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Robust materials and an elevated stance allow a family’s studio to weather brutal conditions in a disaster-prone region of Australia.
When Martin and Casey Johnston added a stand-alone studio to their property in a flood-prone region on the east coast of Australia, they baked disaster resilience into the design. They just didn’t expect to have its limits tested so soon.
Flooding is a constant threat in subtropical New South Wales, so Casey Johnston (pictured, with sons Raph and Ozzy) and husband Martin asked architect Justin Twohill to design a backyard house that could weather a downpour with minimal cleanup.
Photo by Andy Macpherson
Within a month of the project’s completion, a record-breaking flood inundated their quiet, coastal town of New Brighton, in New South Wales. Martin, Casey, and their two children, Raph, six, and Ozzy, four, were evacuated, unsure of what damage they would find on their return.
"We’ve seen a few floods…but nothing like that," Casey says. "The water was just coming so quickly."
The couple chose hardy materials such as concrete blocks and galvanized steel and raised the floor 1.9 meters to keep the new build safe. The sleek, charred-wood cladding is an additional flood-resilience measure.
Photo by Andy Macpherson
See the full story on Dwell.com: Smart Design Saved This Backyard House From a Devastating Flood
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By: Penny Carroll
Title: Smart Design Saved This Backyard House From a Devastating Flood
Sourced From: www.dwell.com/article/byron-street-studio-buro-two-architecture-77c645e3
Published Date: Sun, 08 Jan 2023 02:07:57 GMT
