Elwood House

by Hecker Guthrie & Woods Bagot

Hecker Guthrie, in collaboration with Woods Bagot, provide a multi-residential space with a renewed sense of contemporary modernism whilst respecting historical value of the original site.

Situated on the corner of Ormond Road and Pine Avenue, Elwood House has been designed with respect for the history of the site. The building reflects the grain and scale of the surrounding neighbourhood, while providing an evolution of the architectural language through a refined level of detail.

The scheme draws on the character of its immediate context to influence the built form, transforming the typically low-scale residential vernacular into a modern interpretation of brick patterning. Brick is used in association with board form concrete and together, these two materials are consistent across each detail of the design, from the architecture through to the apartment interiors. Apartment interiors feature materials chosen to complement the raw aesthetic of the building. Joinery elements are clad in either grey, stone or bronze and in a deliberate shift away from wall-to-wall infills, the quality of the raw materials is allowed to dominate. Concrete soffits are expressed to internal living areas, providing the occupant with a sense of space and a tactile connection with the building’s materiality.

Elwood House by Hecker Guthrie and Woods Bagot has been designed with respect for the history of the site.

The four-storey block contains 30 apartments, ranging in size from one – three bedrooms. Light is drawn into the lobby space via a large brick atrium stacked above a reflective pond. Creating a moment of tranquillity and spirituality, the water feature and entrance sculpture further assists with the overall, scaled-down and tailored ambiance of the building. Offering ‘empty nesters’ the same level of comfort and liveability of their large family homes, owners are encouraged to participate in curating their residences, with all elements present on a more intimate scale.

The scheme for the Elwood House draws on the character of its immediate context to influence the built form.

Elwood House is a significant development, albeit at a relatively small scale, providing a counterpoint to typically uniform, residential towers with a nest of bespoke individual dwellings that feel integrated with their historic local community.

The water feature and entrance sculpture further assists with the overall, scaled-down and tailored ambiance of the building.

Hecker Guthrie and Woods Bagot have created bespoke individual dwellings that feel integrated with their historic local community.