A catalyst high-rise development for the emerging inner-city suburb of Burunda, UniLodge Park Central provides purpose-built student accommodation offering lifestyle, comfort and convenience within a connected location.
Spread across two buildings linked by a landscaped bridge, the buildings provide 1,576 rooms with a mix of apartments and studios designed specifically for the needs of students. The first of a three-stage development, the building contains generous communal areas, a vibrant retail offering, sky garden common rooms and sustainable transport modes including a bicycle centre and car share facilities.
The built form references the Queenslander house typology and balance of indoor/outdoor living that characterises the area by prioritising communal shade and natural light. The development form drove the need for a highly articulated facade, with prominence given to public and communal areas as the building’s main expression.
Strategic use of sun shading mitigates solar loads whilst providing texture and colour. Parametric modelling was used to develop the sunhood typology and test the effectiveness of sunhood shapes to provide shade to the windows on the building facades of various solar orientation.
Apartment living rooms are oriented to key outward views and sky gardens are located on every third level - alternating between towers to assist in facade interest and tower individualisation. The articulation of the building ends frame the internal courtyard. Shades of green are used for the facades facing the internal courtyard to promote the idea of an inner sanctuary and an oasis as a vertical extension of cross block link landscaping.
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