A 14 storey residential tower in Chatswood marks the third design excellence competition win in the area for Make Architects. The design brings 28 new homes to a rapidly expanding part of Sydney. Located on Ellis Street, the site is at the southern end of the Chatswood CBD Expansion Area, within walking distance of Chatswood Park and Chatswood Chase shopping centre.

The design has been recognised for its “sophisticated and agile response to a tightly constrained planning envelope.” The other recent wins are located on Anderson Street and at 871-877 Pacific Highway.

“We’re excited to have won another scheme in Chatswood and see our designs start to shape development in the area. With only three apartments per level, Ellis Street will offer a more intimate scale. The dual-aspect apartments benefit from thoughtful layouts that welcome nature in, frame views out and create comfortable, relaxing homes,” says Jake Alsop, project lead.

Designed to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating, the building is wrapped in a facade that mitigates solar gains while maintaining thermal comfort, along with strategic glazing that maximises insulated solidity without sacrificing views or natural light. The scheme also features two commercial floors and a ground-floor retail outlet, along with residential terraces and green spaces.

Taking the form of four intersecting blocks, the design is expressed through different materials on the facade, including grey bricks and contrasting champagne-coloured vertical metal strips.

Related: Elenberg Fraser’s rippling Melbourne towers

Internally, the colour and material palettes combine natural stone and timber with warm metallic finishes. The intent is to harness luxurious, earthy tones to create a calm, welcoming environment. Nature will be brought into the building through incorporated native planting throughout, landscaped terraces, and external barbeque and dining spaces that connect residents to the outdoors.

Each individual apartment is designed to include a generous dual-aspect balcony, providing cross-ventilation and views towards the harbour and the city beyond. The balconies are positioned alongside the kitchens, so dining and entertaining can extend outside, with bi-fold servery windows and sliding doors creating hybrid indoor/outdoor spaces for year-round use by residents.

The competition wins come during a busy and exciting period for Make, a practice founded in the UK by Ken Shuttleworth in 2004. The Sydney studio has in fact recently expanded, with six new members joining the team from various international locations.

In-keeping with the evident feel for high-density urban design solutions, the studio also moved to a new office on Bond Street in Sydney’s CBD. With awards and competition wins such as Ellis Street, Mark Architects will be shaping parts of the city for years to come.

Make Architects
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