Northcote Place has community at its essence. Crafted by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, the design fosters organic engagement amongst residents and their neighbours, both in and outside the home. Special care has been taken to establish a strong connection to place – to the natural landscape and the local fabric – forming a unique, sustainable habitat that fits in seamlessly with its context.
Carrying this feeling inside the homes, the interiors have been crafted to embody the character of the local neighbourhood while responding to a growing need for flexibility. Each home is honest, contemporary and timeless in its simplicity; designed to create a true sense of sanctuary. Of coming home to your place.
Working closely with ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects, Akas Landscape Architecture have curated a series of nourishing outdoor environments, both private and shared. Designed to connect inhabitants to each other, and to nature, while supporting Northcote’s rich ecology, the landscaping imbues the site with an ever-present sense of wellbeing.
Q: How did ClarkeHopkinsClarke become involved in the Northcote Place project?
A: Both our architecture and interiors teams work seamlessly together and have worked on numerous townhouse projects for Metro Property, enabling us to establish a strong working relationship with the team over many years. We have also worked on a range of projects in Darebin City Council, particularly in and around Merri Creek, including the Nightingale and Stewart Street Apartment projects, which both have a high sustainability focus.
Q: Tell us about the vision for the project and how it was created?
A: Northcote Place has been designed as a ‘habitat’ for the local community and its residents whilst connecting to the local ecology. Our vision has been founded upon four pillars – a home that users ‘wear in’; a physical manifestation of its inhabitant’s values; a thriving micro community; and an exemplar of its time.
We commenced the design process with CHC’s ‘Creating Vibrant Communities’ workshop to drill down into all of the opportunities this site has to offer and how we could make it a great place to live. Of particular focus were the elements of sustainability, connection, diversity, people, health & wellbeing, and the passage of time.
Q: How has the character of Northcote been reflected in the design?
A: Connectedness is a key focus of this project, and we wanted to make sure that Northcote Place ‘fit’ within the wider community. At ground level, front porch seating areas have been created, offering a place to put your shoes on, run into your neighbours or just hang out with a cup of coffee.
An inbuilt connection to the wider community has been provided with a bike connection that links in with the existing cycle network of Northcote. Being a diverse suburb, a homogenous one-size fits-all approach was not going to be suitable for this location. A number of different typologies within the project are provided for different types of households. Each has their own features that will appeal to people depending on their requirements; be it views, space for larger households, flexible home offices, north or south facing spaces and so on.
The materials were selected with two things in mind – sustainability and to be in keeping with the local context. The use of materials such as brick, metal, timber structures, bench seating and planters were considered carefully to ensure tactility, durability and connection to landscape. The landscaping is a large focus, with a community garden, large courtyards and the central mews.
Q: From an architectural perspective, what makes this
project unique?
A: From the outset, the project’s key focus has been on achieving optimal sustainability outcomes, with high ESD ratings for every townhouse and an 8 Star NatHERS rating for the overall development. Working closely with a sustainability consultant, a range of passive design principles and materials have been used to achieve best practice
These include large eaves, north facing living rooms, large terraces and garden areas to maximise indoor/outdoor connections, triple glazed thermally broken windows, thermal breaks at each floor level, rainwater tanks, and Photovoltaic Cells to every townhouse. The design also incorporates cross flow ventilation in every typology, and northern sun to enable residents to experience the elements.
The landscaping and pedestrian focused street network has been carefully crafted to ensure the new community connects to the existing surrounds and maximises internal connections between residents. The central mews is a landscape focused, pedestrian oriented connection with each residence having outdoor seating, and upper level balconies to promote community interaction. It is an active place for people of all ages, supporting the local ecology through landscaping as well as the health and wellbeing of people.
Q: How do you want someone to feel when they interact with the space?
A: We want people to feel a sense of home – filled with lots of sun and open space, generous ceilings, flowing and flexible spaces. Each outward view is connected to nature and community.
We want people to feel a sense of freedom – that their home does not tell them how to live, it allows them to grow and change. A home that works for them in summer and in winter, in times of work and play, with space for extra family members or a kids’ sleepover. We want it to weather well and develop character.
We want people to feel empowered to make good choices about how they live – their home reflects their values and beliefs, it is easy on the planet, it works in harmony with the environment, and can give back. Because sustainability is on display it inspires them to make better choices in other parts of their life – they could pop over and buy organic products from CERES, hang out with their neighbours and plant herbs in the communal garden, reduce their energy usage and consumption habits.
Northcote Place is comprised of three distinct precincts, each with its own identity and set of characteristics.
Beavers Road
The Beavers Road homes enjoy direct access to both the main street and Merri Creek. This creates a sense of connection to the wider community and to the local ecology of the area. The facade design combines robust materiality with recessed upper forms and an elevated landscaped set back. Three-storeys tall, these homes offer expansive roof terraces boasting pergolas and city views.
Northcote Mews
The Northcote Mews homes open out to a wide, pedestrian-focused street. Featuring an abundance of landscaping and ample bench seating, this precinct fosters organic engagement amongst neighbours. Establishing a connection to the wider neighbourhood, a bike path here will allow local bike riders to pass through on their way to Merri Creek. The three-storey homes feature balconies and recessed top levels to maximise solar access. A light colour palette has been utilised on the facades to reduce heat gain.
Northcote Place
The Northcote Place homes are positioned along a wide, pedestrian and cyclist-focused street. Generous landscaping and shared areas at the entries foster community connection. The homes in this precinct are varied in height, with a range of materials, creating a sense of individuality and diversity. Homes along the Northern edge feature private backyards for an enriching outdoor lifestyle.
