Courtyard Housing As a Subtropical Urban Design Model
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COURTYARD HOUSING AS A SUBTROPICAL URBAN DESIGN MODEL Raul Antonio Dias de Carvalho MArch, BArch Exegesis (Written component) Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Principal Supervisor: Dr. Kathi Holt-Damant PhD, MArch by Design, BArch Associate Supervisor: Prof. Paul Sanders MArch, BA(Hons), DipArch School of Design Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology 2015 Keywords architecture Bowen Hills bricolage bricoleur Brisbane collage collage plan contextualism collage plan Colin Rowe communal courtyard housing Cornell Urban Design Studio courtyard courtyard house courtyard housing danwey dazayuan figure-ground green structure housing diversity hutong insula net residential density Parque das Nações perimeter block practice-based research Shichahai siheyuan subtropical climate subtropical design thermal comfort TOD - transit oriented development urban density urban design urban design model urban design prototype urban diversity urban fabric urban green structure urban growth Courtyard Housing as a Subtropical Urban Design Model i ii Courtyard Housing as a Subtropical Urban Design Model Abstract The planning of compact and sustainable contemporary communities worldwide challenges all involved to provide housing that enhances social and cultural inclusion and participation, and that is conscious of the need for environmental protection. In Australia, the predicament of urban sprawl has challenged architects and urban designers to mitigate the effects of this low density sprawl through compact housing solutions that promote efficiency in public transportation, and provide safe public green spaces that contribute to ecological sustainability. This practice-based research developed and tested the idea that courtyard housing can deliver sustainable compactness in proposing a contemporary urban design model for rapidly growing cities with subtropical climates. Although the relationship between sustainability, residential density, and housing typologies has been investigated in several previous studies, this research focuses on the utilisation of European and Asian courtyard housing typologies, and examines their viability under the specific lenses of subtropical design, urban green structures, and Transit Oriented Design (TOD). The research combines quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a pragmatic approach to solving the research problem in a reflective yet practical way. The process intersects theory and practice, combining the lenses of inquiry with courtyard housing typologies to plan and design a sustainable neighbourhood in the specific context of subtropical Brisbane (Australia). The theoretical component integrated the exploration of design precedents, urban design theories and best practice guides, along with specialised feedback from industry experts. The practical analysis validated the selected housing typologies by employing a reflexive procedure that included hand drawings, image collages, and CAD software to build urban design prototypes. The outcome of this intersection of theory and practice – a set of drawings of a comprehensive urban design scenario – tested the feasibility of the courtyard housing typology as a response to the specific Courtyard Housing as a Subtropical Urban Design Model iii need for spatial, liveable, and sustainable residential densification in a subtropical climate. The completed urban design scenario is assembled in an urban design model laid out as an indicative Collage Plan to exemplify the prototypes application. The research findings provide a valid alternative to current urban design models that either perpetuate urban sprawl or promote excessive densification. By capitalizing on passive design, complementing the urban green structure, and maximizing urban infill sites (brown-field) around railway corridors, the study shows how courtyard housing can enhance the qualities of a subtropical lifestyle. In addition, the inquiry shows that courtyard housing responds to the present demand for both small and large plan layouts and proposes private and semi-private gardens as microclimate moderators. This inquiry and its outcomes are a clear contribution to the consideration and provision of spatial efficacy, social diversity, and equity in the design of compact neighbourhoods. It proposes, for the first time in Australia, an entire development incorporating both Communal Courtyard Housing and courtyard houses, in line with the requirements of Transit Oriented Development. Finally, it offers urban design prototypes that can be further developed by architects and urban designers in similar climatic conditions worldwide. iv Courtyard Housing as a Subtropical Urban Design Model Table of contents Keywords .................................................................................................................... i Abstract .................................................................................................................... iii Table of contents ....................................................................................................... v List of drawings ..........................................................................................................ix List of figures .............................................................................................................xi List of tables ............................................................................................................. xv List of abbreviations/acronyms/symbols ................................................................. xvii Statement of Original Authorship ............................................................................. xix Acknowledgments .................................................................................................... xxi Reflections ............................................................................................................. xxiii Thesis structure...................................................................................................... xxiv Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Context .......................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Definitions ..................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Outcome ........................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Scope and limitations ..................................................................................... 7 1.5.1 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.5.2 Significance ..................................................................................................................... 8 1.5.3 Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.6 Overview of the study .................................................................................. 10 Chapter 2: Research outline .......................................................................... 13 2.1 Research plan .............................................................................................. 13 2.2 Expert consultations (Interviews) ................................................................. 20 2.3 Means ......................................................................................................... 21 2.4 Procedures ................................................................................................... 25 2.5 Analysis ....................................................................................................... 28 2.6 Ethics ........................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 3: Precedents .................................................................................. 29 3.1 Design precedents ........................................................................................ 29 3.2 Courtyard housing precedents ...................................................................... 39 3.2.1 Courtyard houses (CH) ................................................................................................. 43 3.2.2 Communal courtyard housing (CCH) ............................................................................ 83 Courtyard Housing as a Subtropical Urban Design Model v 3.2.3 Conceptual and typological synthesis .........................................................................122 3.3 Plan precedents: Beijing and Lisbon ............................................................ 130 3.3.1 Shichahai, Beijing, China .............................................................................................130 3.3.2 Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal ..........................................................................144 3.3.3 Comparative analyses: Shichahai and Parque das Nações plans ................................156 3.4 Brisbane housing precedents ...................................................................... 160 3.4.1 Early housing typologies ..............................................................................................160