UQ architecture students SpICE up Brisbane’s housing

University of Queensland (UQ) Master of Architecture students intend to improve Queensland’s housing crisis through their compact house designs which accommodate intergenerational families on suburban sites.

UQ Architecture lecturer, Mr Michael Dickson said the Space Intensive Contemporary Environment (SpICE) houses have been designed to combat the housing crisis by allowing multiple generations of one family to live together.

“The SpICE houses are designed to be ecologically friendly and self contained to prevent any increased pressure on the local service infrastructure,” he said.

As part of the Master of Architecture program, students develop their projects from the initial design stages through to material completion of their prototypes on a 1:5 scale.

The students created the scaled prototypes of their designs on the new Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) router located in the School of Architecture, providing an authentic insight into the design and manufacture process limitations and opportunities.

“The aim now is to further develop the overall design concept as a research project through the assistance of industry, before introducing the project into a future master’s course,” Mr Dickson said.

Master of Architecture student, Leah Gallagher said the SpICE project allowed the students to gain knowledge about opportunities to increase population without drastic change to the character of Brisbane suburbs.

“The SpICE project was an invigorating start to our Master’s program, with groups developing their studio designs into ‘hands on’ 1:5 models,” she said.

“Working with a new peer group, each with different professional experience to create one happy, small plywood folly was the highlight of SpICE.”

Media: Michael Dickson (m.dickson@uq.edu.au or 3365 3954) or Madelene Flanagan (m.flanagan@uq.edu.au or 3365 8525)