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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.  

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Duvpzg78L7Q" width="560"></iframe>
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Discussing apartment design with Woods Bagot's Peter Miglis

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> has lodged plans for a $750 million, three-tower mixed-use precinct that would complete the long-running redevelopment of Carlton's former Carlton United Breweries site.

The proposal at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/185-195-queensberry-street-carlton-vic-3053">46-78 Bouverie Street and 185-195 Queensberry Street</a> spans a 6,468 sqm site, the last remaining undeveloped parcels within the former brewery's 2007 masterplan.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the development will comprise two purpose-built student accommodation towers and a third build-to-sell apartment tower above a shared commercial podium and basement.

Across the three towers, SP Setia is proposing 606 build-to-sell apartments and 1,499 student accommodation units containing 2,009 beds.

The apartments will sit in the tallest tower, which will rise nearly 200m and 55 storeys. It will become&nbsp;one of the more substantial new build-to-sell apartment projects at the northern edge of Melbourne's CBD.

The apartment mix is weighted toward smaller inner-city product, with 188 studios, 206 one-bedroom apartments, 192 two-bedroom apartments and 20 three-bedroom apartments

<img alt="First look: SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8271bc87-1b0a-41b7-ac73-a425ee375261" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/3_2.png?VersionId=G4lw23o90B1boX4k4dj7rdz2ZEajS9wy" />

Part of the precinct will be a large-scale&nbsp;3,684 sqm supermarket and a further 2,198 sqm of speciality retail, creating close to 5,900 sqm of new commercial space within the precinct.

But one of the biggest components of the proposal is what sits between the buildings.

Around 4,650 sqm, or roughly 72 per cent of the site, will be publicly accessible open space, incorporating plazas, pedestrian connections, landscaped laneways and retail spill-out areas.

The ground plane is intended to finally complete pedestrian connections envisaged when the CUB masterplan was first approved nearly two decades ago, stitching together Victoria Street, Queensberry Street, Bouverie Street and Swanston Street through the former brewery precinct.

Urbis said the development would "complete the CUB precinct", with the public realm providing important north-south and east-west connections through what is currently the final undeveloped portion of the masterplanned site.

SP Setia is also exploring a new linear park within the Bouverie Street road reserve, with the concept to be developed further with the City of Melbourne through the planning process.

The proposal is being pursued through the Victorian Government's Development Facilitation Program under Clause 53.23 for significant residential development with affordable housing.

The planning report acknowledges the proposed heights exceed those contemplated under the original Comprehensive Development Plan and masterplan, but argues the built-form context has changed considerably over the past two decades.

Urbis said the three towers would instead create a stepped transition between Carlton and the Hoddle Grid, rising progressively from the 94.1-metre Tower One along the Queensberry Street edge to the 199.44-metre Tower Three closer to the established CBD-scale buildings to the south.

<img alt="SP Setia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e885a07a-592c-40fc-bf82-e6dbaf32da54" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.52.24%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=7s_ErUkSKAdY1mAWp3GRZgMNCGtwhk5m" />

SP Setia plans to deliver the development across three stages.

Stage One would deliver the basement, podium and retail areas for the entire precinct alongside the first student tower. Tower Two would follow in Stage Two, before the 606-apartment Tower Three is delivered as the final stage.

If approved and delivered, the project would close out a redevelopment process that has been underway since the former brewery masterplan was approved in 2007, adding more than 2,600 student beds and apartments to a precinct already home to Swanston Central, the Barak Building, RMIT Design Hub and several large student accommodation developments.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Joel Robinson

SP Setia plans three-tower finale for Carlton’s former CUB precinct

Melbourne developer Lowe Living is seeking to add to its growing bayside apartment pipeline, filing plans for a boutique eight-residence development in tightly held Middle Park.

Lowe Living, which has built much of its development portfolio across Melbourne's affluent bayside and south-east suburbs, is behind the plans for the 730 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/123-125-erskine-street-middle-park-vic-3206">123-125 Erskine Street</a>, just off Armstrong Street and within the Armstrong Street Neighbourhood Activity Centre.

The developer is seeking approval for a five-storey residential building above two basement levels, with just eight large-format apartments and 18 car spaces.

