To be ‘intrinsically Windsor’ is to be the Victorian terrace home. For a century these distinct buildings have lined the streets, defining the character of the area. With a respectful nod to this heritage design language, The Raleigh reimagines the sculptural curvature of the intrinsically Windsor, extending its relevance into a contemporary context.
A pair of mid-rise multi-residential towers, fringed with greenery across horizontal bands, abut Punt Road. The sweeping form, alongside floor-to-ceiling glazing, externally creates a reflective facade that interacts with the cityscape. Beyond a distinctive form, the rhythm of the arched facade is performative, allowing daylight into all apartments and maximising view lines of corner apartments. Referencing the Victorian aesthetic, meandering tesselated tiles border the porch and garden paths. The tower rooftops are linked by an elegant skybridge, unifying the two structures.
Our rationale behind The Raleigh recognises the gaining pace of a build-to-rent market. This format creates manifold accessible housing options, allowing a building to genuinely encourage a diverse community. We remapped the building to ensure the apartment mix worked harder, and introduced more amenity and diversity across common spaces. The mix of studio, one, two and three bed apartments considers multi-generational living and is adaptive to various living styles. Anticipating greater diversity in building occupants and increased transience is key to the success of a build-to-rent.
The Raleigh sets the standard for large-scale environmental design with sustainability and durability working hand-in-hand. Robust finishes were selected to stand up to the increased wear and tear associated with rental properties. Benefiting residents, reliable fittings and appliances were prioritised with a preference for products that can be repaired or replaced. Despite future-proofing, tactile materiality including bronze, aggregate concrete and copper-lined skylights, ensure premium style is not compromised.
To us, sustainable design doesn’t stop at the structural building. Rather it considers how design can encourage residents to make sustainable choices day-to-day. In the basement EV charges sit alongside ride-share and bicycle facilities. Strategic zoning, paired with the sweeping form of the building optimises daylight, permitting passive thermal control. Of environmental and economic benefit, productive community gardens allow residents to collaboratively harvest food. The native Australian landscaping, grounds the building in its location and invites a nature-based respite to the urban environment.
Naturally-lit co-working spaces at ground-level, see the building respond to the fluid, post-COVID work lives of its residents. Formal meeting zones are delineated from informal study nooks, mediating between private and collaborative requirements. A cafe serves as a community hub, contributing a motivating liveliness for residents working from home.
