Awabakal and Worimi People
New South Wales
Horizon Apartments occupies a generous 5,600m2 site on Newcastle’s waterfront, located at the junction of three new public space: the Honeysuckle promenade, a public square on Steel Street’s extension and a park on Cottage Creek Corridor.
The project comprises three buildings defining two courtyards open to the water. The buildings are united by their waterfront alignment, scale and material palette. The design is an exemplar of equitable view sharing as the landscaped courtyards allow views between the buildings from both the public and private domain behind.
The buildings sit on a gently raised brick plinth, providing flood proofing and prospect over the adjoining public spaces.
Containing 110 generous apartments with a range of plan types, all achieve high amenity. 88% of apartments face north with harbour views, over 75% are cross ventilated.
The design is a considered response to this exceptional site and a model for the area’s evolving urbanity.
Award for Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing
Horizon Apartments sits at the western end of the Honeysuckle precinct looking over the harbour. The project responds to its place between the harbour and city, cleverly breaking the preconceived masterplan massing into three buildings that allow a greater connection.
The resulting apartments are a delight to be in, particularly due to sightlines that enable you to look out onto the harbour from all parts of the building. Carefully considered apartment plans have maximised the relationship between the facade and the internal area, emphasising the connection to open space and the quality of internal spaces.
Horizon on the Harbour is a state significant development in Newcastle.
The site was purchased through a competitive tender process, with the collaboration between CKDS Architecture and Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects again proving to be a winning combination.
The project was constructed by Bloc Constructions (NSW) and completed in December 2023.
The apartments have especially high amenity with the majority looking north to the harbour. The generous balconies and large living spaces have proven very popular with owner occupiers.
There are four ground floor commercial tenancies which complement the project’s residential component.
Horizon has been a very successful development.
AE Johnson, Town Planner
BG & E, Civil Consultant
EPA / ACOR, Electrical Consultant
Evergreen Energy Consultant, ESD Consultant
Indesco Engineering, Structural Engineer
Purple Apple, Access
Reverb / ACOR, Acoustic Consultant