Canoe Reach Residence

Steendyk Design Studio

Canoe Reach Residence was designed by a Brisbane based design studio, Steendyk, which aims to produce engaging multidisciplinary designs involving architecture, product design, interior and exhibition design, landscape and urban design. Combining disciplinary understanding in such a way allows the creation of a space or building to work not only on one level but in every aspect of human living and interaction with the design. In addition to this outstanding design approach, Brian Steendyk, the Architect of Canoe Reach Residence states that “from inception our design practice has been passionate about the creation of designs that are sustainable environmentally, functionally, and aesthetically. An emotive sculptural quality that possess an underlying logic is imbued in cache design resulting in pertinent spaces and forms that combine elegance with panache.” Canoe Reach Residence was completed in 2007 and has since then won the RAIA State Residential Award and ASI Architectural Steel Design Award. The building is said to enhance the occupants’ joy of living by employing architectural detail to define spaces and engage the senses. (www.architecture.com.au)

Canoe Reach Residence

A House as an Environmental Filter

The logical resolution of the building’s design as an environmental filter relates to any environmental factors such as its aspect, natural light and ventilation as well as its structural and material sustainability. Environmental filters that have been applied in the resolution of Canoe Reach Residence include the following;

· Aspect - Western facades view over the river requiring protection against western sun through the pavilions single glazing glass facades tinted and treated to equivalent of double insulated glass and the use of retractable external blinds.

· Situated on a panoramic bend of the Brisbane River engaging the hill upon which it sits.

· The Physical environment has been manipulated to create a journey in movement through the site as you are physically and psychologically filtered through as u transition through the different spaces. Excavation and Fill has been utilized enhancing this effect.

· Each level is easily accessible mainly via stairs and grass slopes.

· Selective inside/outside/in-between design.

· Sensually stimulating design response in terms of interaction with its context.

· Material contrasts and quality – steel and glass living pavilion that cantilevers out across the pool to provides breathtaking views up and down the Brisbane River. In contrast the building utilizes warm masonry walls and timber trim that inextricably ties the main building to the ground

· Bamboo screening is used along the boundary to provide privacy from neighboring sites.

· 55000 Liter underground rainwater tank captures water from the roof and grounds for a garden reticulation system

· Natural cross-ventilation through single-depth rooms

· Parasol courtyard roof opens on three sides to expel hot air

· Ventilation slots at the back of the courtyard ventilate garage below

· The U-shaped plan surrounding the courtyard focuses attention towards the river and reduces the building depth for natural cross-ventilation.

References:

o (www.nikiomahe.com)

o (www.architecture.com.au)

o (www.steendyk.com)

A House as a container of Human Activity

This section refers to the spatial quality of the design involving its arrangement, planning and circulation opportunities. All human activity that occurs within the vessel/container of a house as our lives unfold is affected by the manipulated designed spaces formed to do just that; enhance the way we live our lives.

Steendyk, has arranged the types of activities in a way to cleverly utilize floor levels to maintain a hierarchy of privacy from the courtyard. This is achieved as the bedrooms are organised above the living spaces of the courtyard. This also relates to circulation and public, private and semi-private space interpretation which is illustrated on the corresponding diagram panel for this section.

· Type or category of human activity to understand reasoning for the designed spatial arrangement and hence quality of the space;

o Living (caring/family/love)

o Eating

o Sleeping (retreating/private/sanctuary/personal expression)

o Entertaining (socialise/passion/expression/noise)

o Abluting

o Accessing (circulating)

o Storage (garage/contents)

o Work (education/office/study)

§ Please Note: texts inside brackets are similar uses included in the initial category.

References:

o (www.steendyk.com)

A House as a Delightful Experience

The notion of a house as a delightful experience in terms of design response relates to the form and composition of the design having a delightful effect on the user of the space.

· The sensory experiences discovered through the transitional journey of the design

· The warmth and passion in the contrasting colours and textures

· Materials/structure/tectonics – aesthetically pleasing

· Humble to grand scale – mood/feelings/desire to explore/discovery/freedom

· Inside/outside and in-between relation with physical scale and transitional interaction with the spaces

· Positive contextual response to aspect and surroundings

· Design response to context to create comfortable livable atmosphere

· Form expression – the received feeling of the created space

· Aesthetics/natural to built environment – relationship between each and how they work together

· Protection through natural materials such as trees/bamboo screening – subtle solution

· Possibility for inspiration/unexpected/entertainment – personal expression

· The courtyard embraces the notion of an outdoor room for living embracing a positive atmosphere

References:

o (www.nikiomahe.com)

o (www.architecture.com.au)

Canoe Reach Cabin Design

Cabin Design

A House as an Environmental Filter

The main logical resolutions relating to any environmental factors used in the design for Canoe Reach Resort have been reiterated in the cabin design. Design solutions from Canoe Reach such as the use of retractable external blinds on west-facing facades and continuing the idea of protecting the glass living pavilion being tinted and treated to the equivalent of double insulated glass have been designed into the cabin design. A similar contextual location has also been selected for the positioning of the cabin as can be seen in the ‘Site Plan’ panel in the Canoe Reach Residence section. The river runs along the western side of the building whilst trees are again positioned predominantly along the southern façade to avoid prevailing winds during the winter months. Other environmental filters such as natural light and ventilation are illustrated in the panels below to show relation to that in the Canoe Reach Residence analysis. The U-shaped plan has also remained to force the attention of users towards the river whilst reducing the building depth for natural cross-ventilation.

A House as a container of Human Activity

As illustrated in the panels the cabin design relates to the organisational patterns of Brian Steendyk’s Canoe Reach Residence design. This is mostly evident in the layout and positioning of ‘types’ of activities in hierarchy of private and public spaces. The use of levels and bridges are used as a transitional platform to reinforce the importance of and intended users of the spaces.

