm. - Approximately 16m2 of rough sawn hardwood timber flooring, cut at 150 x 25mm. - We also worked on the assumption that we would have an adequate supply of 13mm/14G tek screws and 50 x 50 x 3mm equal angle. Using these materials and the tools we will have on-site, we were required to re-engineer their use to make a number of furniture elements which we could construct upon completion of the build. Considerations needed to be given to their constructability in the time available, in addition to ensuring they would be very robust. The pieces we were to propose were as follows:

After careful consideration of the materials available, we independently sketched up a number of designs, before collaboratively discussing our ideas. The general consensus to each of our efforts was that complex geometries were less suitable for the tasks based on the fixing methods available, and so joints would generally be made at right angles. Despite this constraint, there was still a lot of freedom with adjusting the heights of different elements of furniture as well as the possibility of layering elements and producing modular solutions that could be adapted to a multitude of situations. We chose furniture designs to further develop based on a number of guidelines: - They would be safe once constructed (ie. there would be as few exposed purlin ends as possible to ensure there would be no sharp edges). - There would be components suited specifically to children in addition to components specifically to adults. - The furniture would not be exclusive, to avoid create a division of what had considered to be a communal space.

- A fixed, L-shaped seat/bench. - A moveable seat/bench. Despite being moveable, it was advised that it be quite sturdy and heavy to discourage theft. - A screen to fit between the posts. It was advised that the screen need not be higher than 1000mm, as it would generally be used to block wind to allow sleeping on the ground. Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

L-shaped units We generally worked on providing a multitude of surfaces here as we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t completely sure what their uses would be. This allowed each piece to remain versatile in use, and easily adaptable, as well as making the surfaces more accessible for smaller children.

40 The first image shows an initial prototype, while the second image shows a slightly more refined form. Based on the materials provided, strength is fairly easy to ensure so were able to create a cantilever, leaving enough space for chairs of other furniture to be brought in beneath it. Additionally, the end is now covered with wood, to avoid exposing any sharp edges of the purlin.

Another consideration was making an L-shaped by creating to independent pieces. The bottom image shows an example of this while not technically an L-shape, it can be made into one by moving an additional unfixed piece beneath it, creating surfaces on two levels.

Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

Moveable seat/benches These units were not constrained to the main structure, which also meant that they had to be completely self supporting. At first, we experimented with a few ways of provided clean joints for regular square benches, as shown in the first two images. They are incredibly simple, but it would be hard to argue that they do not effectively fulfil their purpose. 41

The height of these benches was a consideration, as we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sure if we should be catering for sitting or standing height, and how high it would need to be to allow smaller children to use them. These considerations led to the third idea for a bench.

The third bench is still a simple rectangle, but the purlin flange has been partially cut to allow for a depressed ending without having to change the structure. Tee shape is still simple and effective, but it now allows more versatile and more accessible surfaces.

Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Screens Given that the screen was to essentially be a flat plane to block wind and sunlight, we were very cautious of creating something that would catch a lot of wind. For this reason, we were at first hesitant to create something freestanding.

What we came up with was a combination of a bench and a screen - to swap between functions bench and screen, you only need to tip the piece over to one side, providing a sturdy face and an open top. The only issue here is ensuring there is adequate support on each side when used as a bench. To unsure it is safe, it may need an additional panel on the open side, or a single centralised panel. Each of these close of the unit though, making it isolate the person sitting inside when used as a screen. Further consideration would be required to find a more appropriate solution.

Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

Lastly, we proposed a piece that fulfils the role of all three pieces. The L-shaped unit features a movable â&#x20AC;&#x153;tableâ&#x20AC;?, in addition to a sturdy backing that doubles as a backrest and a screen to prevent wind and sunlight. We found this solution to be quite elegant as it effectively carried out each of the three functions, while being fairly conservative with the space under the shade structure. This was a great advantage, as it allows for more room for other furniture, as well as being the most versatile furniture in the lease amount of space.

Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Each piece had its own advantages and disadvantages, but we would not truly be able to decide on the most appropriate pieces without consultation for the community which the furniture is being provided for - while we can advise on the benefits on what we have provided, we ultimately need to consider what the community wants and needs, and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t categorically state we have made each of these considerations until we have actually spoken with the community. This assignment was a great exercise that allowed us to work with at greater level of detail than that of the previous two assignments. It was also beneficial from an academic perspective, as it further introduced us to the needs and considerations of the community we would be working with. Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

ESQUISSE 4 - INSTRUCTIONS FOR SMALLER PROJECTS Group members: Brendan Josey, Kathleen Kopietz, Luke Madden, Amelia Ware

As we had now familiarised ourselves with the structure and investigated the advantages and disadvantages of different types of instructions, it became apparent that hands-on construction experience was the next area which needed work. This was mostly to be covered at Cresiwck during the practice build, but to enable an efficient construction process, we were given a brief tutorial on certain skills beforehand. These skills were the bulk of the fourth esquisse - the assembly of a small cubby house, and the deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction of a mass of connected purlins. The assembly of the cubby house was done first, in an attempt to foster creative outcomes for a structure which could be assembled by younger participants with no tools. The cubby came in a “kit” which used its own external partitions as the container for smaller parts. Due to the hinges used to hold the kit in place, there was already an intuitive setup which everyone seemed to independently choose to follow - a four walled “house” with a gable roof. Despite. This was not necessarily a bad thing, however, as the cubby still offered a large amount of surface area which could be decorated, which did not have such an immediately obvious setup. Overall, the practice was a good warm-up to the next exercise - the deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction of a mass of connected purlins.

Top right: the assembled cubby. Centre right: the assembled cubby. Below: discussing the outcome of the cubby.

Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

The object consisted of nine purlins of varied sizes, connected in by tek screws. The joints were inconsistent - there was no standard number of tek screw for each joint, nor were the tek screws all of the same size - and so it was important to make note of each component to ensure the reconstruction would be identical. We a rough estimate at the most efficient way to deconstruct the structure, but made a careful effort to chronicle each piece. The reconstruction was essentially the opposite of the 46 deconstruction, as we found our choice of operations to be in the correct order. Firstly, we ensured the materials were set out in a logical way, with each of the screws required being checked too. Secondly, we begun connecting the two main lengths that ran along the bottom of the structure to the smaller vertical lengths at either side. Following this, we flipped the pieces over so we could more easily connect the next lengths to the other end of the shorter pieces. After those pieces were connected, the structure was once again flipped to allow the final element to be fixed in place, spanning the length between the centres of the initial longer pieces. The documentation of the reconstruction process became the backbone of the fourth esquisse - we were to design a set of instructions to instruct this process, with a specific audience to be considered when creating these instructions. Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

Above: elements to be constructed. Right: construction process

The instructions followed the same process, with a few considerations based on previous esquisses. We also included safety instructions and inventory showing the tools required. In order to ensure the instructions were accessible to the target 47 audience, the following main qualities were included: - clear pictographic images - coloured elements that correspond to the inventory - low text reliance - callouts and annotations for more specific actions We found the clearest way to arrange this information was on a large poster, rather than a booklet, as it was easier to refer to move between steps and the additional information. The sequencing was therefore more important, and so we needed to ensure the steps flowed intuitively. Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Bower Studio Journal

In terms of learning from this esquisse, the practical experience and brief instruction on how to use the power tools was the most beneficial, even if it was brief. Many of us had very little experience with power tools, or had not used them in some time, and so were not particularly confident in their usage. Less so, but still a welcome benefit, was the practice composing instructions. While we had previously analysed and suggested improvements to instructions, this was the first in-depth application of applying suck skills. This was quite an important esquisse as it relates specifically to the presentation of information in the HomesPLUS catalogue, in addition to preparing us for the Creswick preparation build and the actual project at Titjikala.

Figure 9: Esquisse 4: Outdoor bench assembly instructions. Bower Studio Journal

Esquisses

Creswick Intensive

OVERVIEW

The Creswick Intensive took place at the Melbourne School of Land and Environment, located the Creswick campus of the University of Melbourne, from the 13th until the 15th of April. Prior to this, we had very little construction experience, and we were no tasked with building of the pavilion to be constructed in Titjikala. Familiarising ourselves with the project and the construction method was our main goal, but we also used our time in Creswick to complete a number of other tasks. Once at Creswick, we met James Neil - a builder who has experience working with Bower Studios, and would also be accompanying us to Titjikala. In addition to James, we got to know Matt Breen, a student who had taken part in a previous iteration of Bower Studio, and has now returned in a teaching capacity. We had met Matt previously in class, but had very little time to get to know him, or work with him. Getting to know both James and Matt was important, as having a team that knows and works well with each other would be crucial to the success of the project at Titjikala. The whole weekend could be thought of as a team building exercise - whatever time we did not spend on construction was spent casually socialising with each other, whether it be kicking the football, playing pool and darts, or having a drink at the pub. All in all, it was safe to say we all knew each other better at the completion of this weekend, and were eager to work together once again in Titjikala.

