First look: ARCH lodges plans for Millervale, Cammeray apartment development
Cammeray is set for a new boutique apartment development.
The newly formed development firm ARCH is behind the plans for the four-storey apartment building at 18 Vale Street.
Dubbed Millervale, due to its location on the corner of Miller and Vale Street, the project will comprise just eight, three-bedroom apartments across the striking building.
“We are very excited for our first project Millervale," ARCH's Marcus Hinzack told Urban.
"It ticks all our strategic goals of being in a great suburb with high levels of amenity, close to the local village and nature walks and very well connected to the rest of Sydney.
"ARCH are going to hang our hat on putting design, both aesthetics and functionality above all else, and we were very careful to select a like minded architect DKO who share our values," Hinzack added.
Perspective view looking north from Vale St. Image credit: DKO
"As a team we spent a lot of time researching Cammeray and taking a lot of the design cues and understanding the local vernacular of the surrounding homes to create a contemporary apartment building that also nods to the history of the suburb and sits very well in its context”.
Early in the design process, the landscape and built form character of Cammeray was analysed by ARCH and architecture firm DKO. From this a Cammeray character “kit of parts” was developed, including palettes of materiality, colour, texture and architectural features, forming the basis of the architectural and landscape concepts.
ARCH noted in there development application a key driver for the project was to develop a strongly site-derived proposal, which reflected the unique attributes of the area to strengthen local identity despite its continuing densification.
Millervale will replace the existing three-houses on the amalgamated 902 sqm site. The scale of the building is in keeping with the older walk-up style apartment buildings in proximity to the site.
DKO Senior Associate Sonny Oh noted in the design statement submission that the role of DKO’s architecture is to mediate between the past, present and future of the site and surrounds.
“The dwelling size and mix is in response to the demographics of the area and a market demand for larger apartments, which offer an alternative to detached or semi-detached dwellings,” Oh wrote.
Perspective view of pedestrian entry on Vale Street. Image credit: DKO
Offering open and light spaces, the apartments have considered ventilation, outlook, solar access and storage, further responding to the market needs.
The landscaping is a key component of the design, and has been sought to be integrated throughout the built form to contribute to the existing landscape character of the area as well as providing significant amenity to the future residents and neighbouring residents of the site.
Millervale will be part of the growing suburb of Cammeray, in the leafy Lower North Shore area.
Within close proximity to the Local Centre of Cammeray and Cammeray Square shopping centre, residents will benefit from a variety of everyday services and hospitality offerings, all within a five-minute walk. It is also situated adjacent to Cammeray public school, and Norths Cammeray Club, which is also within a five-minute walk.
Bus stops directly adjacent to the site along Miller street provide access to public transport to Chatswood, Crows Nest, North Sydney and onto the CBD, while the surrounding context also has a range of open space and recreational amenity, offering a diversity of passive and active spaces.
