Studio 14

New Middle Housing: Future Homes Student Competition

Mark Ng

Studio Description

While Melbourne’s major activity centres have seen dramatic increases in density over the last two decades, and outer suburban growth remains a part of the housing mix, it is increasingly clear that the middle suburbs have an important part to play in housing our growing population. This studio will explore how these zones might be densified with bold, new multi-residential design ideas.

In contrast to visions of Melbourne looking at either end of the spectrum of density, what might the future of housing look like for the significant population living in buildings at this ‘in-between’ scale?

This studio is part of a state-wide design competition organised by IBA Melbourne, in partnership with The Department of Environment Land Water and Planning, and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. The aim of the competition is to provide exemplar designs for apartment buildings that will be replicable in middle suburban Melbourne environments. A total prize pool of $10,000 is available to be awarded by esteemed Jury professionals, should you choose to enter with a formal submission.

Studio Outcome

As part of this studio, you will propose a prototypical building with a height in the order of 3 stories, on a 1200 - 2400m2 site in a residential context. The concept driving your proposal should be imaginative, exploratory and challenging, while at the same time accommodating the requirements of real-world standards (or otherwise forming a sophisticated argument to push them).

Studio Leader

Mark Ng is a multidisciplinary designer experienced in commercial architecture, multi-residential architecture, and urban design. In practice, Mark has led the front end design team at Breathe Architecture for over 5 years and was part of the team that developed the Nightingale Model — an alternative housing model that aims to provide more sustainable, affordable and communal apartment buildings in Australia. He has previously led design studios for Studio Epsilon in the Bachelor of Design program, as well as a thesis studio at the MSD called Nightingale Night School. Outside of architecture, Mark works on graphic design, art and music projects, and is passionate about materialising bold and provocative conceptual ideas with clarity, whatever the medium.

Readings & References

On the social context of densification of suburbia in Melbourne (as the acceptance of the idea is arguably primarily political):

• Nicole Cook, Elizabeth Taylor & Joe Hurley (2013) At home with strategic planning: reconciling resident attachments to home with policies of residential densification, Australian Planner, 50:2, 130-137

On the challenge of densification posed by the fixity of property boundaries:

• Rachel Gallagher, Yan Liu & Thomas Sigler (2019) Parcel amalgamation as a mechanism for achieving urban consolidation through densification: The fixity of property boundaries over time, Land Use Policy, Vol. 89

On analysis of urban densities in metropolitan Melbourne:

• Chandra, S., Chhetri, P. and J. Corcoran (2009).Spatial patterns of urban compactness in Melbourne: an urban myth or a reality. In: Ostendorf B., Baldock, P., Bruce, D., Burdett, M. and P. Corcoran (eds.), Proceedings of the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute Biennial International Conference, Adelaide 2009, Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute, pp. 231-242

Schedule 09:00-12:00 Mondays, 15:15-18:15 Thursday

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