Focus on Lightness – Vaucluse Apartment by MHNDU, The Unlisted Collective and Akin Atelier

Embodying the light casual nature of living in the sky, Vaucluse Apartment is imagined as a mouldable base for an assortment of potential residents. MHNDU, The Unlisted Collective and Akin Atelier combine to focus on a connection to the natural environment, creating an elevated and relaxed series of homes interconnect across the multi-storey site.

While designing for an unknown client is no easy feat, ensuring a broad appeal with core connections both internally and beyond forms a grounding base to start from. As a series of 19 apartments across multiple levels, each of the homes are connected through shared principles of space, openness, and lightness. Located in Sydney’s Vaucluse, the same-named series of homes add to the increased density of the area, where single detached homes are more common. Centrally positioned near the water and close to the city itself, each of the apartments are afforded views out and over Sydney Harbour, while heightened detailing internally ensures the experience of the contemporary home reflects its location. As a combined effort, MHNDU, The Unlisted Collective and Akin Atelier each bring their own areas of focus to ensure a balanced and considered resolve.

An unexpected pairing at times, furniture, artwork, and lighting is curated to reflect a lofted softness, while there is an airy feel to each of the spaces, as an offering to the harbour-side locale.

Although Vaucluse Apartment is outwardly focused, it retains a sense of self internally. From approach, the overall form hints at an ingrained privacy, with the encasing timber batten cladding creating a veil that surrounds and protects the home. The approach also reinforces a sense of connection through a shared rhythm and texture, deceptively concealing the levels behind. The scale offers a playful responsiveness, which is then brought internally and expressed in another way. While the views out offer a break in the overall mass, the framed black metal apertures break up the timber and introduce another element.

A similar restraint shared by the architecture is brought internally, where a controlled palette is used as a base, and introduced elements add moments of focus and interest. An unexpected pairing at times, furniture, artwork, and lighting is curated to reflect a lofted softness, while there is an airy feel to each of the space, as an offering to the harbour-side locale. Able to be opened from within, the spaces become naturally ventilated and lit and match a palette of lighter finishes. Creams sit comfortably against pastel tones and muted timber, as a sensitive palette that reflects a connection to context and place.

As a series of 19 apartments across multiple levels, each of the homes are connected through shared principles of space, openness, and lightness.

Vaucluse Apartment becomes an open and embracing base for its owners. As an artful and considered home by MHNDU, The Unlisted Collective and Akin Atelier, the project represents the best of harbourside living.