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Architectus recently launched its new offering, Architectus Urban Design and Planning Melbourne at an event within the Melbourne Studio.

The launch also coincided with the the recent appointment of Urban Design Principal, Dean Thornton, who brings with him over 23 years of knowledge and experience and having most recently worked with Jacobs and Development Victoria.

Dean's expertise ranges from city shaping urban design projects - from initial visioning and master planning - through to detailed resolution and implementation.

For the launch event, the Urban Design and Planning team collaborated with Melbourne street photographer Jesse Marlow for an exhibition titled UNCOVER, which included photography that "explores the paradoxes and joys of urban living in Melbourne, discovering the city through a different lens."

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/architectus_009-web.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The UNCOVER exhibition which featured as part of the Architectus Urban Design and Planning Melbourne launch."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/architectus_009-web.jpg?itok=_gb9Hyjf" title="The UNCOVER exhibition which featured as part of the Architectus Urban Design and Planning Melbourne launch." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The UNCOVER exhibition which featured as part of the Architectus Urban Design and Planning Melbourne launch.</figcaption></figure>The establishment of Architectus Urban Design and Planning is in response to the exceptional growth within the Urban Design and Planning (UDP) sector.  
Dean’s appointment and the launch of UDP Melbourne follows a period of continued growth for Architectus with recent major project wins particularly in the areas of urban design and planning, education, rail infrastructure, commercial and multi-residential projects in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Most recently <a href="/news/architectus-and-ingehoven-on-sydneys-latest-super-skyscraper">Architectus have teamed up with Ingenhoven</a> for Mirvac's 79-storey 505 George Street tower in Sydney, while in Melbourne the office is keeping busy with office projects in <a href="/news/melbourne-planning-and-development-news-in-brief">Richmond</a> and <a href="/developments/abbotsford-vic-3067">Abbotsford</a>, a <a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Hyatt Centric</a> for Little Projects in the Melbourne CBD,  as well as a <a href="/news/approval-granted-for-a-major-150-million-geelong-development">$150m mixed-use project in Geelong</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/505_george_architectus.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Work is expected to commence on 505 George Street in 2020, with completion expected in 2025."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/505_george_architectus.jpg?itok=vmBQv-F8" title="Work is expected to commence on 505 George Street in 2020, with completion expected in 2025." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Work is expected to commence on 505 George Street in 2020, with completion expected in 2025.</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say...</h2>

<blockquote>
We are delighted to have Dean join us to lead the team in Melbourne. The role of urban design in creating great places and communities continue to grow in importance as our cities become more dense and complex.

Architectus has been providing urban design and planning services for some 30 years and it is great to now offer these services to our clients in Melbourne.

- Ray Brown, Architectus Managing Director
</blockquote>

 

<blockquote>
It’s very exciting to have joined such a growing team and at a time where Architectus generally and UDP specifically, are achieving such great success.

I am looking forward to leading the Melbourne team and contributing to its ongoing growth and profile.

- Dean Thornton, Urban Design Principal, Architectus
</blockquote>
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Laurence Dragomir

Architectus Melbourne launches Urban Design and Planning with appointment of new Principal 

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Today we'll be taking a look at Kennedy Nolan's contribution to Nightingale Village as part of Apartments.com.au's continuing series on the ethical development model.

The building has been designed to align with the Nightingale ethos of providing high quality, good value urban housing by simplifying both the development process and the building itself.

<blockquote>
Nightingale provides an opportunity to reach a more diverse group and without the negative constraints of conventional developer-funded housing models.

We have a wide range of experience in designing housing, from alterations to single residences to high-density innercity apartment buildings and have long looked forward to bringing this expertise to a Nightingale Housing project.

We feel strongly that there are many ways to engage positively with a neighbourhood, and that conventional responses can be limited in scope and imagination. Mature, dense urban environments must tackle privacy and maintain the dignity of those living there and so the contribution to urbanity provided by an individual building might also be aesthetic, abstract and related to the scale of the city.

- Kennedy Nolan
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/nv_kennedy_nolan_01.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Kennedy Nolan's Nightingale Building along the Upfield corridor. Image: Kennedy Nolan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="535" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nv_kennedy_nolan_01.jpg?itok=lo-V56CZ" title="Kennedy Nolan's Nightingale Building along the Upfield corridor. Image: Kennedy Nolan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Kennedy Nolan's Nightingale Building along the Upfield corridor. Image: Kennedy Nolan</figcaption></figure>Located at 9 Duckett Street, the seven-storey building joins Nightingale WOW and Nightingale CCA in abutting the Upfield cycling corridor. Similar to its two aforementioned neighbours, Kennedy Nolan's building addresses its adjacency to the railway interface and western sun via a 'buffered' approach, whereby windows are either oriented north or south or located within lightcourts. 

A sheltered pedestrian colonnade along the western edge provides raised access to the building protected from the adjacent bike path by lush planting.  Along this frontage Kennedy Nolan have selected robust and durable materials which require minimal maintenance, with the architects citing access to the facade (or lack-there-of) as a key consideration in its material selection.

The building's materiality is generally in keeping with the Nightingale Village theme of domestic materials which draw on the site's industrial context and history. 9 Duckett Street is characterised by its combination of both textured and smooth precast panelling which which features red oxide colouring, resulting in a pink quality. This is complemented by further splashes of colour through the use of red steel framing, red perforated mesh and red fabric markisolette blinds. 

The building form has been derived from a response to the various factors impacting the site and comprises for key elements:

<ul>
<li>the crafted street podium - to Duckett Street</li>
	<li>the activated arcade - along the Upfield corridor</li>
	<li>building 1 and building 2</li>
	<li>transparent circulation; and</li>
	<li>the sky garden</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/nv_kennedy_nolan_02.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The building has been designed to appear as two, reducing its visual bulk. Image: Kennedy Nolan"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="536" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nv_kennedy_nolan_02.jpg?itok=afr2gZTn" title="The building has been designed to appear as two, reducing its visual bulk. Image: Kennedy Nolan" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The building has been designed to appear as two, reducing its visual bulk. Image: Kennedy Nolan</figcaption></figure>The massing has been split into two parts to appear as two distinct buildings which form a whole, linked via an open stair within a light shaft much like Nightingale CCA. Along Duckett Street, the streetwall has been conceived as a carefully crafted brick massing punctured by arched openings at ground and recessed balconies above.

