The B Apartments at Bowden project is a socially focussed development
model. It is the largest apartment building to be constructed in Bowden at this
time and sets the scene for achieving the higher densities and urban model of
living that State Government is promoting in Adelaide, which has heretofore been a low density dispersed suburban city.
The apartments occupy a central site in Bowden that has direct relationships with significant features such as Kevin Taylor Park, the Market and the Bowden Village Park. The relationship of the building to these public places has, as a key design principle, influenced the proposed design and planning of the apartments.
Rather than a design strategy that uses a consistent architectural language to
developing the entire site, creating a monolithic form - it was agreed that
dividing the building into several blocks was more sympathetic with the scale
indicated for the surrounding developments. Although it is one building, by
notionally dividing the site into several blocks, each with their own
architectural character, a diversity of design approaches effectively creates a
‘community of buildings’ that relates to the spirit of the development model.
The key planning principle for defining the arrangement of the building blocks
on the site involves a north-south axis through the site that extends the path
running through Kevin Taylor Park, through the apartment building south to
the markets. This strategy has delivered a natural connection through the
development with these public places and has provided a public space
sensibility to the corridors and lift lobbies, transforming them into ‘laneways’
and ‘village squares’ vertically stacked in the building. Interpreting this
strategy further into the quality of the internal ‘laneway’ and ‘village square’
spaces has led to the application of streetscape urban design principles and
the materiality and composition of the external facades to these spaces to
reinforce the idea.
Higher-level laneways extend and cantilever out toward the Markets and
Kevin Taylor Park to provide opportunity to engage with these spaces.
Every effort has been made to maximise the use of the widened internal laneways to provide natural light and ventilation to the apartments.
A rooftop garden is provided on top of the north-west corner block where it
takes advantage of its northern orientation and engages with Kevin Taylor
Park, effectively adding a 3D civic scale quality to the park.
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