LUXURIOUS RENO WINS STATE’S TOP BUILDING DESIGN AWARD

A luxurious home renovation design on the outskirts of Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast has earned Building Designer Gerard Smith the Premier Award at the 2011 Queensland Building Designers Awards.

Mr Smith was honoured last night at a glittering ceremony hosted by the Building Designers Association of Queensland (BDAQ) at the Brisbane Convention Centre.

It was the first time in the Awards’ 20 year history a renovation design had won the main prize and BDAQ President Greg Pershouse commended Mr Smith on his triumph.

“It’s a testament to the absolute star quality of Gerard’s work that he has won this award,” Mr Pershouse said.

“Renovations are a category often handicapped by budget limitations and existing building restrictions, so this was no easy feat.”

Working for Noosa Heads’ Mojo Design, Mr Smith completely reworked an existing three bedroom home into a palatial abode complete with new master bedroom and ensuite, media room, gym and powder room.

The design also incorporated a range of sustainability features including passive solar design, subterranean concrete tanks for water harvesting, pre-wiring for a solar energy generation system, and energy efficient hot water systems.

Mr Pershouse said it was a truly fabulous home that would be a delight to live in.

“The inspiration for the palette of materials and colours was drawn from the native bush surrounds,” Mr Pershouse said.

“The design objective was to match the warmth and texture of the interior to the neighbouring trees and this sympathetic approach to the natural environment creates a harmonious balance between interior and exterior.”

The Queensland Building Designers Awards are the centrepiece of the BDAQ’s calendar and showcase outstanding examples of innovation, style and quality in the industry.

This year’s event recognised designs from across the industry, including new houses and renovations, commercial and industrial projects, multi-residential and special feature categories. 

See a full list of winners and finalists by clicking on the link to the right.

BUILDING DESIGNERS CRUCIAL TO AVOID NEW HOME GRANT RUSH

The Building Designers Association of Queensland (BDAQ) has urged new builders to consult its members and beat next month’s rush on the State Government’s $10,000 Queensland Building Boost Grant.

Aimed at stimulating the state’s struggling housing sector, the grant will be available to any Queenslander constructing or purchasing a new home for under $600,000.

The Bligh Government and the BDAQ is planning for hundreds of applications.

With the six-month application window opening on the first of August, BDAQ CEO Russell Brandon said people with building plans finalised early would avoid costly and frustrating delays.

“We expect the industry to take a huge leap when this grant comes in and builders across the state will be pretty busy from the word go,” Mr Brandon said.

“Now is the ideal time for people to get in touch with their local building designer, finalise their plans, and get a head start on the rest of the applicants.

“Getting in early will allow you to secure a better price from builders and set your own timetable.”

Mr Brandon said contacting a BDAQ building designer should be the first port of call for anyone looking to take advantage of the grant.

“Building designers aren’t involved in involved in selling buildings, so we provide unbiased, comprehensive, and expert advice,” Mr Brandon said.

“We also provide a unique set of housing plans that you can shop around to different builders for the best quote.

“That way our clients can stay in control of how their house is built.”

Mr Brandon said building designers designed homes according to the specific requirements of their clients.

“Most builders can only offer ready-made designs, but building a home isn’t about that kind of one-size-fits-all approach,” Mr Brandon said.

“Your local building designer will tailor a home to your needs, not make you adjust your needs to a home that’s already been designed.

“Building designers also have an in depth knowledge of building materials and engineering and construction techniques which puts us at the forefront of the industry when it comes to sustainability and energy efficiency.

“We urge people to go to a building designer first with their brief to ensure they get the design they want.”

Maybe it's time to think about the REAL WORLD

I get seriously concerned about the future of this country when listening to decision-makers discuss the economy. It appears that a huge gulf exists between what is happening in the real world and what data is being used to make the decisions that impact on people’s livelihood.

It has been reported that over one hundred thousand people in Australia are homeless. Another report suggests that 1.2 million people are suffering from financial stress.

This coincides with a slowdown in building design activity which does not bode well for the housing industry for the next little while. The Herald Sun reported (June 1) that “Australians appear to be shelving plans to build or renovate their homes”. That’s not news to most building designers.

Meanwhile there is continued speculation that interest rates will rise again in the second half of the year. JP Morgan economist, Ben Jarman, was quoted as saying that the “current path, combined with our expectation of further policy tightening in coming quarters, supports our view that building approvals will continue to lose ground”.