Part of learning the construction process involved familiarising ourselves with the equipment we would be using in Titjikala. We were already confidently competent with the power drills, but other equipment such as the cut off saw, for cutting the purlins to size, as well as the angle grinder, to ensure the pieces were safe to handle and did not leave any unsafe edges. Like the equipment, certain process were also relatively new to us such as ensuring the structure is level and square, in addition to mixing and pouring the cement to keep it that way. Similarly, 51 we needed to familiarise ourselves with the sort of techniques and processes we would be using to create additional furniture at the completion of the project. This was done by creating a number of screen from minimal materials, an exercise in both creative and functional design, which would later be a task at Titjikala. Lastly, it also provided us with a good chance to talk about our impending trip to Titjikala. We were given the opportunity to discuss a wide variety of logistical issues with David, Matt and James about what we would need to do to prepare ourselves, how we would ensure the local community would take ownership of the project, and everything in between. It was an enlightening experience to be able to discuss such matters, and gave us direction at the culmination of our time at Creswick.

Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

CONSTRUCTION TASK - DAY 1 Our task at Creswick was to prepare us for the project at Titjikala - what better way to do this than building a replica. We arrived at Creswick early Sunday morning, and began work soon after. First, we needed to mark locations on lengths of the c-section purlins to attach equal angle to. The first part was simple, as specificity in measurements is something were quite familiar with as architecture students, but we encountered problems when attempting to fasten the materials together using tek screws - their heads would consistently snap off. 52 Without any other tek screws available, we had no choice but to re-use tek screws form a previous build.

Marking out tek screw locations. Creswick Intensive

Bower Studio Journal

Once the equal angle was connected correctly, we split into two groups - one group would begin digging holes for the concrete footings, while another group prepared the â&#x20AC;&#x153;staplesâ&#x20AC;? which we would be putting into them. The posts were connected at the top, resembling staples, to reduce the amount of work required to get everything in place when pouring the footings, and worked quite well. While these staples were being connected (once again, using old tek screws), we carefully measured the locations at which the footings would need to be dug out. Rather than setting up string line, we opted to construct a timber frame which would fill the same role, but also allow us to push the posts up against it to ensure a clean and tight fit.

Constructing the timber frame.

Once the had been dug and the staples connected, we slowly carried them over to the footings, put up temporary braces to hold them in place, and got to work with mixing the concrete and filling the footings. After a brief tutorial on mixing concrete (forever imprinting the mix of 3 parts sand, 2 parts gravel and 1 part cement in our minds), we delegated roles amongst

ourselves so that a consistent mixture of concrete was routinely delivered to each of the four footings, where it could be mixed with water and set in place. After a small amount of cleaning (making sure we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t set any concrete on any of the visible parts of the structure), we called it a day and left the footings to cure overnight.

Propping up the first staple.

Progress at the end of the first day. Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

CONSTRUCTION TASK - DAY 2 The following day we got back to work by first getting the all clear from James that the concrete was adequately cured and them removing the temporary bracing, leaving our staples as free standing units. At this point, we began preparations to begin fixing the main horizontal rafters to the structure. The entailed a number of tasks, which began with a tutorial on using the cut off saw and angle grinder, where each student was able to safely use them under the supervisions of. In doing this, we began cutting the purlins to size which would form the main horizontal rafters, as well as the small sections used for 54 the secondary roof. Following this, we once again split into two groups - the first

Constructing the scaffolding. Creswick Intensive

Bower Studio Journal

began fixing the rafters for the main roof and the secondary roof together, while the second group began preparing scaffolding to allow the rafters to safely be attached at the top of the staples. The first task was relatively simple, but time consuming, as it was essentially more of the same work done attaching tek screws on the previous day. The second was also relatively simple - attach excess purlins to the staples at a height specifically worked out to be in accordance to what was prescribed by the limitations of our white card qualifications, which then had a second layer of purlins attached top them, running perpendicular to the first layer. Once this second layer of purlins was in place, we placed form ply on top, giving us a platform to work on.

Attaching the first rafter.

Each of these tasks were completed quite quickly, which allowed us to begin moving the rafters in place, and lifting them onto the scaffolding so they could then be put in place and attached to the staples. This was a relatively straight forward tasks, made easy by the whole team working together. What followed was also quite simple in theory, but very labour intensive - strengthening the connection of the rafters to the staples by drilling through both layers (approximately 7mm together) with slightly blunted tek screws. In addition to occasionally breaking, we required two people to be applying force on the drill at any given time in order to actually penetrate the thick posts. At this point, we had no choice but to keep brute forcing our way through.

Attaching the roof purlins.

Many tek screws later, we had the makings of a roof which was ready for the final set of purlins to be attached. This proved to be easy enough, with the help and motivation of all involved, with the only difficulty being ensuring that they were spaced and aligned correctly. This was done by consecutively attaching the purlins and consistently measuring their spacing, in addition to getting visual assistance from people on the ground who could accurately check to see if everything had been aligned - what proved to be an effective but slow process. It proved successful, however, and even gave us time to begin fixing the sheets of the secondary roof in place. This was the last task to be carried out for the day, as the sun had begun to set, leaving us with poor visibility.

The second group working on the screen. Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

CONSTRUCTION TASK - DAY 3 The final day was also the shortest - all that was left to do for the construction of the pavilion was to fix the remained of the roof sheeting in place, and remove the temporary scaffolding we had constructed. Despite this, it was also the task which required the most coordination as we had decided to pre-drill the holes in the roof sheeting. This was an issue, as when we went to measure the distance between the purlins, we found it to be inconsistent in the vicinity of 10mm from either size of the structure, with the final purlin was 40mm further out than the end of the roof 56 sheeting (this was because we were using z-purlins for the roof, which will not be the case in Titjikala). Given the purlins were 70mm in depth, 10mm was within an acceptable margin of error, but the final purlin was too far out. While inconvenient, the only solution was to bring the purlin back up by moving the equal angle it was attached to. After a careful re-positioning, the final purlin was in place, and the roof sheeting was ready to be fixed down. The pre-drilling proved to be very helpful - it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t cost any extra time, and it made the process of positioning them significantly easier. The actual process followed was quite simple - we placed the first roof sheet down and fixed the end corner in place, and then we put the second piece in place and fixed it down at the point of the overlap. By doing this, we were able to quickly move each piece into place, and give ourselves more space to fix the remaining connections. Once finished, our final task was to remove the temporary scaffolding from the structure, leaving a completed, free standing pavilion. Creswick Intensive

Bower Studio Journal

Passing the roof sheeting up to the roof.

As far as practical learning goes, this task could not have been more useful. Having completed this, we were now equipped with a moderate amount of experience and expertise, and we also felt confident and motivated to pass our new skills on to the community at Titjikala. In the context of the HomesPLUS program, we were now ready to provide outside help to give the community a hand up in their construction. Right: the completed structure.

Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

SCREEN DEVELOPMENT AND ASSEMBLY In Titjikala, we will be using any materials that remain once the main structure is complete to create furniture to suit the needs of the users of the pavilion. This task will require a creative and adaptable approach, as we will not know the quantity or quality of these resources in advance, nor will we know the time we have to design and construct them, or even what they will be until we have spoken to the potential users. As a practice exercise, we were given a large bundle of bamboo and some rope, and told to create a screen to be used with the pavilion. 58 After discussion amongst ourselves, we decide that due to the vast quantity of materials we had, we would create two screens. Their design was discussed at the beginning, but open to changes throughout their construction. Their actual fabrication followed a similar philosophy - no one was scheduled to work on it at anytime, but left for people to take their own initiative in constructing (and making alterations to) while not working on the main project. As a result, the screens were truly a collaborative work, and were completed at approximately the same time as the main pavilion - allowing for their immediate installation. The first screen was quite simple - we drilled holes through the bamboo at either ended and threaded the rope through them. We took great care to ensure the holes lines up on each piece of bamboo so the rope would essentially be hidden within the bamboo. In addition to this, we trimmed the ends off any longer pieces of bamboo using a drop saw, and threaded the rope down their lengths to create spacings in the bamboo, while still Creswick Intensive

Bower Studio Journal

hiding the rope. The result closely mirrored what we had initially imagined - a relatively light weight screen was rigid in only one direction, allowing it to be rolled up when not in use. The rope also meant that it could be hung from the rafters of the pavilion and tied down at the bottom, allowing for easy removal when not in use. The relatively dense nature of this screen meant that it could act as a wind break and as a shade relatively well. As a visual barrier it partially effective - the slots did allow for vision through the screen from up close, but only a narrow field of view was available. The second screen took a very different approach - rods of bamboo were crossed over at arbitrary angles and then tied together with a thin, stretchy, porous material. This was done at a number of points to create a lattice of bamboo that would span the entire distance between two posts of the pavilion, with it being fixed into timber formwork to hold it up straight. In addition, a mesh-like fabric was used to cover a number of the triangles created by the bamboo rods, which was then fixed in place with thick thread. The result was quite interesting - it obscured vision quite well from a distance, but allowed vision through the screen (including the mesh) from up close quite clearly. Unlike the first screen, however, it did not act effectively as a windbreak or as a shade (aside from the mesh covered areas) due to the relatively sparse coverage of the bamboo. While this screen was less mobile, due to the weight and rigidity of the timber, it was certainly more robust - once it was tied to the pavilion posts, there was very little movement possible.

