23 September 2019

Kick-off time for The Grounds residential development in historic Braddon

| Ian Bushnell
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What to expect in an apartment living room.

Director of Judd Studio, Nathan Judd said the apartment building nestled into the southern corner of the site and acted as a high-quality marker building.

The building is unusual in that most of the apartments are much larger than normal, and would suit downsizers and others seeking a house-sized apartment close to the city,” he said.

“The diversity of offerings really sets this project apart and with its location so close to the amenities of Braddon and the city, it really will function as a new urban village. As we move to a less car-dependent and more sustainable lifestyle, it is these type of developments that really set the example of what we can achieve in Canberra.”

Mr Judd said the precinct would enliven the city end of the site, which is currently a gravel car park, and the terraces would meet a lack of this type of housing in inner Canberra, with Northbourne Oval as a beautiful backdrop to the project maintaining its primacy.

“The townhouses are generous and flexible, some with living areas lifted above street level, leaving open the possibility of ground floor, low-scale commercial uses such as home offices and start-up businesses,” he said.

“We are trying to anticipate how Canberra city might change and what flexibility we can build into our architecture. As part of this approach, the precinct has little pocket parks and green space that offer moments of pause, and planting and sculptural elements that communicate the overall quality of the project.”

He said the design was classic and contemporary, with a mix of materials and building forms that complemented and were sympathetic to the inner urban context.

“The new precinct does an excellent job at mediating between the high-density city context and adjacent redevelopment and reasserts a two-storey suburban character as you progress up Torrens and Donaldson Streets,” he said.

“The special features I really like are the inset balconies, the four-storey townhouses that have their living areas at level one, the apartments that sit on the corners and have dual aspect and really generous floor plates, the little pocket parks that offer opportunities for residents to meet and come together, the internal roads that give a sense of being in a little neighborhood, yet being so close to the city, and the great northern aspect and views over the oval that so many of these new homes will have.”

Mr Judd said the development utilised a range of high-quality metal façade and feature steelwork, large glazed windows and feature brickwork made of durable low-maintenance materials that would ensure the development looked as good on day one as it did in 20 years’ time.

“People can expect a compact and distinct precinct that offers a sense of identity and community. It will be a very unique place to live,” he said.

An aerial view showing an artist’s impression of The Grounds and Northbourne Oval.

Mr Harriden said there had been strong interest from a range of buyer types, due to the varying product offerings, location and price options.

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