I have always tried to remain positive about the future prospects of building designers but we all know that the industry is bleeding and needs an urgent shot in the arm. Many building designers are doing it tough and it’s time that the decision-makers realised that a booming mining sector doesn’t mean that everything is rosy in the real world.

It sometimes appears that the economists believe that people are just an inventory in the pursuit of low inflation and, more recently, sustainability.

The reserve bank believes that interest rates still need to move higher even though growth is restricted to just part of the economy.

“Members noted that the significant divergences between different sectors of the economy presented challenges for policy-making, but that monetary policy had to be set for the needs of the overall economy. In this respect, members judged that if economic conditions continued to evolve as expected, higher interest rates were likely to be required at some point if inflation was to remain consistent with the medium-term target.” (From the minutes of the May 2011 Reserve Bank Board meeting)

I have another idea that could be considered.

A one off interest rate drop may just stimulate some of the “divergent sectors” of the economy and get rid of those “challenges” allowing more real people to share in the growing economy.

Speaking of economists, I have some concern about the direction of Australia’s climate change response. The great hope is that the carbon price will change the attitude of all Australians, encourage investment in renewable energy sources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. All are worthy aims which I heartily endorse.

I fear that the reality is that those who can afford to use power irresponsibly right now, will continue to be able to pay to use power irresponsibly after the carbon price is implemented. Most of us have already been hit by huge power price increases and are taking appropriate steps now. For an increasing number electricity is becoming (or has become) unaffordable. That is really sad in a country like Australia.

Again. I have another idea that could be considered.

The government could legislate for a mandatory reduction in emissions by industry, build more renewable energy generation infrastructure and place a carbon penalty on households with higher than acceptable energy usage. We would then see some real results.

To those who say we can’t afford the renewable energy infrastructure without a carbon tax, my response is that if faster broadband is more important than climate change, what are we arguing about?

Russell Brandon

Would you like pets with that?

Australian houses are increasingly being built to owner specifications that include priorities such as solar power, the latest technology or energy saving appliances. With the launch of a free and non-commercial resource on pet-friendly housing design, pet owners will now be able to specify design elements for their four legged friends.

"Over sixty percent of Australian households enjoy the companionship of a pet and yet, until now, most houses have not been designed or built to allow for simple devices that make life better for pets, their owners and the community in which they live," says the author of Four Legs//Four Walls, town planner Virginia Jackson.

According to Petcare Information and Advisory Service (PIAS), a quarter of all residents now live in medium to high density housing which makes it important to have both domestic and public spaces that support the well-being of pets and their owners, as well as to create opportunities for the broader community to benefit from the presence of pets.

Four Legs//Four Walls is targeted at planners, designers and architects and provides information on incorporating the needs of pets into the early stages of housing development, particularly in areas of higher density.

This new resource can be downloaded at: http://www.4legs4walls.com/

You can also see what communities around Australia are doing by downloading Living Well Together at: http://www.livingwelltogether.com.au/

Design for Deconstruction

The web site http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/ advises that the factors influencing deconstruction are:

•The local cost of landfill tipping fees

•The local cost of labour and equipment

•The ease of disassembly which affects labour cost

•The value of the materials recovered

•Having adequate time available for deconstruction

Source: http://www.lifecyclebuilding.org/files/DFD.pdf

The buildings we are designing right now are expected to have a life span of around 50 years. Think of that in terms of the factors influencing the practice of deconstruction.

The rate at which we have been using up landfill sites over the last 50 years means that the sites themselves will become a rare commodity within the next 50 years. "The local cost of landfill tipping fees" in 2061 will make the practice of putting a wrecking ball through your building at the end of its life and carting it away to landfill a very expensive exercise.

We are also now using up building materials faster that the planet can reproduce them. This means that the materials we are using now will be quite rare in 2061. Rare material is of high value.

So by the end of the expected life of the buildings you are designing right now two of the five factors influencing the practice of deconstruction will be in play. The rest is up to you.

The cost of labour and materials and the available time is out of our hands so that only leaves "the ease of disassembly".

Your role as a building designer is to consider the materials you use, think about the connections and fixings you use and make it as easy as possible for the principle of reduce, re-use, re-cycle to be applied at the end of your building's life.

To find out more just "google" "design for deconstruction". You may be surprised at how many results you get.

Russell Brandon

Modern Queenslander and challenging sites

The Lightweight Modern Queenslander

The solution for challenging, flood and cyclone prone sites

(Russell Brandon was asked to speak on the above topic at the Timber Queensland “High and Dry” Seminar in March 2010. This is an overview of the presentation.)

