Location: Southport, Australia.
Architect: degenhartSHEDD architecture + urban design.
ENVI Micro Urban Village was designed to fill the ‘missing middle’ in the Australian housing market. It was architecturally designed and developed to create liveable and affordable homes on tiny lots, achieving high density without the high rise. The design process required a creative and continuous design process from initial planning and subdivision to the final delivery of the homes. ENVI’s house-and-land development model does just that, blurring the boundary between design and delivery, reinstating the classical position of “master architect” and creating opportunities for architectural vision and leadership in the delivery of consumer housing. This architectural leadership unlocks new value from existing land to enable the delivery of superior built form and urban design outcomes.
The ENVI model of urban infill is a collaboration with the city to create innovative and sustainable tiny-lot homes constructed by local builders. This project achieved a high level of density (150 dw/ha) in a medium-density format, providing apartment development yields without the height and impact on neighbourhood character, increasing housing affordability and choice in the urban centre. The project’s location allowed it to work together with the city’s new public transportation system to reduce the need for off-street car parking, encouraging buyers and local planning authorities to look toward a more sustainable urban future. ENVI Micro Urban Village is an example of the hidden human values extracted by thoughtful collaboration between ambitious creatives and courageous local planning authorities. The hedges and balcony balustrades, which feature a breezeblock-inspired lacework pattern, gently buffer the inhabitants from the street while allowing discreet surveillance and interaction.
This permeable boundary between the housing and the street offers a sense of privacy while rapidly cementing bonds within the community. Industry associations, government representatives, social housing organisations and popular media are recognising these positive design outcomes, expressing interest in the project as a desirable solution to the issue of housing affordability in Australia’s towns and cities.
