Clearwater Quay Apartments

The Clearwater Quays residential apartments are orientated north to take full advantage of the mountain view and solar gain. The northern orientation also creates a connection from the apartments to the lake via a communal jetty, enhancing the notion of resort style living. When completed each residential tower will offer a mix of 10 one and two bedroom apartments. The two residential towers are part of a staged construction, with the learnings from the first informing refinements for the second.  

A mass timber showcase

The project was commissioned by a company with an interest in the timber industry; naturally showcasing timber both structurally and visually became a driving factor of the design brief. It is ironic that the timber in many mass timber buildings remains hidden by cladding and carpets, vital components in a building’s acoustic performance. Our challenge was to seek out the opportunity to highlight the aesthetic and structural quality of timber. This was achieved via the dramatic, sculptural staircase structures projecting from the southern façade of each residential tower, the curvaceous forms creating a counterpoint to the otherwise linear road facing southern façade.

The spacious entrance lobby is designed to draw people into the building, via a large portico structure. The apartment living areas face north with bedrooms and services areas orientated to the south.

The structural frame of the residential tower is entirely timber, the floors CLT panels, the lift light framed timber. The only non-timber elements to the structural system are the concrete slab ground floor, and footings. Mass timber construction is very much the hero of the project.

Check out the Mid-Rise Wood Construction case study here

Photography: Rachelle Grant