When we think of 2011 so far, two questions come to mind - “where next?” and “what next?”

Serious flood, damaging cyclone, devastating earthquakes and tragic tsunami, we’ve had it all so far and it’s still only March.

It may be that our world is going to continue to experience more and more widespread problem events. For designers and builders of structures that we want to survive for the long term this means we may need to change the way we do things. We certainly need to learn from what we have seen and think about what may happen in the future.

In Queensland we can break down our most serious events into three different types.

Overland flow flooding results from localised extremely heavy rainfall which is often channelled into spaces not designed to take the resulting volume of water. It can occur at what appears to be the top of the hill (at least to us at the bottom looking up) as in Toowoomba or at the bottom of the hill as happened in the Lockyer Valley.

Mainstream flooding results from more regional rainfall probably over a longer time period. It can result in safety releases from dams and involves slow moving large volumes of water. The main effected areas are river or creek floodplains.

Cyclones are a part of life in tropical areas. What we experienced with cyclone Yasi was something bigger, broader and stronger than we have seen in recent years. Some say that more severe cyclones and cyclones in more southerly locations will become common.

If there is one thing for us to learn from 2011 it’s that nature is no respecter of geographical location. In 1961 I experienced, first hand, a cyclone on the Sunshine Coast so I know cyclones can wander south, but I never expected one to head towards Mount Isa. We must never become complacent and fall into the trap of designing as if it “won’t happen here”.

OVERLAND FLOW

As we saw in tragic circumstances this year, an overland flow flood will most often result in flash flooding with fast flowing water that can exert some very serious forces. This is the biggest threat to life and limb because it is often unexpected, happens suddenly and the resultant forces will be extremely damaging to anything in the way.

This can be an exceptionally high volume of water arriving very quickly.

I asked one of our more experienced Darling Downs members where all that water came from, he explained that when he first went to university in Toowoomba, the campus was surrounded by open space. It formed a sort of natural absorption/retention basin around West Creek.

A lot of development has occurred since then forcing all that water into narrower, deeper drains feeding existing waterways. The point of confluence of East and West Creeks was always going to be a trouble spot, according to my member. Nobody could predict just how much water would meet at that point.

So how can we do a better job of planning our developments?

I suggested to someone else that Toowoomba is at the top of the hill so where did all that water come from? I was simply advised “out of the sky, mate”.

It is most important for us to understand just what the water that falls from the sky wants to do once it hits the ground.

It is important that we let it follow as much as possible its natural flow path and this simply means maintaining the natural slope and contour of the land wherever practical.

As we look into what might happen in the future, we must come to the conclusion that we need to do all that is possible to maintain the stability of our hillsides. That means leaving the natural landscape untouched whenever we can.

It means that we should never ever take a sloping site and cut and fill a building platform simply to feed our obsession with slab on ground construction.

“A building should grace the landscape, not disgrace it.” Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright talked about buildings that work with their surrounds. He also said that a house should not be on a hill but should instead be of the hill, house and hill should be as one.

So what’s the best way to design a home that works with the landscape, including the overland flow path? 

1.       Take care with the footprint. That means, think about how the rain water wants to flow through the site naturally and use the location and shape of the building to allow the water to get to where it wants to be with a minimum of disruption.

The home which became known as Wright’s greatest design feat was Fallingwater. It was designed to straddle the waterfall rather than sit beside the river looking at the waterfall. We can use this as an inspiration to design houses that cause minimum disruption to the natural water flow.

It may mean that we need to do a little more research into what the natural overland flow is and take a little more care about the design.

2.       Next, keep the floor level and its sub-structure above water. 

This is, of course, just as important or more important on a flatter site as it is on a hill but where built on an overland flow path the floor level may need some consideration.

3.       Where there is a danger of flash flooding, we must allow for the destructive forces which will be applied to the building by strengthening the sub-structure and the connections all the way from the roof top to the foundations.

MAINSTREAM FLOODING

If flash flooding is dangerous because it happens suddenly and unexpectedly, mainstream flooding gives us much more warning but can be just as destructive, (normally over a wider geographical area), through inundation.

We know that the force of the water when it’s made to flow between river banks can carry away pontoons, boats, even riverside restaurants and concrete walkways, but as it spreads out over flood plains, it slows and causes devastation by soaking everything in its path.

So how do we go about designing homes in the flood plain?

Before we start we must know where past floods have been then set a floor level that has sufficient free-board.

There are a couple of issues here. 

