Testar Grove Apartments.

Caulfield North Melbourne 2020 — Present

Located between two major arteries through Caulfield North, Inkerman Road and Balaclava Road, the concept of this small residential development is two buildings within a garden.

The street facade is split in two resulting in the southern mass setback further from the street, which response to the neighbouring property setback. Similar facade treatments are applied across the buildings maintaining a cohesive design approach while massing setbacks break the form, provide relief and respond directly to the immediate context.

The retention of three existing large trees in the front yard of the site has been a key consideration of the design approach. Fence fences and the basement entry ramp have been designed to accomodate these in order to maintain the leafy vegetation these trees provide to the street and site.

The four apartments are located over a shared basement, with all apartments designed not only to meet but exceed the minimum Apartment Design Guidelines wherever possible.

The facade across the building has been carefully considered to balance articulation and function and employs the use of deep reveals, balconets, discrete and integrated privacy screens, open courtyards and skylights to first floor balconies. Resulting in a rich and well-balanced building.

The landscape builds on the retention of the existing front yard trees with a landscape design that attempts to emulate the lushness of the existing garden and adds another layer of visual interest and light play through filtered light on the building.

A combination of rough and smooth render clad the building and street fences. Intended to provide a neutral backdrop with subtle tones to which the existing established and new trees as well as balcony planter vegetation are overlaid, enriching the facade. Anodised aluminium, white powder coat and meticulously designed custom perforated screens provide another depth to the material palette and add finer detail. All materials come together to create a soft and light facade that allows the lush green trees and the play of light through roof voids animate and bring the building to life.

Area
1700sqm

Apartments