A southern Mews has been created through setbacks to the southern title boundary, which provides a new east-west connection, in addition to walk up access to apartments. Lightweight structural framing to the southern Mews frontage and above both north and south streetwalls provides the building with a light and transparent quality, while allowing for more unobscured views from within apartments.

The building is capped by two separate outdoor spaces - the 'Sky Garden' and the 'Working Yard'. To the south, the Working Yard offers functional facilities, outdoor dining areas and sheltered communal laundry clustered together to allow for the Sky Garden located to the north, which enjoys good northern solar exposure. The Sky Garden has been conceived as a densely planted park on the roof, providing passive spaces for retreat and relaxation, while also being visible from a distance.

Overall 9 Duckett Street will comprise 27 apartments featuring a mix of studio, 1, 2 &amp; 3 bedroom apartments in addition to 68 residents bike parks, 6 visitor bike parks and a ground floor tenancy.

Next up in the Nightingale Village will be Breathe Architecture's Skye House. Look out for it next week.
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Nightingale Village - Episode IV - Kennedy Nolan

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Apartments.com.au was in attendance yesterday as ISPT Property's $150 million mixed-use tower at 271 Spring Street achieved a key milestone, with a topping out ceremony held on the roof to celebrate the occasion.

<a href="/news/probuild-and-ispt-break-ground-on-australian-unitys-new-spring-street-hq">Probuild broke ground</a> on the 16-storey tower in mid-2017, with the topping out of the core occurring in an impressive 14 months, and completion slated for mid-2019.

The development has been designed by John Wardle Architects in collaboration with heritage architect Bruce Trethowan to ensure the careful integration of two historical buildings as part of the 15,600 sqm A-Grade office development for Australian Unity.

According to ISPT CEO Daryl Browning, the addition of 271 Spring Street will complete ISPT’s long-term vision for the Lonsdale precinct. 

271 Spring Street adjoins ISPT's other office towers - Casselden Place and The Urban Workshop -  which are located in one of Melbourne’s most historical precincts.

An onsite four month archaeological dig prior to construction unearthed 40,000 artefacts. 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/271_topping_out_ceremony_sep18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Photos taken by Urban.com.au during the topping out ceremony at 271 Spring Street. "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="253" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/271_topping_out_ceremony_sep18.jpg?itok=ZPKg2cIR" title="Photos taken by Urban.com.au during the topping out ceremony at 271 Spring Street. " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Photos taken by Apartments.com.au during the topping out ceremony at 271 Spring Street.</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
It’s been a fantastic construction period at 271 Spring Street to date. We’ve managed 10 weeks of archaeology works, built between two Citipower HV easements – we’ve also built over two live underground rail tunnels that form part of Melbourne’s city loop.

There’s not many buildings in Melbourne on top of an underground rail system. This location meant we needed to deliver a highly complex light-weight steel structure, consisting of raked feature elements and significant transfer structures to achieve the architectural vision for the project. It’s a very robust structure but light enough to not disturb the city loop below.

Probuild will now be focusing on completing an intricate façade that features 7m x 3.7m fins, and the internal fitout works for anchor tenant Australian Unity.

- Luke Stambolis, Probuild’s Victorian Managing Director
</blockquote>

The topping out of 271 Spring Street follows hot on the heels of Probuild's handover of 456 apartments within the Avant development for World Class Global, a milestone achieved three months ahead of schedule.

Probuild's delivery team for Avant was led by a young female project manager, Lorien Dalmau, who has amassed more than a decade’s experience in construction under her belt.  

Probuild’s Victorian Managing Director, Luke Stambolis expressed how proud he was of Lorien's efforts in her first stint as a project manager, and noted that she was "the only woman in Melbourne managing a 50+ storey apartment tower in the CBD right now and to top it off she’s only in her mid-30s."

Designed by Elenberg Fraser, the 167m high tower features 18,500 sqm of distinctive façade comprising custom coloured glazing and feature fins, directly procured by Probuild from premium suppliers in China.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/avant_at_handover.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Probuild has also recently handed over Avant to World Class Global. Image: Probuild"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="773" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/avant_at_handover.jpg?itok=_Fb_2jAC" title="Probuild has also recently handed over Avant to World Class Global. Image: Probuild" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Probuild has also recently handed over Avant to World Class Global. Image: Probuild</figcaption></figure>Probuild's other big build in the northern reaches of the Melbourne CBD is the 270m high Aurora Melbourne Central. The 90-storey tower's floor plate and safety screening has recently been reconfigured from a 'butterfly' geometry to a 'heart' shape for its final ascent. 

Meanwhile, the core has reached the nominal height of 260m above street level, with a further three rises before it tops out in the next month.

Looking west and Probuild's two key Spencer Street builds - West Side Place and 311 Spencer Street progress - are also making rapid progress as highlighted in the supplied aerial below. Further, Probuild notes the achievement of a key milestone for Tower 1's core, while Tower 2 edges ahead.

<blockquote>
We recently achieved a key milestone at Melbourne's West Side Place, with the successful assembly of both parts of the split core system for Tower 1. The upper portion of the core is now making its way above the boundary hoarding line, currently sitting at ground level. The floor slabs have also progressed at a rapid rate with ground level currently being being constructed. 

The jump form on Tower 2 is currently sitting at Level 6 and floor slabs are complete up to Level 1 with the first set of perimeter protection screens now installed. The structure team is now focused on design and planning for the upcoming challenges involving the multi-strand post tension transfer slabs on Level 4 and 5, and the core changeover works on Level 8.

The latest progress at West Side Place demonstrates our capabilities managing sophisticated designs and complex major projects. 

