Located in the exciting inner city suburb of Melbourne, the Park St apartments involved the conversion of an existing motel building circa 1960 into a high end apartment building.
A high level of environmental sustainability was pursued with early indications of a NATHERS 8.0 star rating being achievable. The 5 whole floor apartments and ground floor garden apartment are enhanced by the communal, covered and landscaped roof terrace with views to the local park opposite and views to the city.
The project serves as a prime example of the “adaptive re-use” of existing, low grade building stock into high-end environmentally sustainable development. The combination of sustainable planning principles and a range of environmental technologies enable this project to achieve a high level of environmental sustainability whilst utilising much of the existing structure.
The 'second skin' to the building, made up of black aluminium batten and vertical garden panels, to the existing masonry external skin improves the thermal performance of the building. This second-skin protects the existing masonry walls from fluctuating environmental conditions which in turn creates a more constant internal environment. Building occupants enjoy this thermal stability, reducing energy costs which would otherwise be required to heat or cool the building.
This second skin has been designed to form an integral part of the building aesthetic, with the building having a stand out presence within the existing streetscape. The vertical gardens on the facade along with landscaping to the communal roof terrace provides the apartment residents, along with the community, an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of landscaping and green environments in an urban context.
Links:
- https://vimeo.com/95849540
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