Gen Y

By Cast Studio

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The Gen Y housing project is a multi-residential project that was conceived as a foothold in the housing market for a generation fast being priced out of the ‘Australian dream’.

Project Details
Photographer — Robert Frith

The LandCorp ‘Gen Y’ demonstration housing, which Cast Studio, formerly David Barr Architects, won through competition in 2013, is a multi-residential project that was conceived as a foothold in the housing market for a generation fast being priced out of the ‘Australian dream’. With a design strategy of ‘small and raw’ units that are well located and well priced, the project attempts to reconceptualise what is achievable when community, sustainability and cost are prioritised equally.

A collection of small and affordable apartments, the project is based around a standardised core wet area and kitchen, with the three separate homes having a combined internal area that is less than the average Australian home. Each unit is strata titled to contain private ownership of interior and exterior spaces and shared common property.

The ‘Gen Y’ demonstration housing speaks to a desire for community by providing generous shared external and semi-external areas. Amalgamated productive gardens, gathering spaces and storage areas (for bikes, kayaks, scooters and beyond) create an external area that is shared between units and with the street. The project suggests a deliberate blurring between outside and inside (be it outside an apartment or outside the site) and provokes social and ecological interaction.

The ‘Gen Y’ Demonstration House has been accredited with a ‘gold medal’ level life cycle analysis by Etool, meets the principles of the ‘One Planet Living’ sustainability framework, and has been designed to meet the essential requirements of the ‘Livable Homes’ accessibility standards. The house, through generous corporate and institutional sponsorship, has also been designed with PV cells and battery storage, a 10,000L underground rainwater tank, and performance monitoring for all key services.

Awards
National Sustainability Awards, Best of the Best, Winner
National Sustainability Awards, Multiple Dwelling, Winner
AIA Architecture Award, Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing, Winner
AIA Architecture Award, Sustainable Architecture, Winner
National Architecture Awards, Sustainable Architecture, National Commendation

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Gen Y

Cast Studio
Cast Studio
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About the
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Architecture & the human spirit

After ten years as David Barr Architects, today our team is known simply and collectively as Cast. Our culture is open, diverse and inclusive. We work together on architecturally designed homes defined by purpose and character.

Cast Studio designs buildings that shape lives for the better. We do this by celebrating the collective act of architecture. Cast is a catalyst for change, working in active partnership with clients, collaborators and communities.

We value a multitude of perspectives because we recognize that the spaces, we create serve a multitude of people. A shared architecture, for a common good.

Cast Studio is located in Fremantle, WA.

At ArchiPro we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.