- Probuild
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/probuild_spencer.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Two sites, three towers, eight cranes. Image: Probuild"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="719" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/probuild_spencer.png?itok=qnTMfCpu" title="Two sites, three towers, eight cranes. Image: Probuild" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Two sites, three towers, eight cranes. Image: Probuild</figcaption></figure>
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Probuild tops out at 271 Spring Street

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ICON Developments has partnered with builder Icon Co to commence construction on 600 Church Street, an eight-storey commercial office development in Cremorne designed by Wood Marsh.

The development was approved by VCAT in late April 2018 and shortly thereafter it was announced that Bayley Stuart Capital purchased the building off-the-plan for $50 million with vacant possession. ICON Developments expects 600 Church Street to further bolster the area which has become Melbourne’s hottest city fringe office market.

Companies 7-Eleven, Seek, MYOB and Reece Group have in recent times announced their intentions to relocate to Cremorne, reinforcing the area's reputation as a Silicon Valley of sorts.

600 Church Street will feature 5,264 square metres of office space across eight levels, topped off with a landscaped rooftop terrace. The development will also include 535 square metres of retail space, 71 car spaces, 100 bicycle parks and extensive end-of-trip facilities located within three levels of basement car parking.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/church_street_rooftop.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="600 Church Street will be topped off by a rooftop landscaped terrace. Image: ICON Developments"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="341" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/church_street_rooftop.jpg?itok=X2hJH7Q1" title="600 Church Street will be topped off by a rooftop landscaped terrace. Image: ICON Developments" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>600 Church Street will be topped off by a rooftop landscaped terrace. Image: ICON Developments</figcaption></figure>According to ICON Developments the project, designed by architects Wood Marsh, will showcase the quality of commercial development that can be found outside of the CBD.

<blockquote>
Cremorne continues to be a leading city fringe office market, making it an attractive location for tenants looking for new space outside the CBD. New developments like 600 Church Street will continue to open the area up to new occupiers looking for modern space.

Companies are continuing to be attracted to Cremorne given existing retail amenity, public transport infrastructure and some of Melbourne’s best cafes and restaurants.

We’re excited to start seeing the building take shape and lead the way for quality and design in city-fringe commercial development.

Brinn Tavener, ICON Developments senior development manager
</blockquote>

Demolition commenced on site earlier this year with Icon Co providing a turnkey solution to construct the building before handover to Bayley Stuart Capital in late 2019.

600 Church Street will join a growing number of developments within Cremorne which will add to the character and mix of the area, these are highlighted in the map below. You can check these out in greater detail <a href="/developments/cremorne-vic-3121">here</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/cremorne_map.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Development activity within Cremorne."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="297" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cremorne_map.png?itok=wTUYHHUi" title="Development activity within Cremorne." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Development activity within Cremorne.</figcaption></figure>
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Icon Co commences construction on 600 Church Street

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<a href="/news/urban-land-institute-invites-ideas-for-north-west-corner-of-melbourne-cbd">As covered on Urban.com.au last week</a>, the Urban Land Institute is now accepting entries in the 2018 ULI Australia Urban Innovation Ideas Competition which is seeking innovative ideas to reinvigorate the north-west corner of the Melbourne CBD.

The ULI's Executive Director David McCracken spoke to Apartments.com.au, providing insight into the competition and the benefits of young people getting involved in planning.

Apartments.com.au: What do you look for when selecting sites for ULI Urban Innovation Ideas competitions?

David McCracken: The Competition sites we select are less about the specific place but more to act as a catalyst or a canvas for expansive thinking and innovative thought, in the context of a real or perceived urban challenge.

The sites selected previously – George St in Sydney – a linear space in the CBD becoming car free and public, but perhaps without the character elements to stimulate it, and in 2016 – Centennial Place – a poorly used green knuckle between the CBD and vibrant Valley district in Brisbane – offer challenges for intervention that change the way these spaces may connect with their city context.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/uli_image_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The site of the 2018 ULI Australia Urban Innovation Ideas Competition. Image: ULI"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="385" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/uli_image_1.jpg?itok=65K-ywNB" title="The site of the 2018 ULI Australia Urban Innovation Ideas Competition. Image: ULI" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The site of the 2018 ULI Australia Urban Innovation Ideas Competition. Image: ULI</figcaption></figure>In Melbourne this year, the site has been recognised as part of the CBD that perhaps does not live up to the image of Melbourne - vibrant, active, attractive and communal. We are seeking ideas that may not directly solve that challenge, but that, if implemented will add identity engagement and momentum to this part of the city fabric, and as an outcome, add value to those who live, work and visit the area.

U: What is different about the younger generation compared to older generations when it comes to urban planning and enhancing cities?

DM: What I have witnessed is perhaps a greater social conscience in the urban outcomes that shape our cities. There is a sense that what has gone before has not always delivered and that wider and more diverse voices need to be listened to as we plan our cities. ‘Green’, ‘active’, and ‘programmed’ are buzzwords perhaps more to the older generations and now taken as ‘business as usual’ for those with a younger perspective.

However, with the advent of social media, Pinterest and the like, we see the colour of our cities in more graphic detail and perhaps we don't experience and understand the grain and pulse of cities as much anymore. Our experiences are often quick and superficial rather than longer, deeper and more considered as they may have been in the past. The urban planning and development of our cities shapes the long-term impact and image of that city and we must understand that decisions made are there forever – timeliness over timeframe, authenticity over fashion.

U: What is the benefit of generating ideas from people outside of the sector?

DM: Our cities are shared by a great diversity of people and by giving a voice to all those who experience, contribute to and shape our cities, you reach a far better understanding of how to synthesise what is relevant and impactful.

For me, the skill in great design is not just the innovation or the idea – it’s how it responds to a need, desire or challenge in its own urban context or community.

Through the competition, the challenge is not only to solve the particular design issue or place issue at hand, but to promote new alternate ways of thinking. Along with traditional civic and municipal planning, these may improve the character and experience of the site area and ultimately its social, economic and environmental value.

U: What are the biggest issues facing Australian cities that you hope young people and their ideas can address in current and future competitions?

DM: The ULI Urban Innovation Competition is a forum for ideas – conceptual thinking around ideas that may stimulate new urban interventions and promote alternate ways of thinking in our cities.

