The proposed design is situated at the northern end of Glenayr Avenue at the intersection of Warners Avenue and Blair Street. This locality is known as “7 Ways”. The site is opposite a small triangular park that contributes to the space and place making of this unique locality. The context is characterised by shop-top housing, residential flat buildings and single residences that range in height between two and three storeys. Many of these buildings are from the pre-war era and utilise ornamental brickwork to the effect of producing intricate façade articulation and a fine scale.
The proposal seeks to replace the existing automotive workshop and adjacent 2 residences with 19 residential apartments, 2 retail tenancies and a basement car park.
The proposal provides for a quality building, with carefully considered bulk and scale in response to the context of this special locality. The exterior facades use face brick work with rounded corners, and conical tiled roofs in a contemporary manner while at the same time reflecting the materiality of the surrounding pre-war buildings. A through site link is proposed to activate Glenayr Lane through increased passive surveillance, visual connectivity and pedestrian permeability. Two retail tenancies and the residential entry lobby all located on the ground floor provide active frontages to the through site link, Warners Lane and the adjacent park.
The apartments are well considered in their layouts, orientation and mix, maximising the use of space within the available building envelope. The proposal satisfies the SEPP 65 controls and BASIX targets and provides a variety of high quality apartments in a contemporary aesthetic that is complementary to the architectural style and scale of the locality.