Architect and Builder February/March 2019 | Page 52

The 49 apartments are structured around a large
central courtyard that is orientated to provide
shelter from the prevailing south-easter. The
residential façades are comprised of a linear
series of full-height solid wall panels or glass and
aluminium shopfronts and these in turn are further
set back from the residential roof edge - the result
of sun studies which determined the optimum
degree of passive shading to reduce solar gain
into the apartments and to provide sheltered and
livable balconies.
Structure
A unique structural solution was required to
separate the residential and retail floors and to
accommodate the substantial residential setback.
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In addition to accommodating the change in
column grids between the occupancies, all
residential services were reticulated in the slab
depth to prevent underslung services occurring
above the retail tenancies below the residential
roof. To achieve this a complex post-tensioned
transfer slab and beam arrangement was designed
and engineered.
Services
The eastern side of the mall roof slab
accommodates the landlord’s roof plant enclosure.
As the plant enclosure is in relatively close
proximity to the residential apartments the plant
was carefully specified and selected with acoustic
insulation to keep noise levels low.
Centre Point