The competition provides a forum for young professionals from multiple disciplines to come together and share ideas and approaches to key urban challenges in our cities.

The issue or challenge we are addressing is to engage young people in the urban debate, to share a variety of ideas with today’s decision makers, opportunities and alternatives to ensure that what has been done before is not what has to be done tomorrow. Through the competition, and the debates we engage around it, we try to teach or mentor competitors and their peer groups while helping them become better decision makers for tomorrow.

Entries in the 2018 ULI Australia Urban Innovation Ideas Competition close Monday 10 September.
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ULI's David McCracken on the 2018 Urban Innovation Ideas Competition

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<a href="/news/melbournes-collins-street-continues-to-soar-as-construction-heats-up">Urban.com.au recently highlighted</a> the development activity along Melbourne's Collins Street, in which it was noted that The Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) building at 60 Collins Street represented a significant redevelopment opportunity.

Located on the north-east corner of Exhibition Street and Collins Street opposite QICGRE's 80 Collins development, the property has been listed for sale by the RBA - which is vacating the 16-storey building -  with a number of developers believed to have been circling.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/60_collins_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="60 Collins Street. Images: Real Commercial | Jaganol"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="420" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/60_collins_street.jpg?itok=_T6Yjc6t" title="60 Collins Street. Images: Real Commercial | Jaganol" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>60 Collins Street. Images: Real Commercial | Jaganol</figcaption></figure>To provide further context to the site, it is also covered by Heritage Overlay HO504 (Collins East Precinct) as it adjoins the heritage-listed Melville House (HO566) at 52-54 Collins Street. However, inclusion in the Heritage Overlay does not mean that a site cannot be redeveloped. When a permit for redevelopment is considered, heritage becomes a further consideration as part of the process.

Due to the site's location within this historically sensitive context, the design of any new structure(s) on the site becomes critical.

City of Melbourne's Amendment C258: Heritage Precincts Statements of Significance 2017 notes:

<blockquote>
Collins Street has often been identified as Melbourne’s leading street. This is due, in part, to the pleasant amenity and distinctive character of its eastern end. Its relative elevation and proximity to the Government Reserve and points of access to the City provided for its development as an elite locale.

Initially a prestige residential area, the Melbourne Club re-established itself here in 1857 and by the 1860s the medical profession had begun to congregate. By the turn of the century it was firmly established as a professional and artistic centre of Melbourne, with part of its fame due to its tree plantations in the French boulevard manner (hence the ‘Paris end’), which date from 1875.

A number of significant buildings come together in this precinct to form a series of prominent streetscapes. These include, at the western end, the Town Hall, Athenaeum, and Assembly Hall through to the Scots and Independent Churches, with the Regent Theatre through to the redeveloped T&amp;G building opposite.

The eastern end includes the early 19th century residential and artists’ studio buildings at the foot of No. One Collins, with the predominantly 20th century intact run to the north featuring Alcaston, Anzac Portland and Chanonry Houses, and Victor Horsley Chambers plus the nearby Melbourne Club.

At all times until the post 1939-45 war period, redevelopment took place in a quiet and restrained manner with an emphasis on dignity, harmony and compatibility with the intimate scale and pedestrian qualities of the street. These qualities are still embodied in significant remnant buildings and other artifacts, despite the intrusion of large developments.

The qualities of the street are also embodied in the social functions of the buildings which include elite smaller scale residential, religious, social, quality retailing and professional activities.

- Collins East Precinct, Statement of Significance (INCORPORATED DOCUMENT – CLAUSE 81 SCHEDULE Page 8)
</blockquote>

It goes on to list the following as key attributes of the Precinct:

<ul>
<li>The buildings remaining from before the Second World War.</li>
	<li>The boulevard quality of this end of Collins Street with street tree plantations and street furniture.</li>
	<li>A consistent height, scale, character and appearance of the remaining 19th and early 20th century buildings.</li>
	<li>The historic garden of the Melbourne Club</li>
</ul>
For the purposes of this study I have also included 100 Exhibition Street, which is currently occupied by a Mantra branded hotel. This was done to provide larger commercial floor plates, in addition to enhancing links through the site.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/60_collins_diagrams-site_context.png" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="431" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/60_collins_diagrams-site_context.png?itok=ZOFn7xXW" width="580"></a>

<figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The 60 Collins Street site alone has a footprint of 1,300sqm, whereas a minimum floor plate of 1,500sqm would be preferred. To achieve this with the application of setbacks based on the planning controls for the Capital City Zone, <a href="/news/bates-smarts-julian-anderson-discusses-commercial-development-feasibility-in-melbournes-central-city">a site of 3,000 sqm would be ideal</a>, however, the 60 Collins Street site benefits from a corner location so can rise 80m without setbacks.

Combining both 60 Collins Street and 100 Exhibition Street would create a development site of approx. 2,100 sqm.

The Victorian Liberal Party is also offloading the 6-storey Art Deco Centenary Hall at 104 Exhibition Street, completed in 1935 which is expected to fetch around $30m.

The site is covered by Heritage Overlay HO1028 and carries with it a 'Significant' grading due to its interiors, however it is not listed on the Victoria Heritage Register. It has not been included as part of the development study.

The process for developing the envelope for the combined 60 Collins And 100 Exihibtion Streets is outlined in the diagrams in the slideshow below, however some key figures and features include;

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/60_collins_diagrams_-_breakdown.png" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/60_collins_diagrams_-_breakdown.png?itok=IjvvUfSB" width="580"></a>

<figcaption> </figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>44-storeys/160m (to roof)</li>
	<li>Floor plates of 1,790sqm for lower 19-storey office levels = 32,220sqm GFA or approx. 25,800 sqm NLA</li>
	<li>Residential and hotel floor plates of 900 sqm across 25-storeys (or 20-storeys of office)</li>
	<li>This upper volume is limited to 50m in length to reduce massing and allow for the creation of a;</li>
	<li>North facing publically accessible landscaped rooftop terrace and bar, atop the streetwall </li>
	<li>Extension of McGraths Lane through to Collins Street</li>
	<li>Total Gross Floor Area: 54,720 sqm </li>
	<li>Plot ratio: 26:1 - this is achieved via new laneway, publically accessible rooftop and office and hotel use</li>
</ul>
Keep an eye out in coming weeks for a similar study on the 383 Latrobe Street site, which Mirvac recently purchased from Sterling Global, who had a permit for a Jean Nouvel designed tower.
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Development Scenario: 60 Collins + 100 Exhibition Street, Melbourne

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On this week's episode I chat to Sam Hibbins, the Greens Member for Prahran (my neighbourhood) and transport spokesperson for the Party, about the Green's commitment to delivering Melbourne Metro 2 and platforms for Melbourne Metro 1 at South Yarra.

