90 Ruskin Street

by Fieldwork

90 Ruskin St is built on the traditional lands of the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung. The Project is a collection of 4 residences along Elwood Canal which aims to provide a sensitive model of densification in the suburban context, providing low impact living, with deeply embedded and tangible sustainability initiatives. Bordered by Ruskin Street and Elwood Canal, the design addresses the site’s resulting three unique boundary conditions in a diverse way. The scale, setback and materiality of the Ruskin Street frontage is designed to sit within its domestic context, while the northern interface creates an open and dynamic interface with the canal-edge. Linking the development together along the southern boundary is a new, permeable laneway; planted with canopy trees, providing functional pedestrian address to the residences. Recent developments along Elwood canal have typically adopted high fences and generally impermeable façades. This project takes it cues from some of the older houses within the area, which engage with the canal in a more open way. Through the orientation and stepped entry terraces facing north, the building engages positively with the canal and walking track along it, allowing for both open engagement with the wider built environment and facilitating ongoing passive surveillance to the walking path. The project employs a range of active shading measures including, deep northern eaves, operable external blinds to the large balcony decks and can function on 100% renewable energy through the incorporated photovoltaic solar system and Tesla battery wall within each townhouse. The building’s onsite grey water and rainwater collection, feed both toilets and irrigated native planting.

The project is designed for a varying demographic, aging in place and multigenerational living are considered via designing to Australia’s Gold and Platinum standards and provision of lifts in each residence, while flexible internal layouts with a high degree of adaptability accommodate a variety of lifestyles and family structures. The project uses natural and contextually responsive materials. Clay brick, sourced locally from the Grampians, is applied in a variety of ways – ‘Dimpled’ style brick application is used as a foundation, to de-mark the ground floor through texture and depth. ‘Hit and miss’ patterning feature at the east and west of the residences, creating shadow, articulation and addresses privacy issues at ground and first floor along the Ruskin St and the Canal walking track. Classic stretcher bond arrangement is celebrated through the variability in the natural clay bricks. The clay’s gradient from silvery-white, to light grey – with a smattering of beiges throughout, mimic the mottled depth and subtlety of the surrounding tree trunks. Along with this, spotted gum timber was chosen as it will grey off over time to match the natural grey bricks tone. Key to the brick façade detailing was the ‘Hit and miss’ patterning of the north east Ruskin Street frontage required significant coordination from the structural engineer to maximize the possible clear space between bricks to emphasize the lightness of the treatment whilst maintaining the structural robustness of a typical brick façade.