WATERLOO - A BETTER WAY

MAKO Architecture prepared a report to collate the historical evolution of the public domain and built form envelope proposals for the Waterloo Precinct. When residential density unprecedented in Australia was proposed for this critical site, MAKO and the City of Sydney engaged to analyse the potential impacts and uncovered a flawed urban outcome fundamentally embedded with inequality with respect to access to amenities, sunlight and air. We then set about proving that economic targets could be met whilst providing a better urban outcome for Waterloo. Our approach delivered; A large city park to cater for increasing density; A clear, safe and legible public domain; Building typologies and urban form that allow for equitable access to light and air; An economic rigour that would allow for carefully staged implementation; Drastically minimised disruption and cost of ‘decanting’ tenants; Sensitive integration of maximised social and affordable housing provision, addressing the current shortfall; and A masterplan that lends itself to procurement by many diverse industry players rather than a single entity. Our in house hand drawn illustrations assisted in conveying the vision of a continuous, organically developable city to community and stakeholders in support of our extensive technical documentation.