Project Overview

Gunyama Residence forms part of the Green Square urban fabric, with a landmark ten storey building to the North, immediately adjacent the sports park and two smaller buildings to the East. The buildings are joined by skybridges and opened up at ground floor to create dynamic urban hub where residents and visitors add to the diversity and vibe of the area, sustainably all year round.
The architectural language for all three buildings is deduced by the aboriginal word “Gunyama”, meaning wind. We were inspired by the effect wind has and the patterns it creates as it passes around an object. The horizontal curvilinear balcony spandrels and fenestration have a sculptural dynamism, reminiscent of the rippling sands or wind moving through reeds. The free, flowing nature of this form offers dynamic modelling of the façade and a substantial degree of sun shading to fenestration.
Roof spaces have also been considered and designed as linking gardens with terraces, so that residents can not only enjoy intimate spaces but they’re aesthetically pleasing when viewed from above. In the lower buildings residential lobbies, you will be surrounded by naturally sunlit and ventilated communal open spaces.

Project Commissioner

Meriton

Project Creator

a+ design group

Project Brief

The site is located to the East edge of Green Square Town Centre. It’s position helping to support the character and identity of the local Town Centre. Our proposal will provide an important focal point adjacent to the south-east of the newly created Epsom Park Precinct. This symbiosis with Green Square is made stronger by the linkage of the three parks from west, culminating in Gunyama as an active sport and community venue.
The newly created neighbourhood presents a strong sense of place and public life. The design concept is about creating architecture that responds contextually to its urban setting, to provide opportunities for a series of meeting places to instigate social gathering and enhance quality of life, to not only the residents but the broader community. This soulful architecture provides iconic high quality homes that respond its immediate context, whilst providing a distinctive architectural contribution to the area.
Each building creates interest and diversity. They’re designed to be distinctively different from each other to maximise visual appeal and opportunities for human interaction. Not only is this a beautiful place to reside with an unbeatable lifestyle, it contains thoughtful streamlined construction initiatives and innovative ecologically sustainable design.

Project Innovation/Need

Zetland and its surrounding areas are currently experiencing rapid changes in development, including the introduction and encouragement of a diverse mix of commercial, industrial, retail and residential development. Our urban concept and landscape design for the new of Gunyama Park needed to connect with today and tomorrows growing needs.
Along with best practice environmental performance including low running costs in relation to water and energy, the proposal aims to be highly adaptive in terms of the strong demands of this local active sport precinct. It will react to the increased population during, before and after the actual games, whilst sustaining a consistent vibrancy.
Our buildings and landscapes enhance positive relationships, balancing amenity versus privacy and semi-private space. This innovative approach seamlessly combines outdoor living, from open green spaces to smaller private pockets of intimate garden. Included are deep soil podium, wall and rooftop gardens. All lobbies are naturally ventilated and have immediate solar access.
Gunyama is about joining buildings to the life of its people and connection such as its large landscaped looping lobbies, communal gardens, sky gardens and bridges. These are welcoming places that are not only functionally beautiful but are designed to encourage further organic interaction.

Design Challenge

Cost; the build itself and affordability for the local demographic without compromising exceptional living standard was a high priority. There needed to exciting architecture whilst keeping the local context and heritage. We achieved all of this by a thoughtful design and a behavioural science approach, whilst paying close attention to efficient construction processes and innovative materials.
It was based on a conventional concrete post and beam construction, however a clever structural layout has been generated from car park levels, to avoid the need for any transfer slabs between car park and residential levels. Standardised precast moulds would be employed to further increase efficiency, thereby reducing costs in construction. We also allowed for off-site fabrication, for better sequencing; ultimately reducing time and improving quality.
Site constraints; having been a swamp meant the basements could not be deep due to flood levels, so we introduced car lifts, therefore reducing the need for ramps. Another location consideration was the identification of cohesive easements to affect a substantial upgrade to this section of Zetland. This contributes to the area by delivering new streets and improved permeability of pedestrian, cycle and vehicular network, resulting in a positive domain outcome.

Sustainability

This scheme deploys various sustainable approaches;
Double height apartments maximise natural light access, reducing energy consumption. We have also provided daylight and natural ventilation to the internal service core areas, reducing the lifecycle energy costs.
The floor plate can be designed to generate a high degree of comfort so most residents may choose not to put air conditioning in. This has the potential to free up the roof area.
The Base scheme uses initiatives such as passive solar design, external screening and blinds. Performance single glazed units and highest efficient air conditioning units. Façade screens respond to the East West orientation in react to solar load while maintaining the view. Recyclable construction materials have also been used.
By using a solar thermal plant, rainwater capture and reuse; the opportunity to apply commercially effective design strategies has been included in the planning. The proposed design uses a roof mounted central solar thermal domestic hot water plant and basement rainwater is captured to reuse. Podium and roof top terraces reduce heat loss and recollect rainwater through planting, reducing carbon footprint.