We also discuss the first stage of works to improve access, egress and overall circulation at South Yarra Station after much lobbying from Sam and the Greens. He says it's a good start, but argues more can and should be done to upgrade the station to cope with increased patronage due to a surging population and further development activity in the area.

This follows last week's <a href="/guides">podcast with City of Stonnington Mayor Cr Steve Stefanopoulos</a>, in which we also covered the topic of Chapel Street and transitioning from a car-centric to a more pedestrian and cycling focused street that is well served by a reliable tram service.

Be sure to subscribe to our Weekly Podcast on iTunes. 

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Weekly Podcast: Episode 32 - The Greens' Sam Hibbins talks all things transport

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Century Group Aus has secured Australia's first St. Regis hotel at its $800m Flinders Bank development on the Yarra River.

The five star hotel brand's commitment to Flinders Bank will ensure residents benefit from exclusive access to the St. Regis' prestige club facilities.

With frontages to Spencer and Flinders Streets, the 33-storey tower will be the tallest of Flinders Bank's three buildings.

St. Regis Melbourne's 168 luxury guest rooms and suites will occupy levels 2 to 11, providing guests with panoramic views of the Yarra River or Melbourne skyline.

World-leading interior design studio, Chada has designed the interiors working closely with Fender Katsalidis Architects, who are responsible for the architectural design of Flinders Bank.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/century_group_aus_st_regis_bedroom_image_2._2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The hotel interiors have been designed by Chada. Image: Century Group "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="347" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/century_group_aus_st_regis_bedroom_image_2._2.jpg?itok=Do-jmYpI" title="The hotel interiors have been designed by Chada. Image: Century Group " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The hotel interiors have been designed by Chada. Image: Century Group Aus/ Floodslicer</figcaption></figure>St. Regis Melbourne will join, Flinders Banks' two other residential towers currently at sales and registration. The whole development is set to deliver 650 residences and 2,100 sqm of retail, on the gateway site opposite Batman Park previously occupied by the former Convention Centre.

Century Group Aus anticipates St. Regis Melbourne will become an instant and stylish icon on the skyline, and an integral part of a vibrant pedestrian precinct and plaza along Siddeley Street, upon completion in 2022. 

Construction on the whole Flinders Bank project is set to commence next year and will comprise the following:

<ul>
<li>Tower One: 26 levels with a ground + three-level podium. 190 apartments - located on the eastern side of the site bounded by Spencer Street.</li>
	<li>Tower Two / St. Regis Melbourne: 33 levels with a ground + four-level podium. 168 luxury hotel rooms and 237 premium apartments - located on the western side of the site bounded by Flinders Street.</li>
	<li>Tower Three: 26 levels with a ground + three-level podium - located on the western side of the site. Apartments mix and number of apartments to be determined.</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/the-st-melb.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="St. Regis Melbourne will occupy the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets. Image: Century Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="493" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the-st-melb.jpg?itok=YYYss2lw" title="St. Regis Melbourne will occupy the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets. Image: Century Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>St. Regis Melbourne will occupy the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets. Image: Century Group Aus / Floodslicer</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say...</h2>

<blockquote>
This signing is an indication of the investment community’s confidence in the Australian market, where we are seeing a growing demand for premium lodgings.

The St. Regis Melbourne will be an outstanding addition to our strong and growing footprint in the region, where we are on track to boast the largest portfolio of upper upscale and luxury hotels and resorts, with two-thirds of the new supply pipeline.

- Richard Crawford, Senior Director of Hotel Development in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific
</blockquote>

 

<blockquote>
We are honoured that Flinders Bank will be the address for one of the most exceptional hotel and hospitality experiences in Australia, through The St. Regis Melbourne.

Flinders Bank will offer the pinnacle of luxury experiences for guests as well as residents. With its breathtaking views of the Yarra River, resort style amenity and landmark architecture, Flinders Bank will be a fitting gateway into the world’s most liveable city.

The way we live is changing, and today we want all of life’s luxuries and necessities on our doorstep. To cater for these new urban lifestyles, we wanted to offer our residents some of the most generous, thoughtful and well-designed amenity in Melbourne. We want Flinders Bank to be a haven and a home for all that our residents enjoy.

- Connie Wu, Executive Director Century Group Aus 
</blockquote>

 

 
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Century Group lands Australia's first St. Regis at Flinders Bank

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Having already covered Spencer Street and Chapel Street, Apartments.com.au today focuses on the construction occurring along what is arguably Melbourne CBD's premier street - Collins Street - and its future development pipeline.

Stretching approximately 3km from Spring Street to Docklands, Collins Street currently has nine projects either approved or under construction, with the greatest concentration located towards the western end of the CBD at the threshold between the Hoddle Grid and Docklands.

These projects are illustrated in the diagram below, with each covered in more detail below.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/collins_street_progress.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Highlighting development along Melbourne's Collins Street. "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="252" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_street_progress.png?itok=HN-NORoe" title="Highlighting development along Melbourne's Collins Street. " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Highlighting development along Melbourne's Collins Street.</figcaption></figure><h2><a href="/developments/docklands-vic-3008">839 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/839-3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="839 Collins Street. Render: Lendlease "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="337" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/839-3.jpg?itok=lgxebI_v" title="839 Collins Street. Render: Lendlease " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>839 Collins Street. Render: Lendlease</figcaption></figure>The new 21-storey building for ANZ has topped out for some time with facade installation progressing externally and interior fit-out works having commenced. 

