Patent 326 Apartments Evan’s Bay

This highly-successful multi-unit residential development on a historic coastal site links the Evans Bay waterfront with nearby parks, and the hillside residences behind.

The development comprises three distinct blocks: Semaphore, Helmsman, and Navigator.  The blocks are placed in a three-sided grouping with landscaping in the centre.

Semaphore, the largest of the three buildings, is set back adjacent to the steep hillside.  The mass of the building has been inflected at both ends to provide smaller scale readings along both the heritage reserve and Evans Bay Parade.  Semaphore also provides a backdrop for the other buildings.  The careful vertical relationship between the three buildings ensures that the dramatic views the location offers are available to each and every one of the residential units. 

The second building, Helmsman, is situated along the western edge of the site, bordering the Reserve.  The massing of this building slopes down to the north, providing both a counterpoint to the natural slope of the Reserve and a prominent front, or prow, to the development.  Helmsman’s elevation provides a varied and modulated pattern, and presents a smaller scale to the open space beyond.  It also provides privacy for both residents and visitors to the reserve, and recognises the importance of the Reserve as a public space and heritage site.

The third and smallest building is Navigator.  This building is located alongside the Evans Bay Parade edge of the site, and is oriented facing the waterfront with a setback for a private area.  This setback mimics the newly developed public open space and walkways of the waterfront opposite, and provides a transition between the development and the reserve, as well as presenting a softer street edge in keeping with the character of the area.

Situated on the ground floor at the southernmost corner of Helmsman is The Café.  In conjunction with the setback of the Navigator building, The Café provides a connection between the apartments and the Reserve, and encourages public use of this historic area and waterfront location.

Within the three buildings there is a wide variety of individual dwellings – single and dual level apartments, loggia, penthouses, and townhouses.  Each has its own private balcony, rooftop terrace or courtyard, with louvered timber screens providing weather protection and a transition between the indoor and outdoor space.

Materials for the development include precast painted concrete, zinc cladding, sustainable timbers, aluminium, and glass, and have been chosen both for the coastal environment and in keeping with the principles of sustainability.

Façade modulation identifies individual dwelling units, while floor levels, vertical access ways, and solid and void spaces in the façade signal outdoor living areas.  The carefully chosen pallet of generally stronger, darker tones help the entire development to engage with the adjacent hillside and landscape colours.