This new apartment building in a Sydney southern beachside suburb stands apart from its neighbours, using sleek urban sculptural forms and urban materials to carve out a different, more urban, way of living by the sea.

© Brett Boardman

Architects: Fox Johnson

Location: Little Bay NSW 2036, Australia

Project Year: 2016

Photographs: Brett Boardman

© Brett Boardman

From the architect. This new apartment building in a Sydney southern beachside suburb stands apart from its neighbours, using sleek urban sculptural forms and urban materials to carve out a different, more urban, way of living by the sea.

Plan

Traditionally, apartments on Australia?s spectacular eastern coastline were not designed for year-round living. They grew out of a ?summer holiday? short-term occupancy tradition, characterised by inexpensive construction, cheap and cheerful materials, ill-considered layouts and poor thermal control.
© Brett Boardman

As a result, older coastal apartments can be uncomfortable to live in year-round, and are ill equipped to deal with the harsh conditions that come with close proximity to the sea: high summer heat, fierce on-shore winds at the end of the day, sea spray, salt laden corrosive air, and noisy neighbours. Much energy is wasted heating and cooling internal spaces to deal with summer hea...