Scape Kensington sits at the intersection of Anzac Parade and Todman Avenue – a corner that, with the arrival of the light rail, has become one of the more consequential in Kensington’s recent history. The 18-storey building is both a response to that shift and a deliberate act of urban repair, part of the broader K2K corridor strategy connecting Kensington to Kingsford.

The arched brick podium grounds the building in the existing neighbourhood. Above it, a scalloped glazed tower steps up to the civic scale of the corridor, expressing a vertical rhythm that marks the intersection without overwhelming it. Between the two, the project opens up a new public plaza on Todman Avenue, integrated laneways, ground-level retail and a flexible community hall for exhibitions and performance.

Inside, 308 purpose-built student apartments are arranged around a disciplined core that keeps circulation lean and living space generous. Collider spaces such as shared kitchens, study lounges and outdoor gardens are distributed throughout to encourage the kind of incidental interaction that makes shared living genuinely work. A vertical green spine carries landscape from the ground plane up to rooftop gardens, threading nature through every level. Scape Kensington is built around the idea that density, done well, gives more than it takes.

Photography: Tom Roe, Ben Guthrie