Retail/Residential development in Lorne, Victoria
Billard Leece has successfully created a residential over retail development that is not compromised by the commercial requirements of the retail below. Three pairs of two storey three bedroom townhouse apartments have been built around a wind-protected north facing entry and address court over five shops in the center of Lorne.
While not a protected building the former shop façade had been retained and three new shops added with varied verandah treatments, in keeping with the street scale. The pairing of the townhouses above the shops has broken the scale of the building into smaller elements. Each townhouse is different and exploits its corner of the site, with east and north facing decks off master bedrooms, in addition to large terraces from living / dining rooms with ocean views.
The architectural expression is derived from the urban design approach to the site and an appreciation of the once village-like character of Lorne. The building mass is therefore fragmented with a deliberate reference to the traditional skillion forms and beach shacks of the 1950’s and 1960’s.
