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Upon my arrival early on a Sunday morning, Edinburgh greeted me with the kind of weather I thought I had left behind back in Melbourne. Grey skies, 14 degrees and light drizzle. This was in stark contrast to the 45 plus degrees I had encountered in Abu Dhabi only a day earlier.

While my initial impressions were of a grey city, with grey skies there was definitely more to Edinburgh than 50 shades of grey, which I discovered over the course of two days.

<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/image_6.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="The streets of Edinburgh"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_6.jpeg?itok=QWwAQ5LK" title="The streets of Edinburgh" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The streets of Edinburgh</figcaption></figure>I should preface this by saying that my time in Edinburgh revolved largely around preparing for a wedding in Duns so this will be far from a comprehensive run down of the city.

The easiest way to get to the city center from the airport is via the Airlink which costs £4.50 for a single adult journey. The ride into town takes approximately 30 minutes and stops at Waverley Station where connecting services, car rentals, visitor centre etc can be located.

The station is the main station in Edinburgh and the second-largest main line railway station in the United Kingdom in terms of area.

<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/image.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Waverley Station located in central Edinburgh"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image.jpeg?itok=TiVfQBgd" title="Waverley Station located in central Edinburgh" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Waverley Station located in central Edinburgh</figcaption></figure>Edinburgh's topography has resulted in a network of spiraling and cascading stairs, raised walkways and terraces which provide a good all round waking experience and photo opportunities for any urban explorer. It also provides for a decent cardio workout as you tackle stairs and sloping streets.

The grey and grit of the buildings -the result of soot from the days of locomotives I'm told - are balanced by the rich greenery of the parks and gardens dotted throughout the city.

A definite highlight was the brief visit to the grounds of Edinburgh Castle which is located surprisingly close to the centre of the city and only a short stroll from Waverley Station. The fortress which sits atop Castle Rock dominates the Edinburgh skyline and is Scotland's most-visited paid tourist attraction, with over 1.4 million visitors in 2013.

It also provides the backdrop to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo during the annual Edinburgh International Festival. A statue of William Wallace, one of the main leaders of the Wars of Scottish Independence greets visitors at the gate.

<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/image_4.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Edinburgh Castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_4.jpeg?itok=YKvrmQ9a" title="Edinburgh Castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Edinburgh Castle dominates the Edinburgh skyline</figcaption></figure>Further down from the castle is Victoria Street which winds around to meet up with Grassmarket. The Grassmarket is a historic market place and an events space in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. In relation to the rest of the city it lies in a hollow, well below surrounding ground levels. This little area is characterised by rows of low-rise buildings featuring boutique retail tenancies, and food and beverage.

This is also another spot to get photos of the castle or just sit around and people watch.

One other aspect that stood out for me was the sheer number of pubs and bars within impressive heritage buildings, some grander than others.

It was midday on the second day that my party and I made our way to Longformacus in Duns en route to our friend's wedding, kilts in tow. We stopped off at the Glenkinchie distillery - one of the classic malt distilleries in Scotland and worth doing the tour and whiskey tasting if you are so inclined.

The location of the wedding was Wedderburn Castle in Duns where the kilts came out and we all danced the night away to traditional Scottish music, even though the Australian contingent had little to no idea what we were doing.

<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/image_5.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="A montage of Duns"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_5.jpeg?itok=zn-8u6o1" title="A montage of Duns" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A montage of Duns</figcaption></figure>Next up on my trip will be the city of Dublin.
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Laurence Dragomir

Winter Escape Episode II: Edinburgh

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The first stop on my six week break happens to be Abu Dhabi. The temperature on the first day reached a maximum of 48 degrees which was not ideal for someone who prefers discovering cities on foot.

I also knew that I would be visiting during the holy month of Ramadan which made it difficult to remain hydrated when outdoors. These factors also contributed to fairly quiet streets and attractions, with tourists steering clear and locals who are observing Ramadan keeping indoors during their fasting periods.

<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/image_0.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="A montage of my first morning in Abu Dhabi"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_0.jpeg?itok=vbBGfZZQ" title="A montage of my first morning in Abu Dhabi" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A montage of my first morning in Abu Dhabi</figcaption></figure>During my first day I lasted a maximum of two hours outdoors and really only managed to walk a few blocks from my hotel to the WTC Mall complex designed by Foster + Partners. The podium which houses the mall features strong grids both externally (precast) and internally (timber) with skylights providing the interiors with natural light and acting as way finding elements through out the mall.

