Mr Christopher ( Chris ) Tucker

Work Phone	(02) 4921 5774
Fax	(02) 4921 6913
Email	Chris.Tucker@newcastle.edu.au
Position	Lecturer School of Architecture and Built Environment The University of Newcastle, Australia
Office	A113, Architecture

Biography

Chris Tucker is a Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Built Environment, program convenor for the Master of Architecture, coordinator of the final year design program and director of the architectural practice Herd. Chris has been awarded regional, state and international prizes for architecture and his buildings and designs have been widely exhibited and published. In 2006 he became the first Australian to win the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition, the 41st year the prize has been awarded. He has been awarded over $100,000 for his research concerning the social sustainability of residential streetscapes and the analysis of the visual characteristics of buildings using computer and robotic software. He is also a research associate for an ARC grant worth $300,000 awarded in 2007 for visual analysis of buildings.

Qualifications

Master of Philosophy, University of Newcastle, 2010
Bachelor of Architecture (Honours), University of Newcastle, 1995
Bachelor of Science (Architecture), University of Newcastle, 1990

Research

Research keywords

Health and Housing
Small urban houses
Urban residual space

Research expertise

Research areas include;

analysis of residual space within urban streets.

urban housing within the residual space of urban streets.

'ageing in place' and social housing.

'cuttings' within buildings to be demolished.

M.Phil.

Developing Computational Image Segmentation Techniques for the Analysis of the Visual Properties of Dwelling Facades within a Streetscape.

PhD (current)

The Mapping and Occupation of Residual Space within the Urban Streets of Newcastle for Housing

Collaboration

Collaborations include;

School of Computer Science; visual algorithms for analysing architecture

Department of Family and Community Services; Social Housing

Newcastle City Council; Social Housing

UoN Think Space; Interactive architecture and projection

Herd pty ltd; architectural practice

Fields of Research

Code	Description	Percentage
120101	Architectural Design	70
120508	Urban Design	20
190205	Interactive Media	10

Centres and Groups

Centre

Centre for Interdisciplinary Built Environment Research

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

Member - RAIA

Appointments

Member of the Hunter Development Corporation Design Review Panel HDC (Australia)	01/01/2006
Member of the CCC Affordable Housing External Reference Group Cessnock City Council (Australia)	01/01/2007

Awards

Research Award.

2010	Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Creative Works University of Newcastle (Australia) Vanna3: Realised Architectural Project Chris Tucker Research Background: These houses embrace the complexity and contradiction inherit within the values, regulations and development controls regarding infill housing within heritage conservation areas. The street facing elevation deconstructs the significant and deeply layered Vanna Venturi House as a source for architectural critique. Research Contribution: The construction of two houses, both two storey, is effectively hidden behind a façade that is proportioned and sized on the façade of the 1966 Vanna Venturi house designed by Robert Venturi for his mother. This architectural critique on iconic importation is similar to the digitized stretching of the same façade undertaken by Ashton Raggart McDougall. The existing house on site was deconstructed firstly by making a surgical cut from front to back3, and then as a reinterpretation of stated heritage values the demolished framing timbers were retained to clad the façade of the new house. The interior space in contrast is a covered external space with carefully folded ceiling planes. The houses critique the modernist adage that ‘less is more’ and provides a contemporary interpretation of heritage planning codes beyond the retention of existing street facades. Research Significance This architectural research is significant because of its architectural interpretation of planning codes within heritage areas using one of the 20th centuries most iconic buildings. While the architectural manipulations of façade and icon are yet to be published, the design has been recognised by selection for display in the Australian Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale, publication in the exhibition book ‘Abundant’, and subsequent ‘Abundant Highlights’ exhibition in Australia upon return.
2006	Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition Japan Architect (Japan) There is a need for small houses in urban centres through out the world and within Australian cities this is also the case. This housing project is within the east coast city of Newcastle, where single people and single parents represent 70% of all people requiring affordable or public housing. The nearly urban housing project is part of an urban strategy to use available space within the inner city of Newcastle for small houses. The project proposes that a three metre wide space above a pedestrian footpath, on the north west and south west sides of a five storey car parking station, be used for the construction of 30 one and two bedroom houses. By clinging to the surface of the car parking station each house has a car parking space at their front door, while the operational aspects of the car parking station are without change. The addition of these houses brings more people in closer proximity to the public transport hub in Newcastle, and closer to the places where they are more likely to work. The consumption of spaces that make a limited contribution to the life of the street with the habitable spaces of housing activates the surrounding public space. The commercial potential of this residual space otherwise remains unrealised unless released by a buildings demolition or radical overhaul. Mapping these spaces within the city as a network of lost spaces shows that they can occupy a considerable volume. Close to public transport, shopping streets and places of work they should be desirable places for housing. In Tokyo for example, where modern houses occupy ever-smaller parcels of land, any available space appears to be continuously interrogated for possibilities. he value that this process places on spaces within the city reinforces the notion that; urbanity is not a static form at the end of a debate for more dense living. This is rarely the case in Australian cities. The existing landscape of urban buildings and urban spaces are thick with possibility. Already established as places where taller and more substantial buildings have been built, and as a space where people do live more closely with each other, the use of urban space should always be questioned for its potential as housing. This may also help conserve some of the workers cottages within the inner city that are being removed and replaced with more dense and larger apartments. The proposed nearly urban houses are linearly planned with service spaces running against the shared wall with the car parking station. At one end is an outdoor room that might become a study or garden in a one bedroom house. A two bedroom house has a bedroom on the other side of this outdoor room. The houses are cantilevered from the existing wall and structurally supported by the concrete frame of the car parking station.

