SJB has announced it has been victorious in a design competition organised by the City of Sydney to design a new student accommodation facility in Glebe.
Spanning six storeys and comprising 112 dwellings, the practice’s vision was to create a connective precinct for international and local students to forge new communities and friendships.
Sat on a corner site fronting Parramatta Road, the building sits at the gateway to Glebe and the University of Sydney parklands.
“Starting university and leaving the family home can be a paradigm shift. It’s a time to expand your social network and forge a new community. We believe that architecture has the power to help facilitate the formation of new relationships,” says SJB Studio Associate Stefanie Hughes.
A number of social spaces have been implemented thoughtfully so as to not overlap primary circulation. Kitchen and dining areas are located on every level, while oversized and double-height living areas are located on alternate levels and enjoy abundant north light.
“The landscape & public domain proposal aims to improve social connectedness and connections with nature by creating an inclusive, diverse & natural landscape experience for the community of Glebe,” says landscape architects Land and Form Studios’ Ro Iyer.
The concept was to create a place of discovery, a hidden landscape sanctuary nestled away from the hustle and bustle of Broadway and its busy surrounds.”
The residences feature a number of implementations designed to give students full control of their living quarters, including curtains, blinds, operable windows and ceiling fans.
The lobby fronts Broadway in order to maximise space for retail tenancies on Glebe Point Road. A courtyard sits at the building’s centre to form strong viewpoints to the streetscape. Broadway and in particular Grose Street through a series of landscape and public art interventions creating a memorable destination.
