Urban Coup is a collection of 29 sustainable community apartments at Nightingale Village in Melbourne, designed by Breathe and Architecture architecture. Whilst grounded in the same principles as its neighbours, this project - and each sustainable community apartment it encompasses - facilitates an intriguing co-housing concept.
As Nick James, Design Director of Architecture architecture, explains, “Urban Coup differentiates itself from the other buildings within the Village, as it is a deliberate co-housing community. The client group was pre-formed and it was a much more involved collaboration with the residents.” Brenda Appleton, who resides in a sustainable community apartment at Urban Coup, was a key figure in the group’s campaign to build this project, and partnering with Nightingale was essential to this dream.
Ecological sustainability is embedded in the design of each sustainable community apartment, for which Nightingale’s partnership with Fisher & Paykel was integral. “When we decided to go on an all-electric pathway to build fossil fuel-free buildings, we needed a partner that cared about sustainability and that could deliver high efficiency appliances for buildings that would last a long time,” Jeremy McLeod, Co-Founder of Nightingale Housing and Breathe, reflects. Fisher & Paykel’s values and products support this mission, and every sustainable community apartment features an Induction Cooktop, oven, Integrated Double DishDrawer and French Door Refrigerator Freezer.
Nick speaks to the design excellence, attesting to the complementary finishes and forms that work well within a compact sustainable community apartment typology. “Key design moves when working with a small space are all about first principles, so natural light, cross ventilation, built-in joinery and really using the edges of a space,” he says, adding, “the Fisher & Paykel appliances were key to this idea, as they can be built into the cabinetry or sit flush against the adjacent cupboards.”
Distinctive in its conception and realisation, Urban Coup’s 29 sustainable community apartments are testament to the power of a meaningful partnership. As Jeremy says, he is most proud of “the fact that it exists - that a bold, crazy dream of 29 different households for one beautiful community was actually delivered upon.”
00:00 - Introduction to the Sustainable Community Apartment
01:06 - Medium Density Done Well
01:40 - Behind the Architectural Intent
02:02 - The Residents and The Design
02:28 - Behind The Three Fundamental Pillars
03:42 - The Heart of the Co-Housing Community
04:19 - Designing In Small Spaces
05:18 - The Fisher & Paykel Partnership
05:38 - The Building Material Palette
05:52 - Proud Moments
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Photography by Pablo Veiga.
Architecture by Breathe and Architecture architecture.
Development by Duckett Acquisition Collective comprising Austin Maynard Architects, Clare Cousins Architects, Kennedy Nolan, Hayball, Breathe and Architecture architecture.
Build by Hacer Group.
Styling by Bea + Co.
Landscape Design by Openwork, Amanda Oliver Gardens and Eckersley Garden Architecture.
Engineering by WSP.
Development Management by Fontic.
Urban Design by Openwork and Andy Fergus.
Appliances by Fisher & Paykel.
Videography by O&Co. Homes.
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of First Nations peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people of these lands.
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