Residence One by Jolson Architecture and Interiors

The archways that come to define Residence One, one of ten residences as part of Orchard Piper’s 35 Huntingtower Road, seep into all aspects of the design; in the depth and subtle bends of the interior and in the connection with the manicured garden. 

The architectural developer combined a star-studded team of designers, with Jolson Architecture and Interiors, landscape architect Myles Baldwin and stylist Tamsin Johnson to realise this vision for timeless design in a classic colonnade style, two-level building and garden.

Taking architectural cues from Italian loggias, Residence One is characterised by ‘curvatures’ that bring a sense of fluidity, just as the textural and subdued material palette inside and out summon a sense of ease, letting the indoors and outdoors speak as one.

Having collaborated with Orchard Piper four times before, Jolson Architecture and Interiors approached their fifth project together with a shared vision to ‘nurture and encourage a life well-lived’. They conceptualised ten residences customised to each detail but sharing in a classic selection of materials, forms and fixtures. Jolson Architecture and Interiors design director Mat Wright says they hoped the owners could take comfort in a low-maintenance apartment that didn’t compromise their lifestyle. He adds that for the passer-by, the ten residences appear as a singular house. “The front façade is detailed, carved and considered, evoking the sense of a single-dwelling,” he says.

Residence One, located on the ground floor, is undeniably at the centre of the curve appeal. Residence One’s sculptural rendered archways with bronze steel windows and doors summate the styles that the building straddles – soft, traditional and contemporary. Framing the residence, the archways lay the foundation to the architectural and interior details that come to characterise the project, while activating the outdoor area. “We have been interested in arches as a form and talked about them on previous projects because we wanted to explore the ways light falls on curves, and how that can bring a softness, to the architecture,” Mat says. 

Residence One was designed as part of a broader mission for garden-centric living. Prominent Melbourne landscape architect Myles Baldwin is behind this approach, creating custom ‘uncomplicated’ landscapes that encourage the owners to feel comfortable and connected with their outdoor environment. For Myles Baldwin, the archways create a picture frame around the garden. 

Drawing on his experience working at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Myles’ design brings a contemporary interpretation of the 1800s planting style – in what he describes as a ‘gardinesque’ aesthetic’. “We want it to be romantic, we want it to be a contrast to the built form,” Myles says. “Mature, deciduous plantings, climbers and flowering shrubs create immediate depth and texture to the gardens, where every decision – down to the orientation of each individual tree – has been made with intent.”

Garden-centric living guided Jolson’s holistic design, prioritising the seamless indoor-outdoor experience in Residence One. The sculptural, sand-rendered openings to the outdoors are also then reflected indoors. “The curved edges of the arch form externally influenced interior elements such as the curved edges of the bathroom joinery finger pull and the carved edges of the basin and bath selections,” Mat says. Three-metre ceilings let the floorplan of Residence One feel spacious, unfolding across different elevations, that allow natural light and the lapping greenery to become a constant throughout. 

While the overall palette follows a pared-down path, it abounds in texture, led by the rendered exterior; from the oak floorboards inside to the Basalt paving outside. On this textural base, furnishings and fixtures have been selected for their refined materials and finishes, such as black elm in the Poliform Quid storage system.

Jolson Architecture and Interiors’ custom design is a sure standout in Residence One, like the three-metre honed Cote D’Azur marble island bench, with Lee Broom’s Orion light overhead, pared with large-format porcelain tiles in the kitchen. In the master suite, you’ll also find a customised Poliform walk-in robe, complete with the luxurious touch of strip lighting. 

In the spirit of Europe’s most dignified buildings, Residence One carves out a distinct identity, through the purity of  Orchard Piper, Jolson Architecture & Interiors and Myles Baldwin’s pursuit of bespoke and thoughtful design.