835 High Street Residential Building by Carr: A New Benchmark in Medium-Density Housing

Located on the vibrant thoroughfare of High Street in Armadale, Australia, the 835 High Street Residential Building by Carr Architects sets a new standard for modern medium-density residential design. Completed in 2022, this 9,278 m² development seamlessly integrates contextual architecture, high-end materials, and thoughtful apartment planning to create a building that balances urban vibrancy with residential tranquility.

Contextual Design and Streetscape Integration

Carr approached the design with a deep understanding of the surrounding streetscape. The architecture is not merely a gesture of aesthetic ambition but a context-responsive design, taking cues from scale, rhythm, color, and proportion of neighboring buildings. The resulting façade contributes a sense of urban cohesion while establishing a distinctive identity for the building within Armadale’s high street precinct.

Architectural Language and Façade Rhythm

The building’s architectural language is defined by a distinctive grid pattern, where horizontal and vertical frames align across all five levels. This repetition, reminiscent of music or fine art, creates a rhythmic visual movement that enhances the building’s presence on the street. East and south-facing façades showcase refined detailing, while north and west façades gradually step back, integrating the structure into its surroundings. The result is a calm, balanced composition with repetition, proportion, and texture harmoniously guiding the viewer’s eye.

Biophilic Design and Landscape Integration

Acre Studio masterfully incorporated greenery into the project, softening the rectilinear grid with climbing plants that will eventually drape over the large-framed façade. Each apartment enjoys a connection to nature through lush planting, terraces, and private garden views, while the rooftop features a penthouse pool and arbor designed to evoke the feel of a ground-level garden. This integration of landscape enhances the building’s biophilic design, connecting residents to the natural environment while promoting a sense of wellness and serenity.

Interior Design: Continuity and Cohesion

Inside, the apartments are designed to reflect the rhythm and order of the exterior façade. The interior palette echoes the building’s external materials, featuring soft greys and muted tones that accentuate natural light and frame spectacular views of Armadale and the city skyline. Thoughtful apartment planning ensures each home is ventilated and naturally lit, with spaces arranged to maximize connection to the outdoors. Juliette balconies on secondary spaces extend this continuity, creating a seamless dialogue between interior and exterior.

Central Void and Dynamic Public Art

The building’s centerpiece is a soaring 13-meter vertical void in the private lobby, bringing dramatic natural light deep into the structure and creating a sense of expansive openness. Within this void, internationally acclaimed artist Anna, Wili Highfield contributed a 12-meter-high installation titled Bird, featuring small sculptural birds climbing the walls. This dynamic artwork interacts with light and shadow, animating the space and enriching the residents’ visual experience.

Materials, Construction, and Collaboration

835 High Street combines premium materials with meticulous craftsmanship. Key collaborators included Flux Constructions for building works, Miele, Apaiser, AstraWalker Tapware, Gibbon Group, Reckli, and Signorino for bespoke interior fittings, and PAXpm for project management. This collaboration ensured the highest quality standards while delivering a building that evolves gracefully over time, both aesthetically and functionally.

A Benchmark for Medium-Density Living

With its context-sensitive design, biophilic integration, and thoughtful apartment planning, 835 High Street Residential Building establishes a new benchmark for medium-density housing in urban Australia. It exemplifies a balance of architectural rigor, environmental awareness, and human-centric living, promising residents both visual delight and functional comfort.

All photographs are works of  Rory Gardiner