Mirvac’s Portman Collection Is The Pinnacle Of Healthy Living In Sydney
Health and wellbeing take centre stage at Green Square with The Portman Collection setting a new benchmark for living well in Sydney’s most exciting new neighbourhood.
The first residential building in Australia to seek WELLv2 Certification, The Portman Collection has been designed and engineered to deliver clean air and water, natural light and ventilation and promote the social encounters that make for a happy and connected community.
Portman on the Park and Portman House, two Mirvac-built luxury boutique apartment buildings, represent another stitch in the fabric of this purpose-designed walkable city fringe community which is already defined by its world-class architecture.
Designed by Sydney’s CO-AP (Architects) in collaboration with Mirvac Design, the two buildings are part of a suite of four buildings making up The Portman Collection due for completion in 2023. The 119 apartments in Portman on the Park, and 45 in Portman House, will overlook a new central park, The Drying Green.
CO-AP directors Tina Engelen and Will Fung took their design cues from walkable neighbourhoods of Sydney, like Rushcutters Bay, where residential density is balanced by greenspace and excellent community amenities.
“We didn’t need to look overseas for our inspiration, to Paris or New York or London,” says architect Tina Engelen, who designed Portman on the Park and Portman House with co-director Will Fung.
“We looked at what we had right here, in this fascinating city where we both grew up, Sydney.”
Boutique in scale, the 12-level Portman on the Park avoids the single mass/rectangular façade model. The one, two and three-bedroom apartments all have balconies, and most enjoy a dual aspect, maximising light, space and airflow. The cross ventilation allows through breezes for natural cooling, reducing the need for air-conditioning.
Mirvac committed to a health-focused design intent from the outset and The Portman Collection are the first residential buildings in Australia to seek Well V2 Building Standard Certification, a global evidence-backed approach to measuring the impact of the built environment on physical and mental wellbeing.
“Portman on the Park has been designed around the concepts that enhance health,” says Diana Sarcasmo, Mirvac General Manager of Design, Marketing and Sales. The physical and mental benefits of living within a highly walkable community, with immediate access to exercise facilities, in apartments with fresh air and sunlight, will play a vital role in supporting the mind-body balance of residents.”
Interior finishes are high quality, with beautifully considered lighting and upgrades enabling residents to tune the lighting to fit their natural day/night pattern, promoting better sleep and general well-being. Buyers are also able to customise apartments and many have bought two apartments to consolidate into one extremely grand apartment.
Ms Engelen says the bid for WELL V2 certification aligns with architectural principles CO-AP has always championed: “Good air, good light, good space and materials that will last.”
The exciting newcomer continues the design-led ethos of the Green Square precinct, where several buildings have already won architecture prizes. The City of Sydney has led the redevelopment of the former industrial heartland, so far committing $540 million to the creation of world-class facilities, from the award-winning library and plaza to the recently opened Gunyama Aquatic Centre. Parks, playfields and playgrounds are connecting parents, fitness fans and pet owners and a rising creative precinct is a hub for ceramicists, art studios and galleries – all just 3.5km south of the Sydney CBD.
Direct trains link Green Square to the CBD in one direction and the domestic and international airports in the other, encouraging pedestrian flow through the central plaza and engagement with the surrounding businesses. Dedicated bike lanes ensure a safe commute to and from the city and there’s provision for future light rail, underlining an already highly connected residential neighbourhood.
Live-in owners, first home buyers and investors who have bought into the precinct as well as long-standing nearby residents and local retailers are excited by the buzz and watching eagerly as new businesses and amenities gradually open up. Business owners can also sense the full potential of this unique urban community and are rising to meet the cool crowd.
Food and beverage choices expand by the day and personal services are now well catered for, from gyms to hair salons and beauty parlours to doctors, physiotherapists and motor mechanics. Most of the new apartments are pet-friendly, parks are plentiful and there are three vets in close proximity.
By 2030, it is estimated that 61,000 residents and 21,000 workers will be living in the greater Green Square urban renewal area which includes the suburbs of Waterloo, Zetland, Beaconsfield and Alexandria. Around 6,500 residents are expected to be living within the Town Centre precinct, at the heart of Green Square by 2030.
