Viridi Residential Building

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

VIRIDI RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

Plus Architecture

DDA CONSULTANT
Before Compliance

PROJECT MANAGER
Little Projects

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Wsp Norge, Wsp

ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT
Adp Consulting

ESD CONSULTANT
Adp Consulting

LAND SURVEYORS
Hellier Mcfarland

TILING
Tlg Roofing Melbourne

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS
Hellier Mcfarland

BUILDER
Cobild

TOWN PLANNER
Contour

OTHER
Nic Antoniou

TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Cardno

ACOUSTIC CONSULTANT
Octave

DESIGN ARCHITECT
Ian Briggs

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Dominic Versace

MANUFACTURERS
Daikin, Dynamic Steel Frame, Hawkfine, Lysaght, Schindler , Signorino, Tejas Borja, Volare

BUILDING SURVEYORS
Mckenzie Group

HYDRAULIC CONSULTANT
Adp Consulting

WASTE CONSULTANT
Leigh Design

PHOTOGRAPHS
Tom Roe

AREA
7777 M²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Melbourne, Australia

TYPE
Residential Architecture, Residential

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

In partnership with property developer Little Projects and builder Cobild, leading Australasian architecture practice Plus Architecture has delivered one of Australia’s most cutting-edge designs for a residential project – leveraging computational and engineering technology to realize the vision for a complex angular tiled façade.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

Located at 17-22 Grattan Street, the Viridi apartments are a new visual landmark in the heart of Prahran, Melbourne, characterized by a wide-pitched, ‘hill-like’ roof, cladded in a mosaic-like tessellation of over 15,000 terracotta roof tiles glazed in shades of lush green.

Mimicking the colors of the adjacent gardens, the tile design was brought to life with the help of a custom computer script written by the project architects to map the color ratios and pattern sequences via a 3D model.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

Not seen before on an Australian apartment building of this scale, the raked nature of the tiled facade responded to council requirements not to overshadow the gardens or pedestrian pathways, inspiring an innovative response that pushes the boundaries of the use of material, color, and shape.

In a process akin to a painting by numbers, Plus Architecture designed the placement and sequencing of the colored tiles using the 3D model, with the program further helping to predict how the colors would appear in changing light conditions and producing an accurate map that was expertly realized by tilers TLG Roofing Melbourne.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

The three shades of forest green tiles were directly selected from leaves sampled in the park with each of the custom terracotta tiles hand-crafted in Spain – a process made possible through close collaboration with Cobild and constant adaptation to the ever-changing challenges of the pandemic to deliver the dynamic roof design as intended.

An innovative project beyond its aesthetic, Plus Architecture further designed a facade system in partnership with Cobild and expert façade engineers Inhabit, with the complex roof shape requiring the development of new technology and waterproofing approaches specifically for the project.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

The project’s custom-built blue steel truss system, developed by Bolt Blue Constructions and Dynamic Steel Frame, ensured adequate stability for both the thousands of tiles and large windows – some reaching over 500kg – while allowing for immersive views of the skyline.

Compared to what a standard vertical wall would allow, the angled roof form also allows for increased natural light within the generously-sized apartments.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe

In line with the latest environmental standards, Viridi has been accredited with a 7-star apartment ESD rating and features passively sustainable elements embedded within the design, from the double-glazed windows to the thermal insulation that results from the façade itself and houses FP1.4 compliance waterproofing.

Viridi is a venture initiated by Little Projects alongside the landowner and comprises 43 one, two, and three-bedroom apartments across seven levels, alongside ground floor retail and 500 sqm of office space.

Referencing principles of comprehensive urban design, the project also included the revitalization of the street interface in connection to the site through to the adjacent parkland, ground floor retail, and increased pedestrian amenity, setting a tone for a welcoming neighborhood environment.

Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe
Viridi Residential Building
© Tom Roe


Viridi Residential Building
Plan - Ground Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - Basement
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - Roof
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 1st Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 2nd Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 3rd Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 4th Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 5th Floor
Viridi Residential Building
Plan - 6th Floor


Viridi Residential Building
Elevation
Viridi Residential Building
Elevation
Viridi Residential Building
Elevation
Viridi Residential Building
Elevation


Viridi Residential Building
Section
Viridi Residential Building
Section