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The new owners of 627 Chapel Street South Yarra, Goldfields, are progressing with plans for a 24-storey commercial building on the site, after previous owners' Fridcorp's plans to develop an Elenberg Fraser-designed residential tower were quashed at VCAT.

<a href="/news/street-to-stalk-627-chapel-street-walks-the-walk">First covered on Urban.com.au in 2016</a>, the 37-storey residential tower was proposed to rise to a height of 127.5m (including roof plant) and provide space for cafes, offices and 372 apartments.

Goldfields, who acquired the site in December 2017, have since engaged COX Architecture to design the 89m building, which would replace the existing office building of 5,600 sqm and provide the City of Stonnington with a benchmark commercial office development.

The brief that Goldfields gave to their consultant team was concise; 

<blockquote>
We wanted to respond positively and sympathetically to the reasons why Stonnington and the tribunal members at VCAT had rejected the previous proposal.

We identified the site's commercial and retail capabilities and ultimately realised we had a unique opportunity to deliver a building that could realistically be classified as the best office building outside the Melbourne CBD.

Together we then set the team a challenge to create a beautifully designed building that will encourage interaction with the streetscape at pedestrian level whilst still looking, feeling and functioning like a premium grade office building.

- Lachlan Thompson, Goldfields COO
</blockquote>

Speaking with COX Architecture, the design team made it clear that flexible commercial office accommodation above a strong active street edge was paramount in delivering a building which would not only add to the streetscape but also provide the Forrest Hill precinct with the diversity of programme expected. 

In attempting to achieve as much active frontage as possible, COX employed a different approach to where an entry lobby would typically be located. Instead of locating it along the Chapel Street frontage, the design team located the entry lobby off Daly Street, freeing up Chapel Street with more active and engaging uses for pedestrians meandering along the busy high street.

This also gives the building greater prominence as a "gateway site" linking back to South Yarra Station and improving the permeability of the surrounding street network.

This first 12m of street wall, emphasises COX, was one of the most critical aspirations for the project in how it responded to and enriched the pedestrian environment. This resulted in what the team termed a "3D ground plaza" whereby the end-of-trip facilities were elevated to level 1 alongside further retail opportunities, extending the activity from the street vertically not just horizontally to the street. 

Moving up, the design of the tower responds to Goldfield Group's brief for a pure office building that responds and challenges to the nature of workplace design, creating an office environment based on the ideas of amenity and lifestyle.

The office tower employs a side core configuration providing an ideal floor plate for tenants that allows them flexibility in how they fit-out and occupy the space(s).

To reduce the mass of the tower, the architects have provided the form with strong vertically articulated breaks across its height, complemented by vertical glazed fins which provide solar shading not too dissimilar to COX's Conservatory project in the CBD. 

This is further supported by landscaping voids which not only provide the built form with further articulation but extend the arbour screen from the ground up the building.

According to the design team, these "breaks" provide dynamic spaces which make a positive contribution of the amenity of the workplace, allowing workers to better connect with nature.

<blockquote>
The design proposal for 627 Chapel Street takes the opportunity to make the most of this unique island site in Forrest Hill.

A 3m setback pushes the building back from Chapel Street, this allows for greater public space at street level and ensures that the Capitol remains visible on approach. The podium is defined by the green landscaped arbor - a permeable screen that wraps the building and connects through to the Daly Street landscaped street.

Each elevation has been split by a vertical break, providing a series of slender volumes, breaking down the building mass. Further interest on the facade is generated through the implementation of fins for solar shading (East, North and West facades).

Terraced gardens provide natural setbacks at 50m and towards the top of the building a series of roof terraces and a green roof that provide new workplace amenity.

- COX Architecture Design Response
</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/27_-_hero_chapel_and_daly.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="627 Chapel Street in-situ. Planning Image: COX Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="692" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/27_-_hero_chapel_and_daly.jpg?itok=NPPiv8Ti" title="627 Chapel Street in-situ. Planning Image: COX Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>627 Chapel Street in-situ. Planning Image: COX Architecture</figcaption></figure>Alongside end-of-trip facilities which provide above and beyond the number of bikes required under local policy, the 1,510 square metre island site benefits from its close proximity to South Yarra Station and tram corridors along Chapel Street and Toorak Road.

This is not dissimilar to other emerging commercial precincts in Cremorne, Collingwood and Richmond which benefit from strong public transport links and good walkability.
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Laurence Dragomir

Goldfields and COX reboot 627 Chapel Street

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Construction work on the new Montague Community Park at 2-4 Buckhurst Street located within the Montague precinct is progressing, with an anticipated completion date of spring this year.

The site of the park once carried with it an application for dual residential towers designed by JCB Architects, fronting onto a linear park that would have been provided via the closure of Kerr Street.

<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/107_exterior_landscape_02.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The unbuilt residential scheme for 2-4 Buckhurst Street. Image: JCB Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="338" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/107_exterior_landscape_02.jpg?itok=nDk0H7f4" title="The unbuilt residential scheme for 2-4 Buckhurst Street. Image: JCB Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The unbuilt residential scheme for 2-4 Buckhurst Street. Image: JCB Architects</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
As part of the revitalization of Fisherman’s Bend JCB were invited to design an apartment tower that would deliver a diverse range of high density inner city living opportunities, targeting both owner occupiers and investors, including a portion of premium three bedroom family living apartments.

Its form responds to the Local Precinct Plan and to the scale and grain of the surrounding neighbourhood. The towers feature a controlled pattern of expressed structure with vertical blades, providing framed views and solar protection. A generous podium provides communal facilities on the upper level, and a stepped modulating landscape on the lower levels, designed to moderate the impact of the towers on the streetscape.

- JCB Architects
</blockquote>

Montague Community Park - which will eventually be christened with a new name - will be the first delivered within the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area and forms part of the Ferrars Street Education and Community Precinct.

The Ferrars Street Education and Community Precinct comprises:

<ul>
<li>The new South Melbourne Primary School (SMPS), Victoria’s first vertical government school with integrated community facilities at 129 Ferrars Street, Southbank.</li>
	<li>An upgraded 126 tram stop on Route 96 to the east of the school. Public Transport Victoria and Yarra Trams upgraded the tram stop platforms and provided an accessible ramp and stairs to Railway Place.</li>
	<li>An upgraded City Road and Ferrars Street intersection to provide easier access to the precinct for all road users. This was delivered by VicRoads.</li>
	<li>Upgrades to local streetscapes and the development of Montague Community Park led by the City of Port Phillip.</li>
</ul>
Jointly funded by Council and the Victorian Government, the new 8,000 sqm park design will be located directly across from the SMPS and will include a paved entrance and forecourt area, terraced lawn areas, LED lighting, seating, footpaths and native garden beds designed by Hayball and Tract.

