Abstract:

The initial stages of the project began with exploration through research surrounding inclusivity, guiding our in-person consultations with residents of Sydney’s Women’s Housing Company to surround a simple question that reveals many aspects of their lives; what is your daily routine? From this consultation we derived two key design takeaways; flexible living arrangements in the private realm, and places for conversation in the public realm.

The flexible living arrangements are made to be an adaptable long or short term living through sliding pocket doors between flexible rooms to be able to change ownership with minimal maintenance. These flexible rooms alternate between ‘core areas,’ larger spaces that dictate the division of ownership, including an attached essential living requirements. The flexible rooms allow for equitable bedrooms/studies/play rooms to be included or unused based on the resident’s preference or financial position. There’s been great consideration of the construction of pocket doors to be hidden and insulated to allow the spaces to feel safe and comfortable.

A key takeaway from early consultations was that designated communal spaces were underused and required direct invitation to be activated, which can be confronting. Hence, the project’s design intends to provide incidental communal moments to occur throughout many areas of the residence, with spaces of varying volume, size and location designed to accommodate the diverse demographic of women.