Wintringham is a non-profit specialised welfare company that provides housing and care to elderly people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Situated on Mt Alexander Road in Flemington, the Patrick Walsh Apartments forms a mini-high rise village and is conveniently located close to public transport.
The mixed-use 5-storey building consists of 13 apartments, a basement car park with stackers, and office spaces and back-of-house facilities for Wintringham staff. Each of the one-bedroom apartments includes an ensuite, open plan kitchen and lounge room, a laundry, heating in the bathrooms and air conditioning system throughout, and a private balcony. The ground floor provides an outdoor communal space for residents, whilst the staff office space, which is also located on the ground floor, is complemented by an internal garden and terrace area.
Structural components of the building include an in-ground retention system comprising piling, bored piers, ground anchors, blockwork, shotcrete capping beams and walls to form the basement. Blockwork was utilised to form the central lift and fire stair, off-form post tensions concrete to form the suspended slabs, carpentry, and structural steel to form the roof framing. The main façade elements included a mixture of polished blocks, metal wall cladding, weatherboard cladding and feature perforated mesh to enable visible light to enter the escape stairs.
Prior to the contract award and through a collaborative process with the design team, the overall cost of the project was reduced by 15%. This substantial cost saving was achieved through a combination of material substitution and alternative construction methods; without reducing the building works scope or functionality.
