Nightingale Village - Episode V - Skye House
In today's Nightingale Village instalment, we take a look at Skye House by Breathe Architecture, the architects that started it all with the Commons and Nightingale 1.
Located at 1-3 Duckett Street on a site known as Site F, adjacent to Hayball's CRT + YRD, Skye House (or Nightingale 11) will comprise 40 apartments spread across eight floors and topped by a rooftop terrace. The rooftop consists of a communal laundry facility, outdoor clothes line and veggie patch, with plant services and solar PV panels, making up the balance of roof area.
The building also has a single basement level with provision for resident storage facilities, in addition to the precinct's car parking garage with capacity for 12 car share spaces. A 184 sqm retail tenancy is located on the ground floor with direct access and frontage to Duckett Street.
Being more than familiar with the Duckett Street area (it’s one block south of our office), we are strongly committed to the success of the Nightingale Village, and dedicated to delivering the best result for our local community and future neighbours.
The architectural expression of Nightingale 11 has been carefully considered to celebrate Brunswick’s eclectic migrant heritage while also acknowledging the site’s industrial history.
We have designed an apartment building, but it’s kind. Unlike the existing pattern of recent development in the area, which leaves much to be desired in terms of public generosities and street activation, the architecture of this building ensures it is a provider both inwardly and externally.
We have looked to iconic, international precedents to inform the arrangement and appearance of 1-3 Duckett Street, particularly the shape and scale of the arched motif along the main, north facade.
The design adopts the approach of its Nightingale siblings in its adoption of honest materials which reflect the industrial character of the area and are tactile, untreated and durable but are curated to form an elegant composition.
Skye House's Duckett Street frontage is characterised by a streetwall response comprising a series of repeated arches which provide a framework for the balconies to sit within while creating a sense of rhythm to the street. This 12m streetwall is visually permeable yet also allows for privacy and retreat, while providing a point of distinction from some of the other Nightingales which have adopted much more solid, crafted bases.
From a sustainable design approach, the arches serve a secondary purpose in shading the interior spaces from the northerly summer sun.
Apartments are provided with primary aspects to either the north or south, with secondary aspects to the eastor via light shafts of 30 sqm (in plan) to ensure a high degree of internal amenity to apartments. These lightwells also accommodate the vertical circulation nodes via stairs and lift core.
Above the streetwall, the upper massing is setback 5m from the street and adopts a heavier visual expression comprising staggered concrete forms with projecting balconies. This austere exterior will be softened with greenery but will largely appear visually recessive from the street.
Skye House will also provide residents with direct access to a future proposed park to the east of the building, currently the site of The Moreland car park. While minimal apertures have been provided to this frontage, Skye House still offers a number of residents views to this proposed park along with opportunities for passive surveillance.
The penultimate entry in Urban.com.au's Nightingale Village series will be Architecture Architecture's 24-26 Hope Street.