Mosman Apartments

We have retained much of the existing building, improving it where necessary. This has allowed us to bring the value of the past into the future.

Ways of living have changed over the last few decades, with people wanting to connect their living and dining rooms with the kitchen areas, which then connect easily with external living. The very separate rooms and disregard for integrated terrace areas of the existing 2 storey post-war apartment building containing 4 modest 2 bedroom residences meant it needed a sensitive and sustainable upgrade to enable it to deal with the next few decades of its life.

As a commercial development, the design needed to deliver apartments that could be easily lived in by a range of potential future tenants or owners.

The aim is to give the 4 residences more open plan living areas opening to sunny outside areas, with sustainable services and site harvested energy and water. This involves the redesign of the internal layout, improved finishes, external site-works and using the addition of external spaces connected to the residences to improve the overall appearance of the building.

We have retained much of the existing building, improving it where necessary. This has allowed us to bring the value of the past into the future. New materials have been selected for their longevity and environmental benefits.

The need to address parking was resolved in conjunction with the provision of rear access and outside living areas. By locating the cars next to the building, we were able to utilize the space over them for these additional purposes and remove the dominating presence of the previous garage from the rear garden.

Solar hot water collection, photo-voltaic cells and water tanks will ensure the environmental impact of these residences are minimized in the future.

Caroline Pidcock
Matt Cochrane
Jamie Hall
Maria Orellana
Katherine Madden
Katie Fincher

Builder                         Ellis Constructions
Structural Engineer     Partridge Partners
Geotech Engineer       Aargus Australia
Hydraulic Engineer     Ecological Design
BCA Consultant           Peter Boyce
Landscape Architect   Rick Shepherd

Simple and intuitive methods for operating the apartments
Collaborative team approach
Considerate building approaches
Convenient location of storage space for recycling
Car parking designed to support balconies over

Improved natural light and ventilation
Improved views to the outside
Natural oils finish for timber floors throughout house
Low VOC paints
Low VOC boards for joinery

Appropriate levels of thermal mass
Ability to zone areas of the aparments
Ceiling fans to bedrooms and living rooms
Reasonable natural ventilation throughout apartments
Reasonable natural light throughout apartments
Low energy lighting using fluorescents and LEDS
Energy efficient appliances used throughout
Solar hot water heating
Energy efficient systems selected for cooking
1.35 kW photovoltaic system for energy generation

High performance water saving fixtures and appliances
Low water garden
23,188 litre water tanks located in sub-building space , connected to toilets, washing machines and landscape
House and garden designed to reduce stormwater runoff

Materials selected with thought given to reducing their impacts over their life
House designed to easily adapt to changing family lifestyles
Retention and extension of life for existing building and its materials
Timber from sustainably managed forests for framed windows and doors
Timber from sustainably managed forests and/or recycled timber for new floor boards and decking

Size of project purposefully kept as very modest
Built-on area kept to a minimum
Land used for building improved by project
Garden design to enhance local ecosystems and encourage local flora and fauna
Garden design inherent to apartments' design  
Connection of living areas to garden to assist in better care