Construction of the park has been facilitated by the permanent closures of Ferrars Street (between Gladstone Street and Douglas Street) and Gladstone Street (between Kerr Street and Ferrars Street). Additionally, Kerr Street has been narrowed and on-street parking has been removed during the duration of construction.

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjSSQQeTI0c" width="560"></iframe>

In the interim as the Montague precinct develops over time, the Montague Community Park will serve the existing residents in addition to those set to be injected in the next 3-5 years as developments such as the tri-tower Fifteen85 (currently at sales and marketing) and 6-78 Buckhurst Street - which carries with it a permit for four residential towers - are potentially realised.

While the exact intentions of Little Lane Child Care for 6-78 Buckhurst are unknown, having acquired the site late last year, there have been suggestions of a world-leading early learning centre potentially being developed along with apartments.

<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/image3_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Fifteen85 and 6-78 Buckhurst Street. "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="244" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image3_10.jpg?itok=Y5RkOgb0" title="Fifteen85 and 6-78 Buckhurst Street. " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Fifteen85 and 6-78 Buckhurst Street.</figcaption></figure>The Ferrars Street Education and Community Facility opened in January 2018 and combines South Melbourne Primary School with community facilities. 

Delivered by the Victorian School Building Authority, the early delivery of a catalyst project for Fishermans Bend was critical for supporting the emerging community within Montague and allowing the precinct to develop around a community 'heart'.

The Ferrars Street Education and Community Facility features:

<ul>
<li>South Melbourne Primary School</li>
	<li>Out of Hours School Car</li>
	<li>Barring Djinang Kindergarten (a long day care kindergarten for children three years and above)</li>
	<li>Maternal Child Health Service (consulting room one)</li>
	<li>Consulting room for community services (consulting room two)</li>
	<li>Two multipurpose rooms for community use during school hours on weekdays, some evenings and all day on weekends (an out of school hours care provider will use the rooms for before and after school care).</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/cmp_8609-1024x523.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="South Melbourne Primary School's ‘civic plaza’. Image: Chris Matterson via foreground.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="296" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cmp_8609-1024x523.jpg?itok=B6rdfUCP" title="South Melbourne Primary School's ‘civic plaza’. Image: Chris Matterson via foreground.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>South Melbourne Primary School's ‘civic plaza’. Image: Chris Matterson via foreground.com.au</figcaption></figure>
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Montague Community Park on track for Spring completion

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Today I'm looking at a planning application within my former stomping ground of Oakleigh, which has seen a crop of apartment buildings begin to emerge in the suburb.

Developer Alpha Property 14 - which also has projects in the works in Hampton, Brunswick and Collingwood - has lodged an application to develop an eight storey residential building at 102-108 Drummond Street, Oakleigh.

The Plus Architecture-designed building is located on the corner of Dalgety and Drummond Streets, in close proximity to Dandenong Road and within walking distance of Chadstone Shopping Centre.

The area is undergoing gradual, yet significant transformation with multi-residential development adding to the mix of office and commercial buildings along Dandenong Road and federation style homes nestled within the tree-lined back streets.

102-108 Drummond Street notwithstanding, Apartments.com.au is currently tracking seven projects within Oakleigh, three of which are in close proximity of the site; Oros, 8 Degrees and 16-18 Dalgety Street.

<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/oakleigh_future_development.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Future Development in the area. Planning Image: Plus Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="376" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/oakleigh_future_development.jpg?itok=zVpi85K8" title="Future Development in the area. Planning Image: Plus Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Future Development in the area. Planning Image: Plus Architecture</figcaption></figure>102 -108 Drummond Street will add a further 109 residential apartments, comprising 41 x 1 bedroom apartments and 68 x 2 bedroom apartments into the area, with the primary pedestrian entry located off Drummond Street.

Additionally, the application seeks to provide 114 basement car parking spaces, including 5 visitor car spaces accessed via Southern Laneway.

Plus Architecture's design response is based on five key elements;

<ul>
<li>
Mass Breakup which articulates form</li>
	<li>
Horizontal Breakup which articulates scale</li>
	<li>
Vertical Rhythm which generates systematic arrangement</li>
	<li>
Opening Density which plays on light and shadow</li>
	<li>
Lightness and Mass as a means of form stratification from the ground upward</li>
</ul>
The design seeks to reduce the mass via the introduction of vertical rebates across its street frontages, while a gradation between solid and light is employed across the facade, as the building rises from the ground upwards, shifting from a solid robust base opening up to a recessed glazed upper volume on top.

<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/plans-102-108-drummond-st-oakleigh_hero.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="102-108 Drummond Street hero shot. Planning Image: Plus Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="303" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/plans-102-108-drummond-st-oakleigh_hero.jpg?itok=fFX6fW2T" title="102-108 Drummond Street hero shot. Planning Image: Plus Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>102-108 Drummond Street hero shot. Planning Image: Plus Architecture</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
The building responds to the juxtaposition of its unique location in many ways. The form is first broken down into smaller versions of the larger mass, to remain sensitive to the nearby lower level houses, giving it a townhouse feel. It is then carefully articulated horizontaly and then vertically, curating a carefully planned rhythm through the facade.

The upper levels of the building are setback and recessed to remain sensitive to the local scale of buildings.

The landing of the building with the ground plane was extensively considered to ensure the interface with the street is engaging, broken up and sensitive in its relationship with the street. It offers a well designed intermittent space 
inspired by the movement between front yard and doorstep that is the common language of surrounding residential properties.

The green space that surrounds the site was an important consideration of the design process. It features native tree lined streets along Drummond and Dalgety, large front gardens to local houses, and a large parkland at the end of Drummond Street

- Plus Architecture Design Statement
</blockquote>

<h2>Project Team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer - Alpha 14 Property </li>
	<li>Architect - Plus Architecture </li>
	<li>Structural Engineer - Adams Engineering </li>
	<li>Services Engineer - JBA Consulting Engineering </li>
	<li>Town Planner - Tract Consultants</li>
	<li>Fire Engineer - John Patrick Landscape Architects</li>
	<li>ESD - Efficient Energy Choices</li>
</ul>
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Marching to the beat of a different Drummond in Oakleigh

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Apartments.com.au in its former guise as Apartments.com.au, <a href="/news/sky-garden-residences-launched-as-construction-progresses-on-the-glen">initially reported</a> on Golden Age Group launching a website for its $450 million Sky Garden project. The elevated residential development. to be constructed above the redeveloped The Glen Shopping Centre in Glen Waverley, has now been officially launched to the market.