Designed by Denton Corker Marshall, 839 Collins Street represents the final commercial building to be constructed within Lendlease's Victoria Harbour development. 

The developer's focus now shifts to the Collins Wharf sub-precinct, extending along the length of the peninsula towards the Bolte Bridge.

<h2><a href="/developments/docklands-vic-3008">Two Melbourne Quarter - 697 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/2mq_sep18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Two Melbourne Quarter. Render: Lendlease"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="357" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/2mq_sep18.jpg?itok=5RV0pKzc" title="Two Melbourne Quarter. Render: Lendlease" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Two Melbourne Quarter. Render: Lendlease</figcaption></figure>With the finishing touches being applied to One Melbourne Quarter, Lendlease has now turned its focus towards Two Melbourne Quarter. Construction has commenced on the next 25-storey office tower designed by Woods Bagot.

Energy Australia will occupy 12-storeys within the tower, accounting for 22,000 sqm of the 50,000 sqm NLA office space. Completion is expected during 2020.

<h2>Melbourne Quarter Tower - 681 Collins Street</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/melbourne_quarter_tower_question_mark.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Quarter Tower is due for a redesign. "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/melbourne_quarter_tower_question_mark.jpg?itok=C2oI2Lh-" title="Melbourne Quarter Tower is due for a redesign. " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Quarter Tower is due for a redesign.</figcaption></figure>Following planning approval, speculation is rife that Melbourne Quarter Tower is currently undergoing redesign, with a new architect inheriting design responsibilities for Melbourne Quarter's tallest office building.

The current permit allows for the construction of a 28-storey office tower of 55,000 sqm NLA.

<h2><a href="/buildings/582-606-collins-street-melbourne">The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Melbourne - 600 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/zha_mandarin_oriental.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Landream's 54-storey tower will include a 194-key hotel, operated by Mandarin Oriental. Images: Zaha Hadid Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="252" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/zha_mandarin_oriental.jpg?itok=zMEOKUkW" title="Landream's 54-storey tower will include a 194-key hotel, operated by Mandarin Oriental. Images: Zaha Hadid Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Landream's 54-storey tower will include a 194-key hotel, operated by Mandarin Oriental. Images: Zaha Hadid Architects</figcaption></figure>Owners Landream last year announced that they had signed on Mandarin Oriental to operate the hotel component of their $852 mullion development designed by Zaha Hadid Architects in partnership with Plus Architecture.

Mandarin Oriental will occupy levels 6 to 24 which exuates to 196 guest suites. Though no firm start date has been confirmed although a tentative completion date of 2023 has been previously floated.

Landream secured the site for $60m in 2015 from the Henkell Brothers.

<h2><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">555 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/555-collins-street_article.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fragrance Group's 555 Collins Street is set for a start with demolition not far off. Images: Bates Smart"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="272" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/555-collins-street_article.jpg?itok=8d3z4gLi" title="Fragrance Group's 555 Collins Street is set for a start with demolition not far off. Images: Bates Smart" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fragrance Group's 555 Collins Street is set for a start with demolition not far off. Images: Bates Smart</figcaption></figure>The current Enterprise House on site has a date with the wrecking ball, with demolition expected to get underway this month to allow for the construction of Fragrance Group's 47-storey tower.

Designed by Bates Smart, the pleated building rises from a truncated base which allows for the provision of a pedestrian plaza and improved pedestrian circulation through the site and around to King Street. 

<h2><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">Olderfleet - 477 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/olderfleet_sep18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="477 Collins Street aka Olderfleet. Render: Mirvac"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="413" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/olderfleet_sep18.jpg?itok=Vo4NjraU" title="477 Collins Street aka Olderfleet. Render: Mirvac" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>477 Collins Street aka Olderfleet. Render: Mirvac</figcaption></figure>Mirvac recently announced that it had signed global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, who will join anchor tenant Deloitte in the Grimshaw-designed tower currently under construction. 

Norton Rose Fulbright will occupy the top floors, committing to 5,100 sqm on levels 35 to 38.

Upon completion Olderfleet will be provide 38 storeys of Premium Grade office space. The project will also include the restoration of the historic Olderfleet Buildings which will link to the new tower via an expansive 30 metre high atrium.

<h2><a href="/buildings/collins-house-melbourne-460-466-collins-street-melbourne">Collins House - 466 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/collins_house_aug18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Collins House appearing perpetually complete. Images: Golden Age | Urban.com.au member redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="276" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_house_aug18.jpg?itok=IBEJYzdR" title="Collins House appearing perpetually complete. Images: Golden Age | Urban.com.au member redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Collins House appearing perpetually complete. Images: Golden Age | Apartments.com.au member redden</figcaption></figure>Golden Age and Asia Pacific Group's Collins House is quickly rising however you could be forgiven for thinking it was completed, such is the manner of construction. Set to become the slimmest tower in Australia with 271 apartments across 60 storeys, the Bates Smart-designed building cantilevers 4.5m over the neighbouring building.

In dealing with such a constrained site, builder Hickory employed conventional formwork up to level 14, with the remainder of the tower being constructed with prefabricated modules. By utilising its HBS construction method, Hickory are able to service the project via a single tower crane, with major elements fabricated off-site and then assembled on-site.

This has resulted in a 30% reduction in the overall construction programme expected to last 29 months, with completion in September 2019.

<h2><a href="/buildings/collins-arch-447-collins-street-melbourne">Collins Arch - 447 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/collins_arch_rcp_aus.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Progress at Collins Arch is picking up. Images: Cbus Property | RCP Australia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="370" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_arch_rcp_aus.jpg?itok=LIDPj54O" title="Progress at Collins Arch is picking up. Images: Cbus Property | RCP Australia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Progress at Collins Arch is picking up. Images: Cbus Property | RCP Australia</figcaption></figure>As reported on <a href="/news/all-good-and-well-for-447-collins-street">Urban.com.au last week</a>, the commercial component of Collins Arch recently received a platinum level WELL Precertification. 

