Let’s talk relationships: Arthouse Architects’ Jorgen Andersen
I often get asked about the design process for residential projects and our approach as a practice. It’s something I have been thinking about more in depth as I design my own family house.
Relationships. The relationship of the mass of the house to the site, to the neighbours and the street – mass, scale, proportion and privacy. The relationship of the house to the sun and prevailing wind (how to block the Christchurch easterly). The relationship of living, circulation and sleeping spaces. One of the most important of course is the relationship between client, architect and builder.
For us, the design process is like an onion. We approach it in layers from big picture, large scale macro thinking, to working our way through the various layers of design down to the finer scale and detail: material selection, colour, and texture.
Some of the key big decisions early on include master planning moves – where you enter the house, where your friends park when they visit, and where the garage is relative to the kitchen – so you don’t have to carry your groceries too far, and to optimise your front door for home delivery.
One of the key early design decisions is circulation pathways through the house and coordinating where your spaces are off those pathways. Then, consideration is given to the purpose of
the space and where furniture will be located to ensure they function as intended. Some often-overlooked big picture design and planning considerations are features you probably won’t see in magazines yet contribute significantly to how the house feels to live in, and how enjoyable the spaces are.
Acoustics:
– Locating entertaining and TV spaces away from (or not directly under) children’s bedrooms. Acoustic insulation helps mitigate transfer, although nothing works as well as physical separation.
– Acoustic pipework within the house (particularly 2 storey) and services design so you don’t hear someone flushing the toilet upstairs when you’re in the middle of your dinner party.
– External noise (vehicles or noisy neighbours) – thinking about how the external walls are built up and what materials are used to buffer external noise.
Sustainability and performance: whether that is Passive House, (we are qualified), sustainable material selections such as wool insulation, rainwater collection, PV panels to generate your own power, there is a lot to think about. Thoughtful window and door design and placement can minimise overheating in summer yet ensure a warm sunny house in winter. Consider in the design of the fabric of the house that will help manage heating, cooling, moisture, and sound.
Whatever your focus, we would love to talk to you about your next project. Call me on 03 338 9350 or visit the website.