The tri-tower project will feature an elevated 4,000 sqm “garden in the sky” that will serve the 555 apartments that will comprise Sky Garden, providing a community meeting place for residents.

Development of Sky Garden will coincide with Vicinity Centre’s $460 million redevelopment of The Glen, which will include 240 new shops and retailers. The first two stages of Vicinity Centre’s retail development, including a new fresh food market hall and casual dining ‘food gallery’ have already been completed, with further stages opening later this year through to an anticipated completion in early 2020.

The design team responsible for Sky Garden includes architects Rothelowman for exteriors, DKO Architecture for the interiors and ASPECT Studios for the extensive landscape design.

The project has been designed to appeal to a wide range of buyers and demographics, with layouts that cater to the needs of young families, downsizers, working professionals, owner-occupiers and the investor market.

According to Golden Age Group, the project represents one of the most innovative and ambitious development plans in the company’s history. The project follows on from the soon-to-be completed Victoria One in Melbourne's CBD and will headline a strong pipeline that also includes the Bates Smart-designed 85 Spring Street, opposite the Fitzroy Gardens.

<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/gold996085-spring-streetel01facade-to-city.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="85 Spring Street will join Sky Garden as Golden Age Group's premier developments. Image: Floodslicer"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="251" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/gold996085-spring-streetel01facade-to-city.jpg?itok=Rw33_DhE" title="85 Spring Street will join Sky Garden as Golden Age Group's premier developments. Image: Floodslicer" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>85 Spring Street will join Sky Garden as Golden Age Group's premier developments. Image: Floodslicer</figcaption></figure>The Sky Garden display suite will open in late July 2018 with the construction of all three towers expected to commence in by mid-2019 once a head contractor is appointed.

<h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
At Golden Age, we are always looking for new ways to do things. We saw an opportunity to partner with Vicinity Centres and deliver a residential component to an existing shopping precinct in a way that’s never been done before, making this project the first of its kind.

We want to redefine what residential living is, and how it can be expressed. “ Designed as though it were set on ground level, Sky Garden is a visionary offering in Melbourne’s residential market by providing the benefits of ground-set vertical living, despite being elevated atop the amenities of one of Melbourne's best shopping destinations.

The lifestyle offering of this residential development is incomparable, with breathtaking panoramic views stretching from Dandenong Ranges to the CBD. Sky Garden offers green open space, the amenity of a world-class shopping centre and ample infrastructure including public transport links, proximity to elite schools and easy access to the Melbourne’s CBD.

With a dedication to fostering holistic lifestyles, Sky Garden will include an array of shared resident amenity, ranging from formal lounges, a library, swimming pool, dining areas and a dedicated wellness centre.

- Jeff Xu, Managing director and Founder, Golden Age Group
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
As one of the largest real estate owners and managers in Australia, Vicinity Centres adopted a robust process to determine the right partner for this important project.

We see Sky Garden as a perfect addition to our redevelopment of The Glen, further enhancing the primacy of the location and creating a strong foundation for a new community to live, play, work and thrive in Melbourne’s east.

- Carolyn Viney, Executive General Manager - Development of Vicinity Centres,

 
</blockquote>
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Golden Age Group officially launches Sky Garden at The Glen

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The ever-growing strata services industry - which continues to experience an upsurge in demand as Australians become increasingly drawn to inner-city living - is providing consumers with greater choice.

With this growth comes greater client expectation of a more enhanced professional service, with recent statistics highlighting a quarter of Victorians now own or occupy a unit in an owners corporation (OC).

As clients expect to receive a greater return on their investment, the importance of delivering new and improved services that reflect the unique requirements of each development cannot be understated.

Melbourne Owners Corporation Services (MOCS), a privately-owned strata services company in Victoria, aims to combine its extensive expertise with professional services that go above and beyond basic OC management duties.

Through the implementation of smart technologies and new methods of effectively engage with the demands of larger owners corporations, MOCS seeks to cater to developers across the state.

Managing Director of MOCS, Sherry Li, expects a shift away from traditional OC management to respond to the requirements of a rapidly evolving strata services industry. 

With over 10 years’ experience in the industry, Ms Li and her team are responding and evolving to emerging trends and are committed to offering a service that boasts both the technical and legislative know-how that some other companies may not be able to offer.

Ms Li notes that OC managers are increasingly having to offer more than just sound administration skills - they are now expected to manage and advise on complex strata issues.

<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/sherry_li_headshot_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sherry Li, Managing Director of MOCS"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="427" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/sherry_li_headshot_1.jpg?itok=q9aTTlM0" title="Sherry Li, Managing Director of MOCS" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sherry Li, Managing Director of MOCS</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
This could include ensuring member access to relevant materials at the click of a button, offering innovative digital options, administering a teleconference for meeting absentees, or being able to speak multiple languages.

It’s important to offer a service that exceeds expectations and adds greater value to that of the client.  All of our OC managers have extensive experience in the industry and most are bilingual.

We also convene and attend all annual general meetings for the properties in their portfolio. It really is important to differentiate yourself from newcomers in the sector.

We put our clients first, but we also understand the power of having a strong team to be able to achieve that. I encourage my staff to attend regular seminars to keep up with what is a quickly-developing industry.

Our philosophy is to re-invest in our business and our people, so that our clients not only reap the rewards now, but in future too.

-  Sherry Li, Managing Director of MOCS,
</blockquote>

Looking ahead, MOCS forecasts technology playing a huge role in the future of strata services, including:

<ul>
<li>Video conferencing for OC members interstate or overseas, who are unable to attend important meetings in person;</li>
	<li>Drone use by contractors for building inspections as a way to keep costs down;</li>
	<li>High-resolution security cameras covering almost every corner of the common areas that can be viewed remotely by OC managers; and</li>
	<li>Remotely managed building infrastructures such as remotely operating lifts for move-ins/outs at residential buildings where there is no onsite manager.</li>
</ul>
By ensuring they remain up to date with advancements in technology and other client-focused means, MOCS expects to remain at the forefront of a rapidly evolving and competitive sector.

Lead Image: Ryan Seychell
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Taking an active approach to strata services

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Having worked on both the Initial Reference Design (IRD) and Reference Design (RD) for the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel during my years at Grimshaw, I have maintained an ongoing interest in the project from afar, as development plans for each station along the twin 9km tunnels are finessed and new renders are released.

The key theme for us when working on the Reference Designs of each station was "celebrating the engineering" and designing a series of components (or kit of parts) which could be upgraded over time as required or advancements in technology, rather than making wholesale changes to the architecture or aesthetics to respond to the design trend of the time.

This translated into a line-wide identity where concrete and steel structural elements were exposed for all to see and reflected the construction methodology and technologies employed. This reflected the design of metro stations around the world such as those in Copenhagen, Budapest, London etc.

