Development of Cabin Design

Urban Utopia Plan

When deciding on what I want my cabin design to look like I began with extracting what I liked from the Casa Tolo house and what would need to change.
Like:
- Built with the contour of the site
- Narrow in design
- Minimal doors - minimal private space
- Stairs - the journey through the building
Dislike:
- Concrete for exterior material
- Minimal windows

My dislikes are due to the site for the cabin being in South East Queensland.  I think it is important that there is windows to capture air flow as well as natural light, and that more economical and natural materials are used for the design.

The spaces given to us in the criteria are all basic spaces needed for any basic housing design.  It is important to note that the client is Alvaro Siza and his wife, therefore it is not necessary to design a space that is big enough for entertaining.  As there is only 75sq. metres maximum for the design, I thought it important to find spaces that could be joined and become one.  

The dining and preparing meals should placed close to one another, as well as the living.  The reflecting space could be found in either the sleeping or living space, while I believe it is necessary for Alvaro to have his own space for working separate.  It is important that there is at least a toilet closeby to the living and work space, while there is a bathroom and toilet near the bedroom.  

My next step was to decide on space sizes, looking at average space dimensions.  I then began to start free sketching different ideas to develop my design. 

The way the water flows through the site was important to note, as the site is on a steep slope.  Please note these are only diagrams and are therefore not to scale.

I thought it important to understand where the sun would go through my cabin.  It is important that there is strong light in the study as well as some light everywhere else.

Below are sketches I have done to develop my design personally.  They show different areas of the cabin inside and outside, looking at different layouts and exterior presentation.  

Interior Development Sketches