Larrakeyah & Coonawarra Medium Density Precincts, Darwin, NT, 1992-94
National RAIA Robin Boyd Award for residential architecture, 1993
RAIA (NT) Tracy Memorial Award, 1993
‘At the Larrakeyah Army Barracks in Darwin, a new medium density housing development has been built on a peninsula overlooking the Timor Sea. The 21 dwellings, designed by Troppo Architects of Darwin for the Commonwealth Defence Housing Authority, have earned one of the three Robin Boyd Awards given this year for residential architecture. Jurors were impressed by the architects’ response to the tropical climate with detached and semi-detached houses designed to be comfortable whether air-conditioned or not. The development accommodates the families of soldiers (typically serving two year tours of duty) who expect and appreciate the conventional comforts of suburbia.’
-Jury Citation from Architecture Australia
Concurrently Troppo created a 32 dwelling development at Coonawarra Navy base, where the same principles for dwelling type mix and their disposition around the site enabled fit with topography, view opportunities and breeze penetration. This project has been published as an exemplar of environmentally responsible site planning. Views. A subsequent undertaking, again for DHA, was a masterplan for renewal of all housing stock at Darwin’s RAAF Base. The plan resulted in 300 dwelling upgrades and infill medium density and project housing. ...Finally, this same approach was extended to upgrades and infill projects in smaller DHA-held precincts in suburban Townsville.
All DHA work proudly extends northern Australian traditions of tropical housing.
Project Value $6m