Cbus’s newly completed project across the street from Epping Train Station, around 18 kilometres northwest of the Sydney CBD, ticks many of the “greening the greyfields” boxes that the industry is starting to adopt.
The developer used Architectus for the building design, Hutchinson for construction and Arcadia for the landscape for its new project, The Langston Epping.
A highlight of the mixed-use development is its 2750 square metre green central public plaza and lush podium-level gardens.
In 2014, Epping Town Centre – around 18 kilometres northwest of the Sydney CBD – was named as one of eight urban renewal areas around Sydney by the NSW Department of Planning.
The newly completed precinct is a new centrepiece of this urban renewal area, revitalising a greyfield site previously occupied by Westpac offices.
The development provides a real-world example of both urban greening and greening the greyfields, which is the redevelopment (at precinct scale) of suburban areas into higher density, walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods near public transport hubs.
In recent times, the greening the greyfields approach has received broad support, ranging from Curtin University Professor Peter Newman and the Committee for Sydney through to Urban Taskforce and NSW Transport Minister David Elliott.
In the case of The Langston, this approach is proving to be a winner for buyers. The penthouse was snapped up for a record-smashing price of $2.75 million, beating previous apartment records in the suburb.
Analysis of wind patterns inspired the curved lines of the three residential towers – named Langston Tower, Central and Oasis – which contain 462 premium apartments with “pebble-shaped” floor plans and views across Sydney.
On the ground floor, next to the public plaza, is a 2100 square metre retail precinct, anchored by a Mint Fresh IGA supermarket and a Team Bros commercial gym, with a range of cafés, restaurants, and other retail tenants.
Laneways through the site connect it with an existing public library, nearby parks and the broader Epping Town Centre. They also provide much-needed east-west pedestrian access from surrounding residential areas to the train station.
Public murals at the site, by acclaimed Sydney-based artist Andrew Dennis, examine themes such as civilisation, future living, bio domes and animal behaviour.
Other features include a resident’s sky lounge and dining space on level 22 of the middle tower, along with zen gardens, a pool deck, a wellness hub, a gym and a co-working space.
Arcadia principal Alex Longley said: “The site sits on the ridgeline of Epping, and has a strong peripheral connection to its native bushland, being bracketed by two major vegetation corridors.
“The landscape design seeks to borrow from the character of the distant bushland landscape, bringing its qualities into the heart of this development.”
An added bonus to the site is that it is incredibly well-served by electric-powered vehicles – namely trains.
Epping train station serves as an interchange between Sydney’s T9 Northern Line, the NSW Central Coast & Newcastle Line, and Sydney Metro Northwest.
The train gives residents rapid access to employment centres including the Sydney CBD, Norwest Business Park, and Macquarie Park; retail destinations at Macquarie Centre, Castle Towers, Rhodes Waterside and Westfield Hornsby; and higher education at Macquarie Uni.
Architectus principal Farhad Haidari said abundant hospitality, retail, social and wellness features are usually the domain of luxury inner-CBD apartment projects.
“Our design offers this amenity and an unrivalled suburban lifestyle to residents. To top it off, the apartments are oriented to take advantage of the exceptional 360-degree views of the Sydney city skyline and Blue Mountains.”
I am impressed with this grey fields development! So many good features and it does not encroach on precious habitat.