Winter Park cluster housing
Winter Park was designed by award winning architect Graeme Gunn and developed by both Rob White and Merchant designers. It is located at 131-147 High Street, Doncaster, Victoria and is in 2.43 hectares in size. The design consists of twenty detached houses and was constructed in two stages between 1970 and 1974. Gunn’s residential project is described as “an outstanding example of careful design extended into a consideration of the importance of landscape and open space and, ultimately, the presence and feel of a place”.
Design approach
Architect's intent
Winter Park is a carefully planned development in which group of houses are sited to optimize available land in more efficient and environmentally sensitive method than that provided by the normal rectangular grid lot suburban subdivision. The project was built in two stages due to a capital cost and excess land was combined to provide communal open space. Houses are sited to relate with each other, to optimize privacy, solar orientation, views and physical conditions.
Winter Park compromises of four groups of five houses that are located around communal car and pedestrian access ways, and each dwelling has a private garden in addition to a large central communal recreation space. The central idea was the free sitting of houses, private garden and communal open space to achieve an integration of the built environment within the most efficient use of land.