Richard Cole Architecture had a difficult site on its hands in the coastal suburb of Newport on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
Their design of the Foamcrest Apartments is a form generated from that unique site.
A composition of glazed bricks, off-form concrete, and sandstone, materials selected for their durability and appropriateness for the ocean side location, the seven apartments are 100% adaptable and differentiated by unique plans.
With two prominent street fronts and a central lobby that is open to the sky, the design carefully balances solar access, privacy, and outlook.
The building confidently addresses the adjacent roundabout at the apex of the site, providing a memorable place-marker corner with its tight radius and single slot opening.
The site slopes down to the north, providing a wide northern aspect and enabling a sense of protection from the busy southern roundabout.
The unconventional profile is translated to the seven apartments, which are differentiated by unique plans, each a response to its location within the overall site.
Subsequently, this provides a level of choice and identity unusual in multi-residential developments.
The planning transforms problematic triangular corners into opportunities to open onto multiple aspects, with the benefit of greater solar access and cross ventilation.
Five of the seven apartments face due north.
The form emphasises a low profiled horizontality that is generally well below the height limit. This horizontality of the overall form distinguishes the project from typical multi-residential profiles, establishing a unique dialogue with the public realm.
And the character of the building provides a fresh and contemporary contribution to the locality.
The common lobby is eroded into the form and open to the sky, providing a green centre and increased opportunity for cross ventilation.
The lobby has delicate vertical detailing directing eyes to the framed view of the sky.
Splashes of colour differentiate it from the robust exterior.
A western screen of vertical sandstone blades provides dramatic afternoon patterns of light.
Feature tree planting including locally endemic Cabbage Tree Palm groves provide attractive vistas and enhance the character of the locality from the prominent southern intersection, also providing links to the existing Newport village planting theme.
With a nod to the rounded forms and aqueous colours of the proximate ocean-worn coastline, the building celebrates the plastic qualities of concrete and the capabilities of the shimmering pale green bricks.
Full height internal doors and external openings increase the sense of space.
Operable vertical external louvers to windows allow residents to modulate the level of privacy and the entry of light, air, and sound.
Australian hardwood timber ceilings and floors provide warmth and texture.
This design by the Richard Cole Architecture design team has been understandably well-received.
In fact, the unique planning, level of craftsmanship, detail, and the use of high-quality materials demonstrate a seldom found level of commitment to an architectural solution by a developer of a small-scale multi-residential speculative development on the Northern Beaches.
Project Details
Project Size – 1,041 m2
Site Area – 1,372 m2
Completion Date – 2020
Building Levels – 3
Project Team
Architecture
Richard Cole Architecture
Richard Cole Architecture is a small design-based studio located on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
www.richardcolearchitecture.com.au
Landscape Architecture
Trish Dobson Landscape Architect
Structural Engineering
ACOR Consultants
ACOR Consultants was founded in 1997 to create a group of engineering professionals working together with a truly unique set of personal and professional values, providing specialist consulting services.
Photography
Simon Wood
Simon is a Sydney-based professional photographer. His extensive portfolio includes a wide range of projects specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, and design.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2022 Richard Cole Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Simon Wood. All Rights Reserved.
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