Location: Brighton Le Sands, Australia.

Architect: Fox Johnston.

The Shelter from the Storm apartment building in Sydney, Australia is designed to be a calm and protected environment on the edge of the Pacific Ocean. Each of the 34 apartments is unique in character and orientation, like a series of rockpools. The building is a response to its site and context, sculpted to protect against harsh weather conditions such as high winds and UV levels. The site presents challenges such as solar access, wind exposure, and noise mitigation, but the building responds with a carefully sculpted and eroded organic volume that provides sun to all living spaces and better views from adjacent buildings. The upper levels are modulated to reduce the building’s scale and improve contextual fit. The building achieves 82% solar access for apartments, 100% natural ventilation, and 23% communal space. The ground plane is a permeable and interconnected series of spaces linking one laneway to historic terraces, with a central garden hub and a new cafe/wine bar. The existing historic terraces will continue to house commercial spaces and will be repaired and restored. The building is a unique and thoughtful response to its site and context, providing a comfortable and protected living environment on the wild edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Photo credit: CGI by Mogamma.