CHRISTIE WALK
A unique development in Adelaide aims to bring community back into the forefront of design issues. But are such projects realistic and sustainable models?
When Christie Walk was first initiated by Urban Ecology Australia Inc. (UEA) in 1999, the vision was to establish a healthier alternative to the pattern of suburban sprawl which predominates in most South Australian cities. Through the efforts of its residents and volunteers, an inner-city site previously occupied by derelict houses and semi-industrial land uses was transformed into a prototype community which seeks to maximize lifestyle while minimizing environmental impact, all within a modest budget.
Located in downtown Adelaide, Christie Walk was named in honor of the late Scott Christie, a long-time peace and environmental activist who helped promote the development. The neighborhood is located on a T-shaped site the size of two quarter acre blocks in the inner city within walking distance to markets and public transport. Through the efforts of architect Paul Downton and his company, Ecopolis Architects, fourteen dwellings have been established, with thirteen additional apartments to be completed in late 2006. Each building was sited to maximize solar orientation and include user-controlled vents and thermal flues which allow residents to rely on the effects of breezes, sunlight and vegetation for heating, cooling and humidity control. Stormwater from the roofs and balconies is collected on site in two 2000litre underground tanks located beneath the carports and used for irrigation and toilet flushing, decreasing reliance on city water. The provision of solar hot water and photovoltaics further reduce energy requirements; Christie Walk homes use roughly 50% less energy than the average South Australian home.
However, it is the design and planning process which sets this neighborhood apart from conventional developments. Ideas about the design, planning and management of the community were driven by the feedback of its future residents and intended purchasers of the dwellings. These included first-time homebuyers, investment purchasers, experienced home-owners and older people wanting to retire in an active, mixed community. Concerns ranged from broader issues of community participation to the detail of specifying what types of nontoxic materials to be used in its construction. It was up to Downton to coordinate these ideas into a design which satisfied these requirements.
Downton acknowledged there were both benefits and drawbacks to this community-based approach of development: “The strengths of the project have been to do with the powerful sense of community that underpinned its existence and its capacity to engage many people at many levels, each establishing a stake in the ideas and processes of urban environmentally sensitive design. The weaknesses derive, ironically, from the same source, with decision making and management made more complicated and time-consuming than could easily be supported within the financial constraints of urban development.” While discussions proved valuable to flesh out design concepts, they may have added to the cost of the project in terms of time and construction delays.
Adding to the challenges was getting the project off the ground. In 1999, no builder could be found to take on the challenge of its environmental requirements. At the time, sustainable building technologies were only beginning to enter the mainstream market; Christie Walk relied on alternative construction techniques and materials which contractors were either unfamiliar with and/or viewed as too restrictive. In the end, Downton and interested community members formed their own building company and constructed the first two stages of the project with the help of volunteers and future residents. Green technologies have since advanced and Stage 3 of the project was contracted out.
The manner in which vegetation and outdoor spaces have been integrated with house designs reflects the importance placed on shared community space at Christie Walk. Gardens, rather than roads, run throughout the site. The creation of an internal pedestrian street designed on the theme of a walled garden links residents and visitors to homes and small gathering spaces, including a community vegetable plot and roof garden. “The gardens are the social glue of the neighborhood,” said Downton.
The success of these outdoor spaces can be largely attributed to the efforts of its residents. Its construction has been reliant on the do-it-yourself approach, which is ingrained in the culture of Christie Walk. “The fact that it was up to the residents to put in the planting, paving and barbeque really brought the community together,” said Joan Carlin, a long standing resident. Wandering through the site, the gardens have a wild feel about them and include a variety of sizes, shapes, textures and colours which continues to change daily with new contributions from residents. Native and indigenous species predominate, with a few exotics splashed in for added interest. A series of projects can also be found inserted within the gardens, from makeshift benches in an informal sitting area to stacks of recycled pavers waiting for installation. The neighborhood is a continual work-in-progress which its residents take pride in cultivating.
But are such developments prototypes for replication? Christie Walk is unique in the willingness of its residents to contribute their time and efforts towards developing the neighborhood. “Those who choose to live here are pretty self-selecting,” says Carlin. Relying on the same level of commitment and good will from clients at future projects might be a risky endeavor. When Christie Walk began, there was a lack of good information about the cost of sustainable building practices which made it difficult to set a realistic budget for the project. Consequently, finances have been a limiting factor which has impacted the scope of the development; resources such as photovoltaics for the roof garden had to be eliminated and more reliance placed on its residents to carry out unfinished work. However, Downton affirms that in the last six years, green technologies for construction and design have been tested and refined, making it easier to predict the programming and costings for future developments. Even so, finding the funds to support such projects outside of personal investments remains a struggle, making it difficult to keep house prices in such developments in a range comparable to conventional inner-city properties in Adelaide.
The impact of Christie Walk has been mixed. Globally, the project has received international attention – including recognition by the United Nations - and recently won the silver prize in the Ryutaro Hashimoto APFED Awards for Good Practice. Yet locally, the project has kept a low profile, with minimal recognition by local municipalities. The question then arises as to why, as a prototype community, it hasn’t stimulated more interest in Adelaide. Some argue developers have a successful formula for what they do, so there is no immediate incentive for them to change and adapt new methodologies. As a result, consumers have a narrower range of housing models to choose from, and may be unaware of alternatives and/or reluctant to invest in something that is more unconventional. Others believe city and state governments need to provide more funding opportunities to both developers and the community to promote alternative housing technologies, as well as increase efforts to incorporate ecological principles into current housing business models. Even so, there is no guarantee of success. With the wrong management, or a fractious mix of residents, Christie Walk might well have gone the way of so many failed community developments in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s.
On a positive note, Australian states are beginning to introduce stricter environmental planning regulations and develop trial subdivisions. Local initiatives by the Adelaide city government are promoting the development of business and commercial enterprises which adhere to principles of environmental sustainability and amenity, as through the Lochiel Park proposal (a ‘green village’ development) and Whitmore Square Eco Housing, a national design competition which sought ideas for environmentally sound affordable housing.
Despite the challenges which have faced Christie Walk, its residents seem pleased and supportive of their community. Says Downton, “The project’s biggest success is that it works. It has a strong community and hits all the sweet spots of sustainability.” Although transition may be slow, those who live at Christie Walk are proof that it can happen. Bryan Bell sums it well in his book, Good Deeds, Good Design: Community Service Through Architecture: “ There is no shortage of demand for our skills…we lack only the confidence to allow these demands to structure and include us.”
Gweneth Newman Leigh is a practicing landscape architect from the US who lives in Canberra, Australia
introduction & links / photos
