[SYD18]

2018 Sydney Design Awards

spaces, objects, visual, graphic, digital & experience design, design champion, best studio & best start-up, plus over 40 specialist categories

accelerate transformation, celebrate courage, growing demand for design

The Albany, Crows Nest



 
Image Credit : BINYAN

Website

LinkedIn

Silver 

Project Overview

Indulgent yet easy, The Albany celebrates sophisticated living with light drench spaces and lush winter gardens.

The Albany celebrates seamless village life in the heart of Crows Nest. This upmarket home is unlike any other in the area with its lush landscaping, private rooftop retreats, luxurious living spaces and bespoke onsite retail experiences – perfectly nestled into one of Sydney’s most sought-after style hubs.

Vibrant and cosmopolitan, step out to beautiful bakeries, alfresco eateries, cool wine bars and more, all right where you live. It’s no surprise that this walk-to-everywhere suburb has gained cachet as the “Surry Hills” of the North Shore.

Created by a trusted team with a reputation for transforming places, The Albany brings you luxury in the making. All just 5kms from the Sydney CBD.

Organisation

PAYCE

Silver 

Team

PAYCE - Developer
Nettletontribe - Architect
Paynter Dixon - Construction
Ionic Management - Project Manager
Turner - Interiors Architect
Boston Marketing - Sales & Marketing
The Property Agency - Marketing

Project Brief

Every aspect of The Albany tells a story of urban village living.

A collaboration by Nettletontribe and Turner, the design is as individual and
vibrant as the location. Seen from the outside, the distinctive white brick and glass building radiates a depth of character that sits easily within the neighbourhood streets and Crows Nest’s alfresco dining precinct.

A brand new retail village and public plaza sit below, anchored by Coles supermarket, bringing inviting open-air dining and convenience.

Above the retail village, the award-winning team have shaped an exclusive collection of just 60 beautifully appointed apartments that are warm, modern and refined. Each evening, green entries welcome you home. So you can leave the world behind and enjoy the serenity of your oasis apartment, nestled above it all.

More than a home, this is an opportunity to create your own village sanctuary. Free-flowing living areas welcome in plentiful sun and air.
Brilliant winter garden designs, seamless balconies and abundant glazing flood each space with natural light, really working to expand the sense of space. There’s a feeling of warmth and sophistication throughout The Albany, that enhances the everyday.

Project Innovation/Need

A beautiful podium garden forms an uplifting pause point at The Albany’s heart. Its planted walkways and inbuilt seating create a central oasis that draws light, air and greenery right into your apartment.

Lush and inviting, the use of natural tones and textures keeps the mood real while tall plantings create an elegant green canopy.

Find time to chill and space to breathe in this residents-only green outdoor courtyard room. It really works to bring heightened green aspects
and sunlight to your home.

Step into your private world where sophisticated design and open aspects set a luxurious tone. Each thoughtfully composed apartment is
spacious, draped in natural light, and finished with exceptional materials. Day and night, they are the kind of spaces you’ll love to spend time in.
Entertain when the mood takes you. Or simply slip off your shoes and relax on the sofa for a quiet night at home. These peaceful and elegant
living environments are the perfect antidote to stimulating city life.
In every room, The Albany’s interiors express simplicity and elegance. Clean lines and neutral tones create a relaxed aesthetic, a perfect fit for the easy-going village setting.

Sleek Miele kitchens are designed for effortless entertaining and everyday life. Seamless stone benchtops and splashbacks ensure an uncluttered contemporary feel while bespoke joinery such as built-in wine racks, place essentials close to hand.

Design Challenge

The Albany concept was to create a strong design statement which integrates the main functions of a supermarket, public plaza and residential apartments, in an elegant and distinctive architectural solution which responds to the qualities of the corner site and forms a gateway to the Crows Nest village precinct.

The Albany retail podium has been designed to form a strong streetscape anchor to the active alfresco dining precinct of Willoughby Road. The distinctive white brick and glass façade defines the street edge and contributes to the identity of the building in the public domain.

A core design element, central to successful placemaking, is the new public plaza at the corner of Albany Street. The new plaza, with its high-quality finishes and selection of restaurants and retail, will become a destination point along Willoughby Rd. This plaza is the active hub of The Albany and the link to the established retail precinct to the south.

Above the podium, the articulated residential façade with its high-quality finishes and attention to detail will set a high benchmark, establishing a superior precedent for future development in the area.

Sustainability

A number of sustainability initiatives will be incorporated into the overall design. The majority of the apartments have winter gardens, with bi-fold windows on the edge of the balcony. These can fold back to allow access to natural ventilation or close watertight allowing seamless flow with adjacent living areas. The winter gardens provide the occupant with the flexibility to increase living area or to use the space as a traditional balcony when the winter garden is open.

Every apartment welcomes the light and air, bringing the outdoors in, with floor to ceiling sliding doors leading to the winter gardens.




This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow. The project can be a concept, tender or personal project, i.e. proposed space.
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