NEW YORK: The seventy-eighth entry for the seniors housing Global Award for 2015 has been received.
A social housing project in West Auckland points to a positive future when it comes to marrying good design with low-cost construction. VisionWest Community Trust, teamed up with Unitec’s student program Studio 19, led by Dave Strachan of Strachan Group Architects, to develop this series of three prefabricated pavilions for a site in Henderson.
Two of the pavilions are linked by a glazed entry hall to form a 104-square-metre, four-bedroom main dwelling (living rooms are in one and bedrooms in the other).
An additional single pavilion provides a 58-square-metre, two bedroom minor dwelling for the same site. The buildings step down the hill making the most of the gentle contour to create privacy and share views. Native planting is placed to create screened outdoor space and tie the whole site and design together.
The design aesthetic is based on the idea of an “urban bach”, where open-plan living areas flow onto sheltered decks, opening to garden and view, and the architecture can be humble…
