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My aim with this Live-Work housing unit is to create a private sanctuary within its urban context using sustainable design. The given site is hostile towards a dwelling unit. The Live-Work unit must be designed in such a way as to not be alienated within this context. It must blend in with the urban fabric, but also maintain its typology of a house. The site is hostile because it is situated in a desert of parking lots and ommercial/institutional buildings. Currently, there is no residential community that could support this site. Since the projects needs cannot be addressed by looking outwardly to its context, it must look inward and create its own support structure, positive views, and sense of belonging. 

The two major functional demands of the project are separated into residentail and commercial. This allows for separate entrances and addresses (Commercial access via Victoria St. Laneway and Residential access via Bond St.). With distinct addresses, each can function separately without interference from the other, yet maintain a linkage between the two for the owners. Each function, can then take on its own form and expression. 

By creating these two separate units, the building also becomes flexible, in that as needs change the two buildings can be adapted as required. They could also disband from each other and be marketed as two separate lots. Separate Live from Work to ensure clarity to the users and greater identification with the environment its function dictates. 

The concrete structure was oversized to accomodate renovations in the future. Since the site is located on valuable real estate, it is more likely that there would be a desire to build a high-rise structure in the future. To minimize construction waste and maximize adaptability, further layers can be superimposed onto the grid of 650x650mm columns; thereby accomodating future needs at this location. 

The main passage spans nearly the whole length of the building. It is fully glazed and rises higher than the program spaces of the building. This extra height, along with operable windows allows for stack affect to take place and passively cool the building through natural ventilation. Furthermore, the brick wall lining the passage acts as a thermal mass and stores excess heat to be reradiated later when the building cools down. Similar to vernacular architecture in hot climates, a body of water has been placed central to the courtyard which aids in cooling. 

Greenspaces are distributed around the building on multiple levels. Each have the level of privacy and intimacy needed while maintaining a positive view from the space and from within the building. The inner courtyard is surrounded by glazed curtain wall to maximize transparency and promote openess into the sanctified space. Thus creating an oasis within the city. All major program spaces look onto the courtyrad, providing a more favourable view than the ones surrounding the site. The reflective properties of the pool and glazing creates a tranquil environment, ideal for relaxation and therapy. The site’s location is not congruent with typical residential neighbourhoods; it is surrounded by parking lots and commercial or retail buildings. As a result, the building must shelter itself from this hostile environment and put up barriers against this unwelcoming context.