The bearing of fruitThe Orchard, Ryde Square celebrates the history of Ryde as a provider of local produce. Located in the heart of the precinct, The Orchard embraces a new public transport hub and offers a series of stunningly landscaped public plazas and fully accessible community gardens.

Promoting an organic, inclusive and sustainable culture, visitors and locals move fluidly through a landscape of orchard trees and community gardens. Complementing rather than competing with Top Ryde,The Orchard brings people together, educating future generations about the cultivation of food.

As The Orchard bears fruit, so too can it give to the community by providing energy and recycled water to the precinct through smart building façades, canopies and storm water collection.

At the precinct’s core lies a solitary tree bearing a bounty of different fruits - symbolic of Ryde’s history, multi-culturalism and future growth.

A creative heartThe strength of the community lies in its ability to bring people together in creative pursuits. Here visitors and locals can participate in gardening and wood workshops, bike repair, art and cookery courses. Artists can work proudly alongside boutique retail spaces and start-up tech companies. Music and theatre can spill outside and into the public realm.

The garden stageThe Orchard provides a stage upon which pedestrians and cyclists can play out their daily lives. Here locals can come to read a book, grab a coffee, see a show or let their children run amok, without worrying about driving on the busy roads or parking the car. Locals will want to walk, ride or bus to fully appreciate their new town centre.

A place to call homeThe numerous educational, food and activity offerings together with a daily, weekly and annual schedule of events strengthen Ryde’s community spirit. The Orchard, Ryde Square feels more like a park or backyard than a commercial centre. A place where visitors can come to eat, play, love and grow. A place to call home.

Interactive Sustainable Education• Organic produce• Self-sufficient initiatives

Improved Cycling Amenities• Cyclist paths expand on existing network• Bicycle Hub with integrated change rooms• Rental and repair facilities

Locally Grown Produce• Garden farmers market• Horticultural education and initiatives

Community Workshops Foster Creativity• Educational opportunities• Craft sales and markets

X. central plaza

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Humanised Movement• Shared walkways allow access throughout

site

Creativity Integrated into the Landscape• Artist studios integrated with layered public

spaces

Knitting of Public and Private• Integrated and layered public spaces

Community Expression at its Core• Performance spaces integrate with and form

the landscape

1:1000 site plan1. varied tenancies

cafes artist studios boutique retail start-up companies gym

2. restaurant/cooking school3. civic centre/library4. theatre below

5. outdoor performance space above6. bicycle hub7. gallery8. community timber and metal workshop9. urban orchard10. residential11. amphitheatre/plaza12. lawn area13. bus interchange below14. bbq & picnic area

15. community garden16. children’s playground17. revitalised Top Ryde retail frontage18. market place19. symbolic multi-fruit tree

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Desired Site Traffic pedestrian cyclist vehicle

Built Form• Extruded around paths of movement

Scale• Building height varies to bridge

between the commercial and residential scales of the adjacent sites

New Gateways• Key buildings help create interactive

public spaces

Green Spaces• Smaller building footprints allow for

increased greenery across the site• Vertically these spaces link public

and private and improve air quality

Zoning public engagement civic bike hub commercial residential theatre

1:1000 section A-A

1:1000 section B-B

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A double skin, ventilated facade reduces heat loads on buildings and integrated photovoltaics actively produce energy for residents and local businesses.

Green walls and roofs filter harmful chemicals from the air, supply oxygen, reduce building heat loads and assist with early filtration of storm water to be recycled on site.

ETFE pneumatic panels with integrated transparent photovoltaics form the roof structure over the bus interchange, providing a shaded environment and powering public infrastructure.

The primary structure of the towers is a composite of cross laminated timber, Glulam and CO2 absorbing concrete which reduces the overall carbon footprint.

Fruit bearing trees and community gardens act as a carbon sink whilst supplying locals with food and educating the community.

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Sustainable Design ElementsRather than relying on a single technology, the orchard uses a multifaceted approach to create a carbon negative community.

6.The built form is shaped around prevailing winds to better harness natural ventilation within buildings.

7.Water is collected throughout the site and recycled for different uses, creating a community that is less reliant on external resources.

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Y. the market place

Z. bus interchange and public orchard

4 | RYDE016the orchard Ryde Square