White Street | Hartree + Associates Architects

H+AAs’ mixed-use development responds to an evolving market while advancing adaptable urban design. The project integrates the retained frame of a 1934 cottage, purchased as a ruin, with a contemporary structure housing the practice’s architecture studio and five apartments – adaptable for residential, commercial, NDIS or short-stay use.

The building is articulated as three connected volumes responding to its context. The heritage cottage and studio engage the highway, with the studio appearing to float above the original form, while the residential component addresses White Street. A suspended mesh veil mitigates harsh western sun and traffic exposure, animating the façade with shifting light and colour to create a distinctive urban presence.

Sustainability is embedded through passive design strategies, including natural light, cross-ventilation and retractable glass walls that reduce reliance on mechanical cooling. Salvaged materials were reused and artefacts uncovered during excavation are on display, revealing layers of the site’s social history.