The concept of a line-wide identity was further explored with platform and concourse levels generally consistent across the mined cavern stations  (CBD North and South) and again for the cut and cover station box stations (Arden, Parkville and Domain). Each station would then reflect its surrounding context as you ascended up towards street level, particularly at the upper concourse and station entries.

<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/parkville_platform.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Reference Design for Parkville's Platform level. Image: Grimshaw Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="266" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/parkville_platform.jpg?itok=Uvh06tdR" title="Reference Design for Parkville's Platform level. Image: Grimshaw Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Reference Design for Parkville's Platform level. Image: Grimshaw Architects</figcaption></figure>The latest round of renders, <a href="/news/melbourne-metros-finalised-station-designs-unveiled">which were released on Wednesda</a>y, carried with them a "Concept Image" watermark and based on my own experiences the likelihood is that the designs will continue to evolve and be refined to respond to the construction methodology and stakeholder feedback.

The team of architects, which comprises and is led by local (but global) firm HASSELL includes international offices Weston Williamson and Rogers Stirk Harbour who were brought in following Cross Yarra Partnership's successful bid for the stations. In a joint statement the design team describes the key drivers which influenced the station designs;

<blockquote>
Passenger experience has been at the heart of our design. The stations open up to fresh air and natural light and the underground spaces have a generous civic quality that will feel safe and intuitive to use.

But this project isn’t just about adding new stations, it actually creates five extraordinary new public buildings and transformative public places for Melbourne. Together these new places will add a brand new layer to Melbourne, amplifying and connecting to what makes our city one of the world’s most liveable.

We’re proud to be part of this project that will help shape the way the city works today, into the next century and beyond and we hope that Melbourne will grow to be proud of the new metro.

- HASSELL, Weston Williamson and Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners 
</blockquote>

What has become clear that with the reduced construction programme and station completions being brought forward by a year that the designs of each station have had to respond accordingly. 

<h2>Anzac Station (formerly Domain Station)</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/anzac_station_ba.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Before &amp; After - L: Domain Station &amp; R: Anzac Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="333" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/anzac_station_ba.jpg?itok=dPG6bCxM" title="Before &amp; After - L: Domain Station &amp; R: Anzac Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Before &amp; After - L: Domain Station &amp; R: Anzac Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria</figcaption></figure>"Anzac Station has been designed as a ‘pavilion in the park’ – an integrated public building and landmark that connects seamlessly with surrounding parklands."

Above ground the design has generally remained true to the first concept released, with the element of reality and practicality added to the pavilion's canopy, which previously almost appeared to float over the station entry at the tram interchange.

Dual entries either side of St Kilda Road within the Shrine gardens and Albert Road Reserve allow passengers to cross the stretch of road below ground, removing the conflict with vehicles.

Below ground based on the renders provided, it would appear the line-wide identity has become more consistent across the stations, with the site-specific coloured bands across the OTE plenums now the bronze finish prevalent throughout all the stations. Likewise, the structural elements are treated with minimum fuss or need for unnecessary ornament.

<h2>Town Hall Station (formerly CBD South Station)</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/town_hall_ba.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Before &amp; After - L: CBD South Station &amp; R: Town Hall Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="362" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/town_hall_ba.jpg?itok=qahHMJp5" title="Before &amp; After - L: CBD South Station &amp; R: Town Hall Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Before &amp; After - L: CBD South Station &amp; R: Town Hall Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria</figcaption></figure>The first concept images for what was then CBD South Station featured a series of arches and vaulted spaces which were also reflected in some form at CBD North Station. The arches within the concourse area have since evolved into a forest of concrete structural branches supporting a web of beams set against a backdrop of solid and perforated metal panels.

At platform level, the vaults have been rationalised from a contoured fan vault into a more regular barrel vault, with bronze overlapping arches tacked on supporting the lighting and supported by large concrete columns, again reflecting the line-wide strategy, with some tweaking to reflect the cavern station construction. 

Above ground within Federation and City Square canopies over the entries reflect the respective locations with a lightweight  steel and glass structure at City Square and a more blade-like canopy at Fed Square drawing on the geometry of the architecture of the buildings there. Whether that is the final design is to be determined in light of the controversy surrounding Apple's potential move to the square and the architecture employed for its store.

Of particular note also, is the changing role of Flinders Lane in the precinct, which is slated to  "...become a shared street adjacent to City Square, with a raised surface to increase the scale of the square and link it to St Paul’s Cathedral and Chapter House Lane."

<h2>State Library Station (formerly CBD North)</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/state_library.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Before &amp; After - L: CBD North Station &amp; R: State Library Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="364" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/state_library.jpg?itok=F-ma6EaL" title="Before &amp; After - L: CBD North Station &amp; R: State Library Station. Image: Rail Projects Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Before &amp; After - L: CBD North Station &amp; R: State Library Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria</figcaption></figure>The reflective iridescent arches within the main entry located on the corner of LaTrobe and Swanston Streets have been replaced with supersized concrete portal frames which span the full width of the entry save for the lobby and core areas set aside for the Over Site Development (OSD) which they will eventually support.

Once again the metallic panelling provides the surface treatment to the walls and soffits at street level. Glazing along LaTrobe Street provides the entry with light and visibility.

The platform level at State Library is essentially the same as at Town Hall Station.

According to the Metro Tunnel website "Existing laneways at Literature Lane and Stewart Street will be revitalised and extended to provide connections into the new station, opening up new walking routes and evenly distributing pedestrians around the precinct".  Swanston Street will be reconfigured to "enable widened footpaths, increasing space for pedestrians outside the new station and creating space for new trees to be planted."

It has not been confirmed whether the tiered amphitheatre entry at Franklin Street adjacent to RMIT has been retained in the latest round of designs - its origins tracing back to Reference Design. The southern footpath however, "will be widened to become a linear park with areas for socialising, outdoor dining, shade, gardens and public art." This forms part of a greater strategy to transform the street into a pedestrian promenade between Stewart and Victoria Streets. 

<h2>Parkville Station</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/parkville_ba.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Before &amp; After - L: Parkville Station &amp; R: Parkville Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="358" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/parkville_ba.jpg?itok=STjtloNz" title="Before &amp; After - L: Parkville Station &amp; R: Parkville Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Before &amp; After - L: Parkville Station &amp; R: Parkville Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria</figcaption></figure>The construction of the station will see Grattan Street transformed into a ‘grand promenade,’ connecting some of Victoria’s most prominent institutions.

"The main station entry, on the northern side of Grattan Street outside the University of Melbourne, features a 50 metre long glass and steel canopy to draw natural light into the station concourse. The entrance has been designed to sit within the tree canopy to blend in with the surrounding environment. Natural light is also maximised in the concourse via light wells that allow light to penetrate from the surface to the station below."

