Lot 120 Diamond Drive has been designed specifically for the block on which it is located. Its form in both plan and elevation is a result of careful consideration given to local environmental constraints and functional use of the entire block.
Plan
The building is designed around 3 distinct pavilions, with each pavilion housing a separate function within the home (i.e. bedrooms separate from the family area which is again separate from the formal area). The pavilion design also allows for a closer relationship between the house and the natural landform with each pavilion stepping down the site reducing the need for excessive artificial shaping of the landscape. The formal area, family area and bedrooms all have immediate access to northern outdoor livings spaces encouraging the link between indoor and outdoor and enhancing the usable space of the block. The configuration of each pavilion creates sheltered, private outdoor spaces where residents feel welcome and secure. Another distinctive feature of the design is the 3 light well towers, which serve as an entry feature and as links between each pavilion. Each lightweight clad tower is topped with a large skylight, turning what would be under normal circumstances, a dark hallway into a light drenched portal by day and glowing lighthouse by night.
Natural Climate Control
The formal living area, the family area and all the bedrooms have a northerly aspect taking into account the cooler climate helping to reduce the need for as much artificial heating during long winters. Tiled flooring just inside these windows adds further to the heating effect by soaking up the warmth of the sun during the day and then radiating this warmth inside during the night. During hot weather in summer the 600 mm eaves and pergolas work together to cut out the sun to the northern windows due to the sun’s higher angle. The absence of western facing windows and the inclusion of one small window to the east decrease the chance of the house being heated up during the early morning and late afternoon, thus reducing the need for air-conditioning. All this combined with sensible planting of deciduous trees to the north and evergreen trees to the west and south help to create an environmentally sensitive development which enhances the liveability of the entire home and its backyard