Left: hanging the first screen. Right: permeability of the first screen.

Left: the completed second screen. Right: close up if the semi-enclosed sections of the second screen.

Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

PLANNING FOR TITJIKALA

During our time at Creswick, we intermittently discussed a number of issues we were faced with in preparing for our trip to Titjikala. Planning was required for our own personal needs (tents, food, bathroom situation, etc.), which was to be taken care of by the students as a group, and also for the actual 60 project. In terms of the project, there were a number of issues which needed to be resolved: - Transport of equipment - while we are largely reliant on the ability of the community to provide certain equipment (such as cut off saws), we would be taking our own power drills, batteries, drill bits and equipment to document the project. To do this, we decided to split the gear up and distribute amongst ourselves. We also had to be careful about where certain equipment was stored (power drills could not be in carry on luggage, while batteries were required to be). - Contact with the community - this was a task which had been delegated to specific people, for the most part, but the rest of the group acted to ensure the information we sent and the way it was presented was appropriate. At Creswick, we finalised

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this information, and ended up sending it as a letter later in the week. - Drill bits - to make construction a smoother process, we were required to have our own 3/8â&#x20AC;? and 5/16â&#x20AC;? hex head drivers. Once again, as a matter of simplicity, a single student was delegated to arrange the drill bits, and distribute them to the others. Personal needs also required coordination, but were of less importance to the greater purpose of the project. As such, a list was made showing everything that would need to be taken, which each student would be in charge of procuring for themselves. In terms of food, we brainstormed what would be easy to store and prepare, but was largely dependent on what was available in Alice Springs. Between Creswick and Titjikala, we met once more to ensure that everything was prepared, and more important, to make sure we knew exactly what we were doing and how we were going to do it.

Bower Studio Journal

Creswick Intensive

TITJIKALA

The Project at Titjikala

OVERVIEW

The time for the practical component of the subject had now come around - the actual build at Titjikala, a small community approximately 120km south of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. The project was to build two shade structures at separate properties, and then equip them each with furniture based on the needs of the users. The first project location had already been decided - at the house of a woman names Stephanie, who had exterior shading at her property, other than a small tree out the front. Regardless of personal situation, the residents at Stephanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house needed this structure for practical reasons. The second project was yet to be decided, being left to the Bower student group to decide the best place for it.

The overall build took place from the 27th of April until the 7th of May. 12 student took part in the project in addition David Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, the studio leader, James Neil, a registered builder, Matt Breen and Katrina Brizzi, previous Bower Studio participants and James Danazis, the engineer who worked on the structure being built.

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 1, SUNDAY APRIL 27 The project began before actually heading to Titjikala - we needed to prepare for our stay in terms of equipment and supplies. While the student group was taking care of this, a small group went in to Titjikala for the day to meet some of the community at the local church, and to construct a cubby with the children. The cubby was a successful introductory project - it gave Bower group an opportunity to open dialogue with children and adults alike about what we would be doing on the community over the next two weeks.

64 Above: Kat assisting the local kids. Below: local kids customising the cubby.

At the end of the day, when the two separate groups met to set up camp at Ewaninga, we discussed how we would first enter Titjikala, in order to ensure our presence was not intrusive. Based on the tasks which would first be completed, it worked out the we would not all be heading to the exact same locations to start with (some would go to Stephanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house to prepare the site, some of us would head off to collect materials, etc.). The first day was overall a success, and gave left us with high hopes about the next day and what it would entail.

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

DAY 2, MONDAY 28 APRIL The second day was the first day the entire group went to Titjikala. Eager to begin, tasks were quickly allocated to small groups so we could efficiently and effectively begin the build at Stephanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. The main tasks were to collect the building materials from the shed on the northern end of town (where we were lucky enough to be offered a large truck to help transport the materials) and to prepare the site by defining the precise location for the structure and constructing the timber formwork used to support the initial erection of the structure. A number of local males of similar ages to the Bower students visited the site in addition to a contractor who worked in the area named Paddy and a community elder named Andrew, who both encouraged the group to work with the Bower students in order to learn from each other. Their words of encouragement were greatly appreciated, but the group remained very quiet and shy about working with us. When continuing work afterwards, a number of them hung around and we were able to speak with a young man named Anthony. Anthony had previous experience in construction, and in all honesty, was probably far more competent than any of the Bower students. This, accompanied with the dull nature of the current tasks (measuring and marking out lengths of steel) led to him quickly becoming disinterested in helping out. It is unfortunate that a wider variety of tasks were not ready at the time, as it may have been more successful in capturing his interest.

Collective meeting between Bower group and some locals at Stephanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house to explain the structure using a model.

After constructing the staples of the structure on the ground and digging the footings, we were lucky enough to have the help of a few of the locals who had been hanging around previously to lift the staples into place. Once in place, a small group of students went around the community with those locals to survey locations for the potential second pavilion. Thanks to these, we were able to speak with the residents to find out how their outdoor spaces are used in addition to mapping out existing shade structures, trees, house orientation and privacy features. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

Lifting the first staple into place with the help of some locals.

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

Lifting the first staple into place with the help of some locals.

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 3, TUESDAY 29 APRIL

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

As with the previous day, the Bower students were keen to get to work. Unfortunately, construction continued as a Bower group only project, with no one showing interest. There was discussion about how we might get garner more interest in the project, but ultimately it was decided that it would be inappropriate and invasive to knock on any doors to find interest, as it appeared as if our presence was already intimidating and abrasive for the locals. At this point, we could only talk to Stephanie and ask her to encourage involvement amongst her family, and wait for anyone approach us. It was also mentioned that completing the first pavilion to display the finished product may generate some interest. With that in mind, the actual structure progressed quite well, with all elements except the roof sheeting now in place. The footings were also finished this day, after running out of cement on the first day, meaning we could finally cover the footing holes, making the site somewhat safer for the locals kids who had showed interest in the Bower project and Bower group.

With the pavilion nearing completion, we began to speak with Stephanie about the sort of outdoor furniture she might like for us to build. At this point she was still unsure, but indicate that she wanted a table. While only a small suggestion, we were able to get Stephanie to think about what she might like now that she could start to get a feel for the space we had created. Further work went into finding the location of the second structure, with three locations standing out: the houses of Samuel, Marie and Sandra. There was no clear preference at this point, it needed further discussion as a group. Left: fixing the rafters in place at Stephanieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 4, WEDNESDAY 30 APRIL

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

The fourth day was similar to the third - we continued construction of the pavilion at Stephanie’s house without so much as a peak from the community. At this point it was clear that our presence was intimidating to the community, even while working in small groups of four to try to avoid overcrowding the area. We did, however, manage to make friends with a few of the local kids, with Sharaya and Leanne in particular showing interest. It soon became clear that they had a lot more energy than we did, and we quickly tired out from kicking the football around with them. They were lovely kids who showed a genuine interest in the project (wanting to climb on it, help with the lifting, etc.), and so it was unfortunate that they were too young to be able to safely help out. Despite this, we continue work, and were ultimately successful in completing the first pavilion. Now that it was completed, all that was left to do was to finish consulting with Stephanie about the furniture for her outdoor living space, and to finally determine the location of the second pavilion. It was ultimately decided (after a lengthy campfire discussion) that

Samuel’s house would be the most appropriate, after hearing recommendations from locals the Samuel was having a hard time caring for his grandchildren in addition to the fact that it had the least shading of any of the other houses. Unfortunately, we had not yet cleared it with Samuel, and so it would be dependent on this fact. We also discussed how we could encourage more community involvement, and it once again came down to the fact that we were intimidating as a large group. Based on this fact, we decided to park away from the majority of the hosing areas and avoid accumulating as a large group. Additionally, we discussed what else we could have done differently, how the locals had instead chosen to spend their time, what it would take to convince people to join in and how we might find tasks appropriate for both the men and women of the community. Unfortunately, each of these questions required a response from the locals in mind in order to find an informed solution, and so these issues remained only as consideration until that could happen.

