We would like to congratulate Chris Gilbert and Michael Croft on their outstanding design submissions for the Resilient Timber Homes Design Competition. The winning entries featured innovative solutions like flood-reversible designs using prefabricated open-wall cassettes, moisture management systems, and advanced timber construction methods. These designs demonstrate the potential of timber-based construction in flood-prone areas. The competition highlights the importance of sustainability and adaptability in modern architecture, providing valuable insights into future building practices that address environmental challenges while promoting resilient housing solutions.
Chris Gilbert's design submission for Brief A is a testament to ingenuity and sustainable construction. His pioneering approach seamlessly integrates modular prefabrication and flood-resistant features, ensuring both speed and durability. He employs cost-effective solutions like blower door equipment for accelerated drying and moisture-removing graded bottom plates. Gilbert's design sets a blueprint for eco-friendly architecture, introducing the transformative ecosystem, Candour, which simplifies timber construction across diverse Australian regions. Developed by Archier, Candour is already making a real-world impact, streamlining workflows and enhancing timber design and resilience.
Michael Croft's "The Floodable Queenslander," the winner of Brief B, is a shining example of innovation in sustainable architecture. It harmoniously blends efficiency with passive design principles, optimising solar orientation, natural light, and ventilation. Beyond a home, it is a socially and environmentally conscious structure that adapts to its surroundings. Its unique feature is its adaptability, offering occupants a flexible framework for sustainable modifications. With innovative timber construction techniques and resilience against floods, it stands as a remarkable showcase of future-focused sustainable design.
The journey of these projects does not necessarily end with the competition. The Resilient Timber Homes program's research partners Frame & Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia and OneFortyOne each retain the right to commission the winners to develop full construction drawings and accompanying reports to build these homes and ensure that the designs will make a lasting impact on the way Australian timber homes are conceptualized and built.