Car Port
The carport forms part of a residence on the edge of the Cairns Botanical Garden and is located at the bottom of a steeply terraced garden where vehicular access is gained from the side at the lowest level. A pre-existing swimming pool on the adjacent terrace defines a tight turning area for cars while the requirement for a poolside deck further impinges upon manoeuvrability.
In order to create maximum freedom for vehicular movement both the car port roof and poolside deck are suspended as frame-less elements over the gravelled turning area by three lines of ‘flying’ structure: a cranked box beam over the pool, a lattice truss disguised within the bamboo fence at the edge of the garden and a pair of continuous steel beams near the edge of the Botanical Gardens. The last of these are suspended by tension rods from a 9m tall mast which acts as a monumental gate post at the entrance to the property. A roller shutter door housing suspended from the mast completes the portal that acts as a gateway to the property. The structure required on the opposite edge to support the beams and truss is dispersed amongst a number of tiny columns in an irregular and apparently random array that mimics the tree trunks in the Botanical Gardens beyond. This complex structural arrangement not only provides a column free space but allows the structure to either be hidden or blend with it’s surroundings, integrating the carport with the other elements of the garden.