Davison Collaborative

The Davison Collaborative had two key design challenges. Firstly, we needed to establish a management structure to facilitate the collaborative development process. Secondly, we needed to deliver compact architecture that enhanced the surrounding streetscape, as well as achieving best practice in environmentally sustainable design.

Management structure
The Collaborative Development Model by HIP V. HYPE is a legal and financial structure established by HIP V. HYPE to facilitate collaborators to come together to realise a new development by pooling financial resources to break down the barriers of very high property prices.

The Model adapts existing legal frameworks to establish clear roles and responsibilities between the collaborators in order to best distribute the project risk. Professional skills in development are required to achieve an elevated sustainability and build quality outcome and the collaboration between HIP V. HYPE and Archier allowed that to be achieved.

Design
The Davison Collaborative addresses the street sympathetically, providing a transition from the old industrial Brunswick to the more residential context of Davison Street. The residential block, cornering a laneway to the south, allowed for a cobblestone footpath to run the length of the project and for the expression of detailing that acknowledges the post-war industrial history of the site such as the recycled brick work and concrete window still lintels.

The sawtooth profile of the building along the laneway corner demonstrates that sympathetic architecture can enable responsible density in the inner suburbs, without compromising neighbourhood character.

Form: The Davison Collaborative addresses the street sympathetically, providing a transition from the old industrial, harsher edge to Hope Street, to the residential context of Davison Street. The residential block, cornering a laneway to the south, allowed for a cobblestone footpath to run the length of the project and for the expression of detailing that acknowledges the post-war industrial history of the site such as the recycled brick work and concrete windowsill lintels.

The sawtooth profile of the building along the laneway corner demonstrates that sympathetic architecture can enable responsible density in the inner suburbs, without compromising neighbourhood character.

Function: The project makes a valuable contribution to the community, demonstrating a case study for sustainable living, robust compact architecture and responsible density.

The Davison Collaborative successfully transformed one suburban block into three fossil fuel free, 100% electric family homes for the next generation. Three couples, three dogs and two children now occupy the site which is successfully operating on 100% renewable energy.

Each residence enjoys an excellent user experience with enhanced access to natural light and ventilation and maintains a comfortable temperature throughout the seasons.

The design is successful in achieving an excellent 8+ out of 10-star energy rating.

Safety: The design enhances the mental and physical health of its occupants with optimised natural light and ventilation and being constructed where possible with natural, low VOC materials. Enhanced thermal insulation and passive design principles ensure the residences are a comfortable temperature all year around. The ERV system serves as an air filtration system, ensuring the indoor environment of each residence is protected from dust, allergens and pollens.

In addition, the Davison Collaborative enhances the surrounding safety of the site with increased lighting and passive surveillance along the laneway.

Melbourne is experiencing a housing shortage. Equally, existing poor-quality housing in Australia is contributing a disproportionate level of carbon emissions from poorly built housing requiring excessive heating in winter and cooling in summer.

The Davison Collaborative sought to provide a solution to these dual issues by providing best practice in environmentally sustainable design and density to demonstrate that well designed infill developments in the inner and middle ring suburbs can create an increase in environmentally sustainable housing in well-located and well-serviced locations at an accessible cost.

The Davison Collaborative provides for the supply of new and diverse housing choices in existing urban areas, which supports population growth in a way that encourages a 20-minute neighbourhood, whereby residents can walk, cycle or use public transport to access employment opportunities and existing services. The elevated quality of the design and sustainability response of the Davison Collaborative realises the Plan Melbourne outcomes of a distinctive, liveable, sustainable and resilient city. The compact density of the project ensures access to more affordable housing in an established suburb that is increasingly pricing out the young families that make up the Collaborative.

We need to consider the most environmentally responsible ways to increase housing supply in well serviced urban areas. There is no reason why a typology like that of the Davison Collaborative should not be built on every block of land with a south facing laneway frontage within 10km of the CBD.

Australia has a mixed relationship with density.

The ‘Great Australian Dream’ of owning a home with a garden in the suburbs is a cornerstone of our national identity. However, rapidly rising house prices have disenfranchised young Australians from that dream, forcing more Australians into car dependent commutes and the proliferation of urban sprawl.

Major cities such as Melbourne and Sydney are experiencing a severe housing shortage, while existing poor-quality housing in Australia is contributing a disproportionate level of carbon emissions by requiring excessive heating in winter and cooling in summer.

The Davison Collaborative sought to provide a solution to these dual issues by providing best practice in ESD and density to demonstrate that well designed infill developments in the inner and middle ring suburbs can create an increase in environmentally sustainable housing in well-located and well-serviced locations, at an accessible cost.

The project represents how we can use what we have more efficiently, transforming one post war suburban dwelling into three fossil fuel free, 100% electric homes for the next generation.

Shifting away from the idea of ‘modern architecture’, from the outset the intention was to create homes which honoured the environment within which they existed. By taking a step back from generic aesthetics and trends, we took inspiration from the heritage of the surrounding area. The townhouses are a nod to the Victorian and post-war era warehouse found in Brunswick, utilising concrete lintels and brick detailing.

Policy makers and the built environment industry needs to consider the most environmentally responsible ways to increase housing supply in well serviced urban areas. We see the Davison Collaborative as a replicable case study, whereby the typology can be built on every block of land with a south facing laneway frontage within 10km of the Melbourne CBD.

The residences are all electric, with no gas, powered by solar energy during the day and solar energy stored in the batteries during the evening. The homes are targeted to be net carbon positive in operation, reducing their environmental impact, as well as reducing energy bills for the residents. The residences average 8+ out of 10-star energy rating.

The residences are built from the Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) construction system which presents a number of benefits to create an energy efficient building envelopment, providing insulation that creates an air-tight building envelop and reduces heat loss and thermal bridging.

The residences champion passive design principles. We orientated each home to open out to the north, ensuring optimal solar penetration to warm the house in winter, with external automated block out blinds to all north and west facing windows with cross ventilation and ceiling fans in place to cool the homes in summer.

Each residence provides for 4.5 kWh solar capacity and 7.5 kWh battery capacity. The project features Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) active systems and electric heat pumps for hot water and hydronic heating. Caroma Smart Command technology is installed to monitor water usage and rainwater collection tanks are installed in each residence to reduce the amount of water the homes draw from our water reserves. Binq tilt and turn high performance windows and doors are installed in each residence to enhance thermal insulation and provide effective cross ventilation cooling.