Bird de la Coeur Architects Pty Ltd
Bird de la Coeur Architects is a boutique firm in Melbourne’s Southbank specialising in housing, including multi-residential housing ranging from high-end apartments for the private sector, to social housing for government organisations, one-off houses and retirement housing. Founded in 1992 by Neil de la Coeur and Vanessa Bird, Bird de la Coeur have received industry, institute and government awards with our many repeat clients. Over a 20-year period the practice has grown from a 3 person operation to a firm with a portfolio of completed multi-storey buildings across Australia. However our studio-based practiced has remained the same.
Driving directions to Bird de la Coeur Architects Pty Ltd on map
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Projects:
Atherton Gardens
Fitzroy, 2012
Located on Brunswick Street within the Atherton Gardens Reserve, are 152 Social Housing apartments, many of which have universal access. They are occupied by a mix of low-income city workers and Public Housing tenants. The building fills a gap in the streetscape, and bridges between the tower blocks and their 3-4 storey neighbours. The ground floor houses a childcare centre, community meeting rooms and training facilities. This mix brings the local community into the building. The building’s design comes out of close site analysis and draws on the Victorian pattern of formal front facades coupled with the adhoc informality of out buildings to the rear. The building is solid and closed to the south and west, and open, light and adhoc to the north and east – addressing the open space of the reserve. The ‘woven’ brick facade literally and metaphorically integrates the building into the surrounding context where patterned brickwork buildings abound. With McCabe Architects
Roi Apartments
Fitzroy, 2012
On a land-locked acre in Fitzroy, hidden behind Nicholson street sits Roi Apartments. With a sense of surprise the 172 apartments are ‘discovered’ at the end of Bik lane sited around a generous north-facing courtyard. The provision of shared public space is a key element in the spatial configuration. In its neighbourhood of small timber workers cottages and remnant industrial buildings, its generous and light-filled foyer and courtyard provides relief. The development creates new linkages through the site and to its neighbourhood. These spaces are the ‘democratic’ spaces – generous and uplifting, and shared by occupants of the entry-level one-bedroom apartments as well as the larger apartments. More important to us than the provision of facilities with on-going costs like a pool or a gym, is the proper orientation of the building around a north-facing courtyard with the foyer becoming the extension of that arrangement. The apartments are identifiable individual units – articulated as a series of staggered boxes around the courtyard, creating privacy and roof terraces. The perimeter units, which have views to the mountains and city beyond, use particular panel configurations to identify individual apartments.
Yarra House
South Yarra, 2015
Yarra House is a sculpted object of elegant proportions. It is 25 levels with just 6 apartments on 19 levels. Yarra House has a quiet confidence that projects a self-assured elegance. As the precinct’s closest building to the river it’s inspiration is water and it’s reflection surface. The design employs obsidian shaded glass to express the river’s cool dark depths while the tower’s podium base in mother of pearl picks up the river’s light reflective surface. The overall form of the building, it’s gently sculpted northern fa’ade, reflects the movement of the river and the erosion of the river bank. It is the last building on Yarra St and the closest of all to the river, giving it unparalleled north facing views to the city.
