Sabae is a new 76 unit townhouse development in Lawson. Normally this this number of units would create a dense
design outcome with overlooking and overshadowing issues, however this clever design feels open and friendly. The
Hero of the development is the creation of massive central public common area that all the townhouses can utilize.

The common area provides a great outdoor recreational space for the occupants but also creates excellent outlook
and separation between units. As the landscape grows the privacy and scenery will constantly advance.

All units have been custom designed to suit the individual street address, location and orientation. Some units have
dual outdoor spaces, some have internal light wells, and many have individual parking directly under their unit,
some have basement parking. By removing the parking from the central area and locating them under the built form
allowed for a better central common area.

The site has a clear pedestrian network giving access to each unit and external facilities like bus stop and parkland.

To the south-western corner a bridge has been added to ensure level access can be maintained over the basement
driveway.

Sabae is a new townhouse development located at the edge of Lawson. It is an island site with bushland views to
bushland to the north. The site has significant cross fall from south-east to north-west. The development comprises
76 unique townhouses. Normally this this number of units would create a dense outcome, however the clever design
feels open and friendly. The design maximises the potential of the sites fall by locating nearly all garaging below each
unit, the centre of the site has been cut out allowing level vehicle access to each unit within the site whilst t
maintaining level pedestrian access to each unit from the street (giving excellent street address). By putting the
carparking under the units it frees the centre of the site for a massive focal common area that all units can overlook.
This provides excellent visual separation between units. The central common area has been heavily landscaped with
two large covered BBQ areas (with discrete waste pick up points). Additional parking has been provided within a
hidden basement carpark under the ‘affordable’ units to the west of the site.

The units have been divided into blocks and each block has a different street address and orientation. Each block
has been designed specifically for its individual location. Examples of this are:

  • Split level to the southern units to take in the significant fall from street level to common area level, they have southern courtyards and large northern balconies overlooking the central common area. Several units have an additional loft bedroom
  • The western units are a mix of two and three storey units which have clever internal light wells to provide light to the rear bedrooms and kitchen and excellent cross ventilation

The development has a strong pitched roof form, the pitched roof allowed for flexibility in the unit types by allowing
the option of an added loft bedroom with skylights when required.

The materials have been selected for their longevity and robustness. Colorbond roof and wall cladding dominate the design but have been used in a dark colour to reduce the scale of the design; in some areas the roof material folds down the walls to reduce the three storey elements to two storeys. Face blockwork, stone retaining walls and Urbanline (a maintenance free timber product) have been introduced to break up the scale and introduce some warmth and fine detail.

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The Homes Canberra Editorial team are our crack team of bloggers sourcing all sorts of great tips and advice from the property market, interior style advice and building trends

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