“This is a deliberately very different proposition for us,"&nbsp;Tim Lowe, Co-Founder of Lowe Living, said.

"Eight residences is exceptionally boutique, but that's precisely what this site calls for.

“There is a strong community in Middle Park and the surrounding suburbs who have spent decades building a life here. They no longer want the maintenance of a large period home, but they aren't prepared to compromise on space, quality or location. We think there is a real opportunity to capture that hyper local market. A site like this rarely comes to market.”

<img alt="Lowe " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="875fe572-0f14-4d90-9e11-55b28dd07731" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.42.49%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GDNQRv9BfpR9r1zkZ5UDyUM4ZvpIksut" />

The low-density proposal has been designed by Cera Stribley and is being progressed through the Victorian Government's Great Design Fast Track pathway, having already secured eligibility from the Minister for Planning.

The Office of the Victorian Government Architect supported its eligibility after finding the proposal demonstrated consistency with the program's seven design principles, while the project's financial feasibility has also been independently confirmed by Invest Victoria.

The project is targeting the downsizer market, with the planning documents describing the homes as larger-format residences and noting the two penthouses could otherwise have been configured as four separate apartments.

<img alt="Lowe 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="60ab0987-2da6-4175-adac-315dcf6053c6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.15%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=bOCPH0B2MFwlmaRW.TTCF9TzyifgVoQI" />

The site has dual frontage to Erskine Street and Canterbury Place and currently comprises a collection of commercial buildings used as offices, including a former heritage bakehouse, a former stable, a later gabled addition and a central courtyard.

It sits within the Commercial 1 Zone and the Armstrong Street Commercial Precinct heritage overlay, with the existing property classified as a contributory heritage place.

Heritage has subsequently played a significant role in Cera Stribley's design.

The front section of the former bakehouse facing Erskine Street will be retained, including its return walls, street-facing hipped roof and chimneys, while the Erskine Street façade and part of the western return wall of the former stable will also be incorporated into the new development.

Levels four and five will be set back five metres from the retained stable façade, while bricks removed through demolition are proposed to be salvaged and reused within the new building where possible.

<img alt="Lowe 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e97927a9-a2de-4a0f-83b6-65451238abfa" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-21%20at%208.43.06%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=VR44AChLrX9q1XPB9GvVQV.ALXXbe4gC" />

Rather than presenting as a single five-storey building to Erskine Street, Cera Stribley has broken the development into a series of distinct forms.

A three-storey infill element will sit between the retained bakehouse and stable façades, with the upper levels recessed behind the heritage fabric. Canterbury Place will similarly feature two three-storey podium forms, separated by a central pedestrian accessway, before the upper two levels step back from the street.

A pedestrian through-link will run through the centre of the project between Erskine Street and Canterbury Place, creating entrances from both sides of the site and introducing landscaping and communal areas through the ground plane.

Landscape architect Acre has designed planting across the ground level, private terraces and upper levels, including a feature canopy tree at level three and integrated planting and arbours across the level four terraces. Five existing Erskine Street trees are proposed to be retained.

Sustainability is also a significant component of the Great Design Fast Track application. The apartments are targeting an average eight-star NatHERS rating, with no residence below 6.5 stars, while the project has achieved a 75 per cent BESS score. Seven of the eight apartments are designed for cross-ventilation, with the remaining residence using mechanically assisted natural ventilation.

The plans also incorporate an 8kWp rooftop solar system, a 5,000-litre rainwater tank and infrastructure allowing future electric vehicle charging for every residence.

Lowe has a strong portfolio across Melbourne's blue-chip suburbs. They recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/jardin-house-by-lowe-living-camberwell-335-camberwell-road-camberwell-vic-3124">Jardin House by Lowe Living</a> in Camberwell, their first development in the Stonnington LGA.

