The multi-residential topic is wide ranging, and the five projects featured in this issue’s focus section demonstrate just how much diversity there is within the typology. Cutting through the superficial differences, however, we find that a pairing of individual comfort and a sense of community unites them. Building context around this portfolio of projects is a White Paper written by architect and heritage consultant, Anne Warr, who identifies key issues affecting the architecture and design of multi- residential projects across Australia’s largest capital cities. Taking the conversation one step further, we widen our view to consider the case from an international context, with one of Bangkok’s tallest residential towers.

THIS PAGE Prima Tower façade, Photo: Jeremy Wright

096-097_PF_MultiresidentialOpener_updatepag.indd 96 14/10/2015 4:45 pm 97

096-097_PF_MultiresidentialOpener_updatepag.indd 97 9/10/2015 12:12 pm australian Multi-residential retrospective

Intro Liveable cities index 2015 As the need for higher-density housing continues to increase in line with market The Economist Intelligence Unit’s liveability survey demand, an analysis of past approaches 1. Melbourne to the high-density inner-city living 2. Vienna challenge is timely. Tracking the success 3. Vancouver 4. Toronto and status of past multi-residential 5. Calgary, Adelaide projects in Australia’s major capitals, 6. we set the context for a new generation of multi-residential developments The Monocle Quality of Life Survey 1. Tokyo currently transforming our inner cities. 2. Vienna 3. Berlin Words 4. Melbourne 5. Sydney Anne Warr 6. Stockholm 7. Vancouver

Illustration Michelle Byrnes

“ The move to densify our cities, and provide more diversity of housing choice, has been underway since the beginning of the 20th Century.”

098-100_PF_Multires_WhitePaper_updatepag.indd 98 9/10/2015 12:32 pm portfolioindesign 99

choice, has been underway since the beginning of the 20th Century when ‘mansion flats’ were being built in the centre of cities for wealthy clients at one end of the economic spectrum, and council flats for workers at the other end. Sydney’s first purpose- built flat building, the Albany in Macquarie Street (1905), was a mixed-use development providing professional suites on the first two floors and apartments on the upper five floors, meeting the needs of doctors working across the road at Sydney of flat design, updated in 2015 as the Hospital. Potts Point’s first high-rise block of flats, ‘Apartment Design Guide’. Kingsclere (1912), inspired by New York models, The first major push for multi- spearheaded luxury apartment living in that suburb, residential development in inner which today contains some of the best examples of Sydney had begun in the mid-1950s apartment design in Sydney. With Potts Point now in McMahon’s Point, led, not by a the densest suburb in Sydney, at 80 dwellings/ha developer or by government, but (according to NSW planning), it is arguably the most by a resident action group. In 1957, vibrant and diverse. Balancing the luxury flat market the McMahon’s Point and Lavender in the early 20th Century were innovative design Bay Progress Association engaged solutions for medium density worker’s housing by international architect, , architects working for government agencies such as to develop a planning scheme for ulti-residential developments Sydney Harbour Trust, the Government Architect’s Blue’s Point as a response to North Mare changing the scale of Branch and Sydney Municipal Council, at locations Sydney Council’s plans to re-zone Australian cities, providing close to centres of work. the peninsula for industrial use. more accommodation choice, and In contrast to the range and quality of apartment Seidler’s scheme included eight high- demonstrating how new planning designs in the early 20th Century, the post-war era rise towers, one as a hotel, several models can improve our cities for brought not only an increase in population but mid- and low-rise apartment blocks, everyone. They show that Australia can competing ideas about urban planning favouring all separated by open space, for up to improve on the 20th Century suburban low-density suburbs which nurtured the idea that 15,000 people. Although the Progress model, learn from international best more space equals better living. While the need for Association didn’t need to pursue the practice, and respond positively to the increased density was apparent to most planners, the scheme once the industrial zoning idea changing demographics of Australian Australian suburban dream coupled with acceptance was dropped, Dik Dusseldorp, founder society, as well as the pressing global of Le Corbusier’s model of town planning with of Civil and Civic, which emerged requirements of living sustainably. the motor vehicle and highway as the centrepiece, as the Lend Lease Corporation in Two surveys of 140 cities worldwide saw the demolition of Sydney’s tram system in the 1973, proceeded to engage Seidler in consistently rank three Australian 1950s, funding for major roads at the expense of a separate commission to design a cities – Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide planned railways, and the expansion of low-density tower block on a site on – in the top 10 list of liveable cities. dormitory suburbs. that had earlier been acquired by Civil The Economist Intelligence Unit’s It wasn’t until the 1990s that the groundwork for and Civic. Blues Point Tower, Sydney’s survey uses conventional measures increased densities in our cities was laid by Rob Adams, first skyscraper apartment block with such as stability, healthcare, culture, Director of City Design at the City of Melbourne, and 144 apartments over 25 levels, was education and infrastructure, while Frank Sartor’s community independent team ruling completed in 1962. It was the tallest the slightly hipper Monocle Quality of the Sydney City Council. Both Adams and Sartor residential building in the southern Life Survey recognises a subtler criteria sought to rejuvenate their cities by encouraging a hemisphere until 1970 and the for liveability such as international stronger residential component that would make first high-rise to be registered under connectivity, climate/sunshine, quality them 24-hour cities. Adams’ Postcode 3000 strategy the ground-breaking Conveyancing of architecture, public transport, brought redundant buildings back into use for inner- (Strata Titles) Act, 1961, championed tolerance, environmental issues, safety/ city apartments, while Sartor’s Living City vision by Dusseldorp. crime, urban design, business conditions saw the number of apartment units appearing in The Conveyancing Act not and pro-active policy developments. Central Sydney increase to around 2000 in each of only allowed private ownership of The success of the multi-residential the years following the new Central Sydney Local apartments in high-rise blocks, but model in maximising liveability for Environment Plan of 1996. Both cities pursued a spawned the creation of low-rise citizens relies on two main factors: an change of planning emphasis that sought to lead suburban flats in existing areas, acceptance of an increase in density by projects and development rather than by zoning dubbed ‘three storey walk ups’. These in our cities, and good governance which tended to segregate rather than integrate pragmatic solutions to increasing from our elected representatives residential, commercial and industrial functions. density contributed little to existing and public servants in protecting the In 2002, the NSW state government strengthened suburbs in terms of design or public interest. the move towards better apartment buildings by amenity and resulted in the lingering The move to densify our cities, and issuing the ‘Residential Flat Design Code’ with the prejudice against denser development provide more diversity of housing aim of devising ways to help improve the quality in suburbs that continues today,

