Project Type

Class 2 Multi-Residential Development
Three storeys + basement | Nine apartments

Context

Situated along Broken Bay Road in Ettalong Beach, this infill project occupies a compact coastal site within an established suburban strip. The surrounding context is a mix of detached houses and emerging low-rise apartment buildings, reflecting the gradual densification of the Central Coast’s urban edge. The design addresses the transition between these scales, offering increased residential capacity while maintaining the rhythm and intimacy of the street.

Pedestrian and vehicular access are both from Broken Bay Road, with the basement parking and landscaping designed to reduce visual impact and preserve the coastal character of the neighbourhood.

Design Response

The architectural concept is driven by clarity, proportion, and environmental logic.
Two primary building volumes are arranged around a landscaped interstitial space, linked by a bridge element that allows daylight and ventilation to penetrate deep into the plan. This arrangement achieves privacy between dwellings, enhances cross-ventilation, and defines distinct outdoor zones.

The street elevation is articulated as a disciplined geometric frame with recessed balconies, deep reveals, and operable louvre screens. These vertical and horizontal elements introduce depth and shadow, giving the façade a measured rhythm that evolves with light throughout the day.

Materiality

A restrained and durable material palette underpins the architectural expression.
Light-toned cladding panels define the outer shell, contrasted by dark-framed openings and timber or aluminium screens that modulate sunlight and provide privacy.
The ground-level retaining walls and planters in pale stone form a tactile base, integrating the building with the surrounding landscape.

Internally, warm soffit linings and continuous floor finishes reinforce the calm, cohesive aesthetic. The material selection prioritises longevity and low maintenance suitable for the marine environment.

Access & Sustainability

The building is classified as Class 2 under the Building Code of Australia, comprising three storeys above a single basement level. It includes a passenger lift and fully compliant accessible path from the street through all levels.
Three apartments are Class A adaptable, and two achieve Livable Housing Australia Silver Level standards, aligning with the Gosford DCP and Premises Standards requirements.

Environmental performance is achieved through passive means: carefully oriented glazing, operable screening, natural ventilation via the courtyard, and durable cladding systems suited to coastal exposure.

Outcome

Broken Bay Road exemplifies a balanced approach to coastal urban living — precise, compact, and contextually attuned.
Its layered façades and landscape integration mediate between the public and private realms, establishing a quiet, enduring presence in the streetscape.
The project reflects MSK Architects’ commitment to refined proportion, material discipline, and human-scaled modernism in multi-residential design.

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