A House as a Delightful Experience

The form and composition of the cabin design has remained very similar to the original architect’s intentions resulting in a very linear design with angles only used to highlight the significance of the living pavilion in relation to the courtyard and surrounding spaces. A delightful journey is achieved through the spaces interacting with each other in an inside/outside/in-between sense where the transition between spaces is subtle and confident. The movement from downstairs to upstairs creates a sense of mystery where the stairs are enclosed at the lower level and open up to louvered walls that flow all around the bridged level around to the study. This allows a open and natural experience that can be manipulated by allowing breezes to flow through or be protected from the rain. Along the top panel of the bridged area is a constantly open gap before the louvers begin to provide constant breeze flow along with letting in natural noises into the space such as birds and other wildlife. This cabin design is a very personal expression that allows direct interaction with nature and the outdoors whilst providing safe and protected spaces for the sleeping and living areas.

Canoe Reach Residence

Steendyk Design Studio

Canoe Reach Residence was designed by a Brisbane based design studio, Steendyk, which aims to produce engaging multidisciplinary designs involving architecture, product design, interior and exhibition design, landscape and urban design. Combining disciplinary understanding in such a way allows the creation of a space or building to work not only on one level but in every aspect of human living and interaction with the design. In addition to this outstanding design approach, Brian Steendyk, the Architect of Canoe Reach Residence states that “from inception our design practice has been passionate about the creation of designs that are sustainable environmentally, functionally, and aesthetically. An emotive sculptural quality that possess an underlying logic is imbued in cache design resulting in pertinent spaces and forms that combine elegance with panache.” Canoe Reach Residence was completed in 2007 and has since then won the RAIA State Residential Award and ASI Architectural Steel Design Award. The building is said to enhance the occupants’ joy of living by employing architectural detail to define spaces and engage the senses. (www.architecture.com.au)

>Above panels correct title: 'A House as a Container of Human Activity'

Canoe Reach Residence

A House as an Environmental Filter

The logical resolution of the building’s design as an environmental filter relates to any environmental factors such as its aspect, natural light and ventilation as well as its structural and material sustainability. Environmental filters that have been applied in the resolution of Canoe Reach Residence include the following;

· Aspect - Western facades view over the river requiring protection against western sun through the pavilions single glazing glass facades tinted and treated to equivalent of double insulated glass and the use of retractable external blinds.

· Situated on a panoramic bend of the Brisbane River engaging the hill upon which it sits.

· The Physical environment has been manipulated to create a journey in movement through the site as you are physically and psychologically filtered through as u transition through the different spaces. Excavation and Fill has been utilized enhancing this effect.

· Each level is easily accessible mainly via stairs and grass slopes.

· Selective inside/outside/in-between design.

· Sensually stimulating design response in terms of interaction with its context.

· Material contrasts and quality – steel and glass living pavilion that cantilevers out across the pool to provides breathtaking views up and down the Brisbane River. In contrast the building utilizes warm masonry walls and timber trim that inextricably ties the main building to the ground

· Bamboo screening is used along the boundary to provide privacy from neighboring sites.

· 55000 Liter underground rainwater tank captures water from the roof and grounds for a garden reticulation system

· Natural cross-ventilation through single-depth rooms

· Parasol courtyard roof opens on three sides to expel hot air

· Ventilation slots at the back of the courtyard ventilate garage below

· The U-shaped plan surrounding the courtyard focuses attention towards the river and reduces the building depth for natural cross-ventilation.

References:

o (www.nikiomahe.com)

o (www.architecture.com.au)

o (www.steendyk.com)

A House as a container of Human Activity

This section refers to the spatial quality of the design involving its arrangement, planning and circulation opportunities. All human activity that occurs within the vessel/container of a house as our lives unfold is affected by the manipulated designed spaces formed to do just that; enhance the way we live our lives.

Steendyk, has arranged the types of activities in a way to cleverly utilize floor levels to maintain a hierarchy of privacy from the courtyard. This is achieved as the bedrooms are organised above the living spaces of the courtyard. This also relates to circulation and public, private and semi-private space interpretation which is illustrated on the corresponding diagram panel for this section.

· Type or category of human activity to understand reasoning for the designed spatial arrangement and hence quality of the space;

o Living (caring/family/love)

o Eating

o Sleeping (retreating/private/sanctuary/personal expression)

o Entertaining (socialise/passion/expression/noise)

o Abluting

o Accessing (circulating)

o Storage (garage/contents)

o Work (education/office/study)

> Please Note: texts inside brackets are similar uses included in the initial category.

References:

o (www.steendyk.com)

A House as a Delightful Experience

The notion of a house as a delightful experience in terms of design response relates to the form and composition of the design having a delightful effect on the user of the space.

· The sensory experiences discovered through the transitional journey of the design

· The warmth and passion in the contrasting colours and textures

· Materials/structure/tectonics – aesthetically pleasing

· Humble to grand scale – mood/feelings/desire to explore/discovery/freedom

· Inside/outside and in-between relation with physical scale and transitional interaction with the spaces

· Positive contextual response to aspect and surroundings

· Design response to context to create comfortable livable atmosphere

· Form expression – the received feeling of the created space

· Aesthetics/natural to built environment – relationship between each and how they work together

· Protection through natural materials such as trees/bamboo screening – subtle solution

· Possibility for inspiration/unexpected/entertainment – personal expression

· The courtyard embraces the notion of an outdoor room for living embracing a positive atmosphere

References:

o (www.nikiomahe.com)

o (www.architecture.com.au)