At first sight, the building looks to be obsessed with all things circular.
But Australian firm BKK Architects’ well-rounded theme for the appropriately named Cirqua Apartments actually has higher aspirations. It’s intended to create a more livable environment for the increasing number of homeowners in East Ivanhoe, a suburb of Melbourne, who are buying apartments to live in.
When BKK first took on the project, they were dealing with a difficult property. Located on a steeply sloping plot of land, they had to consolidate two properties into one single block. Several planned projects on the land had previously failed. And despite challenges in dealing with municipal planning policies and the pure physical constraints, the architects were successful in finally creating Cirqua Apartments.
The building has 42 units — 38 of them unique in design — that range from one to three bedrooms in size and cover from 485 square feet to 1,400 square feet. Among the priorities were ensuring a passive environmental performance and making it accessible. With that in mind, bedrooms and living areas in each of the apartment have direct access to natural light and ventilation, the kitchen, dining and living areas look out onto large balconies and the bedrooms’ views are landscaped areas. Significant landscaping was emphasized so that Cirqua Apartments fit into the neighbourhood’s Garden City esthetic.
Local heritage buildings were also considered in the design and reinterpreted to provide a contemporary balance. Building materials include brick, steel, concrete, timber, aluminum and ceramic tiles.
Victorian ash timber was used in the common corridors to create warmth and softness, and contrast with the exterior of the building. Individual owners’ requests were heeded and architects adjusted their designs to customize layouts.
The circular theme, though, was intrinsic to the concept. In addition to large porthole-style windows, bathrooms have white, penny-round tiles, circular mirrors and round timber handles on the cupboard doors. Common corridors have custom “wok” lights and custom glazing decals.
A gas-boosted solar heater system delivers hot water to the units that also have motion-detected automatic ventilation while rainwater is collected for use in toilet flushing.
Cirqua Apartments cost $13 million and the units are priced at $400,000 to $1.2 million ($385,000 to $1.16 million Canadian. After three years in the design and approval stages, it took 16 months to build and was completed earlier this year.
Simon Knott, director of BKK Architects, answers a few questions about Cirqua Apartments:
How has the apartment market changed in Melbourne and how have you dealt with that at Cirqua?
There has been a shift in the market from investment driven apartments to more owner occupied. Therefore, the mix is much more varied — 38 different types of apartment within the 42. They are larger and designed as homes.
How were the buyers’ requests dealt with?
They were involved in the final evolution of the designs as they were taken to market. Some combined apartments to make much larger living environments, other made more minor changes.
What makes the suites that make them more livable?
The apartments have larger, more functional layouts. The kitchens are designed for couples or families to work in with ample storage, there are larger outdoor terrace areas and good-quality living environments. There was also a focus on sustainability, which was done not just for the environment but also to also reduce utility bills.
Why a circular theme?
This is a direct reference to the predominant housing stock in the area which can be described as Queen Anne Federation-era. They are quite lyrical and expressive facades.