Iglu, Light Fresh Natural Apartment Living, Australia

Iglu, Light Fresh Natural Apartment Living, Australia

Iglu, Light Fresh Natural Apartment Living

Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia

Iglu Chatswood is a 396-bed student accommodation facility located adjacent to the Chatswood rail interchange. The project was purpose built for student living and comprises two linear forms of 11 and 12 storeys separated to the north by a landscaped courtyard and linked to the south by a lower recessed volume with a roof terrace that enjoys excellent views of the Sydney CBD.

These forms read as a series of stacked volumes of between one and three storeys in height that sit on a two storey terracotta base that provides warmth and a human scale to the street.

Accommodation consists of studios and cluster apartments that are accessed off glazed corridors which provide natural light and ventilation through the use of Altair Louvre Windows to the lift lobbies.

Residents enter via a new landscaped share way into a light filled double height space that serves as a living room for the entire building community. The two lower levels of the building accommodate a range of indoor and outdoor communal spaces for residents to meet and socialise. Internally off-form concrete, timber and terracotta provide a backdrop of raw and natural materials, with colour and texture introduced through fabric, rugs and furniture to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Basil Richardson from Bates Smart stated “For the Iglu student housing project in Chatswood, we were looking to maximise ventilation and views for each apartment. Breezway Altair Louvre Windows were an ideal solution, as they effectively doubled the amount of free air that we were able to provide, while the frameless glass allowed for unimpeded views out of the building.”

Project Date – February 2014

Architect – Basil Richardson
Associate Director of Bates Smart Architects
+61 2 8354 5199
www.batessmart.com.au

Head Office, Manual and Powered Louvres, Australia

Head Office, Manual and Powered Louvres, Australia

Head Office, Manual and Powered Louvres

Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia

HPC Urban Design & Planning (HPC) were appointed as the Architects, Town Planners and Project Managers for the construction of Breezway’s new Head Office at Coorparoo in Brisbane, Queensland. HPC’s architectural design integrates lightweight construction with large areas of Breezway Altair Louvre Window products, in particular the Altair Powerlouvre Window in a Clear Anodised Breezway Easyscreen Window System with Sub Framing. These Powerlouvre Windows have been incorporated into a smart Building Management System to assist with energy savings in this sustainable commercial building. When combined with upper level mezzanine floors, the showcase of Altair Louvres provide building occupants with a feeling of space and unrestricted access to light and fresh air. Greenleaf Engineers used environmental and thermal modelling technology to maximise natural light and ventilation into the building for extensive periods throughout the year to significantly reduce the need for artificial lighting and air conditioning. To help achieve the environmental sustainable design strategy, passive solar design principles were taken into consideration prior to construction, including the orientation and shape of the building, material selection and selection of plant and electrical fixtures. With land that has its long axis facing northwest, the building’s orientation was perfect for maximising the sun’s natural light and warmth. Heating and the electrical hot water unit were therefore removed from the project, cooling costs were reduced by 33%, and artificial lighting was reduced by 50% through the use of natural sunlight combined with energy efficient light fittings. To coincide with the development of this innovative Head Office, cosmetic improvements were also made to the factory that was built in 1947 to further improve the appearance both inside and out. Factory roof restoration has been completed, along with a new despatch warehouse, refurbishment of the factory lunch room and amenities. The new Breezway Head Office was a finalist in two categories of the 2011 UDIA Queensland Boral Awards for Excellence; ‘Small Retail/Commercial Building under 3000m2′ and ‘Excellence in Environmentally Sustainable Development’. Project Date: April 2011 Architect: HPC Urban Design and Planning Tel: +61 7 3217 5800