The twin-tower development which is linked via a tapered skybridge will ultimately deliver 50,000 sqm of premium grade office space, a W Hotel-branded 5-star hotel with 294 rooms, 1,000 sqm of high end retail and 185 apartments.

2,000 sqm of public open space will also be delivered as a part of the development via partial closure of Market Street, upon completion in 2020.

<h2><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">80 Collins Street</a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/80_collins_rcp_aus.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The first of 80 Collins Street's glazing has been installed. Images: Scharp | RCP Australia"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="388" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/80_collins_rcp_aus.jpg?itok=X4r-DR-J" title="The first of 80 Collins Street's glazing has been installed. Images: Scharp | RCP Australia" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The first of 80 Collins Street's glazing has been installed. Images: Scharp | RCP Australia</figcaption></figure>QIC Golbal Real Estate's office development at 80 Collins Street is flying up, with Multiplex at the helm of the steel framed structure. With the 12 metre cantilever now complete the first signs of glazing have begun to emerge on the third Woods Bagot design on the list.

The project includes extensive retail to Collins and Exhibition Streets, with a NEXT branded hotel designed by UN Studio located on Little Collins Street due for completion late next year.

80 Collins Street will also include an Australian-first with double-decker lifts servicing the 39 storey office tower.

<h2>60 Collins Street</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/60_collins.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Watch this space... 60 Collins Street. Image: realcommercial"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="591" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/60_collins.jpg?itok=Kw5LhziQ" title="Watch this space... 60 Collins Street. Image: realcommercial" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Watch this space... 60 Collins Street. Image: realcommercial</figcaption></figure>Not a construction project as such but one to keep an eye out for according to sources within the industry. The Reserve Bank of Australia are looking to sell the 15 storey building on the corner of Collins and Exhibition Streets after vacating it.

60 Collins Street will form the basis of its own article in a similar vein to this study on <a href="/news/development-scenario-140-150-queen-street-redux">140-150 Queen Street</a>.
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Melbourne's Collins Street continues to soar as construction heats up

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New Agency: Owning Your Future is a live research project and exhibition at RMIT Design Hub designed by Sibling Architecture, which is aimed at forecasting our future housing design and dynamics by exploring the links between ageing and design in the future. 

Posing the questions ‘Who do you wish to grow old with? Will your house outlive you? What kind of ancestor do you want to be? What will your future housing look like?’, the exhibition invites visitors to be actively involved in Sibling’s research, as they investigate and discuss how we might live in the future; with friends in shared housing, as grey nomads or possibly multi-generations house sharing.

<blockquote>
Over four weeks, New Agency transforms Design Hub into a live research platform; gathering data, public conversations, design speculation and feedback about what constitutes home ownership during the later stages of life.

As the retirement of Australians relies upon the asset of the family home (with superannuation), and as home ownership is becoming an impossibility for a huge swathe of younger Australians, how does this influence future models of living for the elderly, including financing aged care, retirement and intergenerational wealth?

What can we learn from upwardly mobile grey nomads, multi-generational living or enclaves of like-minded people? A dataset of trends, interviews and a troika of interactive activity chambers – for reading, listening and talking – provoke thinking around these topical questions.
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/ninjabld_s001_s001_t005.mov_.00_25_06_12.still001.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ninjabld_s001_s001_t005.mov_.00_25_06_12.still001.jpg?itok=PakwEDuj" width="580"></a>

<figcaption> </figcaption></figure><a href="/">Apartments.com.au</a> asked Sibling Architecture co-founder Jane Caught to provide some background behind the exhibition and research project, including their interest in the subject and what they hope to attain from the project.

Apartments.com.au: What prompted the office's interest in exploring the dynamics between ageing and design in the future? 

Jane Caught: At the core of SIBLING's design approach is designing in a way to encourage and nurture social interaction in an increasingly individualistic world. We wish to engage with all people, as diverse as that may be, and designing FOR universal access rather than thinking of it as an add on has always been at the forefront.

We were uncomfortable with the idea that older people in society are thought of as a burden, or an problem to be solved, and shocked at the levels of ageism we observed. We will all get older, and many of us will become elderly, if we are lucky.

As a practice we want to investigate how our built environment can best accommodate our elongated lives in a meaningful way, that still allows older people control over the way they live their lives. We realised it may be necessary to start planning quite early for the type of living arrangement you would like in the future, especially as home ownership in general is increasingly becoming harder to obtain for many Australians.

U: What are some of the key challenges of designing for an ageing population and ensuring quality design caters for people of various degrees of mobility? 

JC: One key challenge is ensuring that designers understand the importance of whole-of-life design; that there is integrated longevity to residential and public space design. Mobility can be seen as a type of physical agency, and allowing people to be independent for as long as possible is vitally important in them retaining control of their lives. 

U: How important is adaptability and flexibility in ensuring housing is able to meet the changing needs of its occupants and ageing with them? 

JC: We believe this is vitally important, particularly as it is our assertion that housing should support not just the individual but the immediate family unit too; which will often be in flux and require changing spatial arrangements, especially where children are involved.

What role can technology play in designing for the future of housing? We think that over the next few decades there will be a range of technologies that become mainstream in society that will disrupt the way we live. For example driver-less cars may mean commuting is less onerous which in turn opens up new real estate options further from the city centre.

It also may see a shift towards virtual meetings and workplace interactions (in the metaverse!), in turn further disrupting traditional real estate patterns. We also see automation and ai systems potentially adding further disruption to the spatial relations of cities, as certain labour markets dry up in industrial areas for example and new ones open elsewhere.

The refinement of renewable energy sources may see living off-grid from traditional services infrastructure a more realistic option, and allow for people to not only be technologically connected in remote environments but also largely self sufficient in food and consumables production.

U: What do you expect to take away from the research/exhibition and how will this ultimately inform your own work? 

JC: We have some high-level home ownership typologies that we are testing through the exhibition, so we are looking to use the research to assess how successful these may actually be in reality; and how prepared people may be to re-assess the typical Australian Dream of the single family on the quarter acre.

