Located in Pyrmont, remnants of the former Edwin Davies Flour Mill envelop a residential building, sitting over a sandstone escarpment that traces Sydney’s industrial waterfront heritage.

The 136 apartments are based on a modular typology that flips each floor allowing both repetition and diversity. Set over ten levels the building is planned around an interlocking sequence of public and semi-private courtyards with atria and rooftop garden terraces encouraging social interaction and nurturing a sense of community between residents.

The openness of the interior ensures all apartments are cross-ventilated and enjoy natural daylight.

Externally a chequerboard of lightweight metal framed, zinc panellised and screened facades shade against the direct sunlight and moderate the acoustic impact of traffic while maintaining views to the city. The flour mill wall creates a visual and acoustic buffer to apartments directly adjacent the Western Distributor motorway.

The subtle integration of landscaping and public spaces, such as the intimate buffering courtyard on the western edge, enlivens the civic realm while the pedestrian extension of Jones Street creates new connections to nearby transport networks, the Fish Markets and Wentworth Park.