Pritchard's House, Adelaide

To minimise foundation costs on reactive clay soil, the structure is supported on only four reinforced concrete piers. The primary structure is two exposed steel trusses which cantilever 7.5 m each end, beyond a 15 m central span. Trusses were factory fabricated and shipped in 15 m lengths to minimize site welding. The adjoining work studio is connected to the house by a footbridge. A narrow service walkway runs the length of the house on the south side while a wider verandah extends to the north. In a sense the whole house is a giant verandah where not even blinds disguise the main living areas. In plan the house has a logical flow of living space and services: at one end the parent bedroom/bathroom, a spacious lounge/dining area and kitchen leading to a children's playroom, bathroom and two more bedrooms. The use of steel ensured tremendous precision, and off site fabrication facilitated rapid assembly in that the steel modules were brought to the site and basically just clipped together.

AUSTRALIA
Adelaide

Architect:
Max Pritchard

Structural engineer:
Eugene Pocius and Associates

Steel Fabricator:
Manuelle Engineers

House Interior






Detail scale 1:20


1 - girder 200 UC 46
2 - floor girder 250 UB 37
3 - roof girder 150 UC 23
4 - wind bracing L 90 X 90 X 8 mm
5 - roof construction: waterproof membrane, marine plywood 12 mm (screw fixed to rafters), thermal insulation with fire retardant foil, plasterboard 10mm
6 - wall construction: plasterboard 10mm, studs 90X35 mm, thermal insulation, red cedar boarding 19 mm
7 - floor construction: parquetry 19mm, concrete slab 120mm
8 - concrete pier



Site Section


scale 1:200