Client: Whelan Property Group Pty Ltd
Completion: Dec 2018
Collaboration: 2barrows concrete

212 Bondi Road is a 12 storey residential apartment block, on the hill of Bondi Road with magnificent views of Bondi Beach and a rooftop pool. The block houses mainly rental apartments and AirBnb users, with some owner occupiers.

Michelle Herbut I.D., in collaboration with 2barrows concrete, was engaged by the owners corporation to design and manufacture a range of furniture to suit the client’s aesthetic and functional needs.

The challenge

The brief was to design a range of furniture that:

• didn’t need to be fixed (so as not to pierce the waterproofing on the rooftop), but was heavy enough not to be moved around - so people couldn’t throw them over the balustrading which was a major concern for the client

• provided spaces for different activities - eating, seating, lounging etc

• included concrete as a material.

Our solution

A fixed price point

Our initial process was to ascertain the client’s budget by suggesting some layouts and furniture arrangements with different materials that highlighted different price points. 

A modular approach

Once we established budgets we delved into different furniture designs. This process created challenges in itself - as the furniture was being installed on the rooftop, the only way up was via the lift. To achieve this:

• the weight of each individual piece could not overload the lift

• the pieces needed to fit inside the lift

• the pieces had to be manoeuvred from the lift, around a corner, go up some stairs and through a doorway

• the pieces had to be modular and easily assembled on site

• we also had to make sure the products were relatively maintenance free

Cost effective and consistent

To keep costs down we chose a concrete bench design that was replicated in different furniture arrangements. This meant we could keep costs down by only using one type of concrete mould. We used the same approach with the timbers - rather than having multiple timber sizes, we chose to keep them as uniform as possible. This also created a theme through the different seating areas.

Flexible, usable spaces

We chose to create a picnic seating area for meals and socialising. We complemented the rooftop pool with fixed daybeds in a sunbathing area. And finally a mixed use platform bench area, which could be used for casual seating with a picnic or to lay on for sunbathing.

As the rooftop was currently, it was very bland and in bright sun - the glare was uncomfortably bad. We chose to use materials that would be cooler in summer and had matt finishes to reduce the glare.

Efficient production

As the clients settled on the final design and colours it was time to begin production. To minimise the lead time, the metal fabrication and concrete works begun simultaneously. A carrier and ramp were customised to assist with maneuverability through the lift and over the stairs. Once the concrete pieces were in position, all that was required was to fix the framed timber benches to the concrete blocks.

The result

The completed space comprising of day-beds, deck benches and table settings is now enticing the residents to enjoy their rooftop all year round. The owners corporation is quoted as saying “It’s fantastic!”