Mitchell Road Housing

An innovative residential typology, with dwellings more akin to a terraces than conventional apartments.

Project team:
Andrew Burns, Jaymus Lim, Hannah Hill-Wade, Jordan Silver

Affectionately known as 'ziggurat with a hat', the masonry base steps to create open-to-sky garden rooms from each apartment, with operable screening to the frontage to provide acoustic control to the road noise. This creates outdoor spaces akin to the rear gardens of terraces, as distinct from multi-residential balconies.

The stepping form provides additional benefit of reducing bulk presented to the front and rear, effectively providing transitional massing and a volumetric outcome more nuanced than a conventional streetwall and upper level setback.

Sectional perspective

The building is capped by a sawtooth form, admitting southern light to the upper level dwelling while tilting the roof towards north for optimal photo-voltaic performance.

The ground floor contains a substantial commercial space for a cafe / restaurant, with bay window seating set within the large format glazing. The entry to the residences is located adjacent, providing a sense of arrival and a 'front door' for the residents.

Streetscape

Perforated metal cap.

Apartment interior - opening onto privacy garden.

Evening presence.