First is the artificial height restriction of 8.5 metres. We know that in some existing housing in flood problem areas this just won’t be enough to allow owners to raise homes out of harm’s way. It’s good to see Brisbane City Council recognises this.

I hope common sense applies in other places and where new homes are to be constructed in susceptible areas.

The other issue is that if we continue with our obsession with changing the landscape to accommodate slab on ground construction, the flood heights will change.

One designer of a home in the fast developing western corridor did the right thing. He checked on the 1974 flood and set the lowest floor 1.8 metres above that level. In 2011 the flood height reached a massive 3.6 metres above the 1974 level.

Of course, people in older Queenslanders are prone to extend and many just want to raise the floor level and build in under. There may be better ways. One designer created a renovation for a home in one of Brisbane’s older riverside suburbs and chose to extend out rather than up. It survived the 2011 flood.

There are some things we can learn from this project.

This designer was aware of the 1974 flood level and made the lower floor around 300mm above that level. The easiest way was to use a raised timber floor.

In case the flood level does change we can consider making the lower floor “sacrificial” by using materials that can survive a soaking and by carefully selecting the use that will be made of the lowest floor. Don’t design the room to house the grand piano on that level.

We need to make sure that if we do need to scrap and rebuild the lower level, the structural integrity of the home remains intact.

One of the things that delays re-occupation of the home more than anything else is the danger inundation has on the electricity wiring. Maybe we should consider isolating power circuits to floor levels which may be in danger of inundation.

Contamination of services is another problem so we may be able to take steps to isolate the water and sewerage pipework during an inundation event.

CYCLONES

And then there was cyclone Yasi.

When I ask designers in North Queensland why builders want to build in concrete block, I always get the same answer; “it’s the cyclones”.

There is plenty of evidence that many timber framed houses that endured the worst of Yasi remained structurally intact. In fact most homes, regardless of construction type, that had been designed to current building codes and constructed in accordance with the design came through the without significant wind damage.

Here are a couple of lessons we can learn from Yasi.

1.       Lightweight timber modern Queenslanders can perform well in cyclones but designers must take care in detailing and specifying product, fixings and finishes. 

For example specifications for windows and sliding doors must include the correct wind loading and detailing must show correct fixing details.

We learnt from cyclone Yasi that, during longer duration wind events, which this was, vibration becomes more of an issue. We know that sheet roofing now must undergo low/high/low testing to accommodate this but do we understand that vibration can cause nuts to come apart from bolts allowing damage to occur.

2.       A message for builders is to build strictly in accordance with the plans and specification.

One failure we heard about a number of times was water penetration through louvres. In one case we looked into, the design called for a particular brand of louvre (Breezway) but the builder talked the owner into using a cheaper product.

The installed louvres “leaked like a sieve” while there were many reports of (Breezway Louvres) the specified product remaining perfectly waterproof – even in the Mission Beach and Cardwell areas.

STORM SURGE

A major concern in this cyclone was the storm surge. My enduring memory of Yasi is a home owner saying; “We had a Mazda in the garage. The garage door is gone and the back wall is gone. We can’t find the Mazda.”

Like designs for the floods we talked about previously, the modern Queenslander is ideal for surviving the storm surge. Keep the floor above the expected storm surge level and strengthen the sub-structure to withstand the forces involved.

Take home messages

Not only can the modern Queenslander be stylish but it can also stay high and dry regardless of what nature can throw at it.

The modern Queenslander works well with the landscape. It does not disgrace the landscape it will grace the landscape.

The modern Queenslander is liveable, sustainable and comfortable in Queensland’s great climate.

The modern Queenslander is strong and durable.

HIA advises builders on avoiding disputes

An interesting article appears in the current HIA Building News magazine (QLD). It’s titled “20/20 rules to minimising building disputes and protect your business”.

Rule No 2 is a piece of advice building designers have been trying to give buildiers for some time.

“Follow the contract exactly. Do not change or build anything different to the specification and plans without a signed variation, even when there is no cost involved. Building out-of-specification is a breach of contract and the client will not have to pay you.”

Rule No 12 highlights the role building designers have in providing practical building designs and quality documentation.

“Architects. Do not work for or with architects unless you have a full set of developed plans and you know the architect personally. Do not use an architectural contract unless you are prepared not to be paid or you are prepared to wait long periods for payment.”

If you would like to check out the full list ask a HIA member for a look at his copy of "Building News" March 2011 edition (Newsletter of the Housing Industry Association - Queensland and North Queensland.