How DKO designed Irving Domain to connect with nature
Framed by the bustling Box Hill Central and leafy neighbourhood Box Hill Gardens, Irving Domain, the new Box Hill apartment project, has been designed to connect to its context.
Melbourne developer APH Holding had the dynamic architecture firm DKO design Irving Domain, which will bring 102 parkside apartments, along with a host of residential amenity and a ground floor café, to the burgeoning Box Hill area.
The widely recognised practice, inspired by an environment where city-living coexists with nature, designed the apartments to make a conscious yet unassuming contribution to the parkside community. DKO design Director, Jesse Linardi, noted the importance of how each space will make occupants feel.
“At Irving Domain, the design develops effortless connections with nature and a sophisticated sense of home," Linardi said.
“Standing at 13 stories, Irving Domain will be a welcomed addition to Box Hill’s urban edge - its sculptural form contributing to the burgeoning and fast-evolving precinct skyline.”
Interfacing with the street and park, the ground floor café has been designed to appear as if it peels away from the sidewalk, with the gesture an added effort to soften the street corners and invite the local community in.
After stepping through a discreet entrance way from the café, the grand lobby welcomes residents to Irving Domain, incorporating lighting features and layered textures of marble, raked concrete, travertine, and timber. A brushed metal ceiling floats above the space, with bespoke furnishings in honed marble and leather completing the area.
The apartments at Irving Domain have been planned to ensure the spaces work to their maximum potential and offer residents a considered and life-enhancing home, DKO say.
The entry doorway to the apartments has been conceived a separate entity to create a sense of arrival the architects say, featuring a modern version of the hat-and-coat stand, reimagined as a bespoke joinery piece with innovative storage for shoes, coats, accessories and keys, along with smartphone and electrical charging points, serving both a functional purpose as well as being a decorative piece.
“Consideration of daily rituals was of the utmost importance during the design process and are celebrated throughout. For instance, a sense of arrival is enhanced by providing a place to store shoes, keys and bags near the front door."
Living and dining areas, and the public spaces within the apartments, have been kept separate from the more private, intimate spaces, such as the bedrooms and bathroom, further embracing DKO's vision.
Each apartment is adjoined with a deeply recessed balcony, which not only offers shade and privacy, but also an extendable living space to the apartments.
The curves and linear details expressed within Irving Domain are inspired by the trees, foliage and flourishing greenery of neighbouring Box Hill Gardens, along with the rolling contours of the mountain ranges.
“To remain relevant and timeless, all excessive decorative elements are replaced by a purity of materials and an authenticity of design that permeates from architecture to interiors," Linardi added.
"At an elevated and prominent street corner, the building is perfectly attuned with its environment and the residents who will live within.”
Subtle geometric patterns are intertwined with the architecture, paired with raw concrete, glazing and bronzed metals. Slender columns balance the expressed concrete slabs, while also framing the nearby park and distant city and mountain views.
Fluted concrete, expressed on the lower levels, adds depth and diversity to the form, with the north-west corner apartments opening to private gardens.
The palette of finishes is neutral and calm at Irving Domain - where less is more – with the palette choice imposed to create a seamless connection between the interiors and exteriors.
“In a treasured and historical leafy precinct, Irving Domain seeks to provide a highly considered home for its residents," Linardi said.
"It is a place where they can embrace the connections to nature while enjoying being in the heart of a vibrant dining and business district that effortlessly combines work and pleasure."