Left: completion of the main structure at Stephanie’s house. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 5, THURSDAY 01 APRIL With time running out before we headed back to Alice Springs to restock on supplies and building equipment, we were in a bit of a pinch with deciding on the location for the second pavilion. Samuel’s house was out first priority as it had no trees and the only external shading was at the back of the property, but he had unfortunately had gone into Alice Springs for the day and could not be contacted, as we could not delay commencement any longer. Ultimately, it was decided that Marie’s house would be the second location as Sandra’s house quite literally had no room for it, and Marie needed the shade more due to a lack of trees of external shading on her property.

Once Marie had been spoken with to see where she wanted it, we got to work on constructing the timber formwork, digging the footings for the second pavilion and bringing over materials. A small group of people also went to see Stephanie to discuss the final designs for her furniture so we could purchase the materials when back in Alice Springs, and it was decided that she wanted a fixed low bench, and fixed table, a round table and a low wind screen - all painted in Hawthorn colours. Additionally, she expressed interest in having some plants included in the outdoor living area. Additionally, early in the day, a small group of students left for Alice Springs early in the morning to conduct research on materials and material prices at Bunnings. Together, this research allowed us to choose realistic materials and furniture designs within our budget. Bower students discuss furniture preferences with Stephanie. The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

TIME AWAY FORM TITJIKALA, 02 APRIL - 04 APRIL

Our time away from Titjikala was divided - we went to see Ormiston Gorge and Ellery Creek, part of the West MacDonnell Ranges, but we also prepared for our second and final stint at Titjikala. This was broken up into two main tasks: - Finalising and purchasing additional materials for furniture 74 creation for both Stephanie and Marie. - Researching and considering our final projects. For my own final project, my first step was to read through the HomesPLUS catalogue in an attempt more accurately understand a little bit more about it. While it is indeed an interesting prospect, it is beyond the scope of my interests. My first interest was in why the community involvement at Titjikala had not yet been so successful, when previous Bower projects had not run into such a problem. It was stated by David that Titjikala had been the most “difficult” community to work with,

and would probably not conduct another project her, but did not explain why. At this point, it seemed important to research the previous projects and how the were carried out, considering the difference in demographics, people, process, scale of project, and perhaps most importantly, previous projects in the area - Titjikala had received a number of government funded projects in the past and had more to come in the future, which had led to a sense of expectancy, as evidenced by the little communication we had conducted with the locals” they would only ever ask when and where the next pavilion would be. While looking into this issues would be a good start to my researching, there was no obvious architectural response. It would be crucial in the coming days to find a way to speak to the locals about what they wanted and needed in order to propose a realistic project.

Opposite top left: Bower student group at Ormiston Gorge lookout. Opposite top right: Ormiston Gorge. Opposite bottom left: Ellery Creek Big Hole. Opposite bottom right: view from the cliffs at Ellery Creek Big Hole. The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 6, MONDAY 05 MAY

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

After our break, we went straight back into work at Titjikala, as we had a lot do to in a very short amount of time - only two and a half days construct a second pavilion as well as fit out both with customised furniture. We spoke about it beforehand in order to ensure we were organised, and it was decided to split up into autonomous groups, two working on Marie’s pavilion at separate locations and one working on Stephanie’s furniture. Marie’s pavilion went up quickly - in the first day, we finished digging footings, prefabricated and erected the staples, set up scaffolding, prefabrication and connection of the rafter Y-sections and setting the concrete footings. Unfortunately, the completion of Stephanie’s pavilion did little to encourage involvement from the community.

Stephanie’s furniture was more successful in terms of community involvement, with a man named Syddie Jacko lending a hand. The furniture team also fabricated additional components to be used at Marie’s but were not able to start assembly as Marie was not around for consulting. This was important, as we would not have much time in the following days to work on her furniture. Once again, the local kids showed an interest in the Bower student group (but not the pavilions), with Sharaya and Leanne bringing Leoma along to play. We couldn’t discuss any project matters with them, but playing with them left a smile on all of our faces, and please them too. Left: Leoma, Shinae, Sharaya, Luke and Leanne. Top right: Syddie and Mark constructing the fixed low bench. Bottom right: Syddie and Sam painting the wood. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 7, TUESDAY 06 MAY

On our second last day, we worked hard to ensure that we would finish everything in time. The main furniture at Stephanie’s house was completed, thanks to some more help From Syddie - the fixed low bench was constructed and painted, the fixed high table was constructed and painted, and plants had been planted and given reinforcement to climb up, 78 and the posts were painted in Hawthorn colours. Only a few things remained - the round table, the fixed low screen and some smaller moveable seats for children to sit on. Work at Marie’s was also successful - the main structure was completed and the furniture was well underway to being completed. Earlier in the day, we had taken Marie over to Stephanie’s house to show her what we could potentially create, and she decided that she would like an identical low bench, and a larger table for her and her friends to do their craft work on, with the main requirement being that it must be moveable. We also decided to creative some decorative

wind chimes, after she was impressed by the ones created for Stephanie. By the end of the day, the fixed low bench needed only to have the timber attached to it and a second coat of stainer, and the moveable table was ready for assembly. We also had some plants ready for Marie, but they would be planted the following day. At lunch time, we made a quick stop at the arts centre to see some of the local craft. The pieces seemed to be somewhat inflated by the fact that they were all created by local artists, but this was not an issue given that approximately 60% of the sales went directly to the artist, with the remainder going towards running the arts centre. The lack of community involvement up until this point made it difficult to conduct research to inform our final projects. At this point, it would be nice to be able to consult with the locals on the final day, but unlikely given the level of engagement so far.

Right: painting and finishing touches for the furniture, with the help of Stephanie and her family. The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

DAY 8, WEDNESDAY 07 MAY

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

We approached the final day with a plan for each person in order to ensure a timely and high quality finish, which proved successful. At Stephanie’s house, Syddie was back to help with the small seating for children, and the round table and low screen were both completed. At Marie’s, the fixed low bench, moveable low table, wind chimes and plants were also finished. To celebrate, we held a sausage sizzle at Marie’s house which was open to anyone who wanted to join us. A few people showed interest, most notable Marie and her nieghbours. We were happy they had finally decided to come over, but it appeared that comfort around us was still an issue, as they mostly spoke their own native language, preventing us from joining their conversation. Despite this, the smiles on their faces and use of the furniture proved to us that they were appreciative, and we could see that what we had created would be of use by a large number of people.

It was a similar story at Stephanie’s house, when we visited for one final time - Stephanie and her daughter were already using the furniture, as was her mother, Norah. We didn’t stay long as we were concerned with making them feel uncomfortable, but as we left, they made a point of thanking us, which was a very satisfying end to our time in Titjikala. Now that we were finished, we headed back to Alice Springs for the night, before heading back to Melbourne the following day. The entire experience was entirely rewarding, and it seemed to be a unanimous opinion that even without community involvement, we had made a positive impact on the community, and that out project was ultimately a success. Left: Syddie and Amelia making seats for kids from old wheels. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

Stephanie and her family with Bower students at her finished pavilion.

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

Marie and her friends with Bower students at her finished pavilion.

Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

EVALUATION OF PROJECT As the project had a number of goals, success could be measured in a number of ways:

completion implied that we had indeed met the needs of the user, ensuring the build was a success in terms of suitability.

- Completion of the build - projects at both Stephanie’s and Marie’s houses were both completed, in addition to designing and constructing customised furniture for each, as we had aimed. Therefore, this aspect was a resounding success.

- Engagement with the community - from the beginning of the project, community engagement was quite difficult to encourage. After a small amount of initial interest in the project, it seemed that the majority of the community was intimated by our presence. Brief communication with a local named Anthony seemed to confirm another of our suspicions - that many of the young males we had been hoping to involve in the project were significantly more experienced in construction than any of us, leading them to quickly lose interest in participating. Despite our efforts to be less imposing, this trend continued for the duration of the project, with the exception of Syddie Jacko, who helped out at Stephanie’s house on three consecutive days. Based on this outcome, engaging with the broader community was a failed initiative.

- Suitability of the build - this was a much harder aspect to evaluate, as their were elements which could only be considered subjectively. However, based on consultations with Stephanie and Marie, we were confident that the location of the pavilions suited their needs while also being responsive to the 84 climate. Choosing both Stephanie and Marie as recipients of the pavilion was based on their need for outdoor shading, thus ensuring suitability of the structure. Lastly, seeing the usage of each outdoor living space by the intended user groups upon

The Project at Titjikala

Bower Studio Journal

Based on the three main aspects quantified previously, the overall project could be considered a success - even without engaging the community on the physical aspect of the build, they demonstrated their appreciation of what we had done, which further clarified their need for the project in the first place. Ultimately, the members of the community who had taken the initiative to interact with us benefited the most from the work done in Titjikala, making the project successful on a localised scale, at the very least. Bower Studio Journal

The Project at Titjikala

Individual Project Research

INTERESTS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH

Based on observations and experiences in Titjikala, it became apparent that long term health and lifestyle issues were incredibly common, especially in older adults. As previously noted, this is an area of interest for me and so it made sense to research this further. As it stood, it was clear that issues existed. Proposing an architectural response to improve these issues was far more difficult, however, and my understanding of the problems causing such issues was still quite weak. Further research would be required. Specifically, I was interested in looking further into issues of physical wellbeing, lifestyle diseases and substance abuse (the number of empty beer bottles and cans around Titjikala was astounding, especially given it is a dry community and that they had previously won recognition for being the tidiest town in the Northern Territory).1 These issues cover a broad spectrum, and so it was clear that I would most likely either providing a general solution to each issue, or a focused solution just a single issue, but further research would be the deciding factor to help choose which it would be.

