Flour power: sustainable development at former industrial site

International design practice HASSELL is overseeing architecture, interior design, urban design and landscape architecture for a $120 million development at a disused flour mill.

The 2.5 ha Summer Hill Flour Mill site, located in Sydney’s inner west, will be transformed into 380 modern apartments and terraces, a small retail precinct, commercial studio spaces and public parks and gardens. Bike paths, pedestrian walkways and streets will connect people to the Flour Mill, the neighbouring villages of Summer Hill and Lewisham and a new light rail stop.

According to HASSELL Principal Matthew Pullinger, the development will “open up the almost 100-year-old former industrial site, while retaining and re-using the concrete silos and other significant heritage buildings, along with an existing avenue of brush box trees”. He added that the site will be a highly connected, vibrant residential community.

“We have incorporated a range of housing types, from three-level terrace houses along Edward Street complete with courtyard gardens, to mid- and higher-rise apartments overlooking the new public park and views towards Sydney’s CBD,” Pullinger said. “The silo apartments have been particularly sought after and stand as the focal point of the site.”

The Flour Mill of Summer Hill will also promote environmental sustainability. Photovoltaic panels, shading screens and natural ventilation will reduce energy consumption throughout the precinct, while the collection and re-use of rainwater will minimise water use. Pullinger noted, “Communal gardens also add to the green aspect of the development while encouraging and fostering a sense of community.”

Pullinger said the heritage significance of the flour mill site and the need to retain a sense of its industrial past was key to the HASSELL master plan and design of the apartments. He claimed residents will feel “the benefit of living in an existing community with a strong local identity and a contemporary design that incorporates and pays homage to its history”.

“We are proud to have had a role in an important project that will extend the legacy of the historic Summer Hill Flour Mill, while paving the way for a bustling new heart that will serve the area for years to come.”

Image credit: Binyan.