Whether we register it consciously or not, architecture affects our physical wellbeing and mood. The right amount of light and ventilation, plus suitable textures and materials, can all make a happy place.
It was this focus on the body and mind that led the architecture team at Edition Office to design a boutique collection of 11 apartments in Napier Street, Fitzroy.
“Architecture has a bodily effect on you and we’re interested in amplifying those effects,” Aaron Roberts, director at Edition Office, says.
The apartments will give a nod to their Fitzroy heritage. Image: Milieu
Much design energy has been poured into the entry of the five-level building, so the simple act of entering and exiting the building is a calming experience.
“In this project we were interested in the journey from the street to your apartment and the way, when you move into the building, you go through a moment of compression through the entry and then you arrive in this wonderful circular void which gives you sky and lets you recalibrate from the day’s work,” Roberts explains.
“So once you go into the apartment, there’s a sense of journey in there and release from the day’s work. It’s the same way when you leave the apartment.”
An expansive living area at 231 Napier Street. Image: Milieu
Napier Street runs parallel to iconic Brunswick Street, just two blocks from the vegan-friendly cafes, hipster bars and left-of-centre stores.
Fitzroy’s history as a manufacturing precinct and its wealth of historic and well-tended workers’ cottages have influenced the exterior design at the Napier Street apartments.
The concrete and steel facade features junctions and balustrades that give a nod to the terraces of old Fitzroy.
A room with a view at 231 Napier Street. Image: Milieu
Inside, the apartments are less raw and more refined. Stone and timber pair with pops of colour and expansive living areas. They are geared for entertaining with timber-decked balconies.