The project comprises three buildings: Burj Mohammed bin Rashid, The Trust Tower and The Hotel Tower.

Burj Mohammed bin Rashid is the tallest building in Abu Dhabi and also contains the most floors (92) of any building in the city since its completion in 2014. The residential building rises 382m tall and features an undulating extruded floor plate, providing a different elevation from wherever it is viewed.

The Trust Tower, rises 278 metres and has 60 floors of office space and opened in 2013. The tower houses leased properties, and the offices of the World Trade Centers Association. It is connected to a Marriott Renaissance Hotel via the large mall and souk, both operated by the World Trade Center.

The third tower in the complex, the Central Market Hotel Tower is also the shortest at 65 metres, housing 16 floors of hotel space under the Courtyard Marriott brand.

Following the WTC complex I ventured briefly down to the Etihad Towers complex. The 5 towers which make up the complex are located opposite the Emirates Palace hotel and feature offices, apartments and a hotel. The estimated cost for the construction was roughly 2.5 billion Dirhams. The towers vary in height from 55-storeys/218 metres to 74-storeys/305 metres.

<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/image_1.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Etihad Towers level 74"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_1.jpeg?itok=2xrCwgQT" title="Etihad Towers level 74" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Etihad Towers level 74</figcaption></figure>In November 2011, the Jumeirah at Etihad Towers Hotel was opened in Tower 1, while the adjacent Tower 2 has an observation deck on the 74th floor which is accessible from the hotel via a lower level linking podium which I visited on my second day. The complex is easily accessed by the Hop on Hop off tourist bus which operates daily.

Having visited the Burj Khalifa in Dubai six years ago the views were impressive but didn't have the same model city feel that Dubai had from 600m up in the air. What was quickly apparent was just how spread out Abu Dhabi was; this made it difficult to get around and see all the attractions in just two days.

The way in which new construction is springing up seems quite ad hoc in nature with Abu Dhabi not having a strong centre of critical mass.

I personally think the city would have benefitted from being far more concentrated than so spread out, particularly given the climate in the region.

<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/image_2.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Desert Safari"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_2.jpeg?itok=H1Nun7_f" title="Desert Safari" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Desert Safari</figcaption></figure>Nevertheless my two favourite highlights were the desert safari and the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. The vastness of the desert and the feeling of isolation was something I hadn't experienced before. The Force Awakens filmed scenes for the planet Jakku there made it even more special for me.

The Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque was initiated by the late president of the UAE, H.H Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted to establish a structure which unites the cultural diversity of the Islamic world, the historical and modern values of architecture and art. His final resting place is located on the grounds beside the same mosque.

The mosque was constructed from 1996 to 2007 at a cost of 2 billion Dirham and is the largest mosque in the UAE.

The mosque has been designed to accommodate 40,000 worshippers and the design can be best described as a fusion of Arab, Persian, Mughal and Moorish 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/image_3.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image_3.jpeg?itok=OVf55J1a" title="Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque</figcaption></figure>All up I enjoyed my stay in Abu Dhabi but next time I mat well visit in November when temperatures hover around the mid 20's. Next up will be Edinburgh.
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Winter Escape Episode I: Abu Dhabi

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The Building Designers Association of Victoria (BDAV) is inviting readers to vote for their favourite design project in its 21st BDAV Building Design Awards.

The BDAV is an industry body which acts for building design professionals. It is a not-for-profit organisation, registered under the Victorian Associations Incorporation Act.

It is managed by a committee of volunteers from amongst the membership, whose objective is to advance the profession of building design, by offering cost-effective, quality, membership services and benefits to meet the needs of this growing sector of the building industry community. The association has almost 2,000 Members.

The BDAV coordinates a successful Building Design Awards competition each year to promote excellence in building design. The association also produces an annual consumer-oriented magazine - Winning Design - to coincide with the Awards event, which features all winners, entrants, and sponsors.

The magazine, which is distributed via newsagents throughout Victoria, has become a popular publication for Victoria’s discerning home buying and renovating public.

The People’s Choice Award showcases projects nominated in the annual BDAV Building Design Awards, which celebrates Victoria’s best residential, interior, sustainable, heritage conservation and non-residential design projects including commercial, industrial, hospitality and public buildings.