We are very excited to forge relationships with experts and professionals in a range of complimentary fields, gain their insights, and work these into the typologies also.

Over the month long show we are also looking to work with family groups (perhaps related to each other; perhaps 'logical families') to obtain fantasy briefs that will help inform these typologies further; as well as furnish us with the appropriate skills for moderating, expanding upon and delivering the needs and desires of diverse households.

As a relatively large designer group, we can see the benefits in this kind of living and come to the project with an innate understanding of the workings of a group.

OPENING HOURS

<ul>
<li>Tuesday to Friday: 10am - 5pm</li>
	<li>Saturday:12 - 5pm</li>
	<li>Closed Sunday and Monday</li>
	<li>Closed Public Holidays</li>
	<li>Admission is free</li>
	<li>The program can be found <a href="http://designhub.rmit.edu.au/exhibitions-programs/new-agency-owning-your-future">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
LOCATION

RMIT Design Hub Project Rooms 1 + 2  Level 2, Building 100, RMIT University 
Corner Victoria and Swanston Streets Carlton, 3053
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Sibling Architecture's Jane Caught discusses their New Agency project and exhibition at RMIT's Design Hub

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

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Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

Joel Robinson

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

The Gold Coast Planning Committee has supported the preliminary approval for the Benowa Gardens Urban Village project following an extensive community consultation and assessment process.

The proposal will now proceed to a full council vote on June 2.

The application sought approval for a masterplanned urban village on the existing Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre site, combining new housing, retail, dining, health and lifestyle amenities within a walkable, integrated precinct.&nbsp;

The proposed redevelopment includes around 413 apartments integrated above a revitalised mixed-use centre featuring a full-line supermarket of 4,000 sqm, 6,000 sqm of specialty retail and dining space across around 30 retailers, a 7,000 sqm health and wellness precinct, and roughly 9,630 sqm of office and medical suites.&nbsp;

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fb36ae47-80bc-45f0-9914-31b0c7b6007d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C4%201121%20FI.jpg?VersionId=6mRKk2uU4r67TmTt39DKGUlvFRbTVqWa" />

The broader masterplan also includes very significant traffic and transport improvements, wide pedestrian walkways, upgraded pedestrian and cycle connections, and enhanced public areas designed to create a more connected and walkable community environment.&nbsp;

Centre owner Patrick Lu said the milestone reflected months of detailed planning, technical assessment and ongoing communication with local residents, businesses, schools and stakeholders.

“We appreciate the time, consideration and care Council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” Lu said.

“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months.

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="32fd1fc3-d0e6-485f-ac57-9916c9bcb818" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/PR26576%20Ashmore%20Road%20C5%201121%20FI_2.jpg?VersionId=fz8qQKDBLQ7MyFRc856Zccfbh9nFwLOe" />

“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible.

“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.

“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”

<img alt="$1b Benowa Gardens Urban Village moves to Full Council following Planning Committee support" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50dfbd04-590e-4fc6-983b-766880947867" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Dining%20Day%20Time%20-%20High%20Resolution.jpg?VersionId=BP7ZoKJ0DdL_8iRkkC8VVx99moICV6kg" />

Lu said the proposal had evolved significantly through consultation and technical review, particularly around traffic, pedestrian and student safety and neighbourhood connectivity.&nbsp;

Melissa Griffin, Director at Urbis, said the recommendation recognised the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.

“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” Ms Griffin said.

“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.

“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”

$1 billion Benowa Gardens Urban Village heads to council vote following Planning Committee support

Surfers Paradise is officially set for its first new residential development with a 45-storey skybridge connecting the two towers.

John Camilleri’s Celestino Developments has been given the green light by the Gold Coast City Council to develop its major beachfront precinct across its huge 4,000 sqm oceanfront site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/63-79-garfield-terrace-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">63–79 Garfield Terrace</a>, just five months after its <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-exclusive-billionaire-winx-breeder-s-bold-two-tower-surfers-paradise-play-with-45th-storey-skybridge">submission in late 2025</a>.

The approved scheme will deliver two towers rising 55 and 48 storeys, connected by a skybridge positioned on level 45 that will house a range of resident-only wellness and entertainment spaces.

In its notice of approval, the Gold Coast City Council said the&nbsp;proposed overall built form has been designed to complement the scale, intensity and protect the adjacent amenity and surrounding streets through the use of varied setbacks, site cover and architectural elements.

<img alt="First look exclusive: Billionaire Winx breeder’s bold two-tower Surfers Paradise play with 45th-storey skybridge" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-30%20at%209.53.48%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=ADyPJ_TFbJvSU9wZFOiCBnlPtgF7VWqW" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/dbi">DBI</a>, the development will comprise 275 apartments across the two towers, including a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom residences, as well as several penthouses. The apartments will sit above a landscaped podium featuring more than 90 metres of beachfront pool frontage, private resident lawns, lounges, and wellness spaces.

DBI said the design draws heavily from the movement and form of the coastal environment, with curving balcony lines and sculpted façades intended to soften the scale of the towers while maximising ocean outlooks and passive shading outcomes.

“The project occupies a rare, uninterrupted oceanfront site and has been shaped by a design philosophy that merges architectural elegance with environmental responsiveness and a carefully curated lifestyle experience,” DBI said in planning documents submitted to the Gold Coast City Council.

The most distinctive element of the approved project is the skybridge linking the two towers at level 45. The elevated communal space is planned to include executive lounges, formal dining areas, wellness facilities, and panoramic ocean-facing outlooks.

“The skybridge enhances the identity of the development, promotes social interaction, and delivers a lifestyle experience not found elsewhere on the Gold Coast,” DBI said.

At podium level, residents will have access to a suite of resort-style amenities, including resident lounges, private dining rooms, a yoga lawn, gymnasium, plunge pools, and treatment spaces. The beachfront pool has been designed with separate lap, lounge, and children’s areas extending across the width of the site.

The project will also introduce new food and beverage offerings along the Enderley Avenue and Oceanway frontages, contributing additional activation to the beachfront precinct.

Laurence Dragomir

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