098-100_PF_Multires_WhitePaper_updatepag.indd 99 9/10/2015 12:32 pm 100 portfolioindesign

“The success of multi-residential developments depends on local be conserved thus maintaining historical continuity and state governments working and a sense of place. Ensuring that the developments are sited next to transport nodes allows for a reduction in vehicle usage, which has environmental together to establish a strong as well as health benefits. For the occupant they provide alternatives to the suburban model and a master-planning framework.” way of life free from house and garden maintenance, offset, of course, by strata levy fees. Ensuring that multi-residential developments meet all these expectations relies on good governance. Large-scale multi-use development on government-owned, former industrial land requires cooperation between state and local authorities. However, competing visions and priorities can see good planning hijacked by short-term political goals. Terminology The lack of public consultation on Sydney’s Darling Harbour redevelopment in the 1980s resulted in the Low-density evidenced by the protests by residents demolition of all the shipping wharves and sheds, 8-15 dwellings / hectare on Sydney’s leafy north shore against leaving a site isolated from its historic and city government attempts to provide contexts and in need of costly revitalisation just 25 Medium-density medium-density developments along years later. Melbourne’s Docklands village concept 25-80 dwellings / hectare (commonly 30-40 d/ha) transport corridors. The listing of was compromised in the 1990s by the addition Blues Point Tower as a heritage item  of Docklands Stadium, while the integrity of the High-density by in 1993  Barangaroo redevelopment was called into question Over 80 dwellings/hectare added a much-needed layer of in 2010 when the State government approved a  complexity to what had become a non-compliant hotel scheme recommended for  Affordable housing polarised debate about apartment non-approval by the City of Sydney. A common benchmark is that affordable housing is buildings in Sydney’s suburbs. Since 2000, a number of large multi-residential housing that does not absorb more than 30 per cent Multi-residential developments on developments have been completed or are underway of a very low, low or moderate household’s income the other hand, allow opportunities in Sydney – all on former industrial, or brownfield, (City of Sydney). to provide a number of benefits to sites. Moore Park Gardens, Jackson’s Landing at local communities and the city as Pyrmont and Newington Olympic Village all opened SYDNEY Statistics a whole not usually provided by around 2000, while Green Square, Central Park, medium-density developments. Their Barangaroo, Harold Park and Wentworth Point are Sydney’s population by 2036 sheer scale allows the developer to opening progressively from 2013. Yet to start is the 6 million – being an expected population growth  employ a range of architects and to largest multi-residential project of all in Sydney – of 1.6 million over the next 25 years seek the best from around the world the Bays precinct located on 80 hectares of largely in design services and innovation – government-owned land around Johnstone’s Number of additional dwellings required to meet Jean Nouvel at Central Park and Lord Bay, White Bay, Rozelle Bay and Blackwattle Bay, Sydney’s increased population by 2036 Rogers at Barangaroo, for example. currently in the planning stages. 777,000 Such developments tick boxes for The success of multi-residential developments sustainable living for the future – often depends on local and state governments working Examples of medium density building on brownfield sites instead of together to establish a strong master-planning workers’ housing in Sydney in greenfield sites, producing their own early 20th century framework within which the developer can securely  power, collecting their own water and operate. As protector of the public interest, High Street, Miller’s Point, c1910 recycling their waste. Multi-residential government needs to ensure that multi-residential Henry Deane Walsh for Sydney Harbour Trust,  developments provide community projects respect the local character, deliver a 72 apartments in 18 attached buildings. facilities such as landscaped open percentage of affordable housing, create public space, sports facilities, shops, space and amenities, appropriately conserve historic Lower Fort Street, Miller’s Point, c1910 security, child-care, equitable access items, and are environmentally sustainable. Current NSW Government Architect, WL Vernon, 27 and public art. Affordable housing changes to State Environmental Planning Policy No apartments in 5 attached buildings is an accepted component of large 65, incorporating the new ‘Apartment Design Guide’, developments, occupying from 2.3 per are ensuring continuous improvements to the Strickland Buildings, Chippendale,1914 cent (Barangaroo) to 3 per cent (Green processes are underway. The next big challenge will Sydney Municipal Council’s architect  Square) of total residential floor area. arrive once the large post-industrial sites have been R. Hargreave Brodrick, 67 apartments plus 8 shops Historic buildings and precincts developed and the pressure to build on greenfield (4 with dwellings) located on former industrial sites can sites, or on suburban land, begins.

indesignlive.com

098-100_PF_Multires_WhitePaper_updatepag.indd 100 9/10/2015 12:32 pm