New Karratha community has focus on outdoor living
The lifestyle focus is being spearheaded by TR Homes, the ABN Group’s manufactured housing division.
Jared Stone, Sales and Marketing Manager from TR Homes, says the company's design team is working with renowned architect and urban designer Simon Youngleson to create a new product range for the 82 dwellings in Tambrey Estate, Karratha.
“We know the Pilbara’s extreme climate has a direct design effect on the homes we produce, but through design collaboration with Simon Youngleson we wanted to focus on producing properties that also embrace the unique lifestyle of the region,” he said.
“One of the key features we’re focusing on is the return of the front verandah, which affords the opportunity for residents to live out and socialise at the front of their home and interact with neighbours.
“With this dominant feature in mind, we’re designing the front verandah as large and shady outside rooms to allow for alfresco living and dining. Not only does this embrace community living, it also acts as great passive surveillance and an additional security feature.”
The WA State Government selected Australia’s leading residential home building company – Alcock Brown-Neaves Group (ABN Group) 12 months ago to assist in the revitalisation of Karratha’s town centre by developing the 82 new homes on currently undeveloped land in the suburb of Nickol.
ABN Group was awarded the contract after successfully creating a design with a strong emphasis on streetscapes and landscaping, in addition to good connectivity with public open space, the local primary school and the surrounding area.
“The coordination of quality streetscapes is of great importance to the estate, and the opportunity to design and build the entire subdivision allows us to create coordinated streetscapes that are both functional and visually attractive,” adds Mr Stone.
“We’re aiming to create homes within an established and integrated community. Ultimately this means we are thinking about the living experience of the resident, when they drive on the street, walk on the footpath, play in the park or sit on their front verandah.
“To achieve this many layers of additional detail need to be designed and constructed, from the orientation of living spaces, balustrading detail, the height of the verandah above the street, front fencing designs, retaining walls, landscaping, pathways and even the placement of letterboxes.
“We feel that it’s all of these elements combined with built form that make for a truly liveable estate and we’re genuinely excited to be working with one of Western Australia’s leading architects in urban design and built form as he applies his expertise to this exciting project.”
Construction on the new homes is expected to start over the coming months, with the first finished homes to be delivered on site in August 2012.