First look: Plans lodged for boutique Bondi Beach apartments
Entrepreneur Dominique Portier has lodged plans for a prime Bondi Beach site.
Sydney-based architects Studio Johnston have designed the proposed three-storey building at 112 O'Brien Street, with the location described as "at the gateway to Bondi Beach."
There will be six apartments, two studio, two one-bed, and two two-bed units, above two ground-level retail spaces.
The design takes full advantage of the existing site conditions and easterly views, whilst developing a balanced massing that helps lessen the perception of the building scale and ensure views from neighbouring sites are not compromised.
The building will be softened with green-walls, improved landscaping in the communal open space and on-podium garden-beds, offering respite from heat-islands whilst upgrading surrounding amenity, providing a positive, organic impact to neighbourhood.
Landscape designs have been handled by Melissa Wilson Landscape Architects, who have created a number of open elements in both the foyer and circulation spaces, while also curating a design that cloaks and protects the building, providing pockets for landscape to be integrated.
Deciduous planting will fill the trellis on each facade, with the planting receding during the cooler months to invite the sun in and warm the building, before growing back to provide shade during the summer months.
Generous landscaping along each facade soften the public realm whilst also being an integral cooling device on the Western facade.
Across the difficultly-oriented site, Studio Johnston have still maintained the laid-back nature of the suburb in their design, with the choice of materials and finishes reflecting the nearby ocean. The sage tile-panels reflect the rippling ocean lapping the beach with the interspersed muted tones will compliment the surrounding nature.
Externally, the building has been articulated to provide visual interest, with a podium and set-back first-floor with a premium placed upon mass-repeated elements across the rhythmically composed facade.
The narrow in-fill characteristic of the site promotes breezes infiltration and cross ventilation, while internally, large, operable windows and integrated private open-spaces filter both light and ventilation throughout the homes.
Sustainability was a key focus in the design, developed through passive design and sun control elements. Solar access, natural ventilation and integrated landscaping characterise the development, which will help to achieve low-energy consumption for residents.