THE INTERLACE PROVES A WINNER

Judges praised the design for its “exemplary integration with its surrounding environment; and its ability to add to the social sustainability of its immediate and wider context, environmentally, socially, and culturally”.

Made up of 31 apartment blocks, each six storeys tall, the development comprises an extensive and integrated network of private and communal spaces. Rather than clusters of isolated towers, the scheme reinterprets ideas behind contemporary living, with horizontally connected volumes establishing a better connected and less isolated residential environment.

Stacked in a hexagonal arrangement, the units are articulated around eight generously proportioned courtyards forming a unified topography where terraced gardens are positioned across the stepped volumes. Multi-story openings allow light and air to weave into and through the landscape.

Imagined as a vertical village, the 170,000m² project provides 1,040 residential units that are both spacious and reasonably priced.

The idea of community life within a contemporary village is emphasised through an extensive network of gardens. A variety of public amenities are interwoven into the landscape, offering numerous opportunities for social interaction and shared activities within the natural environment.

A central square, theatre plaza, and water park occupy the more public and central spaces and contain shared amenity areas such as a clubhouse, theatre, gyms and a 50-metre lap pool with sun deck.

Surrounding courtyards provide shaded outdoor play and picnic areas with lower blocks around its perimeter. The waterfall, lotus pond, and rainforest spa complete the eight main courtyards and offer residents further areas of recreation in a more relaxed and contemplative atmosphere.

From an environmental perspective, sustainability features are incorporated throughout the project, including the integration of low-impact passive energy strategies. Through stacking the apartments, the design generates a multiplication of horizontal surfaces populated by extensive roof gardens and landscaped terraces that offer more green space than the size of the unbuilt site.

Water bodies have been strategically positioned within defined wind corridors, encouraging evaporative cooling, while vehicular traffic and parking is accommodated in a single layer below the landscaped ground level.