Rooftop sanctuaries, connecting you to the outdoors.
Overlooking the city skyline, Merri Creek and surrounding vegetation, the townhomes along the premium Beavers Road frontage have been afforded with spacious rooftop terraces. An overhead pergola will provide shade and sanctuary, paired with flourishing planter boxes. With an abundance of room for an outdoor setting, this finely crafted space couldn’t be more perfect for outdoor entertaining.
Q: What was your overarching vision for the landscape?
A: Our overarching vision for Northcote Place was to maximise every opportunity for green space while being sensitive to the local area of Northcote. The development carefully uses local plant species to create a landscape with a sense of freedom and wildness, with the intent for ecologies and habitat to form over time. Gardens and spaces within the development include a pedestrian linear street/park, a community garden, street furniture, local rocks, raingardens and extensive planting, all of which offer different opportunities and experiences for the residents and the local community.
Q: How does the landscape of Northcote Place foster a greater sense of community?
A: The landscape at Northcote Place fosters a greater sense of community through the use of many shared spaces including a productive garden, a pedestrian street, bicycle links, street furniture and extensive landscaping. The productive garden offers the opportunity to grow your own food, connect with your neighbours or engage with members of the local community. The pedestrian street prioritises people over cars with one-way traffic, permeable paving, seating and large sweeping gardens. It offers a long linear green space which creates the feeling of a large park, providing ample opportunities for socialising.
Q: In what ways does the landscaping respond to the architecture?
A: The architecture of Northcote Place is minimal, modern and clean. The landscape offers a counter to this aesthetic, embedding the buildings with greenery and a sense of wild. The planting is lush, full and exuberant, interacting with the architecture directly through careful plant placement and selection.
Q: Could you talk us through the plant selection and your use of native species?
A: We have designed a landscape which is sensitive to the local area and Merri Creek, using 80% local Indigenous plant species. We have mixed this palette with both native and exotic plants in a thoughtful and inspired way to achieve a hardy ecosystem, and a beautiful landscape to inhabit.
Q: How will the gardens of Northcote Place contribute to a sense of wellbeing in residents and why is establishing a connection to nature so important in residential design?
A: The gardens at Northcote Place will contribute to the wellbeing of residents through the many opportunities to inhabit the landscape, offering moments to reflect, socialise and create new experiences.
As development continues in our urban centres, the average house block and garden size have become more compact, meaning that the green spaces in or near our homes have become a really important connection for us as urban dwellers. This development priorities a connection to nature in a multitude of ways. The location of the development along Merri Creek and close to CERES, the introduction of the local Indigenous plant species, the opportunity to inhabit the landscape throughout the development through seating, shared community spaces and a vigorous and full landscape. There are many moments within the community to stop, reflect and reconnect with nature.
Q: How will the landscaping play a role in supporting the local ecology of Northcote?
A: The landscape will play a key role in providing extra habitat and space for the local ecology of Northcote and its surrounds with the introduction of 200 large trees and thousands of new plants. This green development welcomes the local flora and fauna of Northcote to make themselves at home here through the carefully selected plant palette, the use of local rocks for habitat and a planting style that mirrors a natural ecology.
Innately future-proof, the interiors of Northcote Place have been designed to wear in with their occupants, growing in character over the years and transforming with the shifting needs of your household. From the outset, there is a warm sense of arrival that flows through to a series of calming, user-centred spaces.
Robust, natural and texturally rich, the interior finishes have been designed to age well. There is a richness to the palette; a tactility that encourages inhabitants to reach out and engage, exemplified by warm timber joinery, Blackbutt floors, South Australian terrazzo, black porcelain benchtops and Solid Surface vanities.
Every material has been selected based on its provenance, wastage, supplier credibility and ESD rating. Born from a commitment to authenticity, the palette has been consciously and honestly curated, forming habitats that are sustainable from the inside out.
Generous proportions and flexible layouts will allow families to interact with ease while having plenty of room for peace and quiet when they need it. Thoughtful, practical inclusions respond to the ways in which living naturally unfolds, from cleverly-placed storage to built-in seating and sliding terrace doors.
Throughout the homes, a range of purposeful features contribute to both an elevated lifestyle and a greater sense of practicality.
Seat Nook - Entrance
Offering a place to tie your shoes, the entrance features a built-in seat nook complete with a pull-out drawer for any items you want out of sight.
Feature Wall Hooks - Entrance
Feature hooks at the entrance provide a place to hang coats, bags and the like while serving as a reminder not to leave home without the essentials.
Suspended Pendant Light - Kitchen
Perfectly illuminating the task at hand, the kitchen is appointed with an overhead LED light in a contemporary rounded shape.
Media Unit - Living
An optional upgrade, the media unit offers plentiful drawer space to keep wires and consoles concealed. The porcelain bench top makes it the ideal podium for art, ornaments and indoor plants.
Built-in Shelf - Kitchen
In addition to integrated joinery, the kitchen has been appointed with a thick built-in shelf. A great place for showcasing kitchen wares.
Ready for what the future holds.
Now more than ever, having a multi-purpose room is vital for a modern household. Conscious of this growing need for adaptability, each townhome features a flexible space at ground floor. It could be used as a light-filled home office, doubling as a playroom, nursery or gym. It is large enough to become another bedroom if your household expands over the years, or if guests come to stay.
A carefully considered master suite.
Combining natural materiality, bold feature tapware and practical built-in storage, the ensuite is a functional oasis in which to revive and reset. The ultimate time saver, select homes feature a double vanity and extra storage space. Some homes also feature a connecting walk-in wardrobe, providing ample space for all your clothing with plenty of room to spare.