The site for the Searene Apartments project is situated on the steep north eastern slopes of the hills to the west of Airlie Beach. It enjoys spectacular views over the Whitsunday Passage and the island seascape. The site is a battleaxe in shape with the bulk of the site located west off a long and steep driveway from Seaview Drive.

The proposed apartment building is generally located at the upper levels of the site where the contours run west-north-west toward the eastern side of the site and then swing around to the south on the eastern edge. The overall building form generally follows the line of the contours given the steep nature of the site to ensure minimum excavation, a sympathetic built form to the landscape character and topography of the site to ensure maximum frontage to the best views toward the north and a concern to maintain the height of the building within 3 storeys and 12 metres as required by the Town Plan.

The architectural form is conceived as a minimalist intervention into the landscape maintaining the lowest profile possible notwithstanding the steep nature of the site. All apartments are arranged in a stepped form to follow the contours of the site whilst still allowing a northern aspect towards the view, and accessed by a common protected walkway on the southern edge of the building. The stepped form of the apartments stepping from north-west to south-east and then at the eastern end stepping down the hill in a terraced form (but at no time no more than 3 storeys high), responds to the natural land form and is enclosed by an overall curvilinear form similar to the topography of the land itself. This results in a large “S” shape to the building which evokes an organic character.

Searene is envisaged as a sophisticated contemporary response to the topography and landscape character of the Airlie Beach hillsides. The architecture of the development responds in an organic way to the topography of the site whilst affording maximum privacy to the residents and privacy and maintenance of views to surrounding future developments.

Awards

2009 RAIA QLD Regional Commendation
2009 RAIA QLD Residential Architecture Multiple Housing Commendation