The form of Aire is drawn from a river pebble, smoothed and sculpted by natural forces over time. Its dual form, rounded corners and recessed balconies respond to the orientation and express the arrangement of the 57 apartments, ranging from large four-bedroom homes to compact one-bedroom homes. Each is tuned for daylight, ventilation and landscape connections, and a ripple of indents in the north-facing balustrades demarcate the larger apartments and create visual interest in the long, sweeping façade.

The form and façade also reinterpret Sydney’s enduring heritage of Art Deco apartments, evoking a sense of permanence and place in this new growth area. The pattern and texture on the precast concrete façade were achieved with rubber form liners – one is now in Rothelowman’s Sydney studio, celebrating our passion for the process of making. At the entry of Aire, the building is propped on columns, letting the landscape wrap around the ground level, the greenery enlivening the white and off-white colour of the concrete.