Johnson Pilton Walker’s scheme for a vibrant social housing neighbourhood organized around fine-grained laneways in Glebe is closer to fruition, with a development application submitted to council.
First unveiled in 2020 by the NSW Land and Housing Corporation, the design responds to the historic brick woolstore buildings and rendered terrace houses of Glebe.
The development straddles two sites owned by the state housing agency, 17-31 Cowper Street and 2A-2D Wentworth Park Road, where there are currently 19 social housing residencies. While the original plan was to add 35 new social housing dwellings along with 39 private dwellings, in February the Land and Housing Corporation changed its brief to provide 100 percent social housing on both sites. There will now be 75 dwellings built across the two sites.
Johnson Pilton Walker has made a number of design changes in response, including the removal of the proposed basement carpark and the creation of a new public gathering space on Wentworth Park Road under the existing plane tree.
Glebe Mid-Rise Project by Johnson Pilton Walker.
The architects describe the development, known as the Glebe Mid-Rise Project, as an example of “density done well.”
“Using the precedents of Glebe woolstores and the Sydney terraces, we found an urban composition that fits comfortably with the surroundings, without compromising the amenity or liveability for residents and neighbours,” the design statement reads. “The building form offers an understanding of the timeless – of tried and tested typologies like the terraces and appreciation for a material craft like the established neighbourhood’s predominant brickwork.”
The principal entries for the woolstore houses will be off Cowper Street, and will be clearly articulated through “slots” in the facade and awnings. Commercial tenancies will be located at key site corners, creating their own clear street presence and address.
The terraces, meanwhile, will have a clear presence and outlook on Doherty Reserve, with direct access from Mitchell Lane East, creating a coherent streetscape and address to the park.
“Simple site planning creates legible addresses for the residential components, and a diverse range of complementary retail, community and shared spaces at ground level interlock both sites into the neighbourhood,” write the architects.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