<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/jarrod_sinclair_-_bendigo_bank_2014_peoples_choice_winner.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="2014 People's Choice Winner Bendigo Bank: Jarrod Sinclair"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/jarrod_sinclair_-_bendigo_bank_2014_peoples_choice_winner.jpg?itok=5uazNSTO" title="2014 People's Choice Winner Bendigo Bank: Jarrod Sinclair" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>2014 People's Choice Winner Bendigo Bank: Jarrod Sinclair</figcaption></figure>Voting for the People’s Choice Award is now open at <a href="http://www.bdav.org.au" moz-do-not-send="true">www.bdav.org.au</a> and closes midnight Sunday 17 July. The award will be presented at the BDAV Building Design Awards dinner on Saturday 30 July.

BDAV President Alastair McDonald invites Victorians to cast their vote and celebrate the high calibre of building design across the state.

<blockquote>
Year after year, we’re seeing an increasingly high standard of residential and commercial design work, which reflects the exceptional talent of local building designers. Building designers are continuing to push the creative envelope, whilst still focusing on the importance of sustainability and the clever use of materials.
<cite>Alastair McDonald, President, Building Designers Association of Victoria</cite>
</blockquote>

The BDAV Building Design Awards profiles excellence in building design and promotes the importance of the building design profession to both the building industry and the wider community.

A sample of nominated projects can be seen below: 

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/bdav_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="429" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/bdav_1.jpg?itok=z23JWvM8" width="580"></a>
</figure><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/bdav_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="434" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/bdav_2.jpg?itok=guGiOqwh" width="580"></a>
</figure>For a full list of nominations and more information about the BDAV Building Design Awards, visit <a href="http://www.bdav.org.au">www.bdav.org.au</a> or contact the BDAV on (03) 9416 0227.
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Vote for Victoria's best in building design

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Lodged for planning assessment last month, <a href="http://sterlingglobal.com.au/">Sterling Global's</a> intended $700 million tower set over a 2,850 square metre site at 383 La Trobe Street is poised to become a new visual marker to the CBD's north. At 70 levels the proposed mixed-use development is the work of renowned international architect <a href="http://www.jeannouvel.com/">Ateliers Jean Nouvel</a> with local practice <a href="http://www.architectus.com.au/">Architectus</a> installed as executive architect.

Urban.com.au recently sat down with Sterling Global’s Head of Investment and Development, Mark van Miltenburg, for a detailed briefing on the project which shapes as being something very unique for Melbourne.

At 242 metres above street level, 383 La Trobe Street has been designed to accommodate 488 residences and a 196-room premium hotel which Sterling Global expect to retain post the project's completion.

With over $1.5 billion worth of development in play, Sterling Global are well positioned to deliver the stand-out project under their own capabilities. Asked if the developer was open to a joint venture for 383 La Trobe Street, Mark van Miltenburg stated Sterling Global is open to the possibility of a partnership, but are quite comfortable in solely delivering the project.

<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/383_montage.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The tall-slender form of the tower."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="457" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/383_montage.jpg?itok=cMCub8zj" title="The tall-slender form of the tower." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The tall-slender form of the tower. Image: Sterling Global &amp; Ateliers Jean Nouvel</figcaption></figure>Sterling Global's intention was to bring a degree of difference to the project, setting it apart from many current CBD projects that the developer believes are quite generic in what they bring to the public realm. Thus Ateliers Jean Nouvel were appointed after a competitive design process, creating a project that in many ways is unique to Melbourne.

Dubbed "The Tower of Seven Colors," the moniker refers to the building's response to its context, adopting the visual characteristics of its neighbours via different colours to its four elevations.

The primary northern facade will be coloured red, drawing on the red brick heritage wall of the Royal Mint and Hellenic Museum, the eastern facade will be golden, reflecting the rising morning sun on Melbourne's streetscapes and the west facade will be lined with green in a nod to the nearby Flagstaff Gardens.

 An etched silver facade to the south ties the sky to the tower via its crystalline summit.

<blockquote>
The Tower of seven colors has roots. It knows where it is. It is a friendly tower that likes and respects its neighbors: the Hellenic Museum in the Royal Mint, Flagstaff Park, the Republic Tower. It is part of this family. One doesn’t choose one’s parents or one’s cousins, but there they are.

Is it because the tower was born right next door to the wall of the museum that it is dressed in this warm mat brick color through which white, green and blue highlights shine? 

Is it out of friendship with the Republic Tower that the tower adopts and shelters between its great feet giant screens that are permanently inhabited by dynamic images, an ideal complement to its neighbor’s own art space? Is it to touch the sky, or marry it, that the tower’s summit develops reflections and transparencies in a crystalline and deliberate ambiguity?
<cite>Ateliers Jean Nouvel</cite>
</blockquote>

The facade is composed of a 500mm deep grid-like outer structure of various densities and scales, with a juxtaposition of order and chaos, much like Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. This depth allows for a further articulation of colour which changes as you move around the tower.

