Meet Darren Greenaway, lead Architect for Sur
The Cru Behind Sur Kirra Beach
BDA Architecture is an innovative architectural studio based on the Gold Coast, led by Directors, Darren Greenaway and Adam Beck. In over 20 years of practice, BDA has demonstrated a continuing commitment to the making of architecture that responds thoughtfully to the wider cultural, economic, climatic, and community context. The values of their dynamic design studio embody a consideration to design that creates enduring architecture by a simplicity of concept through a process of investigation, experimentation, collaboration and consultation.
Darren shares his inspiration for Sur and why this building will be the ‘boss’ of the Southern Gold Coast landscape.
What sets SUR apart from the rest?
Sur is a new benchmark. The uninterrupted coastline views and the distinct irregular shaped site allowed an opportunity to design a site responsive building that will become a stunning architectural statement. The building façade has been designed to maximise glazing to provide transparency, light, ventilation, and all-round views to the world class landscape. The combined vision of Cru Collective and BDA to provide ultra-exclusive whole floor luxury apartments plus a two-storey penthouse puts Sur in a league of its own. A carefully considered podium of cascading landscaping and an elevated floor of lifestyle facilities comprising a fitness centre, sauna and resort pool overlooking Kirra Beach will all identity this building as the ‘boss’ of Kirra.
SUR has been designed with super-size balconies that function as outdoor rooms, embracing the Gold Coast indoor/outdoor climate. The balconies are designed to sit within the built form to create an openness in the façade and protection from the south-easterly winds. The architecture is striking yet restrained. Its soft curved forms, natural material palette of off-form concrete, stone and timber combined with expansive glazing creates an enduring architecture that will always suit the Kirra landscape.
What was the design inspiration for SUR?
Both Kirra and Rainbow Bay were the catalyst in the design inspiration. The natural land and ocean formation of soft curves, texture, colour, and movement were all key driving elements in composing SUR. The curved lines of the façade, large expansive glazing framing views to the beach and skyline, the soft tone and warmth of the coastal material and colour palette blend beautifully with the Kirra landscape. The organic spandrel that fluidly moves up and down lightly touching parts of the timber screen are an expression of the ocean water lapping in and out along the soft sandy Gold Coast beaches.
Why is client collaboration important?
BDA and Cru are like an extended family, this allows us to easily collaborate and have open and robust discussions on any aspect of the design from spatial planning, functionality, practicality, local context, materiality, sustainability, innovation and most importantly testing new ideas. We have a lot of history together and recently completed Siarn Palm Beach, which was a remarkable success. The trust and bond between a client and an architect are of the utmost importance in creating a successful project. The Cru team are young, dynamic, and passionate and this fits well with the BDA culture. Their enthusiasm, open dialogue and joy of collaboration has led to the success of SUR and enabled us to create something very special.
What is your favourite design element of SUR?
The open floor plate and organic, soft curved façade is what I love about SUR. The simplicity of these combined design elements allows the building to nestle comfortably within the unique irregular shaped site. The warmth of the architecture combined with the elegance and chic of the interiors establishes a level of sophistication that is sure to impress.
Tell us about your affiliation with the Gold Coast.
Being a local and growing up here allows me to have a greater understanding of our city and its natural landscape. The word luxury is thrown around too often – but in the case of SUR, it is a true luxury residential apartment building that achieves a high standard of liveability and exclusivity. The overall built form, scale, composition and materiality is a result of a carefully considered analysis of the context, coastal vernacular, climate and surrounding landscape environment. Our commitment is creating architecture that responds thoughtfully to the wider cultural, climatic, community and site context. This engrained value allows us to provide a carefully considered design that lasts the test of time. SUR will be a stunning addition to the Gold Coast skyline.
Sustainability
We believe it is important to take a holistic approach when designing any building, from poetic dimensions of architecture, location, it’s functionality, its orientation, materiality, its form and structure are all essential ingredients in providing a climatic responsive building. SUR has been designed to maximise natural ventilation, natural light, planting to assist in enhancing the existing ecology, sun shading through deep balconies, tapered sun hoods and vertical screens providing protection from the harsh western sun. All materials are low-maintenance and have minimal impact on the environment.
