Launch Bay West

In the design of the Launch Bay Apartments, building mass is carved out for dramatic spatial effect. Sited on a former aircraft base now rezoned for residential development, the design took its lead from the grandness of the historic military structures – aircraft hangers, munitions stores, and testing facilities. These present clear and simply delineated building shapes to be viewed against the skyline. Spatial drama is realised through sculpted openings that boldly delineate the line between inside and outside. Building to the lot lines to reinforce the enclosure of the street, the architects cut into the building mass to shape grand pedestrian through-site links and deliver a bold architectural identity. Carved and arched, the building mass is opened up at scale, ambitiously setting a public vision. Picked out in vibrant colour, the openings to apartment lobbies lead off the side of the sculpted portals. At its western end, a curved incision echoes the main portal and preserves a sightline through to a neighbouring heritage building. With spatial drama achieved through carving out openings, the remaining mass is designed and detailed to be a refined and quiet volume. This formal strategy aimed to address the financial metrics underwriting the development. The design sought drama in a concentrated number of large moves. The intention was to focus prime-investment on key shared spaces and to get a public-scale return. The remaining building mass quietly complements the grand gestures. A fine horizontal lattice of metal louvers creates a backdrop to the street. At regular intervals the lattice work is opened up entirely to maintain a visual connection between the street and apartment life within. Along with the landscaping to the building edge, this contributes to an engaging pedestrian experience. At dusk and with occupants coming home, the street wall visually comes to the fore as the carved portals retreat. At night, the latticework is beautifully illuminated from within. The development provides a number of residential options including apartments of various size and two-storey townhouses that define the site’s northern boundary. A densely planted landscape is proposed between the townhouses and the apartment building to enrich the outlook for both the ground level dwellings and those on the upper level looking across. The simple building shapes complement the wandering natural lines.