‘Victrack’
Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Full Architectural: Concept Design to Completion
Project Management: Building, Interior Design and Landscape
This 19 Apartment infill housing project in Gertrude Street was named ‘Victrack’ due to the previous owners of the site. The site remained vacant for over 10 years prior to it being purchased by Yarra Community Housing and developed as Singles Housing. The project was the second stage of a three stage project on this site.
The brief was to maximise the yield on this tiny infill site in the busy and eclectic precinct of Fitzroy. We designed 19 x 32sqm Studio Apartments over five levels with a central courtyard to provide northern sunlight into every apartment.
Every studio was designed to have balconies with northern sunlight and cross ventilation to enhance the internal environment of the units and minimise the need for mechanical cooling in summer. Communal solar boosted hot water and a communal laundry on ground level was serviced by a safe and secure internal courtyard for the residents. No car parking was provided due to the single low income profile of the tenants combined with the inner urban location of the site.
The building incorporates environmentally sustainable design features to reduce the overall environmental impact, improve the comfort and quality of the accommodation and reduce utility costs.