In the leafy inner-Melbourne suburb of Malvern, Malvern Hill Apartments delivers 111 new dwellings in a new model for medium-density housing in established residential areas. Concluding a development that began on this one-hectare Elizabeth Street site with Malvern Grove Apartments, Malvern Hill offers spacious interiors, expansive outdoor spaces, quality materials and a good deal of attention paid to the outlook both from within and around the buildlings.
The site is close to the retail and commercial strip of Malvern Road. In contrast with many new multi-residential buildings on main streets, this site is relatively land-locked, effectively concealing the development, which is accessed via an introduced landscape spine.
To this facade, Malvern Hill reads as a series of individual dwellings, expressed through the rhythmic placement of external timber cladding alternating with precast framed balconies. The main entry is located discretely halfway along the street. The oiled spotted gum cladding provides tonal warmth responding to the residential setting and soft landscaping.
As a result of the tight constraints of the site the four buildings are arranged around an expansive split-level courtyard. The peaceful quality created within this space provides an interesting environment that is at once both intimately protected from the street and neighbours, and provides an attractive outlook for many of the residential dwellings.
Within the courtyards, solid timber bench seats wrap up from the timber decking, defining different spaces for activity, while mature trees and abundant ground cover will diversify the colour and texture of the garden views over time.
Credits
- Project
- Malvern Hill
- Architect
- SJB Architects and Interiors Melbourne
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
- Project Team
- Charles Justin, Tony Battersby, Oliver Mayger, Tamara Dunkley, Rohan Appel, Igor Nikolovski, Fiona Coakley
- Consultants
-
3D Renderings
FloodSlicer
Acoustic design Renzo Tonin & Associates
Building surveyor Gardner Group
Civil consultant Reeds Consulting
ESD Sustainable Development Consultants
Fire engineering Thomas Nicolas
Interior design SJB Architects and Interiors Melbourne
Landscaping Tract Consultants
Quantity surveyor Slattery Australia
Services ALA Consulting Engineers
Structural Robert Bird Group
Town planning SJB Planning
Traffic consultant Cardno Grogan Richards (Vic)
Waste management consultant Leigh Design
- Site Details
-
Location
14 Elizabeth Street,
Malvern,
Melbourne,
Vic,
Australia
Site area 15500 m2
- Project Details
-
Status
Built
Completion date 2012
Category Residential
Type Multi-residential