Liston, G. (2013, October 12). Titjikala cleans up at Tidy Town Awards. ABC News. Retrieved from http://www.abc. net.au/news/2013-10-21/titjikala-cleans-up-at-tidy-townawards/5035936, June 1, 2014. 1

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FURTHER RESEARCH - FROM HUNTING TO DRINKING: THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON AN AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY A previous consideration of this book looked into the drastic underrepresentation of Indigenous people in political, social and economic discussion in Australia. As broad categories, they are considerations for nearly every issue faced by Indigenous Australians - including the health issues seen in Titjikala.

Ever since the colonisation of Australia, Indigenous folk have been treated poorly by the emigrating Europeans, with attempts to reconcile issues only really seeing improvements in recent years - it is not only understandable that social issues exist in Indigenous culture, it would be very surprising if they weren’t. It is no surprise that depression and anxiety are so rampant in Indigenous communities, and it is no surprise that some people have turned to alcohol and drugs. 88 With the infrastructure present in small communities like Titjikala it is no surprise that people have entirely sedentary lifestyles - there is very little to do, and very little encouragement for employment. There are no facilities for entertainment (aside from the football oval, which caters only to the demographic of young men, based on observations and conversation with residents in Titjikala). The sheer lack of activity combined with the social and economic woes of Indigenous people are a potent catalyst for substance abuse. A single proposal for some kind of activity, entertainment or health service is unlikely to undo these issues, but it is a step in the right direction - without make that first change from the outside, it is unlikely that any improvement will be seen. Individual Project Research

Bower Studio Journal

Kat kicking the football with local kids. The kids remain active at young ages, but seemingly grow out of “playing” and end up becoming more sedentary with age.

McKnight, D. (2002). From Hunting to Drinking: The devastating effects of alcohol on an Australian Aboriginal community. London, England: Routledge.

FURTHER RESEARCH - ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HANDBOOK: A PRACTICAL MANUAL FOR REMOTE COMMUNITIES

As previously mentioned, there exists a vague division of health issues experienced by Indigenous communities based on age: - Infectious diseases - generally afflicting children as a result of environmental conditions. - Social issues (such as addiction and mental wellbeing) generally afflicting older children and young adults. - Lifestyle diseases - generally afflicting older adults, ultimately as the result of colonisation. While all health issues should ultimately be addressed by a medical professional to some degree, social issues and lifestyle diseases require less immediate medical attention, but support in the form of long term emotional investments. Issues of addiction, substance abuse and mental wellbeing benefit greatly from emotional support and approaches that gradually push the person in suffering to start taking responsibility for the decisions they make. In Titjikala, it would be difficult to involve emotional support from an architectural perspective, but infrastructure can certainly be provided to allow people to start taking steps to help themselves.

Working on art and craft products. Producing these items is beneficial for the artist and the community, as they are paid for their works. Without anything else to do, however, it results in a sedentary lifestyle.

Harris, G. (Ed.) (2000). Environmental health handbook: a practical manual for remote communities. Darwin, Australia: Menzies School of Health Research.

Lifestyles issues are much the same - as many of them are born from bad habits, those habits must be broken for improvement to be seen. In the context of Titjikala, this means breaking away from a sedentary lifestyle. While these habits may be difficult to break for some of the older residents at this point, proactive measures are still preferable for younger folk at risk or developing these issues. As such, infrastructure to support active lifestyles may be a viable proposal. Bower Studio Journal

Individual Project Research

FURTHER RESEARCH - JOBS AND HOMES, from UP FROM THE MISSION: SELECTED WRITINGS As previously discussed, the tendency to provide for Indigenous communities has instilled a dependency and expectancy in many aboriginal communities.

This tendency was observed in Titjikala on multiple occasions. While standing at the first structure (at Stephanie’s house), an older man approached two people in the Bower group asking who would get “the next one”. At this point, construction at Marie’s house had already begun, meaning that there would be no more provided. When asked how much he would pay for one, he simply looked around and walked away, without saying a word, obviously surprised at notion that he would need to procure the funds himself. Furthermore, when surveying houses to find out about shade locations, areas of high usage and occupancy of each houses, 90 the response from every occupant when asked “what areas of your property do you use most” was to start telling the students where they should put the next Big Shady. There was no asking for clarification, only an assumption that they would be getting one, when asked a completely different question. As such, any proposals for Titjikala must carefully consider this issue in regards to integrating or introducing a design into the community is a positive way. In the context of addressing the issues of a sedentary lifestyle, this is a difficult task as care some degree of instruction, education and coercion is required to convince someone to make a lifestyle change, even in a situation where the individual may be aware of their own health issues.. Individual Project Research

Bower Studio Journal

Pearson, N. (2009). Jobs and Homes. In N. Pearson (Eds.), Up from the Mission: Selected Writings (pp. 313-322). Melbourne, Australia: Black Inc.

ISSUES IDENTIFIED BASED ON RESEARCH AND OBSERVATION As previously noted, health issues in Indigenous communities seem to be vaguely broken up into three groups based on ages: - Children - generally suffer from infectious diseases, often due to environmental conditions. - Older children and young adults - generally have issues of social disruption, such as involvement with drugs and alcohol. - Older adults - generally suffer from lifestyle diseases (eg. obesity, diabetes), ultimately caused by colonisation/cultural change. The categories seemed to more or less correlate with the issues faced by members of the Titjikala community, based on observations during my time in Titjikala. The health issues correlating to children and young adults are much harder to quantify based on observation as they either not visually apparent (in the case of infectious diseases in young children, save for minor issues such as colds and runny noses), or hidden away (in the case of social disruption in young adults, although finding evidence of alcohol in and around what was supposed to be a dry community was not difficult by any means).

Issues in older adults, however, are much more noticeable, as the majority of older adults are overweight to some degree with very poor muscle tone. While we were only there for a brief period of time, this is not surprising given the sedentary lifestyles observed - people would often sit and talk or do nothing at all for all hours of the day. Based on the more quantifiable nature of this issues, especially when the difficult of establishing dialogue with the locals is considered, it appears to be a more suitable and realistic issue to address. From a broad perspective, exercise and living an active lifestyle is beneficial to the issues commonly faced by both younger adults and older adults. As such, providing infrastructure to promote active lifestyles would be the most effective solution in terms of assisting the largest number of people for the broadest range of issues with this context. Care must indeed be taken to avoid compromising quality for quantity. Even so, this solution 91 is effective from both a reactive perspective (investing effort to shift from a sedentary lifestyle, improving social issue) and a proactive perspective (making efforts to ensure that people at risk of these issues address them before they become problematic).

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Individual Project Research

FURTHER RESEARCH - HEALTH ISSUES AND RECOMMENDED APPROACHES Many of the lifestyle issues identified to be present in younger and older adults of Indigenous populations are linked, and often lead to one another. Some of the more common ones are as follows: Diabetes One of the most prominent lifestyle changes recommended by Diabetes Australia for people diagnosed with diabetes and people at risk is to adopt a routine which includes regular exercise. By doing so, insulin absorption and effectiveness is increased, along with a myriad of other benefits which assist with the management of diabetes, such as weight control, lowering blood pressure, reducing risk of heart disease, reducing stress, and many more. Figure 10: Diabetes Australia logo.

Obesity Obesity increases the risk of many other lifestyle diseases (and vice-versa) such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and many more. Given that inactivity and eating a caloric excess are two of the most prominent factors leading to obesity, regular exercise is a great way to offset their impact. Better Health Channel recommends (in addition to addressing risk factors) community programs targeting at children as an important approach.

Figure 11: Better Health Channel logo.

Cardiovascular Disease As a proactive measure, regular exercise is one of the key factors in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, along with eating a healthy diet and avoiding smoking, according to the Heart Foundation. The Heart Foundation also acknowledges the link between cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and a number of other lifestyle diseases, making regular exercise an excellent starting point for moving towards a healthy lifestyle. Figure 12: Heart Foundation logo. Individual Project Research

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Anxiety Despite being commonly treated with psychological and medical help, an active lifestyle is also recommended for recovery and ongoing preservation of health. Beyond Blue recommends daily exercise, even just a walk, as it helps to keep ones mind busy in addition to providing an activity that encourages social contact. Is has also been demonstrated that exercise alters levels of chemicals in the brain in a beneficial way and can act as an anti-depressant.

