The New South Wales government’s Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) has submitted a development application for the demolition of existing buildings at 82 Wentworth Park Road, Glebe, for the construction of an SJB-designed, four-storey affordable residential building.
The site covers an area of around 1,600 square metres, bound by Wentworth Park Road to the east, Bellevue Street to the west, Cardigan Street on the south side, and the Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts to the north. It currently contains a block of 17 semi-detached apartments and townhouses, comprising two- and three-storey masonry dwellings from the 1970s and ’80s designed by NSW Housing Commission.
Estimated to cost around $22 million, the multiresidential building is designed for older social housing residents, and would include lifts and other amenities to enable accessibility. The proposed architectural designs have been prepared by SJB for a four-storey building that would contain 43 affordable dwellings, made up of one- and two-bedroom apartments.
The proposed design uses a palette of terracotta and white brick to complement the materiality of the existing heritage buildings in the neighbourhood.
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SJB Architects
According to LAHC, the residential building will be “modern and energy-efficient” to reduce residents’ bills and energy consumption. The design incorporates a green roof, intended to improve the outlook and extend the local ecological function. The planting selection aims to support a diversity of wildlife by incorporating a “living roof” into the urban environment. SJB said a diversity of wildflowers across all seasons would ensure that the native landscape would not go dormant for local pollinators.
Two communal gardens have been proposed, with edible and native perennials for base planting, to connect the future residents through landscape. The design uses a palette of terracotta and white brick to complement the materiality of the neighbourhood’s existing heritage buildings.
“The much-loved suburb of Glebe has a rich history and strong street character,” a LAHC spokesperson said. “Because of this, all plans for the future of our sites are designed to achieve the greatest benefit for social housing residents as well as the wider community.”
82 Wentworth Park Road is one of three Glebe sites proposed for revitalization, to deliver new social housing that meets the needs of contemporary tenants. These include a site at Franklyn Street and the renewal of Cowper Street.
The development application was lodged with the City of Sydney on 14 February and will be on exhibition until 15 March 2023.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
