The Bower Collective
“We design homes with dedication and love” is the base idea behind our planning and design execution inspired by the Araluen centre. We want to preserve and promote the beautiful values attached to the Araluen community.
Our vision is to build a diverse creative community through a residential complex including a community care centre that welcomes everyone regardless of age, colour, and physical condition. Each dwelling has its own personality, boasting a new perspective in every turn.
We aspire to promote the connection and interaction among the community through our development. Originally the Orana building, the community centre is designed to bring Araluen’s services to the new scale, with more workspaces and wellness programmes to satisfy the post-COVID’s needs.
Design Intentions
Ease of access
We kept the existing road network and landscape, which already fit nicely with the topography. The existing road network helped shape our design creating the S shape figure, this form followed the road network and wrapped around the memorial garden in which we made the focal point of the site. We also opened up an alternative exit road that can navigate a better traffic flow within the site.
Connectivity- Public & Private
Designing for this type of site and residential development, the connectivity within the spaces and people would overlap. Our communal building in the front of the site allows the residents and the public to interact and provide an active frontage. For the dwellings, we have created an internal path connection, that links the houses together to build a path network in which can bring the occupants together and establish secure access for the residents.
Designing with the topography
Being mindful of the topo creates awareness when designing to place our dwellings appropriately with the level changes. Our dwellings consist of two-level changes, Ground Dwellings and Elevated dwellings.
Framing Views - Maximising natural lighting.
Orientation plays a considerable part in our dwelling design. Each of our dwellings has been arranged to capture the views and maximise the sun access.