Project Description

The site was acquired on market. The brief was to take an existing four level late 60s unattractive walk-up block of flats and to add as much appeal and value as possible within the allocated budget. The Council controls in terms of allowable bulk and scale had to be exceeded substantially to add sufficient new internal and external dwelling areas in order to make this feasible. This was achieved by extending the building substantially to the front and rear and to each side replacing the old roof structure with a modern roof and parapet.

This had to be done with careful and precise streetscape and neighbour shadows and overlooking impact analysis which then drove aspects of the design in order to ensure that the impacts would be acceptable to the Council and to the neighbours.This was achieved by making each one of the pre-existing nine flats significantly larger and better planned and by converting some of the old at grade car parking area into a new 10th garden unit at rear. Also, each above ground apartment gained a large new loggia style balcony with privacy louvres.The previously open car park area was converted into private enclosed garaging for each unit, the building was externally and internally modernised and upgraded to current Building Code of Australia (BCA) standards to become an as new designer building with a brand new foyer area, landscape designed areas, façade, roof structure and curtilage.The original concept and approval was well received by Council and the community, motivating Council to publish the Design Manual for Rejuvenating Residential Flat Buildings in 2006 as an example how such residential flat buildings can be brought into the 21st century rather than into landfill.

After the completion of construction Council awarded the following Randwick City Urban Design Awards to the building in 2010:

• Multi-unit Housing and Sustainability Categories