A triple bottom line development that sought to provide spacious, generous, simple, affordable and sustainable apartments has earned a category prize at the 2014 Sustainability Awards.

The Commons by Breathe Architecture received the Multi-Density Residential category prize ahead of five other projects and was awarded for its occupant focussed design and minimal finishes.

“It is clearly evident the focus of this project was people, with an aim to do more with less. This has translated into generous light filled spaces with minimal finishes that enrich through their honesty,” the judges’ comments read.

“Coupled with taking a difficult site and locale and making it better, the team has shown how a powerful and appropriate social agenda to affordable housing in the city can create great architecture.”

“With housing becoming increasingly unattainable to many, such a project is an important and inspiring beacon.”

At its core, The Commons is about people, not architectural form. The architecture serves as a catalyst for the way people use the building and interact, and the sense of community garnered. Designing to build more with less, giving space and height, light and air, The Commons attempts to give people what they needed and not what the marketing agents thought would sell.

Key Initiatives:

  • Social sustainability
  • Affordability
  • Sustainability and implementation of ESD strategies
  • Use of recycled and reclaimed materials
  • Use of low VOC and low embodied energy materials
  • Adopting a form of architectural “de-materialisation” in pursuit of building only what is needed

Photography by Andrew Wuttke & UA Creative

Click here for to see all the winners and commendations for 2014

All the finalists can be viewed in the video below: