BOOM House

Joel Benichou

Studio Outline:

Retirement villages and nursing homes do not appeal to everyone. Australians born in the decades between 1946 and 1961 are either retired, or close to it. This ‘Baby Boomer’ generation is searching for dignified and attractive solutions to their twilight living needs.

Boomers enjoy the houses they have worked hard to acquire, with the consensus being they want to stay in their current home as long as possible. They like the established communities and patterns of their normal lives and while many have benefited from huge increases in property prices, the idea of selling the family home to move to a retirement village can be an unattractive prospect. With a large portion of the ageing boomers not financially prepared for retirement, opportunities other than stale retirement villages and nursing homes need to be explored.

Studio Leaders

JOEL BENICHOU is owner and principal architect of the practice Benichou Architects. Joel studied architecture at the University of Western Australia completing his Master of Architecture with Distinction qualification, focusing his independent research on modular pre‐fabrication and residential design. Joel has had experience with some of the leading residential design practices in Australia working on a wide range of residential projects. Joel has also contributed to the architectural discourse having previously led Design Studios at the University of Melbourne and RMIT. Joel is currently registered as Architect in Victoria under the certification of the ARBV.

Learning Outcomes:

Studio 16 will be exploring the notion of housing options for the Boomers. With potential for combined facilities including medical support, child care, social activity and dignified, private accommodation, we intend to develop options that encourage the integration of retirees and young seniors into the larger community and maintain their contribution and relevance in society. The first weeks of semester will be used to research and identify examples of relevant projects and alternative retirement living options. With an initial focus on research and data collection, the students will develop a strong conceptual grounding for their projects. The remainder of semester will be spent formulating solutions to a series of case studies at varying scales. These include the Granny flat (BOOMflat), the extension (BOOMreno) and the share house (BOOMhouse).

Reading and Reference:

• London, G. & Anderson, S. Take 7 Housing Australia, 2008
• Harrison, S, New Suburban, 2013.
• Harrison, S, Forty-Six Square Meters of Land Doesn’t Normally Become A House, 2011
• Richardson, P, Nano House – Innovations for small dwellings, 2011

ST1/16 Monday 3:15pm - 6:16pm, MSD Room 213
ST2/16 Thursday 3:15pm - 6:15pm, MSD Room 240