Soper Place Mixed Use

Urban hybrid at the gateway to the Blue Mountains

Soper Place Mixed Use

Project Story

Details

Our 2019 proposal for Soper Place in Penrith presents a bold and innovative vision for a hybrid urban building that unites functionality, sustainability, and cultural identity. The development seamlessly integrates a multi-level car park, high-quality commercial office spaces, and an active ground-floor retail precinct to create a vibrant civic destination at the heart of the Western City.

Constructed primarily from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), the project showcases a strong commitment to sustainable design excellence, demonstrating how renewable materials and advanced construction technologies can significantly reduce embodied carbon while delivering warmth, structural performance, and long-term adaptability. The architectural form draws inspiration from the geology and layered escarpments of the Blue Mountains, translating natural patterns and textures into a sculptural built expression that responds to the regional landscape and the broader identity of Penrith.

Extensive landscape integration defines the project, with green terraces, public plazas, and ecologically responsive planting systems woven throughout the building. The inclusion of indigenous flora and fauna, co-designed with Yerrabingin, embeds Country within the urban fabric and creates a living connection to the surrounding environment. This landscape narrative enriches the experience of the site, linking the urban core of Penrith with the distant Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

The result is a forward-thinking urban landmark—a place where sustainability, cultural heritage, and community converge. Through its material innovation, environmental performance, and deep respect for Country, Soper Place establishes a new benchmark for integrated, resilient, and meaningful development within Western Sydney.

Inspiration: Historic Blue mountains drawings and archive photography

Site and massing organisation

Publicly accessible terrain and amenity

Details

Client

Penrith City Council

Country

Darug

Collaborating Architect

Crone

Structure

Arup

ESD

Surface Design

Facade

Surface Design

Traffic

PTC

Landscape

Urbis

First Nations

Yerrabingin