Lowe Living unveils Middle Park apartment development

Article summary

<ul data-end="888" data-start="289">
	<li data-end="442" data-section-id="8tsh6o" data-start="289">DVB Projects is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway at 137 Old Burleigh Road, Broadbeach.</li>
	<li data-end="573" data-section-id="1nyxl3e" data-start="443">The 34-level tower will comprise just 49 ultra-luxury residences, including half-floor, full-floor and penthouse apartments.</li>
	<li data-end="717" data-section-id="oiyimj" data-start="574">The launch follows strong demand at DVB's nearby Sea Glass project, which is more than 50 per cent sold and currently under construction.</li>
	<li data-end="888" data-section-id="epk9o9" data-start="718">The development adds to the transformation of Old Burleigh Road, with premium beachfront apartment projects continuing to reshape the tightly held Broadbeach strip.</li>
</ul>

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/dvb-projects">DVB Projects</a> is preparing to launch its second Gold Coast apartment development, with demolition now underway on the Broadbeach site as the Sydney developer moves closer to bringing the ultra-luxury project to market.

The 34-level tower at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/137-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">137 Old Burleigh Road</a> will comprise just 49 residences, ranging from half-floor apartments through to full-floor homes and a penthouse. The launch follows the strong sales performance of DVB's nearby Sea Glass development. More than half of the apartments at Sea Glass, on the other side of Broadbeach, have been snapped up, well ahead of its late 2027 completion

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2944b4be-c84e-4b54-8dc1-c712e76704c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E02_Exterior_Street%20Level%20Entrance.jpg?VersionId=YoNig7pRdrE3HCue7sUj78LzJteeQf3H" />

The start of demolition at 137 Old Burleigh Road signals DVB Projects’ underlying confidence in the Gold Coast’s luxury beachside apartment sector.

“We see the Gold Coast as one of the most compelling lifestyle markets in Australia, particularly at the premium end where demand continues to deepen,” said Dean Brown, Managing Director of DVB.&nbsp;

“This project has been carefully designed to respond to that demand - delivering large-format residences with a level of quality, privacy and amenity that is still relatively rare in the apartment market on the beachside."

Brown says the site itself is "exceptional."

"Old Burleigh Road is one of the most tightly held beachfront strips, and opportunities to deliver a project of this scale and calibre in this location are extremely limited.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="398f377a-c037-455e-9250-0c5e0d84c35b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/I12_FF%20Balcony.jpg?VersionId=NwOiRWGMubR1c8wthuEfggklcja7al9." />

The project will comprise 40 half-floor residences of approximately 260 sqm, alongside eight full-floor residences spanning around 524 sqm.

A single penthouse will crown the building, featuring a private pool, barbecue area, indoor gym and dedicated entertaining spaces.

Residents will have access to a resort-style suite of amenities, including a 20-metre pool with daybeds, a gymnasium, hot and cold plunge pools, a sauna, and private residents’ lounge and dining facilities.

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1642bb0-9a66-4427-a022-dfc0988c6287" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/A02_Pool%20to%20View.jpg?VersionId=c0IXPyn_Gp_Kn3XCwzMrqIVkAdCEwVXP" />

Sales agent Todd Matheson, of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/pezet-matheson">Pezet Matheson</a>, which is marketing both 137 Old Burleigh Road and Sea Glass, said 137 Old Burleigh Road would address a clear gap in the market for genuine luxury products.

“There are very few opportunities on the Gold Coast where buyers can secure a residence of this size and quality in a new building,” Matheson said.

“What we’re seeing is a growing cohort of downsizers and interstate buyers who still want space - they’re not willing to compromise on living area, entertaining or finishes.

“This project has been designed with that buyer in mind. It offers the scale of a home, combined with the convenience and security of apartment living, in one of the coast’s most desirable positions.”

<img alt="DVB Projects to commence demolition on $320m Broadbeach luxury tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="59aae0ca-5639-4320-8aca-d0bf60f48e43" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/E01_Exterior%20Hero.jpg?VersionId=DS8Zfy2WtgUEtdfe0TEUuf1W1GfcZq8S" />

Located on a 1,156 sqm site one block from the beachfront, the development will replace an ageing walk-up building and is expected to contribute to the ongoing transformation of the Old Burleigh Road strip into one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious residential corridors.

With the development moving into the delivery phase, 137 Old Burleigh Road is slated to hit the market later this year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145141]

DVB Projects to launch second Broadbeach apartment tower as demolition commences

<a data-end="327" data-is-only-node="" data-start="250" href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/norus-projects" rel="noopener" target="_new">Norus Developments</a> has lodged plans for a new apartment development in Clayton that would add further momentum to the suburb's emerging Green Street corridor.