2010

Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research Creative Works
University of Newcastle (Australia)
Vanna3: Realised Architectural Project Chris Tucker Research Background: These houses embrace the complexity and contradiction inherit within the values, regulations and development controls regarding infill housing within heritage conservation areas. The street facing elevation deconstructs the significant and deeply layered Vanna Venturi House as a source for architectural critique. Research Contribution: The construction of two houses, both two storey, is effectively hidden behind a façade that is proportioned and sized on the façade of the 1966 Vanna Venturi house designed by Robert Venturi for his mother. This architectural critique on iconic importation is similar to the digitized stretching of the same façade undertaken by Ashton Raggart McDougall. The existing house on site was deconstructed firstly by making a surgical cut from front to back3, and then as a reinterpretation of stated heritage values the demolished framing timbers were retained to clad the façade of the new house. The interior space in contrast is a covered external space with carefully folded ceiling planes. The houses critique the modernist adage that ‘less is more’ and provides a contemporary interpretation of heritage planning codes beyond the retention of existing street facades. Research Significance This architectural research is significant because of its architectural interpretation of planning codes within heritage areas using one of the 20th centuries most iconic buildings. While the architectural manipulations of façade and icon are yet to be published, the design has been recognised by selection for display in the Australian Pavilion at the 2008 Venice Biennale, publication in the exhibition book ‘Abundant’, and subsequent ‘Abundant Highlights’ exhibition in Australia upon return.

2006

Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition
Japan Architect (Japan)
There is a need for small houses in urban centres through out the world and within Australian cities this is also the case. This housing project is within the east coast city of Newcastle, where single people and single parents represent 70% of all people requiring affordable or public housing. The nearly urban housing project is part of an urban strategy to use available space within the inner city of Newcastle for small houses. The project proposes that a three metre wide space above a pedestrian footpath, on the north west and south west sides of a five storey car parking station, be used for the construction of 30 one and two bedroom houses. By clinging to the surface of the car parking station each house has a car parking space at their front door, while the operational aspects of the car parking station are without change. The addition of these houses brings more people in closer proximity to the public transport hub in Newcastle, and closer to the places where they are more likely to work. The consumption of spaces that make a limited contribution to the life of the street with the habitable spaces of housing activates the surrounding public space. The commercial potential of this residual space otherwise remains unrealised unless released by a buildings demolition or radical overhaul. Mapping these spaces within the city as a network of lost spaces shows that they can occupy a considerable volume. Close to public transport, shopping streets and places of work they should be desirable places for housing. In Tokyo for example, where modern houses occupy ever-smaller parcels of land, any available space appears to be continuously interrogated for possibilities. he value that this process places on spaces within the city reinforces the notion that; urbanity is not a static form at the end of a debate for more dense living. This is rarely the case in Australian cities. The existing landscape of urban buildings and urban spaces are thick with possibility. Already established as places where taller and more substantial buildings have been built, and as a space where people do live more closely with each other, the use of urban space should always be questioned for its potential as housing. This may also help conserve some of the workers cottages within the inner city that are being removed and replaced with more dense and larger apartments. The proposed nearly urban houses are linearly planned with service spaces running against the shared wall with the car parking station. At one end is an outdoor room that might become a study or garden in a one bedroom house. A two bedroom house has a bedroom on the other side of this outdoor room. The houses are cantilevered from the existing wall and structurally supported by the concrete frame of the car parking station.

Administrative

Administrative expertise

Program Convenor for the Master of Architecture

Program Convenor for the Master of Architecture (Post Graduate entry)

FEBE Faculty Progress and Appeals Committee (School representative)

Teaching

Teaching keywords

Agency within the Built Environment
Architectural Design

Teaching expertise

Prior Teaching in the B.Design(Architecture) program

ARBE2220 Architectural Design 2a

ARBE2201 Architectural Design 2b

ARBE1101 Construction Technology1

ARBE2100 Construction Technology2

Prior Teaching in the M.Arch

ARBE6220 Architectural Design 4a

ARBE6221 Architectural Design 4b

Current Teaching in the Master of Architecture program

ARBE6222 Architectural 5a

ARBE6230 Architectural 5b

While teaching the second year design program, actual design projects were preferred for design

problems; for the students this provides an insight into the problems that face a practicing

architect, while the community groups benefit by having their design problem creatively

explored.

Teaching design in the final year of the Master of Architecture program prepares students for the professional practice of architecture with an emphasis on self-directed research and learning. The elective design project allows students to research architectural issues and situations in response to the roles that architects are undertaking in natural and urban environments. Critical to this is an understanding of the history and theory of architecture and its relationship to the physical, social, cultural and financial environment.

The University of Newcastle, Australia