81-83 George Street & 1 Barrack Lane

HTA’s architecture strategy for 81-83 George Street and 1 Barrack Lane delivers a Build-to-Rent led mixed-use development of 352 dual key homes supported by retail and resident amenity. Designed for volumetric modular construction, the scheme enables faster delivery, consistent quality and reduced embodied carbon. The design balances a modern modular approach with materials and proportions that respond to Parramatta’s historic context. 

The development is organised as a 42-storey tower rising from a podium that wraps around the 180-year-old Moreton Bay Fig tree. The podium accommodates retail, a residential lobby, parking, plant and communal resident facilities including a pool terrace, yoga deck, edible garden and amphitheatre seating. A rooftop lounge provides panoramic views of Parramatta. The tower steps back at upper levels to allow sunlight into surrounding streets and spaces. Its orientation gives homes good daylight, views and ventilation, while limiting shadow on nearby public areas and heritage buildings. 

Apartments are designed to be flexible, with layouts that can function as one larger home or be divided into two smaller, self-contained homes. Typical floors accommodate ten homes, reducing to six on upper levels. Modules are based on a 3.5m width wrapped around a centralised service core. Cross-ventilation is achieved in 61% of homes, with all corridors naturally lit and ventilated. A standardised kit-of-parts approach to layouts, kitchens, bathrooms and balconies supports efficiency, with net-to-gross ratios between 78% and 84%. 

The architectural expression is defined by its materiality. The podium is finished in brickwork referencing the convict drain and surrounding masonry, while the tower is clad in terracotta with both matt and gloss finishes designed to catch and reflect light differently through the day. The façade is articulated into vertical bays with scalloped detailing, drawing from mid-century proportions and creating rhythm and depth. The crown continues the terracotta language in lighter, more reflective tones, producing a distinctive skyline silhouette. A mix of brick, terracotta, glazing and GRC ensures durability and contextual richness. The form and material strategy also ensures sensitive integration with Perth House, Warders Cottage and the convict drain, reinforcing the site’s layered heritage. 

HTA’s landscape design recognises the 180-year-old Moreton Bay Fig tree, one of the oldest and largest in Sydney, as a defining feature of the development. The podium and public realm are carefully arranged to protect its root zones, while also ensuring minimal impact on surrounding heritage buildings including Perth House, Warders Cottage and the convict drain. These moves create a civic plaza beneath the tree canopy and integrate heritage into the everyday life of the neighbourhood. 

At street level, the George Street frontage is widened to improve accessibility with new seating and planting, while Barrack Lane is upgraded as a pedestrian-priority street supporting retail spill-out. A modular toolkit of paving, furniture and planting ensures consistency across the public realm. 

Communal podium and rooftop landscapes provide shared spaces for residents, including a pool terrace, yoga deck, edible garden and amphitheatre-style seating. A rooftop lounge with terrace planting offers panoramic views over Parramatta. Landscaped podium edges incorporate front gardens for duplex homes, adding greenery to the street edge and providing defensible space. 

Planting strategies prioritise resilience and environmental performance, using native and adaptive species to reduce irrigation demand and support cooling in hard-surfaced areas. Vertical greening, green roofs and soft landscape increase biodiversity, manage stormwater through permeable surfaces and rainwater capture, and reduce the urban heat island effect.