Andrew Burns Architecture and PBD Architects have designed a multi-residential development in the heart of Alexandria, to be constructed by Ceerose Group.

The project comes as a collaboration, with the opportunity for the practices of Andrew Burns and PBD to combine material sensitivity, response to place, multi-residential expertise and an integrated design approach.

The commission comes via a City of Sydney Design Excellence Competition, with the project’s intent to recontextualise the south of Alexandria and “the fine grain residential context of Erskineville to the north,” says Andrew Burns Architecture.

“The proposal mediates between these two scales and characters, calibrating the architectural response to each.”

“A group of three robust masonry forms are presented to the primary McEvoy Street frontage, reinterpreting the heritage masonry forms of the context.”

The masonry base is covered by a row of metallic volumes whilst the roof sits as a series of sawtooth-cliffs. 

The shopfront on the ground floor has flush glazing, juxtaposing its upper levels’ recessed glazing.

The heritage character is the identity of the project, with the building initially being occupied by Troy Roofing and Flooring dating back to 1949.

Inspiration was drawn from this period, with terrace houses and industrial volumes in a typical urban scene of Camperdown.