Q. What inspired the distinctive architectural form of Mansard?

The original inspiration for the building form came from the neighbourhood character within Kooyong particularly. We looked at the rhythm, scale and syncopation of house frontages on both Toorak and Monaro Road, and endeavoured to complement this while bringing a house-like scale to the building. This led to the creation of three built forms coming together to form a whole, which has allowed us to provide two unique entry points within the building. We also asked ourselves: how do we design a building that from the street, presents as two floors, yet with more roof space? We’ve achieved this by really absorbing that top layer into the building form, allowing it to be perceived as part of the local roof-scape.

Q. How did the facade materiality then come into play?

The materiality of the architecture was inspired by the local character context, where there’s a lot of 1930s homes. Kooyong in particular has many highly nuanced and detailed stucco render homes which informed the muted yet textural palette, with grey brick transitioning all the way up to the roof. The materiality as a whole is quite pared-back yet there’s a quiet confidence to it.

Q. How have connections been created between inside and out?

A large number of apartments have cross ventilation through them afforded by deep recesses in the architecture, which is quite rare. Bringing Eckersley on board has also assisted in creating a sense of these homes being houses rather than apartments. As soon as you enter the front gate, you’re greeted by tranquil water features and lush landscaping. You then enter through a light-filled lobby, which provides a direct vista through to detailed gardens. By placing windows at the end of corridors throughout the design, we’ve created residences with plentiful natural light and beautifully framed views to nature. The terraces also incorporate a number of water features which provide a sense of relief while buffering the noise of the road. It really feels like an oasis.

Q. What are the some of the distinctive finishes and features found within these homes?

While the architecture is rather achromatic, internally we’ve featured blue ocean travertine which is quite bold and has stunning movement and variations. Our design philosophy is centred on thoughtful details creating meaningful spaces with a sense of calm to them. A lot of that comes from the curation of the material finishes in terms of their tactility, how they’re detailed, and how they’re executed. We’ve featured V-Zug appliances which are beautifully anonymous in a kitchen design in that they’re not seeking to be a hero, and that’s what we love. We choose our fixtures on the basis that there’s no one element fighting to be the hero, allowing for a wholeness and cohesiveness.

Q. What do you love most about the design?

What I’ve always loved about 1930s architecture is there’s really interesting interior spaces created by the architectural form. Drawing inspiration from this, each of the two penthouses have these sloping mansard roof enclosures, which creates a really intriguing framing device while opening up the roof to view and aspects. I also love the experience of entering the lobby, with its vista through to the landscaping and adjacent water features.

Q. What was the inspiration for the landscape design?

We always love the opportunity to be part of a great collaboration, and Carr’s building design has been a great source of inspiration for us. The facade has a very strong and distinctive form, so we wanted to use textured plants to create a soft overall appearance and provide a calming juxtaposition to the building's straight lines and angles.

Q. Could you talk to us about some of the plant species you’ve selected?

There’s a lot of formal gardens in Kooyong and we wanted to create something that would complement this landscape character, but with more of an attainable and relaxed feel. We’ve used a lot of very classic, old-style plants with large green leaves – monsteras, for example – which are then modernised when paired with the contemporary architectural form.

Q. How will residents feel in these garden spaces?

We’ve fostered a sense of calm, not just with lush plant species, but with a series of water features. We’ve used them particularly in the ground-floor street-front apartments to soften any ambient noise while providing that tranquil atmosphere and sense of a connection to nature. In the evening, the water also captures the lighting in a really beautiful way, so there really is that lovely aura right throughout the day.

Q. What is your favourite aspect of the design?

I love how soft and textural it is, and the way this interacts with the architecture. In addition to lush garden beds, there’s a lot of vertical elements where vegetation is cascading down over retaining walls and climbing up the building, creating a beautiful green canvas. There’s also really generous space in these gardens which gives the opportunity to entertain outdoors and have that sense of a real garden, while also providing a green buffer from the street.

Q. How does the landscaping provide connections to the interior spaces?

We’ve selected ground materials that complement the interior finishes. We’ve also picked up on some of the stones used indoors and translated these into an outdoor palette. This creates a sense of extending the interiors outward – of the living room stretching beyond the windows and out into the garden.