Sydney-based practice Em Be Ce have won an invited design competition for an affordable housing development in Sydney’s Alexandria, with two other practices making submissions. Organised by City West Housing, the project is set to deliver more than 100 units to help alleviate the pressure of the current housing crisis.
City West Housing provides affordable housing via a model in which they build, operate and hold their projects. This approach was appreciated by director of Em Be Ce Chi Melhem, who noted that City West Housing “have a really genuine desire to not only provide affordable housing, but to make sure what they’re providing is building stronger communities, more resilient communities … because they do hold onto their properties, ensuring that they’re doing something that looks great from the start.”
Bearing in mind the perpetuity of City West’s ownership of the site, Em Be Ce’s design seeks to be low maintenance and durable into the future. According to a media communique from the architect, the design “prioritises community, structural efficiency, thoughtful spatial planning, shared outdoor spaces and site-specific architectural responses.”
The building form is situated in response to the site’s prominent corner position, curving in response to existing trees while aiming to ensure the building’s main communal spaces achieve a connection to landscape. Adopting a language of deep masonry blades, the facade is designed to orchestrate views and access to natural light, yet maintain privacy where needed.
The brick materiality is part of the architect’s broader approach to structural efficiency and durability. Em Be Ce director Ben Green observed, “brick obviously doesn’t need to be repainted. It lasts a very long time. It’s got a kind of a richness of character that comes out of its intrinsic nature that’s quite strong.” The designers were also interested in the relationship of brick to the narrative of the area, Green noting that in this part of Sydney “there were lots of early brickworks, so there’s a bit of a history of brick making in the area,” as also evidenced in the suburb’s industrial heritage. The directors point out that the use of predominantly beige brick hints at the site’s pre-colonial history by referencing the site’s shale and sand dune geology, as well as its unique ecology.
By employing a modular structural grid, and consolidating service cores and circulation, the designers hope to maximise the quantity of housing on offer while creating meaningful private residential and communal areas. The practice has aimed to reduce the number of south-facing apartments to a minimum and has prioritised cross-ventilation throughout. Melhem notes that a 70/30 ratio of solid to void on the facade was employed to help optimise the energy performance of the building.
Within the units, “compact spaces are given natural light, protected from road noise and include notable amenities such as study nooks – again showing that affordability can be achieved without losing internal amenity,” the release reads.
Outside, a central shared garden is intended to maintain multiple points of connection with residential areas. Circulation through the project has been designed with moments of incidental interaction and spontaneous social gathering in mind.
According to the release, the scheme “does more with less – bringing a distinctive new presence to the city and demonstrating how good design can achieve quality housing for all.”
For Green, “affordable housing is obviously one of the big issues in Australia at the moment, and it’s nice to be able to contribute to it in a tangible way.”
The development application for the proposal is scheduled to be lodged in April 2025.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
