Inclusivity, liveability and landscape unite at East Walker Street, where premium and affordable living converge in a rewilded pocket on the edge of the city
East Walker Street showcases inclusivity in design, with high-end apartments and affordable accommodation borrowing outdoor spaces on the landscaped site. Located on the edge of the North Sydney CBD, the development celebrates its sense of place, with the terraced site and the building scale, form and facades drawing on the natural and built landscape.
Showcasing inclusivity in Design
East Walker Street comprises two buildings, each with their own identity. Hamden House is a 30-storey tower with high-end apartments; Walker Terraces is a 12-storey affordable housing development. While the number of dwellings differs, they have equitable ratios of space, amenity and solar access. Social spaces address the shared green spine that forms part of the arrival sequence and develops into landscaped sanctuaries with outdoor seating for each building.
Celebrating a Sense of Place
The differing scale of the buildings reflects the transition from the North Sydney CBD high-rises to the smaller neighbourhood scale. Fluted concrete, glass detailing and the classicism of the tower are a contemporary take on Sydney’s enduring heritage of Art Deco apartments. Ornament-embossed panels offer potential collaboration with First Nations artists. We worked with landscape architect Arcadia to rewild the site, planting native species and integrating the buildings within the natural environment.
Optimising performance and liveability
The tower is tactically rotated to the street grid, allowing for generous landscaping to soften the streetscape, and visually reducing the bulk of the tower at the upper levels. The serrated form allows every apartment to occupy a corner, optimising solar access, views and cross ventilation. The majority of the affordable housing is also naturally cross ventilated, and shielded walls and angled windows prevent overlooking.