The concourse level previously featured a ceiling comprising large staggered apertures of varying sizes allowing light into the station. These have since been rationalised and appear more as traditional skylight strips in response to the structural elements and construction of the station.

Down at platform level, Parkville features design features and finishes in keeping with North Melbourne and Anzac Stations.

<h2>North Melbourne Station (formerly Arden Station)</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/nth_melbourne.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Before &amp; After - L: Arden Station &amp; R: North Melbourne Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nth_melbourne.jpg?itok=n4CqspkI" title="Before &amp; After - L: Arden Station &amp; R: North Melbourne Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Before &amp; After - L: Arden Station &amp; R: North Melbourne Station. Images: Rail Projects Victoria</figcaption></figure>As the catalyst for the wider renewal of the Arden Precinct, the station design draws on the area's former industrial character and history with concrete and masonry forming the grand vaulted entry.

Earlier concepts also featured the use of brick throughout, with the cascading stairs down to platform level previously shown as being lined with brick paving.

The entrance will be raised 1.5m above ground level to respond to flooding.
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A closer look at the latest round of Melbourne Metro Station Designs

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In seeking to develop the future workplace for its staff, Investa, Australia's largest office manager, engaged project management company Montlaur to manage the delivery of its new head office in Sydney based on a design prepared by HASSELL.

Located at 420 George Street, the subsequent transformation, completed in January 2018, has seen Investa consolidate its workforce onto a single level and shift to an agile workplace.

This has provided the staff with greater flexibility and variety in their working environment, as they are encouraged to move around the office and work where they are most productive. Instead of having just one desk, the team are provided with a variety of desks and workstations in addition to collaborative areas, or quiet zones for individual work.

<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/p1120120_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Investa's staff are encouraged to work where they are most flexible. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p1120120_1.jpg?itok=Wv2VwpGr" title="Investa's staff are encouraged to work where they are most flexible. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Investa's staff are encouraged to work where they are most productive. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
Over the last five to 10 years, we have seen huge changes in the contemporary workforce. The best organisations view their workplaces as strategic assets to help them compete. Investa recognised early on in the relocation process the opportunity to change the way its workplace was designed, to better align with its culture and support the way its people wanted to work and collaborate.

Before any architect can start designing, we really need to work out what the strategy is around the physical space, the technology and how people work. 

It’s important in this stage of the consultation that we aren’t steering anyone in a particular direction. Our job is to get to know the business and its people and present options soundly based on what they are trying to achieve as an organisation.

- Stuart Munro, Montlaur Change Director 
</blockquote>

Investa's workforce is mobile and technologically connected, spending considerable time out of the office, working between the company’s commercial properties and offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The company's previous premises didn’t reflect this type of work environment, instead, it provided a traditional desk-and-cubicles layout, inefficiently spread across two levels with the work being performed by teams who were isolated.

HASSELL and a technology consultant, POMT were engaged to design a workplace that reflected best-practice office design and would ensure Investa's staff remained motivated and productive.

The team conducted focus groups, interviews with leadership, an all-staff survey to analyse how the current workplace was performing and a utilisation study to assess how the workspace was being used. The results highlighted numerous opportunities.

The assessment presented the possibilities for activity-based working (ABW) and explored a hybrid option, combining two different styles. Montlaur was then engaged to develop a workplace strategy with Investa that would align its work environment with its business strategy and vision for the future, with a complete transformation roadmap created. 

<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/p1120131.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="One of the many different areas of Investa's new workplace. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p1120131.jpg?itok=MWXq4GS8" title="One of the many different areas of Investa's new workplace. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>One of the many different areas of Investa's new workplace. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>According to Investa, the choice to move to agile working was fundamentally about providing everyone in the team more choice about how they approach their work environment and how it assists them in completing their daily tasks.

As part of the consultation process Montlaur also created a team of ‘change champions’ drawn from all levels of the company, who they collaborated with to create a series of videos and events to help the wider workforce understand why the business had chosen to work in a new way. 

These also highlighted the benefits provided by the central city location adjacent to Pitt Street Mall in the CBD and its proximity to retail, fitness and dining opportunities.

A launch event brought everyone together to learn about the new workplace and highlight how it would better meet the needs of staff, enabling a strong, positive culture to thrive.

<blockquote>
Montlaur were an integral part of our workplace transformation project from both a change management and project management perspective. They ensured our people were fully engaged with on the project and ready to transition to the new way of working. We were very pleased to have them on board.

- Sally Franklin, Group Executive, Real Estate Services and Business Operations, Investa
</blockquote>

For Investa, the entire relocation process was made easier by the fact that Montlaur is one of the few companies to offer change management and project management services under the one umbrella.

<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/p1120252.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Investa's new workplace designed by Hassell and managed by Montlaur. Image: Supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/p1120252.jpg?itok=JLBDE0cs" title="Investa's new workplace designed by Hassell and managed by Montlaur. Image: Supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Investa's new workplace designed by HASSELL and managed by Montlaur. Image: Supplied</figcaption></figure>
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Investa's new Sydney office highlights the value of workplace design

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The advent and continued adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) as a key design tool has made it easy for almost anyone to place virtual content in the real world.

This uptake has opened whole new markets for innovative software products across a range of industries with urban design and geospatial specialists, <a href="http://www.taylorsds.com.au/">Taylors</a> developing software to address the complexities of design and planning in the built environment.

Although there are many applications and devices that are AR capable, the real challenge, according to Taylors is the ability to place complex design objects into the real world effectively. The apps that will matter with respect to AR, will be those that are capable of effectively integrating location, AR and big data to deliver unique, captivating and useful experiences to clients and users. 

<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/taylors_bourke_street_ar.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bourke Street Mall augmented reality. Image: Taylors"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/taylors_bourke_street_ar.jpg?itok=dTeEsvG0" title="Bourke Street Mall augmented reality. Image: Taylors" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bourke Street Mall augmented reality. Image: Taylors</figcaption></figure>One of the main challenges in urban design is the ability for users to visualise the overall development, with traditional plans open for interpretation which then leads to variation away from the initial intent. Taylors’ mixed reality solutions allow stakeholders to essentially step into building plans and experience exactly what a project will look like once it’s completed.

Augmented and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are free from the limitations of existing design techniques and provide an immersive experience for clients. Current representations of the built environment utilise either two dimensional plans, sections and elevations, or computer generated imagery and physical models.

The limitation and downside of these types of representations is that the observer is always positioned outside the representation, rendering them as spectators instead of participants.

