1+2 Architecture acknowledges the Palawa people as the traditional custodians of lutruwita, the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. We are committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Liverpool Street Apartments
LOCATION + TRADITIONAL COUNTRY
The Palawa, Hobart, Tasmania
CLIENT
Not applicable
STATUS
Built (2006)
AWARDS
2006 RAIA - Alterations & Additions Award
2006 RAIA - Environmental Design Award
media
Houses (Issue 53, 2006), pp.34-40
Contemporary Home Design (2007), pp.82-86
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tucked behind a 19th-century shopfront in Hobart's CBD, Liverpool Street Apartments explores the potential for compact inner-city living within a constrained heritage setting.
The development accommodates six studio apartments, a small commercial space, car parking and a shared rooftop garden. To maximise the building's flexibility, approval was also sought for office use, allowing the studios to function as alternative workplaces. Working within a limited footprint and budget, the design prioritises efficient planning, natural light and carefully resolved details to create comfortable, versatile spaces for living and working.
KEY COLLABORATORS
+ Builder:
+ Structural Engineering:
+ Building Surveyor:
+ Electrical Engineering:
+ Land Surveyor:
Place
Located within Liverpool Street's established heritage streetscape, the project retains the presence of the historic shopfront while introducing contemporary architecture behind it. From the street, glimpses of colour and domestic life offer subtle hints of the apartments beyond, maintaining the building's Victorian character within the city while accommodating a new use behind the existing façade.
A rear laneway provides a secondary address and outlook for the development. However, the requirement to accommodate three small dwellings per floor meant that some apartments needed to be positioned internally, creating a challenge for natural light, sunlight and ventilation within the compact plan.
Process
Two vertical light shafts form the organising principle of the design, bringing daylight and sunlight deep into the building and giving the internal apartments a sense of openness that might otherwise be difficult to achieve within such a constrained footprint.
One shaft incorporates a lightweight steel, glass and timber staircase, rising from a mosaic-tiled base to a generous communal rooftop terrace overlooking Liverpool Street. The stair becomes more than a means of circulation: it creates a light-filled shared space that connects the apartments to the outdoors and provides residents with a collective amenity above the city.
The second shaft brings light and colour into the internal apartments. Bi-fold windows open the rooms towards the lightwell, creating a balcony-like connection to the outdoors, while bright yellow walls reflect sunlight and introduce warmth into the interiors.
Within each studio, integrated joinery and carefully considered detailing maximise usable floor area. A restrained material palette and precise resolution of construction and building services allow the compact spaces to remain functional and uncluttered, demonstrating how architectural quality can emerge from simplicity and precision.
"…I have found the team at 1+2 Architecture to be highly professional and dedicated to my apartment project at Liverpool Street, Hobart. Whilst they are not only highly skilled at producing beautiful designs, as evidenced by the project winning two architectural awards, they have been meticulous at every step from initial design to project management. Moreover, they are and have always been a pleasure to work with.”
The Owner
Impact
Liverpool Street Apartments demonstrates how underutilised space within an established city centre can accommodate new housing and workspaces while retaining the character of its heritage streetscape. By making efficient use of a constrained site, the project adds six compact dwellings and a small commercial space within walking distance of Hobart's city amenities.
The design addresses the challenges of small-scale inner-city living through more than efficient floor plans alone. The introduction of natural light into the heart of the building, the use of colour to enliven internal spaces and the provision of a shared rooftop garden create a greater sense of amenity and connection than the limited footprint might suggest.
The option for residential or office use also provides flexibility as needs change over time. Together, these strategies demonstrate how thoughtful design can make compact urban development more liveable, adaptable and responsive to the existing city, while bringing new life to a building behind a retained historic façade.
Awards + Jury Citation
RAIA – Alterations & Additions Award 2006
"Tucked behind a nineteenth century shop house façade in Hobart's CBD, a hint of colour and a bedside lamp are all that suggests the presence of the micro-scale studio apartments behind. Working within a tight budget and an even tighter building footprint, 1+ 2 Architecture have skilfully manipulated the insertion of six single room apartments, a retail gallery, car parking and a roof garden.
The architecture is an exercise in refined but restrained detailing, maximising both perceptual and physical space through light, colour and joinery. Two vertical light shafts provide relief in the centre of the building. In one, a lightweight steel, glass and timber access stair rises from a mosaic tile plinth to reveal a generous communal terrace overlooking Liverpool Street. In the other, the inclusion of bi-fold windows and a wash of colour to an otherwise bare concrete surface create an unexpected warmth and tranquillity to the internal apartments.
The simplicity of the spatial and planning solution is complemented by a restrained colour and material palette. Overall the jury was impressed by the control exercised by the architects in this challenging project demonstrating sophistication in spatial, material, constructional, servicing and financial solutions without over-indulging in architectural trickery."
