Designing Beyond the Floorplan: (Three Dimensional Solutions for Housing)

Abstract

Auckland’s new Unitary Plan aims to solve the city’s housing crisis by providing affordable and denser housing. This is to be achieved through building intensification within the Auckland area. This thesis examines three-dimensional planning exemplars - Plan Libre and Raumplan - with a view to identify concepts that will be useful for compact and dense housing. “Designing beyond the floor-plan” explores design approaches that balance budget with liveable social spaces that aim to actively connect the family, neighbour, and community. Auckland’s housing demographic consists of multicultural and diverse families. This has created a demand for flexible housing that satisfies a variety of bedroom configurations and sizes. Typological features of Raumplan and Plan Libre approaches have been considered for their ability to cater to the cultural, economic, and physical requirements of Auckland. This thesis focuses on a contemporary prototype of high density family homes clustered on a shared title. This thesis examines Le Corbusiers’ aspirations on creating a new type of plan for the city and the house. One where everyone has access to vast airy sunlit spaces with green areas, maximising play and living. Adolf Loos’ Raumplan theory is explored through the thesis by focusing on the delineation of spaces. It emphasises pressure on space and people, through compacting and expanding volumes. It explores this through level and ceiling changes, mainly utilising the use of split levels. This thesis has aimed to connect the use of raumplan design with a strong focus on creating a productive community area that nurtures positive connections and spaces within the neighbourhood. It has utilised aspects of raumplan such as split levels and compactness and combined this with the creation of vast airy spaces, where occupants have the choice of large community areas or private spaces. All the notions incorporated into the design have been adapted with a strong emphasis on creating a local architecture that blends into the existing neighbourhood and community. The 10 houses work as a collective and will hopefully engage the public to explore methods of designing high density housing in the Auckland area.