The project is positioned on a corner site in Brunswick, with a rear laneway and street frontage on three sides. Being on a corner site might suggest building boundary to boundary to maximise buildable footprint. Instead, we began by pulling back from the northern boundary, creating a residential entry and allowing for breathing room for our neighbour. This massing decision allows for natural light, cross-flow ventilation and northwestern views from apartments, as well as a landscaped entry experience. By pushing the building back from the north, an outdoor terrace is created that allows the ground floor hospitality tenancy to spill out onto.
The design response reads as a single geological object, with subtle shifts in texture. The base is exposed bluestone crushed aggregate, a reference to the pebbledash renders traditional to Brunswick. The upper levels combine this aggregate with smooth panels. The palette throughout is pared back and textural: concrete, silver metal, and timber window frames. Shading is handled through three different systems depending on the orientation – perforated vertical fins to the west, small hood awnings to the north, and cloth awnings throughout for resident-controlled solar adjustment.
The ground plane and first-floor apartment types were developed in collaboration with Design Office, who led the interiors. The first-floor units are a live-work hybrid – spaces that can function as a consulting room or small business premises while also serving as a home.
1-7 Wilson Avenue,
Brunswick | One Wilson
An apartment building with ground-floor café, retail and office spaces, designed for Milieu and Neometro.
Being on a corner site might suggest building boundary to boundary to maximise buildable footprint. Instead, we began by pulling back from the northern boundary, creating a residential entry and allowing for breathing room for our neighbour.
The ground plane and first-floor apartment types were developed in collaboration with Design Office, who led the interiors. The first-floor units are live-work hybrid spaces that can function as a consulting room or small business premises while also serving as a home.
