Tate

by Cera Stribley

Imprinted in the design approach to this multi-residential building in such a sensitive context is an innate consciousness of the distinct architectural vernacular in the suburb location of Kew. The building aims to simultaneously create a counterbalance to the heritage slanted character and assimilate to it. Demonstrated in part by the design of the frontage to Cotham Road and stylised mansard roof, and partly by the material selections of cream bricks and copper cladding. The TATE town house building is intended to fulfill a market of families or couples who would love to live in the locale, but the large land plots fall outside their budget and those downsizing or actively seeking a lock and leave lifestyle. The solution to dividing the site was to deliver more generous areas for each house. The site has been dissected into eight, two sections have a Cotham Road frontage and are oriented North to south direction and remaining six townhouses are oriented east to west, they are all either two or three level dwellings. The building then steps down in three sections to follow the fall of the site from front to the rear. The over-all 2m step down articulation and height reduction addresses the sensitive interface at the rear of the site. The overall levels are zoned from the underground basement car park and essentially the ‘back door’ of each dwelling together with Laundry and utility space being one zone, then up to the main living area on the ground floor of each with centralised kitchen and outdoor ‘patio’.

In many of the townhouses the first floor is the ‘kids’ space complete with bedrooms and the top floor is dedicated to the adults retreat. These zones help to encourage the sense of spaciousness through purpose programmed levels. While programmatically the building, is zoned by each of the four levels including the basement, it was important that each house had its own entry, to feel special and individual. The natural copper cladding treatment on the front doors and surround contributes to the experience of arrival, over time this will patina to create unique finishes to each entry. The full selection of natural and quality materials has been important throughout, highlighting both endurance and health for inhabitants. The purchaser uptake and public response to the building has been exciting and the building has cemented its presence and strong relationship to Cotham road, which is at times a busy thoroughfare. The use of the cream brick brings a fresh façade to the street and with a shared desire to deliver a quality commercial project the compromises made between the brief and final building were few and far between. The resistance of inner suburbs to embracing a higher density of living are slowly subsiding, it really is only through demonstrating that quality of that life can be maintained through excellent design, that this resistance will disappear, and we need more opportunities like this one.