How These Apartments Become Highly Sustainable Through Simplicity

Nightingale Anstey is the latest apartment development in a low-carbon, high-quality residential precinct built around Anstey Station in Brunswick. This precinct follows the Nightingale principles of homes that people can afford, bring residents together, and is kind to the planet.
“It was to be a fossil fuel free and imagined with the intent to build more, with less.” Says Bonnie Herring, Director of Architecture and Sustainability at Breathe. “Reducing cost and carbon while questioning inessential applied finishes, building elements like ceilings and even uses like car parking or individual laundries all give way to a more imperfect, robust and liveable space.”
Nightingale Anstey comprises two adjoining apartment buildings, totalling 54 apartments with a mix of Talihaus, 1-bed, 2-bed and 3-bedroom apartments. There are six commercial tenancies on the ground floor, communal recycling room, bike storage and a guesthouse. Each community has a rooftop terrace with a communal dining area, laundry with a clothesline, landscaped and productive gardens and a bathhouse.
The apartments are kept simple, removing dedicating laundries and second bathrooms, and giving that area to the living spaces. The one-bedroom apartment has an entry with ample storage and a bathroom off to the side. The open-plan kitchen, living, and dining feature an elongated joinery element to connect the spaces. The bedroom and outdoor terrace are located off the living area.
Sustainability is at the core of Nightingale Housing and Breathe Architecture. The building is carbon-neutral in operation, with all-electric apartments powered by 100% green power through an embedded network and a 20kw solar array. In addition, the apartments feature good passive design, cross-ventilation, insulation, double-glazing, ceiling fans and more, achieving an average 8.9 natHERS rating across the developments.
Breathe has also made living sustainably effortlessly for the residents. The location of Nightingale Anstey means the need for car ownership is substantially reduced, with access to public transport, bicycle paths and shopping right at their doorstep. Waste management integrated into the joinery with sorting on the ground floor makes sorting recycling and waste a breeze.
The use of concrete was carefully considered, ensuring that wherever concrete was used, it would have a dual (or higher) use. The concrete mix also features 46% cement replacement, recycled water and manufactured sand, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.
“We can make a dent on that upfront carbon by using robust materials that require less energy to produce, by applying a reductive more with less approach, and by substituting high emissions elements like Portland cement.” says Bonnie. “The goal is that this approach might help to push both the market and the supply chain to decarbonise our industry.”
Website article with photographs and the floor plan;
simpledwelling.net/episodes/h...
This Sustainable Apartment Development Is a Response to the Climate and Housing Crisis
• How These Nightingale ...
These Sustainable Apartments Have Been Designed for People, Not Investors
• How These Sustainable ...
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[@eastcoast4233]

Ok but felt got repetitive on the eco details. Could have shared more detail and footage of the kitchen, bathroom (entirely missing from footage?), and technology like smart thermostats. Ended up being about the wider building than a person’s experience of their own home and in doing so felt more like a real estate advert which is a shame.

[@marywall5262]

This video reminds me of my own “low footprint “ of floor weight in my home. I have a small house in Alaska, on my own, and over time thru cutting away the excess and the physical weight of the items ( to include 99 % of furniture), as the goal is to keep the weight off my floors.

[@ilikeboringthings9]

This my fav so far

[@keithronson2624]

Once again, Nightingale get it 'bang on'! In a word PERFECTION! The future of inner city developments. There is nothing like this in the UK. And sadly with the current Government and the for profit focused [read shortcut!] private developers there is little of anything that matches what Nightingale provides. Again everything about these apartments and buildings are the future. Less is more. Quality and a long term vision. Thank Yu for sharing. Superb!

[@FairleyTrashed]

It was the same in Melbourne before nightingale did it themselves (designer and developer) and showed a proof of concept model. An architecture firm in the UK needs to step up and show the way.

[@mich3773c]

beautifully designed. would love to see this adopted in LA.

[@kn58657]

I love all the Nightingale projects, but have to say I slightly prefer the aesthetics of the other incarnations that have been featured here and on Never Too Small. It's not quite clear to me if there's significant differences in material use and texturality here, or whether it comes down to the "boxier" layout of this particlar unit and/or the partially enclosed balcony. Anyway, thank you for another great feature -- always inspiring to see!

[@mlc2158]

Happy New Year To All 😍🇵🇭👏🏼

[@rozenaturaherbal3685]

VERY GOOD👏

[@bekabuchashvili]

I want to own it :')

[@brtko_marek]

nice and clean :)

[@teckyewng]

0.39s - looks like UFO in the sky!

[@vickimaiorano5763]

It is still a very large house for such a small block.

[@wayneboy00334]

Truly eco friendly way of building is not building at all and repurposing what’s already there

[@karamuenster]

🙌🏻💚

[@carloslx]

concrete prison.

[@MatteoManzi]

Subtitles, please.

[@Es_Tay]

Honestly it just looks dark and sad on the inside, it needs waaaaay more natural light for me. I love the concept, but poor execution. I also hate being forced to interact with my neighbours in a laundry or what have you. When I'm at home, I want my own space.

[@carlsogari3249]

dull design

[@Satronaut-pw3ij]

20KW is pretty small for a building this size so how does it provide all it's own power or are you including some sort of offsets?

[@Pinpadprompts]

Yeah it's total nonsense lol

[@FairleyTrashed]

Pretty sure it’s just for common areas.

[@The3rdFunkateer]

Don't get it twisted. It has an embedded network and is fossil fuel-free in operations, which effectively means green energy is purchased from a energy wholesaler for the entire building. The solar panels make a contribution but they don't supply the entire energy needs for the building. There is no need for carbon offsets.

[@Pauline-Jenkins]

dull design