Backyard Futures:
Movable Homes Studio

Darcy Zelenko &  Tim John Randall

Studio Description

We currently face an acute housing crisis in Australia, it is clear existing models of housing are failing us. In Victoria there are currently over 100,000 people that rely on the assistance of Homes Victoria to have a place to call home. One major factor is a lack of supply in the market exacerbated by government policy and compounded by a lack of labour and materials in the construction industry. In his 2023 Oswald Barnett address Manuel Der Hagopian said “Systematic problems need systematic answers.” This studio investigates one possible answer:

Homes Victoria have a self-contained unit that enables people to live independently in the backyard of a friend or relative’s home. The design of this product is dated and no longer fit for purpose. Homes Victoria have partnered with the University as a generator to speculate upon a future Movable Unit product pioneering industrialised construction methodologies in order to achieve more cost effective and better environmental outcomes.

Studio Outcomes

Concept designs will be developed in groups, informed by assigned industrialised construction methodologies. Concepts will be grounded in research into relevant precedent projects, associated design issues, and environmental design objectives. Students will then individually develop the concept to resolve the design at semester’s end, addressing the four key challenges outlined in the brief from Homes Victoria:

1. Ability to relocate
2. Sustainability and energy efficiency
3. Flexibility to improve accessibility
4. Aesthetic Appeal

This partnership between the University of Melbourne and Homes Victoria will offer students the opportunity to address real world problems and explore future construction possibilities. During this initial studio collaboration, Homes Victoria will be involved in providing input on design concepts. The resolved design will be ambitious in its depth and rigour responding to the Homes Victoria brief. Future phases could aim to translate the conceptual designs developed by students into full-scale prototypes with a long-term ambition to create innovative solutions for Victoria's social housing.

This studio is being conducted with Homes Victoria in the role of client. As it will address real world problems there is the possibility that ideas generated may be developed for use in future Homes Victoria products. To enable this students will be asked to assign Intellectual Property generated in the studio to the University who will then grant non-exclusive license to Studio participants for use. Copyright and ownership of materials produced will remain with the students.

Studio Leaders

Darcy Zelenko is a PhD candidate at Monash University researching innovation in the built environment, with a specific interest in the role that prototyping can play. He belongs to the Future Building Initiative, a research lab focussed on conceptualising and implementing a more industrialised approach to building, and is connected to the Building 4.0 CRC. Darcy has extensive experience in digital fabrication, and is currently working on projects relating to artificial intelligence and mixed reality. Darcy has taught architecture and computational design at multiple universities, and regularly consults industry.

Tim John Randall is a registered architect who relishes the opportunity to transform lives through architectural design. Having grown up in the shadow of kunanyi in Hobart, Tim now lives and works abreast the Birrarung in Melbourne. He specialises in design for people with disabilities and currently works at Schored Projects executing social housing projects from inception, through design development to completion. He believes architecture should be of its place and as architects we have a responsibility to honour the natural, built and social fabric of place.

Readings & References

Lessing, J. (2006). Industrialised house-building: Concept and processes. Department of Construction Sciences, Lund University.

Schedule:
Tuesday 9:00am-12:00pm in MSD 138
Friday 9:30am-12:30pm in MSD 140

Off-Site Activities:
Homes Victoria Movable Unit (Location TBC)

Contact Handbook