Taylors realised early on that addressing these challenges would require a solution focused approach incorporating the latest in survey and geospatial technology, with the company committed to paving the way for this technology to become widespread. 

The key differences between the software at Taylors and other virtual and augmented reality techologies are tools they call the 'hologram room' and the 'hologram table'. The ability to visualise a project from different angles is a huge asset for clients and can provide assurances to all stakeholders involved in a development. 

There is a belief that once clients begin using the hologram room and see the technology used in urban design, everyone will begin using it.

The next step for Taylors will be the development of its own software providing users with the ability to alter designs in real time. Ultimately Taylors want clients to enter the hologram room with a designer and be able to change elements of their designs instantly. 

The ability to customise a neighbourhood, for example will not only save clients time, but just as importantly according to Taylors, it will also make the process more dynamic and engaging and ultimately change the way people design, plan and build.

<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/ar_subdivision_plan.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Mixed reality visualisation of a subdivision. Image: Taylors"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="324" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ar_subdivision_plan.jpg?itok=61Dae2Hn" title="Mixed reality visualisation of a subdivision. Image: Taylors" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Mixed reality visualisation of a subdivision. Image: Taylors</figcaption></figure><h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
Clients will walk into the hologram room and put on a pair of glasses, which allows them to interact with the scene. You can look under tables, around corners, see the view from an upstairs window and even bump into things. This is what it means to reproduce reality, and it has the potential to change the way the industry works.

There are a number of virtual reality companies and many urban design firms, however Taylors are trying to create the full package, where clients can not only visualise the project but also interact and alter designs in real time. Richard (Cirillo) is envisioning what the industry will look like in 10 years and pushing the company to grow in that direction and stay ahead of the trends.

Taylors’ new technology will allow clients to effectively step into building plans, walk around and see exactly what a project will look like once it’s completed. Not only that, but we’re developing software that will allow designs to be altered in real time. If a client wants to see what the neighbourhood looks like with more trees or a wider road we’ll be able to push a few buttons and change the plans instantly.

In 10 years, the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies in urban design will be the norm. Once people see how effective it is in urban design, it will become standard across the industry, they won’t want to go back to the way it is done now.

- Anthony Emmerson, General Manager for the Infrastructure Team at Taylors.
</blockquote>

 

<blockquote>
We knew that this type of reality modelling would be the next frontier in spatial data. We identified that a number of years ago and made an effort to be earlier adopters of it.

Making changes during the design phase is relatively efficient to do, but if you need to make changes once construction has begun, there are huge time and cost implications. However, with augmented reality, you can see it before it’s made and identify any problems. You can’t do this with a plan or a video.

It really gives stakeholders a lot more control and flexibility in the way that they can understand and interpret a proposal. The power of this technology is giving the user the ability to go anywhere they like, and see a development from any angle.

This will revolutionise the way projects are completed, as it will no longer take weeks of going back and forth with the client to finalise designs.

- Alastair MacColl, Geospatial 3D &amp; Technology Manager at Taylors
</blockquote>
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Taylors looks to AR to create the Urban Reality 

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With more than half of Melbourne's architecture fraternity currently overseas to see <a href="http://wp.architecture.com.au/venicebiennale/">Baracco + Wright &amp; Linda Tegg's exhibition</a> at the Australian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale, the announcement of the shortlist for the 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards took a slight backseat to social media (boasts) posts all over Venice.

The 2018 awards program, run by the Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects, saw a record 268 entries received, with the shortlist comprising a total of 108 projects across 14 categories ranging from residential to public, commercial and educational architecture.

<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/bunjil_place_exterior_-_fjmt_photo_glenn_hester.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bunjil Place by FJMT. Photo: Glenn Hester"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="189" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/bunjil_place_exterior_-_fjmt_photo_glenn_hester.jpg?itok=wiLpTSQr" title="Bunjil Place by FJMT. Photo: Glenn Hester" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bunjil Place by FJMT. Photo: Glenn Hester</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
Truly exceptional architecture has the power to improve how people experience life, both in their own private spaces and in the public realm. As reflected in this year’s awards, it’s been a significant year for architecture.

In Victoria we have a rich and ingrained culture supporting strong and diverse architectural endeavours. It is always so encouraging to see architects continuing to challenge the status quo in order for our cities and communities to evolve.

This shortlist defines the many forms outstanding design can take, from projects that provide innovative educational spaces offering varying ways for students to learn and engage, to new housing typologies that create a platform for better community engagement.

The common denominator in successful projects is supportive and engaged clients who acknowledge the value that quality architecture interventions can bring to building strong and successful communities.

Carefully considered buildings, urban design interventions and infrastructure projects can take many years to procure. The awards program is an opportunity to celebrate the passionate and cohesive teams of architects, clients, consultants and builders who bring them to fruition.

- Amy Muir, Victorian Chapter President
</blockquote>

The most significant themes to emerge from this year’s shortlist were the emphasis on the importance of the public realm and the far-reaching contribution that architecture makes to daily life.

<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/atrium_of_holy_agels_mausoleum_-_harmer_architecture_photo_jonathan_hadiprawira.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Atrium of Holy Angels Mausoleum by Harmer Architecture. Photo: Jonathon Hadiprawira"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="385" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/atrium_of_holy_agels_mausoleum_-_harmer_architecture_photo_jonathan_hadiprawira.jpg?itok=KT5kVK-h" title="Atrium of Holy Angels Mausoleum by Harmer Architecture. Photo: Jonathon Hadiprawira" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Atrium of Holy Angels Mausoleum by Harmer Architecture. Photo: Jonathon Hadiprawira</figcaption></figure><h2>2018 Victorian Architecture Awards Shortlist </h2>

Residential Architecture – Houses (New) 27 entries / 16 shortlisted projects 

Tucks Ridge House - Adrian Bonomi Architect | Moonah Home - Bellemo &amp; Cat | Shrouded House - BKK Architects | Humble House - Coy Yiontis Architects | DATUM HOUSE - FIGR Architecture | Park House -  Kerstin Thompson Architects Compound House - March Studio | Triangle House - Molecule Studio | Two Halves - Moloney Architects | Ross - Ola Studio | First Lessons House - Ray Dinh Architecture | House on the Coast - Sean Godsell Architects | Lauriston House - Seeley Architects | Bellerine Pavilion House - Tecture Architecture &amp; Interior Design | Matilda - Templeton Architecture | Towers Road House - Wood Marsh Architecture

Residential Architecture – Multiple Housing 25 entries / 9 shortlisted projects 

35 Spring Street - Bates Smart | Nightingale 1 - Breathe Architecture | Campbell Street - DKO Architecture and SLAB | Parkville Townhouses - Fieldwork | McAuley Community Services for Women - Hede Architects Pty Ltd | Averi - Jackson Clements Burrows | Banksia, NewQuay - McBride Charles Ryan | Elwood House - Woods Bagot | C.F. Row - Woods Bagot

Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations &amp; Additions) 50 entries/ 11 shortlisted projects 

Hatherlie - Andrew Simpson Architects | The Kite - Architecture Architecture | King Bill - Austin Maynard Architects | St Vincents Place Residence - B.E Architecture | Old Be-al - FMD Architects pty ltd | Boneo Country House - John Wardle Architects | Dark Light House - MRTN Architects | Highbury Grove - RITZ&amp;GHOUGASSIAN |Station Street House - Robert Simeoni Architects | Fawkner Street - Workshop Architecture | Tiger Prawn - WOWOWA Architecture

Small Project Architecture 30 entries / 8 shortlisted projects 

Sound Field - BLOXAS with Arup | Campbell Street - DKO Architecture and SLAB | Gertrude Contemporary - Edition Office | Multipurpose Centre - Kosloff Architecture | Garden Wall (NGV Architecture Commission) - Retallack Thompson and Other Architects | Elgin Street Residence - Sonelo Design Studio | Koondrook Wharf - TERROIR | Sorrento Visitor Centre - Workshop Architecture

Urban Design 14 entries /5 shortlisted projects 

Monash Transport Interchange - John Wardle Architects | New Academic Street, RMIT University - Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects | Caribbean Park, Public Realm Stage 1 and 2 - Peter Ryan Architects with OCULUS Landscape Architecture and Urban Design | Koondrook Wharf - TERROIR | Deakin Link - watsonarchitecture+design

Heritage Architecture 14 entries / 8 shortlisted projects 

St Vincents Place Residence - B.E Architecture | James Street Residence - B.E Architecture | Carlton Court House - HLCD Pty Ltd with Somerville Design | Longsong - Jackson Clements Burrows with John van Haandel | Elberfeld House - Jane Riddell Architects | Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables - Kerstin Thompson Architects | North Melbourne Terrace - Matt Gibson Architecture + Design | 'Cassiope' alterations &amp; additions - RBA Architects + Conservation Consultants

<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/entry-mrnlbpwx-649202.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Photo: Trevor Mein "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/entry-mrnlbpwx-649202.jpg?itok=7AYYA9so" title="Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Photo: Trevor Mein " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Photo: Trevor Mein</figcaption></figure>Commercial Architecture 17 entries / 5 shortlisted projects 

Jackalope - Carr | Barwon Water - GHDWoodhead | Mercedes Me - Jackson Clements Burrows | Pt Leo Estate - Jolson Architecture &amp; Interiors | GMHBA Stadium - Populous

Interior Architecture 58 entries /12 shortlisted projects

Jackalope - Carr | Henry Street House - Eugene Cheah Architecture | Passage - Honeyman + Smith | Boneo Country House - John Wardle Architects | Monash University Caulfield Library Refurbishment - John Wardle Architects | Monash University Learning and Teaching Building - John Wardle Architects | Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables - Kerstin Thompson Architects | Our Lady of Good Counsel Church Deepdene - Law Architects | New Academic Street, RMIT University - Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, MvS Architecture, Harrison &amp; White and Maddison Architects | Armadale Residence - Rob Mills Architecture &amp; Interiors | Station Street House - Robert Simeoni Architects | Space &amp; Time - Russell &amp; George

Public Architecture 11 entries / 4 shortlisted projects 

Atrium of Holy Angels Mausoleum - Harmer Architecture | Bendigo Hospital - Silver Thomas Hanley with Bates Smart | Bunjil Place - fjmt | North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub - GroupGSA

Educational Architecture 21 entries / 13 shortlisted projects

Artemis Centre, Melbourne Girls Grammar School - BVN Monash University | The Sir Louis Matheson Library Refurbishment - Cox Architecture | The Geoff Handbury Science and Technology Hub, Melbourne Grammar School - Denton Corker Marshall | Monash University Learning and Teaching Building - John Wardle Architects | Monash University Caulfield Library Refurbishment - John Wardle Architects | Victorian College of the Arts former Mounted Police Stables - Kerstin Thompson Architects | 18 Innovation Walk Revitalisation Project - Kosloff Architecture + Callum Morton + MAP (Monash Art Projects) | New Academic Street, RMIT University - Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects | Trinity Grammar School, Centre for Business and Social Enterprise - Mc Intyre Partnership Architects | Monash Business School Redevelopment Caulfield - NH Architecture | Camberwell Grammar School Sports Centre and Chapel - Peter Crone Architects | Ruyton Girls School, Junior School Campus - Sally Draper Architects with DP Toscano Architects | University of Melbourne Academic Services - Six Degrees Architects

Sustainable Architecture 6 shortlisted projects 

Nightingale 1 - Breathe Architecture | Barwon Water - GHDWoodhead | North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub - GroupGSA | 18 Innovation Walk Revitalisation Project - Kosloff Architecture + Callum Morton + MAP (Monash Art Projects) | New Academic Street, RMIT University - Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects | Space &amp; Time - Russell &amp; George

Regional Prize 3 shortlisted projects

Barwon Water - GHDWoodhead | Koondrook Wharf - TERROIR | Sorrento Visitor Centre - Workshop Architecture

COLORBOND® Award for Steel Architecture 4 shortlisted projects 

King Bill - Austin Maynard Architects | Compound House - March Studio | Bugiga Hiker Camp, Grampians National Park - Sean Godsell Architects | Unfolding House - Sibling Architecture

Melbourne Prize 4 shortlisted projects 

Nightingale 1 - Breathe Architecture | North Fitzroy Library and Community Hub - GroupGSA | McAuley Community Services for Women - Hede Architects Pty Ltd | New Academic Street, RMIT University - Lyons with NMBW Architecture Studio, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects

 
The winners of the 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards will be announced at the awards dinner on 29 June 2018. Winners of each category will then progress to compete in the National Architecture Awards program.

Lead image: New Academic Street RMIT University, Peter Bennett
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2018 Victorian Architecture Awards Shortlist announced

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Urban.com.au recently sat down to chat with Woods Bagot  Principal Peter Miglis to discuss the firm's more recent residential projects and to get Peter's insight into the apartment market.

<blockquote>
Peter provides a strong commitment towards the design quality of each project’s solution, from its initial conception through to its construction process. Recognised for his innovative design skills, he has been responsible for many award winning projects.

As a Designer, Peter is engaged on a range of key design projects for Woods Bagot globally and is currently working on projects covering the sport, education, residential and commercial sectors.

