Cox Rayner flood proof Queenslander
There is a stark correlation between Australia and water troubles. These issues have stretched across the nation, with Queensland taking the brunt of intensive flooding in January this year. Architects are now fighting back with their creation of water safe homes.
Flood-proof design initiatives have gained momentum with the release of the Queensland Government’s “Understanding Floods: Questions and Answers” report by the state’s chief scientist Dr. Geoff Garrett. The flood report, which examines and draws conclusions from January’s floods, offers a firm backing of design that safeguards houses in flood prone areas.
“Property modification measures can protect against harm caused by floods to individual buildings,” Dr. Garrett said,
“Land use planning informed by floodplain management plans can reduce risk for new development areas”.
The floods saw a loss of 37 people, with damage to the state so excessive that three-quarters were declared a disaster zone. Compacted onto this was an economic loss of $30 million, all of which has prompted serious action by the government.
Instigating this action is director of Cox Rayner; architect Michael Rayner, whose Queensland house was flooded this year. The effects of the devastating floods has given him first hand knowledge of the power behind these natural disasters. It has also given him an insight into how to safeguard against them, an architectural mission that has a very personal base.
This new home, designed by Mr. Rayner, which has been dubbed the “new Queenslander”, uses the basis of traditional Queensland home design as its most prominent design feature. The key differentiation from the original buildings is that the house is designed and built vertically, thus offering to safeguard from rising water levels.
The design features a tri-level structure of up to 11m, with objects of importance increasing with each level.
The ground floor has been labelled “the utility space”, which is used to store cars, water tanks and for general family use. This area is floored with tiles and concrete and places an emphasis on easy cleaning after flooding.
The second floor, which is built on stilts, is home to the living areas, such as kitchen and lounge room space. The walls open, which again stresses idea of easy cleaning, whilst also offering cross ventilation, which is an absolute essential in the Queensland climate.
The third and final floor is home to bedrooms, and further “dry space” that home owners may use to preserve up to 90% of their possessions during the floods.
The roof is protected by insulated steel and treated ply, with a further mixture of compressed fibre cement sheeting and timber for the walls and structure.
The approximate price to build this three-bedroom, two-bathroom, two-car space structure is $550,000, which is slightly higher than traditional Queensland homes.
With the release of the flood report, it is incredibly important that Queenslanders be privy to information regarding the safeguarding of their homes. In doing so, the devastation of further flooding could be substantially decreased. This will take pressure of both home owners, and the states economy through the added extra of industry stimulus through water resilience construction initiatives.
