COASTAL GEM

Beachside living, with all the features found in a luxury detached home, was the design touchstone for Jade's architect and interior designer, Planit Architecture.

"At 380m² per floor, the area of each apartment is equivalent to a residential lot and offers all the space and amenities a family requires in a comfortable home including the pool," says Planit's Scott Peabody. "Jade is about providing homes on one of the most desirable beach fronts on the Eastern seaboard."

Peabody envisioned an elliptical tower that would maximise the ocean and beach views, with apartments opened up to sea breezes, and finishes that would convey both relaxed beach living and understated luxury. The curvilinear structure informs the interior, with curved corridors and balconies, and rooms that gently widen out towards the windows.

"We planned the apartments so that the rooms enjoy the panoramic ocean views and, crucially, so that each apartment has its own pool," he says.

This was a complex design challenge, says Peabody, that required an integrated engineering and architectural resolution, especially as the pool voids couldn't be allowed to encroach on living spaces.

"We believe our approach to resolving the pool-per-floor concept was the key to our success," says Peabody. "The pools, a key element of Jade, were planned so that the pool void is lost as a dividing wall between living spaces and bedroom spaces."

Externally, the entrance to the tower is a glazed space that permits beach and ocean views from the street. The tower is clad in materials chosen to withstand the harsh coastal environment: the copper alloy, for example, was tested in similar coastal conditions for more than a year. All steelwork was finished with Triplex, a proprietary corrosion protection system, and the glass was tinted to reduce the impact of solar gain.

The limited palette of materials for the exterior was also selected to emphasise the sculptural qualities of the design, says Peabody. In a similar way, a restricted palette of finishes, including limestone, marble and veneered timbers, was chosen for the interiors.

"The finishes create a high quality, relaxed ambience that suggests a beach house feel, which is heightened by the way the internal layout opens the apartments to the gentle coastal breezes," he says.

For more information, contact Planit Architecture & Management, Level 1, 112 Barry Parade, Qld 4004, phone (07) 3831 5055, fax (07) 3831 5066. Website: www.planitarc.com.au.

Story by: Trendsideas