Taking out a top gong at theย largest and most prestigious architectural award, the World Architecture Festival (WAF), Sydneyโs inner west developmentย Casbaย has been recognised on the global stage.
Winningย first prize for mixed use completed building, theย award celebrates Casbaย asย a leading example of howย toย balance urban renewal with respect to changing demographics and population growth.
Designed by SJB in collaborationย with BLP, with interiors by BKH and developed by Cornerstone Property Group; Casba is situated on Danks Street, Waterloo, in what is now aย foodie and art lovers haven but was once an areaย dominated by light industry.
Casba references the warehouse typology of the precinct without displaying a direct, kitsch relationship.ย โWith Casbaย we wanted to honour the established grainย and texture of the Waterloo location, but we had toย balance heritage considerations of this former warehouse precinct with the growing expectations of inner cityย living environments,โย says Adam Haddow, director of SJB Sydney.
Comprising of 65 residential dwellings and 3,000 sqm ofย retail space, to achieve good urban renewal, Casba wasย conceived around three guiding elements: a communal,ย publicly accessible courtyard, a pedestrian linkย throughout the site and active street edges.
The design approach was to start with the round-the-clock, publicly accessible, internal courtyard or cloister.ย To inject character to the public realm of the development and also reference the heritage of the originalย warehouses, recycled bricks were used in the cloister and throughout. Residential buildings wereย made of brickย and painted white, providing a quiet and restrained backdrop to the residential environment within.
“As our cities grow and the demand for housing options increases, itโs essential that developments not onlyย contribute to the built environment, butย alsoย contribute toย theย society,” says David Leece, director of BLP. “We have an obligation to create placesย people want to not only sleep and relax, but also connect with their community. We hope we achievedย this withย Casba.”
