Scape Waterloo: a practical pathway to lower-carbon co-living
With planning approval now secured, Scape Waterloo offers a clear example of environmental design steering key project decisions. The approved 283-home co-living development sits approximately four kilometres south of Sydney’s CBD. Atelier Ten has helped turn sustainability ambition into a practical pathway for energy performance, upfront carbon, climate resilience and the everyday experience of future residents.
Located at 224–234 Young Street, the seven-storey development will include ground-floor retail, communal areas, landscaping and new public spaces. The site sits within Waterloo’s Danks Street South precinct, a former industrial area now undergoing major renewal as part of the wider Green Square urban renewal area.
Planning response
Atelier Ten’s ESD strategy supported the project’s planning response, providing a clear structure for its sustainability commitments. The work connected the project vision with City of Sydney requirements and supporting technical studies covering energy, façade performance, climate resilience and the Green Star pathway.
This gave the project team a shared basis for decision-making and showed how the sustainability objectives would be supported by evidence and carried into the next stage of design. The project is targeting a 4 Star Green Star Buildings rating, providing a recognised framework for testing opportunities as the design develops.
Early testing of façade performance
Atelier Ten’s energy roadmap examined how façade design, building systems, hot water, lighting and rooftop solar would influence energy demand and the project’s Green Star pathway. Multiparameter modelling then tested up to 10,000 façade combinations, looking at glazing, insulation, window area and external shading against energy use, peak demand, thermal comfort, daylight and National Construction Code compliance.
The study treated the façade as a single performance system. It tested how glazing and shading could manage heat while maintaining sufficient daylight, then set design parameters for window-to-wall ratios and orientation-specific façade treatments.
Connecting energy use with upfront carbon
The energy strategy prioritises reducing demand through passive design and efficient building systems. The development is designed to be all-electric, supported by proposed rooftop solar and future renewable electricity procurement as part of the longer-term pathway.
Atelier Ten extended the analysis to upfront carbon, working with Architecture AND, plus the wider consultant team to prepare an initial estimate and opportunity register. The register allows the team to compare the carbon implications of design and material choices as the design develops.
The process identified more than 20 opportunities across the structure, façade, interiors and building services. These included greater structural efficiency, lower-carbon concrete and steel, fewer applied finishes and prefabricated elements where suitable.
Resilience and liveability
The project’s climate resilience assessment tested the design against projected conditions for 2050 and 2090, focusing on flooding, urban heat and disruption to power. The analysis considered flood protection for habitable areas, backup power for critical systems and provision for future battery storage.
The approach was complemented by the landscape and water strategies. Green roofs, locally endemic planting, a central courtyard and rooftop gardens will increase vegetation across the development, while a 28,000-litre rainwater tank will supply irrigation. These measures support biodiversity and water efficiency while creating more inviting shared spaces for residents.
Planning approval marks the completion of an important phase for Scape Waterloo. The strength of the approach lies in its continuity. Environmental performance has informed decisions from the outset and will continue to guide the project towards lower-carbon co-living.
Main render by architecture AND.