Plans have been lodged for the consolidated site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1359-1365-centre-road-clayton-vic-3168">1359-1365 Centre Road</a>, where Norus is seeking approval for 218 apartments across a 12-storey apartment building designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/life-architecture-and-urban-design">Life Architecture</a>.

The proposal sits within the Clayton Major Activity Centre at the threshold of the planned Green Street corridor, a landscaped pedestrian connection intended to improve links through the precinct towards Clayton Railway Station.

The development would replace the site's existing collection of low-scale residential and commercial buildings with a single consolidated building, introducing significantly greater housing density to this part of Centre Road.

A retail tenancy is proposed at ground level to activate the Centre Road frontage, accompanied by transparent street interfaces and landscaping intended to create a more pedestrian-focused edge to the development.

<img alt="First look: Norus Developments plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0a5a763a-d9e9-4253-af2f-88008de27ebf" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Clayton%20a.png?VersionId=S2WJJbat1XVkZwB9SnYtygirXgWHiklX" />

The building has been designed with stepped massing and upper-level setbacks to manage its transition towards surrounding residential properties. The planning report describes the approach as one that integrates the building into the landscape rather than treating landscaping as a secondary element.

"A strong landscape and public realm strategy underpins the proposal," Urbis states in the planning report.

"Public benefits include an affordable housing contribution, a new pocket park, generous landscaped setbacks, deep soil planting and integrated Water Sensitive Urban Design."

The report adds that these elements are intended to create "a permeable, pedestrian-focused ground plane that enhances walkability, supports urban cooling and reinforces the emerging Green Street character."

Biophilic and passive design principles extend through the residential levels, with planting, daylight, natural ventilation and views towards landscaped areas forming part of the amenity strategy.

Parking would be concentrated away from the public realm, with 145 car spaces proposed from the rear laneway rather than dominating the Centre Road frontage.

The proposal follows an extensive pre-application process with the City of Monash. Three formal meetings were held between the project team and Council from December 2025 to March 2026, with the scheme evolving through several concept iterations before the current design was lodged.

The project arrives as Clayton prepares for substantial change around its established activity centre and the wider Suburban Rail Loop precinct. Its position on Centre Road places the development within an existing concentration of shops, services and public transport, while the Green Street connection is intended to strengthen pedestrian access towards Clayton Railway Station.

First look: Norus plans landscape-led apartment project for Clayton’s emerging Green Street

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> has officially commenced construction on Bronze on Chevron, celebrating the sod turning of its first-ever Gold Coast development and marking a significant milestone in the company's continued expansion across South East Queensland.&nbsp;

Following the successful delivery of premium residential developments throughout Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bronze-on-chevron-8-mawarra-street-chevron-island-qld-4217">Bronze on Chevron</a> represents Gardner Vaughan Group's entry into the Gold Coast market. Bronze will deliver 119 one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments above two ground-level retail tenancies.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367193]

The recent sod turning ceremony was attended by Deputy Mayor Mark Hammel, President of the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, Cassandra Sedgman, project consultants, purchasers, project partners and invited guests to celebrate the commencement of construction.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group Chief Executive Officer Simon Betteridge said Bronze on Chevron represented an exciting new chapter for the business.&nbsp;

"We've spent almost four decades building homes that respond to the way people want to live, and we're excited to bring that experience to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/chevron-island-qld-4217">Chevron Island</a>," Betteridge said.

"Bronze on Chevron is particularly significant because it marks Gardner Vaughan Group's first development on the Gold Coast following many successful projects across Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367183]

Betteridge said the ground breaking is a proud moment for the&nbsp;team and their purchasers, who can now see their future homes beginning to take shape.&nbsp;

"As both developer and builder, we're able to oversee every aspect of the project from design through to construction, ensuring the quality and attention to detail Gardner Vaughan Group has become renowned for."&nbsp;

Designed by acclaimed architectural practice <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, Bronze on Chevron has been thoughtfully designed to complement Chevron Island's evolving streetscape while embracing its relaxed coastal lifestyle.

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107520]

The development will offer generous residences with refined interiors, premium finishes and resort-style amenities, with completion anticipated in early 2029

Laurence Dragomir

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