Allen Jack+Cottier’s design of student residences at Kelvin Grove Urban Village, Brisbane, has been completed.
The new village — developed and owned by Campus Living Villages — consists of two buildings (456 beds in 109 apartments) enclosing a landscaped courtyard. Retail and food outlets address the street and further integrate the facility with the surrounding village community. Allen Jack+Cottier has designed a facility that provides an environment within that is conducive to study — such as necessary acoustic separation and healthy quantities of sunlight — with an outlook that allows the student to see what is occurring around them, thereby overcoming the sense of isolation that accompanies intense periods of study.
The steep sloping site is accessed from the street at three different floor levels, with each access point activated by communal and public facilities, including shops and cafes, student common room, laundry, ‘e-library’ and administration.
The buildings reflect the pragmatism of design for the sub-tropical climate, with their appearance influenced by passive environmental initiatives. Corrugated steel cladding (providing shading and insulation to the masonry structure), wide overhangs and attached sunshades to windows are specific to the location and aspect. Colour was used sparingly.
Allen Jack+Cottier worked with CJP Consulting Engineers on ESD initiatives, from the core use of reverse masonry construction for thermal performance, to small-scale plumbing features that restrict water flow. For example, apartments go right through the building to provide cross ventilation, and the building is oriented to optimise access to natural light.
Sustainable design features are also intrinsic to the building and the construction methodology, which has resulted in a 4.5-star BERS (Building Energy Rating Scheme) for over 90 per cent of the apartments.
Sustainable features include:
- external shading on windows
- gas-fired cogeneration plant (provides electricity for common areas and all hot water)
- gas-fired clothes dryers
- 50,000 litre tanks for rainwater
- collection and storage
- porous pavements
- laundry greywater used for irrigation
- waterless urinals
- low VOC paints
- high thermal mass construction with exposed concrete ceilings
The Kelvin Grove Urban Village is a joint initiative by the Department of Housing and the Queensland University of Technology.