Figure 13: Beyond Blue logo.

Depression Like anxiety, regular physical activity can assist with the management of depression. In the context of Indigenous communities, this approach has advantages over the prescription of medication due to issues of substance abuse. From a chemical perspective, physical activity stimulates certain parts of the brain which lead to feelings of well being. Playing an active role in your own recovery also assists with self-esteem. Substance Abuse and Addiction Exercise is good for the body, but it is also good for the mind. Of particular note is the ability for exercise to increase tolerance stress - one of the many causes for substance abuse (and a great number of other issues affecting Indigenous communities). Research also indicates that an addition tolerance can also be built up through the participation in regular exercise, meaning it is not only a good reactive treatment, but a good proactive treatment.

Figure 14: Australian Drug Foundation logo. Bower Studio Journal

Individual Project Research

PROPOSED SOLUTION TO ISSUE Given that lifestyle diseases are generally the result of long term issues, which often stem from social issues, the most common advice given is a lifestyle change. In the context of Titjikala, the most readily available lifestyle change would be to promote physical activity. In a community such as Titjikala, it appears that there would be little benefit in communicating these benefits to the community (especially given how hard it is to start a casual dialogue), and so instead, it may be better to offer the infrastructure for the community to approach the issues themselves, with healthy lifestyle habits being introduced before these issues become problematic. In doing so, it is intended to give young adults an opportunity to pursue additional hobbies which may be positively influenced by a newfound active lifestyle, and give older adults reason the opportunity break free from a sedentary lifestyle. 94

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To this end, my proposal is to design a variety of exercise equipment which can easily fabricated and installed into products already existing in the HomesPLUS catalogue (with the potential to be adapted to other structures). The aim is to provide encouragement and the facilities needed for community members of all ages to keep a healthy and active lifestyle. In addition to the equipment, I will create simple instructions on how to use this equipment properly and in a variety of ways in an effort to prevent the users becoming bored 95 with the equipment due a narrow view on their use. Furthermore, I will provide basic introductory training plans that demonstrate balanced workouts to ensure they are not only safely using the equipment, but conditioning themselves effectively and evenly. In order to address issues of security and safety (as the usage of this equipment will not be supervised), the equipment will generally be fixed in place (ie. it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be dropped or displaced) and rely on functional primarily on the weight of the individual to provide resistance for a range of functional movements (ie. movements that mimic natural movements, thus providing additional strength for everyday activities). Bower Studio Journal

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Final Project

OVERVIEW

My proposal is a set of exercise equipment which has a variety of uses for each piece, in an effort to provide infrastructure that encourages community members to take the initiative to make a positive change to their own lifestyles. In order for this project to be viable and well spent usage of resources, there are a number of considerations that have been taken into account: - The equipment primarily uses leftover materials from the construction of a basic living shelter and roof (colloquially known as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Big Shady), as featured in the Bower HomesPLUS catalogue. - Additional materials required are readily available from household hardware stores which have been selected with affordability as a key consideration. - The construction methods are all relatively straight forward, with a lower degree of difficulty than a Big Shady. - The equipment is safe for usage by participants of all ages, without removing the potential for more advanced users. - The equipment is fixed, thus removing issues of theft and security. - The equipment is incredibly durable.

Given these considerations, this equipment can be easily assembled and by a very broad user group, keeping in line with the intent to give the greatest number of people possible a chance to benefit from this equipment. This is a topic as I am quite passionate about, having a previous background as being a registered personal trainer. In this time, I dealt with a lof of people of varied levels of fitness, and the most important information I can stress from this experience is that different people respond to different exericses and have different preferences. With that in mind, I made an effort to ensure there is flexibility in use for all the equipment, in an effort to ensure the appeal of use of this equipment is as broad as possible. My proposal caters to the needs of beginners and advanced users, with enough flexibility that users can use the same equipment multiple times in different way to stop users losing focus. I have drawn upon my own experience and expertise in this field to partially inform the research of my design.

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98 INTENDED LOCATION N

50m

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100m |

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LOCATION Choosing a location for this installation relied on the following information: - the intended usage is for the entire community, and therefore must be accessible to all. - to avoid any possibility of favouritism, it must be located in a roughly central area. - the equipment must not be constantly in view, as this may prevent anyone who is self conscious from using it Given these considerations, the location chosen is south of the child care centre and general store, with the creek to the left and the town centre on the right. It is also located very close to the health care centre, in case of the unfortunate situation that medical advice is required. Despite not being in the exact centre of town, it is close the highest concentration of houses, in addition to being not immediately visible form the main road. The orientation of the Big Shady in which the equipment is to be installed is to have the larger roof facing east and the smaller roof facing west. This allows for warmth from the sun in winter (when the sun is low), while also shading from the hot summer sun for the greatest amount of time possible.

99 S N

The equipment to be installed within does not have any specific requirements for orientation, as they are all designed to be adaptable in their connecting details in addition to all being designed to fit on one side of a square. Figure 15: Map of Titjikala showing intended location of installment.

Figure 16: Intended orientation of Big Shady with proposed equipment. Bower Studio Journal

Final Project

EQUIPMENT Parallel bars

Adjustable hanging grips

The parallel bars are quite literally what the name suggests. They span between two of the support posts of a Big Shady, with additional support at the middle to ensure there is no warping or distortion of the bars, in addition to providing a surface to split the bars in two to allow for different heights, and thus different usage, in addition to catering to the needs of people of a variety of heights.

The adjustable hanging grips hang from the lower rafter and rely on the weight of the user to provide resistance. Due to the loose material and lack of rigidity, they encourage the user to engage a much larger variety of assisting muscles to support the primary agonist of the exercise. This promotes functional strength, thus providing extra benefit for strength in everyday movement.

Figure 17: Parallel Bars.

Figure 18: Adjustable Hanging grips.

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Chin up bar

Plyo boxes

The chin up bar fills a niche that is left open in terms of what they offer. Like the adjustable hanging grips, the chin up bar encourages the usage of assisting muscles, primarily in the lower back and core, during exercise. The lower back and core are two of the most important muscle groups in terms of everyday usage, as they are often associated with postural issues such as lordosis.

The plyo boxes are primarily used for cardiovascular exercise in addition to exercises that focus on the lower half of the body. They also offer the possibility of doing plyometric exercises which are particularly useful for dynamic strength and movements which require sharp bursts of energy. To cater to users of different level of fitness, mobility and height, the plyo boxes have been split into three separate heights.

101

Figure 19: Chin up bar.

Figure 20: Plyo boxes. Bower Studio Journal

Final Project

CONSTRUCTION - PARALLEL BARS

Safety equipment: - safety goggle - safety boots - welding gloves - welding goggles Materials and recommended dimensions: - c-purlin cut @ 645mm x 2 - c-purlin cut @ 1700mm x 2 - steel tubing cut @ 1505mm x 4 - tek screws x 8 - cement 102 Tools: - power drill - hex head driver - hole saw bit - shovel - welding power supply

220

350

1000

1505

Above - Figure 21: Parallel bars recommended dimensions. Right - Figure 22: Parallel bars construction instructions. Final Project

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1. Dig holes ~250mm deep between two posts and place longer c-purlins into the holes, before filling it with a mix of dirt and cement.

2. Fix shorter c-purlins to posts at desired heights.

3. Using a hole saw, cut gaps into the c-purlins at the desired height of the bars.

4. Thread the steel tubing through the holes and weld in place.

103

Note: if a welder is not available, it is also possible to fix the tubing in place by putting a tek screw through any overhang. Bower Studio Journal

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CONSTRUCTION - ADJUSTABLE HANGING GRIPS

Safety equipment: - safety goggle - safety boots Materials and recommended dimensions: - metal chain lengths of 3000mm x 2 - d-shackle x 4 - tek screws x 4 - nylon handle x 2 104 Tools: - power drill - hex head driver - ladder 1295

420

1295

Above - Figure 23: Adjustable hanging grips recommended dimensions. Right - Figure 24: Adjustable hanging grips construction instructions. Final Project

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1. Loop chains over rafter, using a d-shackle at the top to close the loop, and click nylon handle to the bottom of the chain.

2. Fix chain in place by inserting a tek screw on either side of the chain at the top to provide a fixed anchor point to prevent slippage.

