By threading together heritage, commerce, and new urban living, Sturts Yard creates a space where people can work, live, and connect in an environment that is both adaptive and authentic.
Access Self Storage
Strategy
Sturts Yard is a new mixed-use scheme that creates a memorable addition to the canal side and responds to the strong heritage of the local architecture, while also providing new urban spaces and connections that afford better public access and activity along the towpath.
Positioned at the confluence of creativity and industry, Sturts Yard sits between key transit nodes, offering unparalleled connectivity to the wider city. The site is an intersection of conservation and transformation—flanked by heritage-listed buildings while aligning with contemporary urban strategies that prioritise density, sustainability, and accessibility. A vital link within the city’s evolving green corridors, it reinstates the canal edge as a place of social exchange, ecological restoration, and architectural expression.
At the heart of the proposal is a generous open space that anchors the scheme. Framed by reclaimed trusswork, the open yard functions as a vibrant social hub—an adaptable space animated by a ground-floor café, flexible workspaces, and curated retail offerings.
A newly established canal passage restores a direct pedestrian connection from the street to the water’s edge, unlocking public access to the revitalised towpath.
Key moves in the public realm strategy include:
A network of new pedestrian routes enhancing permeability through the site.
A reimagined canal edge, designed in collaboration with ecological specialists to enhance biodiversity.
Layered planting schemes integrating native species to enrich habitat creation.
Seating, lighting, and material choices that echo the industrial vernacular while promoting accessibility and comfort.
Specificity
Sturts Yard comprises blocks of 2 to 7 storeys and accommodates a self-storage facility, office accommodation, 139 residential units and a cafe at ground and landscaped communal gardens. A balance of workspace, residential, and commercial uses establishes Sturts Yard as an employment-led, live-work environment.
Workspace: High-quality, flexible workspaces cater to a variety of industries, supporting local businesses and fostering collaboration.
Living: A collection of build-to-rent residences ensures a curated approach to long-term urban living, with a mix of private terraces, communal gardens, and co-working lounges.
Retail & Social: A café and curated retail spaces activate the ground plane, reinforcing a sense of place and community.
The scheme draws from the site’s industrial legacy, embracing robust materials and crafted details. A distinct roofscape of staggered gables punctuates the skyline, referencing the sawtooth profiles of historic warehouse sheds. The canal-facing frontage is defined by a rhythmic articulation of framed balconies, fenestration, and metal detailing, offering a contemporary interpretation of the area’s architectural grain.
A palette of textured brickwork, industrial steelwork, and patinated metals reflects the materiality of the site’s past, while extensive planting and open terraces soften the urban edge, introducing moments of greenery and permeability.
Key Project Contacts
