The site where our Domus is being built is slightly south west of kakadu national park on the property off Echidna Road near Lake Bennett.
There are four main soil types which occur within the boundaries of the Kakadu site. These are Stony Soils, Yellow Podzolic Soils, Lateritic Soils and Acid Alluvial Soils.
Stony Soils: These soils are non-homogenous and are subject to high levels of erosion. They contain moderate amounts of stone, clay and minerals.
Yellow Podzolic Soils: Any group of acidic, zonal soils having a leached, light colored surface layer and a subsoil containing clay and oxides of aluminum and iron, varying in color from red to yellowish red to a bright yellowish brown.
Lateritic Soils: A reddish soil developed from weathering which contains vast quantities of Laterite. This is generally a surface formation enriched with iron and aluminum.
Above: Laterite formations
Acid Alluvial Soils: These are soils which contain traces of heavy metals.
The site is in a hot climate where there is a large problem with insects and a vast need for shade. There is a house existing on the site which we have decided to leave there. The terrain is mountainous and land heights can reach 125m above sea level at their highest.
For our design we want to make the most of the winds coming from the west and the south east to promote air flow and cooling of the occupants. locating the building on the east side of the hill in between the two mountains means we can both channel the winds and be sheltered from the hot afternoon sun.
The area is also subject to flooding in the monsoon season which means it needs to be elevated off the ground. The nearby Lake Bennett overflows and the majority of the surroundings is turned into a marshland and thus locating the building on the hill not only gives it protection from rising floods but also allows a vista over the marshlands during the floods.
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