- Woods Bagot
</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/cf_row.png" rel="gallery-all" title="CF Row in Fitzroy. Image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="515" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cf_row.png?itok=WVdaHUF4" title="CF Row in Fitzroy. Image: Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CF Row in Fitzroy. Image: Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure>Urban.com.au: There has been a noticeable shift away from high rise to more boutique or bespoke developments of a lower density in the last 18 months. What do you put this down to? A cooling of the investor market? A more maturing apartment market?

Peter Miglis: I think it's definitely all of the above, and what we're finding is that there is a market that is maturing, that has become comfortable with the idea of living in apartments. But apartments not as we've traditionally known them, as these minimal requirements and getting the yield up.

It's now about apartments that adopt qualities of living in a home, and what I mean by that is having more area internally, having a social network within the complex as well.

There's also a pre-requisite that you've got to have a balcony and if you use minimum requirements then they only have to be one-and-a-half to two metres deep - is it practical? Generally it isn't and what you need to do is make the balcony even deeper and go beyond the minimum requirements and make it an extension of the living space.

One thing we've been looking at is how does the balcony or open space almost behave like a courtyard space for a house? So we always circle back when we look at apartment planning - how would a house perform and function? And how would we take those attributes and put that into an apartment plan.

Maybe one day we don't call them apartments, maybe we adopt another name for them as a fusion between house and apartment coming together. 

U: Three recent low to medium density examples that Woods Bagot have worked on are CF Row in Fitzroy with Deal Corp, Elwood House with Piccolo, and Short Lane in Sydney with Komplete Construction. The projects are unique in the sense that both internally and externally each has a tactile quality in terms of the materiality, a strong connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, in addition to expansive outdoor balconies, that you wouldn't necessarily associate with apartment projects. What were some of the key drivers for these projects for Woods Bagot?

PM: Each of those examples that you cited are all in different locations and so for us it's a question of how do you harness the DNA of those neighbourhoods and fuse it into the design of the apartments? So that there's a sense of belonging to that place.  It was about grafting these places into their context and allowing them to organically contribute to those areas. People want to live in these locations because they authentically want to live and be a part of those particular neighbourhoods.

The other thing these projects do is they consider the choice of materiality and how we approach them from that angle. For example, Short Lane in Sydney was about creating this 'urban oasis' in this very urban context, and providing people with that relief of green spaces in their apartments. 

Ultimately, each solution is bespoke for its location and I think that's that 'magic' that gives it a real spirit as a place, rather than it being something that lacks any sense of identity and could be anywhere. For us it's fundamental that there's a strong contextual connection back to its neighbourhood.  

<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/short_lane.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Short Lane, Sydney. Image: Woods bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/short_lane.png?itok=YEYpdt2g" title="Short Lane, Sydney. Image: Woods bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Short Lane, Sydney. Image: Woods bagot</figcaption></figure>U: Building on that, from a design perspective it would appear that a greater degree of rigour and care is required in the design of apartments than maybe we have seen previously. What do you need to distinguish a project in such a competitive market?

PM: I think it's definitely the internal spatial amenity of the apartment, providing spaces which function and are larger than the minimum standards, but then there's also the care to detail, even right down to the kitchen door handles. Moments like that where they are bespoke and they have a sense of individual character and care about them, people have an affinity to that level of detail. 

For example, at CF Row which was previously a furniture store, we took that idea of craft and timber and applied that to our joinery. The handles in the kitchen are shaped in a way that caress the hand so that it's almost like a piece of furniture.

So it's those little moments that people connect with and realise are special.    

U: What effect (if any) do you think the new Better Apartment Design Standards (BADS) will have on the quality of apartments being built moving forwards?

PM: I think the experience of natural light and ventilation in the interiors. Again these are attributes that you would expect to experience in a home, so I applaud the ability to reduce southern facing apartments, greater natural light penetration and ventilation.

U: There's been a bit of recent discussion around BADS and how it has raised the standard and quality of apartment design at the lower end, but has potentially had the unintended consequence of stifling innovation at the upper end. Do you agree?

PM: Yes, in some cases it has. For example, what we have done at Elwood House is where we had a saddleback bedroom, that would be highly undesirable with BADS. So what we did in that case there, we have a perimeter balcony which becomes this garden space and allows natural light and creates a usable area which the bathroom interfaces with as well.  

When you experience it in the flesh, you understand it, but if you were to show someone on a plan it wouldn't comply. So going back to the original question I thin (BADS) does have its limits and I recall when we were presenting that project to the City of Port Phillip we had to show them Garden House in Carlton which had that same scenario, and it wasn't until they saw it in-situ that they could understand how it operates.

I think we have to demonstrate very carefully the benefits when we break away from those BADS requirements.

<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/elwood_house.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Elwood House. Image: Woods Bagot"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/elwood_house.png?itok=56-hySaV" title="Elwood House. Image: Woods Bagot" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Elwood House. Image: Woods Bagot</figcaption></figure>U: We're also seeing community engagement and a more fluid design process becoming more common with developers and their respective design teams as part of both the approval and marketing sales process. What are your thoughts on that shift towards a more targeted and engaging process with community and prospective buyers?

PM: It makes common sense. It's like if you were to do your own home, you would consult with your neighbours. Think about it just on those terms, you need to consult with your neighbours and get their buy in and sometimes it can enhance  the proposition you put forward.

We have on a number of project whether it's medium density housing, commercial or mixed-use, we've held major community consultation meetings. One in particular was the Kensington mixed-use project Younghusband where we even received a letter of support from the community once submitted the application.

Another more recently was in Richmond on Lennox Street, where we had community consultation as well. At the beginning people are always a bit apprehensive but then when the transparency and the trust comes in, people start to feel more comfortable.

People are quite clever and they know medium density is going to continue and a good way to stop the urban sprawl, people are conscious of the urban sprawl so they do want to foster some medium density so I guess it's a balance isn't it?        

U: Looking at the Nightingale model, for example, where some of the smaller and emerging architecture firms are steering the ship both in terms of capital and design for the projects. Do you see some of the larger architectural practice's such as Woods Bagot becoming involved in these community driven projects and even potentially funding them either under the Nightingale brand or as part of a JV with a developer as we're seeing with Nightingale Brunswick East?

PM: An interesting challenge for a large global organisation like Woods Bagot through its corporate structure to be able to fund a project, the ambition would be great but I think the logistics would be somewhat inhibiting. 

We're definitely in admiration of architectural practices that are putting their money where their mouth is, and influencing outcomes by funding these projects. I absolutely applaud that approach, and I think we need examples like that to show the shift that can happen.  

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Discussing apartment design with Woods Bagot's Peter Miglis

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

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The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

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.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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.

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.

Laurence Dragomir

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