105

Note: a second d-shackle can be used to create a loop at the low end of the chain, shortening the effective length. Alternatively, the nylon handle can be clicked onto any link of the chain, but the extra chain will still hang. Bower Studio Journal

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CONSTRUCTION - CHIN UP BAR

Safety equipment: - safety goggle - safety boots

850

Materials and recommended dimensions: - c-purlin cut @ 850mm x 2 - steel tubing cut at 1000mm x 1 - tek screws x 8 2150

Tools: - power drill 106 - hex head driver - hole saw bit - clamps - ladder

1005

1000

1005

Above - Figure 25: Chin up bar recommended dimensions. Right - Figure 26: Chin up bar construction instructions. Final Project

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1. Fix c-purlins in place with a gap of ~1000mm between them.

2. Using a hole saw, cut gaps into the c-purlins at the desired height of the bars.

3. Thread the steel tubing through the holes and weld in place.

107 Note: if a welder is not available, it is also possible to fix the tubing in place by putting a tek screw through any overhang.

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CONSTRUCTION - PLYO BOXES

Safety equipment: - safety goggle - safety boots - earmuffs Materials and recommended dimensions: - c-purlin cut @ 2949mm x 2 - c-purlin cut @ 2449mm x 2 - c-purlin cut @ 1949mm x 2 - 17mm film faced plywood - 1000mm x 1000mm x 2 - 1000mm x 1010mm x 1 - 983mm x 1000mm x 1 - 733mm x 1000mm x 1 - 483mm x 1000mm x 1 108 - tek screws x 72 - cement

1000

250 250 250

Tools: - angle grinder - power drill - hex head driver - shovel

1000

1010

1000

Above - Figure 27: Plyo boxes recommended dimensions. Right - Figure 28: Plyo boxes construction instructions. Final Project

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1. Using an angle grinder, cut v-shapes from the sides of the purlins at equal distances from the centre point on either side.

2. Bend purlins at cut points to make right angles, and use v-shape offcuts as brackets with tek screws to hold the angle in place.

3. Dig holes ~250mm deep for the ends of each of the c-purlins and place into the holes, before filling it with a mix of dirt and cement.

4. Fix plywood onto the tops of the c-purlins, and the ends facing into the centre of the Big Shady.

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HOW TO USE EQUIPMENT

While this equipment has been designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind, the exercises still require some degree of initial instruction before the user can comfortably use them. This presents an issue, as face-to-face instruction is generally the most effective way of ensuring proper technique, as critique can be given on form. To compensate, a number of diagrammatic representations of a few of the exercises possible have been prepared, as shown on the following pages. 110 Additional information accompanies theses images explaining the purposes of each exercise in addition to the muscle group that they target.

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In terms of actually communicating this information, the simplest and most effective way of doing so is to making these image a resource that can be easily accessed at the location of the equipment. In doing so, it ensures that users are never without guidance. The plyo boxes provide a great deal of flat surface area in an easy to reach spot, which can be taken advantage of in this situation by transferring these images to their top surfaces as paper, paint, etc. Damage to the instructions is also a consideration, given the type of contact the plyo boxes will receive, and so a protective layer must also be added to cover the instructions, such as shellac.

Figure 29: Suggested process for transferring instructions to plyo boxes. Bower Studio Journal

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111

EXAMPLES OF EXERCISES USING THE PARALLEL BARS

Biceps

112

INVERTED ROW Prime movers: bicep, trapezius Supporting muscles: erector spinae, gluteus maximus Figure 30: Demonstration of inverted row, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Trapezius

Triceps

113

TRICEP DIP Prime movers: tricep Supporting muscles: trapezius, transverse abdominis Figure 31: Demonstration of tricep dip, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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EXAMPLES OF EXERCISES USING THE ADJUSTABLE HANGING GRIPS

Biceps

114

SINGLE ARM ROW Prime movers: bicep, lattisimus dorsi Supporting muscles: transverse abdominis Figure 32: Demonstration of single arm row, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Lat. dorsi

Quad.

Hamstring Gastroc.

115

CHAIN SQUAT Prime movers: quadricep, hamstring, gastrocnemius Supporting muscles: gluteus maximus, soleus Figure 33: Demonstration of chain squat, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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Pec. major

116

CHAIN PUSHUP Prime movers: pec. major, tricep Supporting muscles: rectus abdominis, anterior deltoid Figure 34: Demonstration of chain pushup, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Triceps

Rectus ab/ transverse ab

117

CHAIN PLANK Prime movers: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis

Note: this is an exercise which contracts isometrically, meaning that there is no movement. The aim is to hold for a specified amount of time, or until the point of failure.

Supporting muscles: erector spinae, trapezius, rhomboid Figure 35: Demonstration of chain plank, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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EXAMPLES OF EXERCISES USING THE CHIN UP BAR

Biceps

118

CHIN UP Prime movers: bicep, trapezius Supporting muscles: lattisimus dorsi, rhomboid Figure 36: Demonstration of chin up, displaying muscles worked.

Trapezius

Bicep

Lat. dorsi

119

WIDE GRIP PULL UP Prime movers: bicep, lattisimus dorsi Supporting muscles: trapezius, rhomboid Figure 37: Demonstration of wide grip pull up, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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Rectus ab/ transverse ab

120

HANGING KNEE RAISE Prime movers: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis Supporting muscles: iliopsoas Figure 38: Demonstration of hanging knee raise, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Rectus ab/ transverse ab

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HANGING LEG RAISE Prime movers: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis Supporting muscles: iliopsoas, quadricep Figure 39: Demonstration of hanging leg raise, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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Wrist flexors

122

ONE ARM HANG Prime movers: wrist flexors Supporting muscles: brachioradialis Figure 40: Demonstration of one arm hang, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Note: this is an exercise which contracts isometrically, meaning that there is no movement. The aim is to hold for a specified amount of time, or until the point of failure.

EXAMPLES OF EXERCISES USING THE PLYO BOXES

Triceps

123

BENCH DIP Prime movers: tricep Supporting muscles: trapezius, anterior deltoid Figure 41: Demonstration of bench dip, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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Quad. Gastroc.

124

DEPTH JUMP Prime movers: rectus abdominis, gastrocnemius Supporting muscles: gluteus maximus, hamstring Figure 42: Demonstration of depth jump, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Quad.

Hamstring

125

BOX JUMP Prime movers: rectus abdominis, hamstring Supporting muscles: gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius Figure 43: Demonstration of box jump, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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Biceps

126

INCLINE PUSHUP Prime movers: pec. major, tricep Supporting muscles: erector spinae Figure 44: Demonstration of incline pushup, displaying muscles worked. Final Project

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Pec. major

Biceps

Pec major.

127

DECLINE PUSHUP Prime movers: pec. major, tricep Supporting muscles: erector spinae Figure 45: Demonstration of decline pushup, displaying muscles worked. Bower Studio Journal

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POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT

While this equipment provides a fairly efficient and effective base for strength based exercise, there is also room for expansion. To allow for potential expansion, plyo boxes have been deliberately left unsealed from the back to accommodate the storage of additional equipment. Potential equipment for procurement: - removeable foam tiling - to make the ground more comfortable for exercises which are close to it, in addition to facilitating additional exercises where ground padding is required. - punching bag - while not a necessary addition, a punching bag could be a good addition as it broadens the appeal of what is offered. It has not been recommended as part of the 128 core exercise equipment as it applicability would be dependent on the community (offering it to a community with frequent violence issues would not be suitable). Additionally, some items can be found second-hand. For example, car tires are useful because they are reasonable heavy and bulky items with a consistent and evenly dispersed mass, making it an ideal object to be used as a weight or for propping up other items. Figure 46: Potential additional equipment. Final Project

Bower Studio Journal

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

This entire studio has been an eye-opening experience. Having previously had very little knowledge or interaction with remote indigenous communities, the results of my research have made me uncomfortable, to say the least. Despite this, learning from the community in Titjikala was still an entirely positive experience - while the majority of people there were incredibly shy, they were still very genuine people once a conversation had been established (especially the children who continued to visit the site - although playing with them took a lot more energy than expected). The results of the proposal have, in my opinion, been very positive - I feel as the equipment I have designed could be implemented easily, economically and effectively, and have a positive effect on the community. Thank you to the Bower staff for making this studio possible, and thank you to the student group for making it a memorable experience. This experience will undoubtedly benefit me in the future, especially if given the chance to undertake similar projects.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES Figure 47: perspective showing equipment usage in localised setting.

130

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Figure 48: perspective showing equipment usage in localised setting.

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Figure 49: perspective showing equipment usage in localised setting.

132

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Figure 50: perspective showing partial integration into a structure with existing equipment.

