Reinventing Havelock

Project idea

Havelock House is one of Canberra's last pieces of social housing located in the city on Northbourne Avenue. Students have 3 months to develop a design that will increase density to the current building. Although the architecture is not heritage listed the idea behind the building and what it has brought to the community is, as such students must be respectful of the site.

Project description

The response to the brief I took was to use the site analysis to extrude towers of different heights and widths to accomodate long term and short term guests. Surrounding the building is a veil. This veil is designed to create a protective layer towards residents while also creating an artistic and intriguing facade to an area which is predominantly associated with linear hotels and commercial buildings.

Technical information

The original Havelock house is to stay its classic red brick as a response to the original uses of the building and to respect the heritage element of this project. The extruding residential towers are a dark grey wood which will age and respond to Canberra's greying and autumnal trees which surround the site. The veil will be constructed of overlapping white steel wire rope, this will create a light aspect the veil as to not overwhelm the residents.