The recently-completed ‘Edo’ on Crown Street in Woolloomooloo fuses inner-city living with eco-minimalism, using three guiding design principles of environment, diversity and operability.
Ecological sustainability is intrinsic to the design of the apartment building, which incorporates a range of passive energy and water-saving innovations, and urban ecology initiatives.
Designed by Wilkinson Award-winning architect Frank Stanisic, Edo comprises an ingenious two storey-high gallery of open louvres which draws in cool air and circulates it through banks of smaller louvres above the entries to each of the adjoining apartments.
The environmental aspects include rainwater retention for the courtyard plantings and car wash bay; sun control and cross-flow ventilation. Diversity is expressed in the variety of apartment layouts that comprise one, two and three-bedrooms, with and without studies, on single and two levels, and in gallery and ‘cross-over’ styles. And operability refers to the ease with which occupants can modify their space.
All 31 apartments feature slide-away walls, remote controlled aluminium louvred blinds and oversized inside-outside balconies made of plantation Australian hardwood floors.
All have ducted air-conditioning for the rare occasions when additional cooling is required, outdoor areas orientated to capture the exceptional views, and audio and video intercom security. Many have media alcoves with data connections for computers and home office uses.
Consisting of five storeys, the building has a cafe-restaurant on the ground floor, and two underground levels of 30 secure car spaces with storage bays. At the rear of the building is a communal urban courtyard offering secluded outdoor lounge areas.