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In addition to this consideration for privacy, uniqueness, and practical solar access often sorely lacking in many multi-residential developments, the design also addresses a common concern of many when contemplating apartment living; equitable access to high quality outdoor environments.
All apartments have at least three exposed facades with large operable windows, as well as open central hallways that flow out to open air entry lobbies, offering natural cross ventilation to every apartment.
An array of sixty-six solar panels installed on the roof provide renewable energy.
The gate from the former dwelling was also saved and reinstalled in the communal area as a memory of the site’s recent history.
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The architects provided a description of the text. Point Living is a nine-story apartment building situated between an underground station on Sydney’s rail system and a busy road that links the city to the beaches and harborside suburbs to the east. It is a prime example of hybrid housing, offering well-appointed apartments with the scale advantages of a single residential home and a degree of convenience that would be especially appealing to downsizers.
The building’s ten new residences, which each replace a single home, are a step toward creating the kind of denser urban environment needed to start addressing a housing crisis that affects not just local communities but also those across the country and the world.
The building is a slim infill that respects the scale and context of its neighbors, and it was built on a limited site with apartments to the west and east. Its structure, which resembles a central spine with a ribcage of concrete beams radiating outward from it, gives the ten apartments’ north-facing balcony ‘ribs’ privacy and maximum solar access while creating an eye-catching street presence that tapers and twists away from the surrounding buildings.
By using floorplans with subtle variations between floors and details and materials tailored to the preferences and lifestyles of each apartment’s occupants, the layouts, details, and material choices aim to both internally and externally challenge the repetitive nature of the standardized plans that frequently characterize medium- to large-scale apartment developments. A level of detail reminiscent of the interwar apartment buildings that define the neighborhood is created by features like double edge concrete beams with mirrored inserts, stylized exposed off form concrete ceilings, curved glass balustrades, and rough combed finish rendered walls.
From the building’s sturdy sandstone foundation, residents and visitors enter through a winding landscaped walkway that leads to a shared open lobby with a triangular arrangement of curved brick screens. Local artist Oliver Tanner created the handcrafted brass lighting in each apartment, and interior designer Romaine Alwill of Atelier Alwill selected the unique paint finishes, stone, and joinery as well as other architectural elements.
The design also addresses a common concern of many when considering apartment living: equitable access to high-quality outdoor environments. These factors, along with privacy, uniqueness, and practical solar access, are often severely lacking in many multi-residential developments. Alongside the spacious balconies that are shared by all apartments, there are also common gardens and amenities like dining areas, barbecue pits, and an indoor pool that promote social and environmental harmony among residents.
Additionally, the design prioritizes environmentally sustainable principles. In the summer, the building is shielded from the intense sun by large covered balconies and louvered windows, while in the winter, the apartments and pool area are oriented northward to provide as much natural light as possible into the living areas. Every flat has natural cross ventilation thanks to at least three exposed facades with sizable movable windows and open central hallways that lead to open air entry lobbies. Renewable energy is produced by an array of sixty-six solar panels that are mounted on the roof.
Recycling and reuse were also extensively used; the building’s solid base was formed by sandstone blocks that were cut from the excavation of the basement parking lot and kept from the old house, and the site’s existing swimming pool was converted into a water tank. As a reminder of the site’s recent past, the gate from the old residence was also preserved and put back in the common area.
