With its arthouse cinema, vertical communities and laneway network, Penny Lane is rejuvenating and reconnecting Moonee Ponds’ Puckle Street precinct and offers an exemplar of density done well.
Designed by ClarkeHopkinsClarke Architects for developer Giancorp, Penny Lane’s 114-apartment mixed use development, spread across two communities, connects people and boosts walkability.
“The location has incredible amenity. It’s packed with cafes, restaurants, retail, employment, public transport, services, community facilities and beautiful green open space,” says Toby Lauchlan, ClarkeHopkinsClarke’s partner for multi residential.
The precinct rates a “phenomenal” 99 per cent for walkability on Walkscore.com, Lauchlan adds.
The Palace cinema complex, designed by Buchan, introduces a retail arcade linking Puckle and Young streets.
The active ground plane integrates into the residential precinct and adds two new 10-storey vertical communities built around a shared courtyard and other communal spaces including a lounge, gym and large roof terrace with fire pits and a mix of social spaces, Lauchlan explains.
Social, financial and environmental sustainability were central to the brief.
“Penny Lane provides a residential community with the high energy ratings that residents are seeking. This reduces their running costs and minimises impact on the environment.”
The apartments, with interiors by Arkee, use “robust, long-lasting materials and prioritise environmentally-sustainable design to achieve a 7.2-star NatHERS rating”.
The design incorporates renewable energy, sustainably sourced timber, water-efficient landscaping, rainwater harvesting for irrigation and toilet flushing, and high-performance glazing to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss. Most west-, north- and east-facing sliding doors are externally shaded
by balconies.
The heritage façade of the retail building is being retained and bricks from other buildings on the site will be reused.
“Doing density well means balancing residents’ need for public amenity and activation with their need for privacy,” Lauchlan adds.
“From the time we started working on Penny Lane our focus was on layering amenity and privacy – vertically and horizontally – throughout. It’s through this layering and careful orientation that views and connections are maximised.
“When you’re trying to build communities as well as homes, that sense of connection is key.”
(Images supplied by FKD Studio)