Carter Williamson Architects with Land and Form have been named winners of a recent Design Excellence Competition for a mixed-used apartment building in Sydney.
The project, titled The Angophora, is located on Cammeray Country in Chatswood, NSW.
“We’re delighted to have our design recognised by the jury, and I would like to congratulate our design partners: Land and Form, Prism Façades, and ChoiRender,” says Shaun Carter, Principal at Carter Williamson Architects.
The Design Excellence jury commended the design, variety, and size of the proposed residences and the intention to create a community of homes rather than repetitive apartment modules.
Inspired by its context, the project encapsulates a series of strategic moves that define the landscape, building forms, and public areas while optimising natural light and solar access, cross-ventilation, district views, and lush green communal spaces.
At the streel level, retail and commercial spaces improve the public domain, while above, apartments of high amenity shine as well-planned, efficient homes designed for honest living.
Responding delicately to its context, taking cues from the natural environment and adjacent heritage conservation area,
The Angophora is carefully detailed while maintaining a flexible plan for future refinement and customisation.
Drawing on the angophora tree around which the design unfurls, its material palette is rich, robust, and refined.
“The podium design draws on the character of the adjacent heritage conservation area. It is composed of brick to form a robust and texturally rich podium that is striking from afar but also works at a fine grain scale when experienced by the public up close,” says Ben Peake, Principal at Carter Williamson Architects.
In collaboration with Land and Form, designing with Country was a priority from the outset, as was the activation of streets and open spaces with public art.
Landscape design was approached as a complete ecology to support all living things, with a focus on native planting and the maximisation of deep soil, tree canopy, and landscape coverage.
From green communal spaces and rainwater collection to renewable energy production and completely electric services, the scheme also places climate resilience at the core of its design.
The Design Excellence Competition was coordinated by Mecone and endorsed by the NSW Government Architect and Willoughby Council.
The winning team is comprised of Carter Williamson Architects, Land and Form, Prism Façades, and ChoiRender.
