537 Elizabeth Street

537 is a prototype for ongoing ownership in a typology blurring residential – serviced apartment – hotel living. The seven-storey building yields 12 highly appointed one-bedroom-plus-study apartments – two per floor – with a simple and logical internal arrangement. Complementing proposed residential and commercial developments in the area, the building aligns with the predominant 4650mm setback and 6565mm street wall of a future residential development to the north of the site. An expressed ‘surround frame’ is an expressive element that gives scale and presence to the exposed corner site and provides a continuous articulation from either the northerly or southerly approach along Elizabeth Street. Defined by the sense of material unity between the board-marked concrete architecture and the timber clad interior design, 537 is humane and tactile. There are no applied finishes: board-form concrete has been poured into a mold then removed, and what remains is the expression of the building. The building’s corner site allows for dual outlook from each dwelling, with glazed doors and large windows to two sides providing ample daylight and natural cross ventilation. Visual and acoustic privacy, storage and indoor and outdoor space combine with efficient layouts and accessible service areas to offer high-quality boutique residential living. The internal walls, location of services and floor layouts of only two apartments per floor allow for future adaption by different users over time. Each apartment interior is made up entirely of joinery components and modules for a wholly integrated outcome. Timeless and maintenance free, the joinery optimizes internal space in the building’s modest footprint. Sliding timber panels conceal a fold-out guest bed, laundry and storage, alongside a full kitchen and fully integrated desk and shelving in the media (study) space. Innovation is claimed through the value of the choreographed residential package. Literally, everything you see is what the buyer gets – from the furniture and soft furnishings, to the appliances, through to the glassware and cutlery. Owners need to bring only a few pieces – artworks, lamps and a bed – to impart their personal touch. Craft – the poured concrete, the considered joinery – and materiality drove the architectural and interior design intent. The material unity between the building’s board-marked (timber imprint) concrete architecture and its timber-clad interior design defines the development.