Leading Newcastle and Central Coast based architecture firm, CKDS, and its collaborators, Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects, have collected multiple Awards for their design of Newcastle’s Verve Residences project.
The West end residential and commercial development was awarded the Aaron Bolot Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing, as well as the Blacket Prize for design excellence in a regional context at the NSW Architecture Awards.
In announcing the Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing Award, Jury Chair Carolyn Mitchell said Verve Residences was an exemplary project that sets a new standard for urban architecture in Newcastle.
“Verve Residences is paving the way for more socially and environmentally aware residential design in Newcastle,” Carolyn said.
“There are certainly many lessons to be taken from how the architects have gone about creating meaningful engagement between residents, as well as the community it sits within.”
In the Newcastle Architecture Awards held in March, the Verve project took out the prestigious Architecture Medal, the Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Multiple Housing) and a commendation for Sustainable Architecture.
CKDS Director, Stuart Campbell, praised his team and project partners for the accolades.
Stuart said the design aimed to bring a sustainable and distinguished presence to Newcastle’s streetscape and skyline.
“Our role was to bring a considered response to the scale and character of site and the area’s evolving urbanity,” he said.
“The CKDS team is always focused on getting the balance right between innovative design, commercial considerations and sustainability.”
CKDS Senior Associate, Joel Chamberlain, who worked on the project, said the design created two, 19 storey, north-facing towers with a small carbon footprint.
He said a landscaped podium on King Street helped create generous public and communal landscape spaces.
The project achieved Design Excellence under the Newcastle Local Environment Plan (LEP).
“Extensive consultation helped us to create a highly liveable and functional place,” Joel said.
“Good architectural design maximises benefits within a given space.
“At Verve, there is solar connection throughout, with splayed balconies and articulation of the base meaning that many apartments enjoy corner positions, with extended sunshine and extensive views.”
Joel said connecting community and recognising history and place was also an important part of the design.
“The King Street façade provides a horizontal street-wall with a grand opening echoing the stratification of Newcastle’s mining history.”
“While the primary frontage is King Street, the north-east boundary adjoins Cottage Creek, which will become an important public connection between King and Hunter streets extending northward to the harbour-front, and southward to National Park.
“It was a privilege to work on an iconic project that has played an important role in the revitalisation of Newcastle’s West End.”
The 66m tall, 18304m2, 197 apartment development was completed in 2019.
The NSW Architecture Awards, run by the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, comprises of 41 named Awards and architecture Awards, as well as 32 commendations across 13 categories. The Awards presentation was livestreamed Friday 3 July.
CKDS and its design partners will now compete in the National Architecture Awards program. The shortlist will be announced by the Australian Institute of Architects in the coming months.
These Awards follow other accolades for the firm, who took out two Awards at both the 2019 and 2018 Australian Institute of Architecture Awards.
Since establishing in 2005 the firm has strived to be architects of excellence. It is behind the design of many recent Newcastle and Central Coast landmark projects including Newcastle East End Stage 2, Honeysuckle’s Lee 5 project, Newcastle’s Gateway 1 and Gateway II developments and Gosford’s Bonython Tower.
The firm’s philosophy is to bring together innovative design, commercial considerations and sustainability; a sentiment backed by its pre-qualification with the NSW Government Register for Design Excellence.
IMAGE | The Award-winning Verve residences developed by CKDS Architecture.