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Appendices

COST ANALYSIS OF PROPOSAL As previously stated, this equipment has been design with affordability in mind. To keep costs down, simple materials have been used for simple designs, with a preference for materials left over from the construction of a big shady. This cost analysis provides a rough estimation of the total cost. ________________________________________________________ Parallel bars Steel tube, 25mm, 3600mm x 2 @ $35.76

$71.52

Price from Bunnings Warehouse, effective 29.5.14

Adjustable hanging grips Chain x 6m @ $4.08/m D-shackle x 6 @ $3.50 Nylon grip w/snap link x 2 @ $15.00

$24.48 $21.00 $30.00

Price from Bunnings Warehouse, effective 29.5.14 Price from Bunnings Warehouse, effective 29.5.14 Price from Fitness and Sport, effective 29.5.14

Chin up bar Steel tube, 25mm, 1200mm x 1 @ $35.76

$10.89

Price from Bunnings Warehouse, effective 29.5.14

Plyo boxes Film faced form ply, 17mm x 5.199m2 @ $26.00/m2 $135.17 ________________________________________________________

Price from Plyco, effective 1.5.14 135

Leftover materials from construction of Big Shady C200 purlin, 6000mm x 3 NA Tek screws x 92 (+ 8 spare) NA Cement NA ________________________________________________________ TOTAL $293.06 Bower Studio Journal

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CREATING A BALANCED WORKOUT

It is important to aim to complete a balanced workout in order to ensure all parts of the body are conditioned equally. Exercises can be broken down into four general categories: Leg As the name suggests, these exercises focus on the muscles of the legs. Given that legs are continuously in use at all times of the day (walking, running, etc.) it is important that they possess dynamic strength and endurance. Push Push exercises focus on pushing away from the upper body. While such movements are not quite as common in everyday life as leg exercises, being able to push your own bodyweight can assist in simple actions such as lifting yourself off the 136 ground.

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Pull Similarly, pull exercises are not as common in everyday life but are still important. Pull exercises mimic functional movements such as lifting things off the ground, with lifting up children being a notable example. Core Lastly, core exercises do not mimic everyday functional movements in the same way other exercises do, but they do built dynamic stability. This is important as a weak core can lead to poor posture, back pain and a number of other issues which hamper everyday life.

SAMPLE WORKOUTS

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Exercise Sets Reps _____________________________________

Chain squats Bench dip Single arm row Depth jump (low box) Incline pushup (high box) Inverted row (high bar) Two arm hang Chain plank on knees

_____________________________________

Box jump (low box) 3 20 Chain pushup 3 10 Chin up 3 8 Depth jump (medium box) 3 10 Decline pushup (low box) 3 10 Inverted row (low bar) 3 8 Two arm hang 1 t.f.* Hanging knee raise 3 20 Chain plank 2 t.f.* _____________________________________

Box jump (high box) 3 20 Tricep dip 3 8 Wide grip pull up 3 6 Depth jump (high box) 3 15 Decline pushup (high box) 3 15 Chain inverted row 3 8 One arm hang 1 t.f.* Hanging leg raise 3 15 Chain plank 2 t.f* _____________________________________

Leg exercises Push exercises Pull exercises Core exercises

- - - -

3 3 3 3 3 3 1 2

2 2 2 1

10 10 10 10 10 10 t.f.* t.f.*

- - - -

2 2 2 2

- - - -

2 2 2 2

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*t.f. - continue until failure Bower Studio Journal

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LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE

PAGE

Figure 1: Two locals negotiate a thoughtful design for their new home at St. Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village................................................................14 Figure 2: Drawing of a child being washed in a sink.............................................................................................................................14 Figure 3: Photograph of manufacturing stabilised soil bricks in Warrabri, Central Australia................................................................19 Figure 4: Diagram illustrating the customary layout of a small Western Desert group of three households....................................... 23 Figure 5: Design features of houses designed by Build Up Design and constructed in Arnhem Land Outstations........................... 28 Figure 6: Bower HomesPLUS logo........................................................................................................................................................ 31 Figure 7: Aneboda assembly instructions............................................................................................................................................. 32 Figure 8: Gas Barbecue: Assembly Instructions and Operations Manual............................................................................................ 33 Figure 9: Esquisse 4: Outdoor bench assmbly instructions..................................................................................................................48 138 Figure 10: Diabetes Australia logo.........................................................................................................................................................92 Figure 11: Better Health Channel logo.................................................................................................................................................. 92 Figure 12: Heart Foundation logo.......................................................................................................................................................... 92 Figure 13: Beyond Blue logo................................................................................................................................................................. 93 Figure 14: Australian Drug Foundation logo......................................................................................................................................... 93 Appendices

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FIGURE

PAGE

Figure 15: Map of Titjikala...................................................................................................................................................................... 98 Figure 16: Intended orientation of proposed equipment...................................................................................................................... 99 Figure 17: Parallel bars.........................................................................................................................................................................100 Figure 18: Adjustable hanging grips....................................................................................................................................................100 Figure 19: Chin up bar..........................................................................................................................................................................101 Figure 20: Plyo boxes...........................................................................................................................................................................101 Figure 21: Parallel bars recommended dimensions............................................................................................................................102 Figure 22: Parallel bars construction instructions................................................................................................................................103 Figure 23: Adjustable hanging grips recommended dimensions....................................................................................................... 104 Figure 24: Adjustable hanging grips construction instructions...........................................................................................................105 139 Figure 25: Chin up bar recommended dimensions.............................................................................................................................106 Figure 26: Chin up bar construction instructions.................................................................................................................................107 Figure 27: Plyo boxes recommended dimensions..............................................................................................................................108 Figure 28: Plyo boxes construction instructions..................................................................................................................................109 Bower Studio Journal

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FIGURE

PAGE

Figure 29: Suggested process for transferring instructions to plyo boxes......................................................................................... 111 Figure 30: Demonstration of inverted row, displaying muscles worked..............................................................................................112 Figure 31: Demonstration of tricep dip, displaying muscles worked..................................................................................................113 Figure 32: Demonstration of single arm row, displaying muscles worked..........................................................................................114 Figure 33: Demonstration of chain squat, displaying muscles worked...............................................................................................115 Figure 34: Demonstration of chain pushup, displaying muscles worked........................................................................................... 116 Figure 35: Demonstration of chain plank, displaying muscles worked...............................................................................................117 Figure 36: Demonstration of chin up, displaying muscles worked..................................................................................................... 118 Figure 37: Demonstration of wide grip pull up, displaying muscles worked...................................................................................... 119 140 Figure 38: Demonstration of hanging knee raise, displaying muscles worked.................................................................................. 120 Figure 39: Demonstration of hanging leg raise, displaying muscles worked..................................................................................... 121 Figure 40: Demonstration of one arm hang, displaying muscles worked...........................................................................................122 Figure 41: Demonstration of bench dip, displaying muscles worked.................................................................................................123 Figure 42: Demonstration of depth jump, displaying muscles worked...............................................................................................124 Appendices

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FIGURE

PAGE

Figure 43: Demonstration of box jump, displaying muscles worked.................................................................................................. 125 Figure 44: Demonstration of incline pushup, displaying muscles worked..........................................................................................126 Figure 45: Demonstration of decline pushup, displaying muscles worked.........................................................................................127 Figure 46: Potential additional equipment............................................................................................................................................128 Figure 47: Perspective showing equipment usage in a localised setting............................................................................................130 Figure 48: Perspective showing equipment usage in a localised setting............................................................................................131 Figure 49: Perspective showing equipment usage in a localised setting............................................................................................132 Figure 50: Perspective showing partial integration into a structure with existing equipment.............................................................133

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Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, N., Callahan, P., Jorm, A., Morgan, A., Purcell, R., Ryan, S., & Scanlan, F. A guide to what works for depression in young people. Retrieved from https://www.bspg.com.au/dam/bsg/product?client=BEYONDBLUE&prodid=BL/0790&type=file. Allen, N., Jorm, A. F., Morgan, A. J. & Purcell, R. A guide to what works for depression. Retrieved from https://www.bspg.com.au/ dam/bsg/product?client=BEYONDBLUE&prodid=BL/0556&type=file. Better Health Channel. (2012), Obesity, Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Obesity. Better Health Channel. (2014), Depression and Exercise. Retrieved from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/ pages/Depression_and_exercise?OpenDocument. Beyond Blue. (2012). Fact Sheet 8 - Keeping Active. Retrieved from https://www.bspg.com.au/dam/bsg/product?client= BEYONDBLUE&prodid=BL/0057&type=file. Beyond Blue. (2014). Recovery and staying well. Retrieved from http://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/recovery-and-staying well. Coles, R. (Ed.) (1997). The end of public housing? A discussion forum organised by the Urban Research Program. Canberra, Australia: Urban Research Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University. Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2007). National Indigenous Housing Guide. Retrieved from http://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/indigenous-australians/publications-articles/housing/national indigenous-housing-guide?HTML. Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (2009). Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program - Review of Performance. Retrieved from http://www.dss.gov.au/sites/default/files/ documents/05_2012/sihip_review.pdf. Diabetes Australia. (2011), Keeping Active. Retrieved from http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/Living-with-Diabetes/Keeping Active/. Bower Studio Journal

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