The Davison Collaborative

The Davison Collaborative had two key design challenges. Firstly, we needed to establish a management structure to facilitate the collaborative development process. Secondly, we needed to deliver compact architecture that sensitively increased density in a well-connected area, as well as achieving best practice in environmentally sustainable design. Engaging the Collaborative Development Model by HIP V. HYPE as a management structure, the Davison Collaborative was designed to provide a transition from the old industrial edge of Brunswick to a residential context. The Davison Collaborative demonstrates that sympathetic architecture can enable responsible density in the inner suburbs, without compromising neighbourhood character.

The Davison Collaborative transformed one suburban block into three, high performance family homes. The project delivered the highest level of environmentally sustainable design for the most accessible cost by integrating both passive design principles and advanced sustainability technology. Each residence at the Davison Collaborative are all electric, with no gas, powered by solar energy during the day and solar energy stored in the batteries during the evening. The homes are targeted to be net carbon positive in operation, reducing their environmental impact, as well as reducing energy bills for the residents.

The Davison Collaborative provides for the supply of new and diverse housing choices in existing urban areas, which supports population growth in a way that encourages active and public transport to access employment opportunities and existing services. The project demonstrates that environmentally sustainable, well-designed density enhances the liveability and affordability of our inner and middle ring suburbs. The project also demonstrated the value of the Collaborative Development Model by HIP V. HYPE. The model facilitates collaborators to come together to realise a new development by pooling financial resources to break down the barriers of very high property prices.

The Davison Collaborative engaged the Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) construction system which presents a number of benefits to create an energy efficient building envelopment, providing insulation that creates a tight building envelop and reduces heat loss and thermal bridging. The residences champion passive design principles. The design orientated each home to open out to the north, ensuring optimal solar penetration to warm the house in winter, with external automated block out blinds to all north and west facing windows with cross ventilation and ceiling fans in place to cool the homes in summer. Each residence provides for 4.5 kWh of solar panel capacity and 7.5 kWh of battery capacity. The project features an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) active systems and electric heat pumps for hot water and hydronic heating. Caroma Smart Command technology is installed to monitor water usage and rainwater collection tanks are installed in each residence to reduce the amount of water the homes draw from our water reserves. Binq tilt and turn high performance windows and doors are installed in each residence to enhance thermal insulation and provide effective cross ventilation cooling.