Cantala

Cantala
© Aaron Puls

CANTALA

SJB

ARCHITECTS
SJB

AREA
7000 m²

YEAR
2016

PHOTOGRAPHS
Aaron Puls

MANUFACTURERS
Archclad, Austral Bricks, Biowood, Archclad Express Panel

LEAD ARCHITECT
Tristan Wong

COLLABORATION
Jack Merlo

CLIENT / DEVELOPER
Icon Co.

LOCATION
Caulfield North, Australia

CATEGROY
Apartments

Text description provided by architect.

An angular timber form appears to float at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac in Caulfield. Set amid a mix of period and contemporary residences, this elegant, sculptural element is the first of many slow reveals offered up by the recently completed SJB residential project, Cantala.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls

A residential development is revealed comprising 25 multi-storey townhouses and a block of 44 low-rise apartments. At Cantala, SJB has struck a beautiful balance between the best of contemporary place-making and the sought-after aesthetics of leafy Melbourne suburbia.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls

One of Cantala’s most impressive slow reveals is the fact the entire development is walkable. By freeing up ground level space usually given to vehicles, SJB could focus more on creating places for people.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls

This decision enabled the introduction of a series of connected paths and courtyards within the site.

Taking subtle cues from the art deco buildings found along nearby Dandenong Road, Cantala’s apartment building facade is all about maximising visual appeal and minimising visual impact.

Cantala’s neighbourhood vibe is emphasised by the fact that many townhouse residents take their address from these internal streets.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls

Public thoroughfares running along one edge of the site and leading through to the Dandenong Road trams has been used as a kind of internal convergence point for both apartment and townhouse residents.

Complementing its naturally light exterior, the apartment building’s lobby features a triple-height glazed entry that draws residents into the building, acting as a welcoming lantern at night. Not just a dramatic entrance, it brings indoors Cantala’s focus on health and wellbeing by encouraging residents to use the stairs rather than the lift.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls

Cantala questions the typology of living and challenges the notion of public versus private. It also challenges the notion of what a building or an apartment building or townhouse should look like.

Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls
Cantala
© Aaron Puls


Cantala
Landscaping / Site plan
Cantala
Masterplan
Cantala
Masterplan
Cantala
Site Diagram


Cantala
Basement Plan
Cantala
Ground Floor Plan
Cantala
First Floor Plan