Tianchen Xu
" modest shelters that suggest a fantasy of the simple and cosy lift "
Urban Hamlet draws on inspiration from the archetypal form of the Australian farmhouses including barns, huts, and chimneys, forming modest shelters that suggest a fantasy of the simple and cosy life.
The modest dwellings are the conjunction of antique and modern, the traditional materials and modern industrial products, transferring the old forms to something sensual for the present.
The barn, an agricultural building on the farm, provides the architectural features for the project building blocks. Townhouse and Apartment building blocks share a similar structure system, applying the CLT column and slab system. The column-slab system makes all interior partitions become non-load-bearing, which gives the residents the maximum flexibility to change their homes over time. All the facades are covered by the wooden panel cladding.
Chimneys and Hearth are considered as the psychological centre of the home. In order to enhance the communication and interaction between neighbours, transferring the autonomy of Chimneys + Hearth into the vertical transport core and community space within the building blocks. All the core and community spaces for the residential blocks are covered by polycarbonate panels. The light within the community core is the fire of the chimneys + hearth, making the community spaces become lighthouses during the night that filter the light and guide people towards the buildings.
Based on the Brunswick West area, there are lots of traditional townhouses and terrace houses. Translating the archetypal form of the townhouses into the three different areas within the apartment blocks: front yard - corridor, home - apartment, and backyard - individual balcony. The connected terraces become the corridor of the apartment blocks, forming the vertical street for the neighbours. The 'vertical street' encourages the neighbours to communicate and interact within the communal spaces.
Urban Hamlet is an interfaced, changeable, collective system of varied-sized unit typologies and a series of shared facilities and amenities, generating a self-organising network of individuals who are co-dependent on each other for mutual support in their living, working, producing, educating, and amusing.
Urman Hamlet provides 9 different unit typologies for the residents based on the requirements of YIRPs. All unit typologies have daily adaptative elements, allowing the residents to explore the maximum possibility of their home. Since most of YIRPs are artists, the loft apartment becomes an 'artist's studio', supporting the artists within the community.
As the pandemic of COVID questioning the future relationship between working and living and in some ways changing the autonomies of two activities, Urban Hamlet is highly flexible for multiple possible functions which living is the core. Therefore, the daily elements are appropriate and affordable for flexibility and adaptation in both the short and long term. The village always welcomes their guests to stay. Thus, unfolded bed and sliding door will form a temporary bedroom for guests. The rotated panels make the apartment more flexible between individual and collective. At the same time, the flexibility of the louvres of the corridor as a medium connecting the building to nature. With regard to the entire mass, it is intended to maximize the effect of light and shadow with the louvres to feel the changes of light, and it would also allow the residents to connect the surrounding nature visually at the same time.
The perspective of Balcony and Community Core
Urban Hamlet offers the residents various public facilities and amenities, including the community centre, co-working office, creative workshop, cafe, and etc. The residents will enjoy their wonderful, rich and varied village life within the project site.
Urban Hamlet will be the poetic follies for escaping from the noisy and busy city life.