‘Essentia’ is located 27km from the Sydney CBD and sited between the existing Bella Vista development to the west and proposed Fairway Drive reserve to the east. The 15 townhouse ‘Natura’ development is a low scale medium density masterplan that creates an eastern fringe to a larger 80-unit master planned community on the site. Geographically sited adjacent Strangers Creek, and an associated Riparian corridor, a naturally formed waterway that cuts its way through the site in a north south alignment. This feature provides the opportunity to inform the design and alignment of the townhouses are clustered in groups with a varying typology of plan and façade providing depth and relief in the articulation of the facades.The differentiation of individual units within the elevation breaks down the scale of the development and provides the opportunity to read the built form as a series of individual houses through the variation in façades. Adding to this is the dense planting between units and the separation and relief at first floor level between roof forms. A diverse variety of materials compliment the natural surroundings, with timber cladding and a palette of natural colour tones, to provide diversity to the overall form and allow it to sit comfortably within its surrounds.