Project Overview

232 Wattletree is a contemporary four-storey residential development, featuring 18 two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments in Malvern, designed in collaboration with architects Ewert Leaf.

The project was the first development to carry the ‘Fortis’ name and as such needed to embody what Fortis wanted to be known for; the highest standards of quality and design.

Fortis developed the project with local downsizers and professional couples seeking the amenity of full-sized homes in mind.

Defined by a bold four-storey façade and smart spatial planning to optimise functionality and liveability, the project’s private open spaces are sized to accommodate socialising and privacy.

Textural materials like dark charcoal-faced bricks, raw concrete and copper shingles on the penthouse façade create contrast and movement.

Varied window recesses, and operable screen details create an arresting play of light and shadow across the building.

The façade’s cascading setback complements the streetscape and balconies and expansive ground floor courtyards connect each apartment to landscaped surrounds.

A skylight over a four-storey void illuminates a communal garden within the lobby, both improving air quality and reducing the need for internal lighting.

The design vision for 232 Wattletree was to be seen as a future classic where its true value will be abundantly evident in decades to come, thanks to the selection of enduring materials and timeless design.

The use of robust materials that age naturally within the surrounding environment were central to 232 Wattletree’s conception.

Organisation

Fortis

 

Team

Developer - Fortis
Architect - Ewert Leaf
Landscape Architect - John Patrick
Construction - Cobild
Project Manager – Neoscape

Project Brief

The project brief for 232 Wattletree was to create a luxe multi-residential development that integrated seamlessly with its neighbourhood character and would continue to contribute positively to its streetscape and Malvern’s ambience for many decades to come.

To provide consistency with neighbouring residential houses the focus was on providing a human scale at street level, with building lines set back from the street to reduce visual bulk.

Upper levels of the building needed to further advance street setbacks to continually transition height from the streetscape and ensure the building read consistently with its neighbouring properties.

Large ground floor courtyards and terraces that integrated landscaping with building elements were required to meet the expectations of downsizer purchasers and also further blend the building into the leafy neighbourhood.

Design, engineering, material, construction and delivery innovation were necessary to optimise living environments and to minimise any impacts on neighbouring residences.

Materials selected needed to age well and require little to no maintenance, reducing the need for intervention or repair over time.

Further, the brief was to showcase the compatibility of high-end contemporary living and environmental sustainability.

Sustainable design, building materials, finishes and fittings needed to contribute to the creation of highly comfortable, stylish and functional home environments.

Project Innovation/Need

As in all inner areas of Melbourne, there’s an increasing need for higher density living that offers the luxury and amenity of larger home living within a smaller physical and environmental footprint that fosters a strong sense of community.

232 Wattletree sought to create solutions to these challenges by delivering best practice in high-end environmentally sustainable design that integrates seamlessly within its well-established neighbourhood.

Another innovation was in an area often overlooked within developments; the fire stairs.

By creating an architectural feature of the fire stairs, residents were provided with an aesthetically pleasing entrance and another zone for incidental community contact.

Starting opposite the indoor garden, timber batten screening along the stairs introduce softness to the corridors and their lengths highlight each lobby’s high ceilings.

Filtered natural light streams from the lightwell and routed timber rails provide an appealing tactility.

Design Challenge

232 Wattletree needed to overcome several key design challenges.

These included creating aspirational higher density living that integrated easily within a well-heeled and long-established neighbourhood and designing to minimise any physical impact on neighbouring residences. The development also needed to have longevity in an area of heritage homes.

To ensure 232 Wattletree fitted easily into its neighbourhood, its design needed to have a human scale at street level and to reduce its visual height and bulk by staggering setbacks with each new building level. Landscaping needed to integrate the building, softening its appearance within the streetscape.

Basement design needed to be carefully considered to minimise any impact on the neighbouring residences. Large cantilevered piles were used on the eastern basement wall to avoid the need for ground anchors.

Materials selected needed to age well and require little to no maintenance, reducing the need for intervention or repair over time. Natural materials including raw concrete, copper tiles, bricks and timber battens were selected.

Sustainability

Sustainability is an integral part of 232 Wattletree’s design and construction.

The development’s entrance showpiece, an indoor communal garden within the lobby, improves air quality.

232 Wattletree exceeds STORM (water sensitive urban design requirements) with rainwater harvesting used to water gardens and with an option for toilet flushing.

Every 232 Wattletree residence has a minimum 6-star energy rating. Some of the development’s sustainability measures include daylight modelling to optimise natural light with every apartment designed for maximum glazing while reducing solar gains and heat loss, 10 per cent greater lighting and power efficiency than specified by the National Construction Code, timer-controlled external lighting, rooftop solar panels to help power common areas including lift and lighting and fixed and operable shading.

Other initiatives include low VOC paints and flooring, AFS-certified plantation timber used in structure and joinery, an energy-saving CO2 monitor that turns on an exhaust fan in the car park when CO2 levels reach a threshold. There are also bike racks on site.