ABOUT

Commercial strip shop sites are great locations for medium-density living. They generally feature underutilised air space and are close to a range of amenities such as retail outlets and transport. Our Burwood Apartments look to capitalise on this by proposing a mixed-use shop top style development.

Located just outside Burwood Village on Toorak Road, the 372m2 site has a 12-meter frontage and rear laneway access. Rear access via the laneway is an essential feature that allows a small footprint site such as this to work.

DESIGN

This design looks to extend and enhance the existing vibrant retail strip. Within this compact site, we have developed a scheme for a 4 storey development that incorporates 2 retail tenancies at ground level with 10 apartments above. Parking for 11 cars is provided via a car stacker system that is accessed by the rear laneway.

Our well-articulated facade introduces interest and depth to the streetscape. The use of a grey textured precast concrete and white precast concrete compliments the materials and colours of the surrounding buildings. Wood panelling introduces a natural element that elevates and offsets the concrete structure. Arched forms are inspired by the curved elements on the adjacent facade and introduce greater visual interest and architectural variation.

Liveability has been placed front and centre, with 8 of the 10 apartments being 2 bedrooms. All apartments enjoy a generous amount of outdoor balcony space as well as a dual aspect to enable light penetration and cross-flow ventilation. A large communal rooftop terrace provides further amenities. The apartments are designed to appeal to both owner-occupiers and investors, and ultimately to provide high quality and relatively affordable housing.

Achieving good design outcomes on small footprint sites generates a range of benefits. Developments such as these are quicker and easier to get off the ground. Once established, they signal to the area what is possible, and encourage other asset owners to consider redevelopment. They also set a high design standard for the projects that follow.

DETAILS

STATUS

Current

LOCATION

Burwood, VIC

SERVICES PROVIDED

Planning & Architecture