There is a lot of debate in northen Australia about housing, block sizes and energy use. Mostly, residents need to keep cool - current very cool dry season weather excluded. So efficient design allowing easy breeze movement, plenty of windows, lots of trees and shading, even airvents on the roof, are part of the mix. Or they were until recently - as intrusion of temperate style houses with heavy thick high thermal load walls, small sliding windows on small blocks continue to expand into the local scene. Funnily enough, it is noticeable that modern homes in southern Queensland, on the Sunshine coast, are now including more warm weather efficient design, while the NT seems to be pandering to the influx of new residents and their perceptions of modern temperate housing - not what is needed in modern warm weather building design.
There are some good designs in modern apartment blocks, and some that are awful. A lot of apartments will include airconditioning, and so will houses. But that can be ok if used wisely, for example bedrooms when those hot still nights of September through December arrive, with minimum temperatures around 28C.
We are going to start with the latest edition to the Darwin skyline - Evolution. It is upmarket, expensive and all apartments. Lots of air conditioning, but it is still not finished. But high quality fit out is expected. Maybe we can add more later.
This building will dominate the Darwin central skyline. From all over. Thirty three levels. Topped out last week, with a giant tree gracing the roof, now removed.
Evolution on the left, and 16 floors of Pandanas [another new city apartment /hotel block]on the right.
Hope to add views of a range of housing over the next few weeks.
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