This chameleon-like effect is illustrated bellow.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sLvQESCOlBw" width="100%"></iframe>

It is at ground level where 383 La Trobe Street truly distinguishes itself.

The proposal looks to introduce a highly active ground plane which ties into Victoria University's adjoining development program at its city campus. The spacious internal laneway which bisects the site is in typical Nouvel fashion, featuring a mass of bright digital surfaces and ever changing digital artwork and large volumes.

Within these grand spaces there are galleries, a bar, restaurants, retail spaces, video arcades and a public book exchange. Mark van Miltenburg explains that the intent was always to bring a new level of public activation to the lower levels of the tower, providing a heavy level of public benefit, while allowing the evolving digital displays to cater for different public events such as White Night Melbourne.

This heightened public benefit aspect of the design which sees 30% of the site area allocated to public space is also expecting to counter recent restrictive plot ratios imposed across Melbourne's CBD. 383 La Trobe Street maintains a plot ratio of 29.1:1 which exceeds the interim controls of Amendment C262 at 24:1.

Sterling Global are hoping the altogether unique design aspects of 383 La Trobe Street will see a plot ratio exemption granted.

<blockquote>
The tower wants to be welcoming and alive. Behind its great urban gate, passageways branch out and connect to the main streets of the neighborhood, creating a mini-neighborhood of laneways and covered porches, all under laid by a bluestone floor that extends outward into different variations of ceramic brick through all the spaces it crosses including the lobby bar of the hotel, which faces the heritage wall, and the grand entrances to the apartments and the restaurant.

This urbanity is particularly made to measure in the long, tall video space that terminates in a street library that reads as an extension of the heritage wall. The urban attraction of this place is linked to its singularity, to its magnetic charm that will be as important for the residents of the tower as for the Melburnians who will come here again and again.
<cite>Ateliers Jean Nouvel</cite>
</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/383l_ground_plane.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image courtesy Sterling Global"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="272" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/383l_ground_plane.jpg?itok=Y6pN-RTV" title="383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image courtesy Sterling Global" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>383 LaTrobe Street activated ground plane. Image: Sterling Global &amp; Ateliers Jean Nouvel</figcaption></figure>The development will also include four sky gardens designed by Oculus, including one which will be accessible to the public, another element common in Nouvel tower designs. These provide areas of respite for residents and further ground the tower within its context, reinforcing its relationship with Flagstaff Gardens.

All things going to plan, Mark van Miltenburg expects 383 La Trobe Street to grace the skyline in four to five years time, post its planning and apartment sales campaign.
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A rather Nouvel approach: 383 La Trobe Street designed to impress

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Following on from last week's Docklands construction update on <a href="/news/docklands-update-june-2016-newquay-and-harbour-town">NewQuay and Harbour Town</a>, is an update on the Victoria Harbour precinct being delivered by Lend Lease. Construction has been constant on the peninsula site, just as one project is finishes another begins.

At the moment construction is centred largely to the west with a series of large scale residential buildings at various stages of their construction programmes. The built form of the precinct will continue to edge ever closer to the Bolte Bridge as the final stage known as Collins Wharf gets underway.

The current projects below will between them provide over 1500 apartments within the precinct.

<h2>The Residences</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/theresidencesvh.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="186" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/theresidencesvh.jpg?itok=ikHAEUj5" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Residences at Victoria Harbour</figcaption></figure>Located behind Forte, the boutique development known as 'The Residences' comprises six luxury freehold terrace homes nestled within the heart of Victoria Harbour, and located on Geographe Street. The materiality of the individual homes reflects the materials of the surrounding context, with Melbourne bluestone grounding the houses in the active laneways and parkland and the timber screens softening the façade and introducing a natural element.

The project is progressing with the townhouses reaching their full height and installation of the timber screens commencing.

<h2>888 Collins Street</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/888_collins_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="88 Collins Street progress."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="409" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/888_collins_street.jpg?itok=ke4DjLXl" title="88 Collins Street progress." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>88 Collins Street progress.</figcaption></figure>888 Collins Street, which commands the corner site where Bourke and Collins Street converge at the waterfront has topped out with facade installation across both buildings now complete. Testing of the LED lighting display on the shorter building continues and retail fitout to Bourke Street is yet to commence.

Along with the Concavo building, 888 Collins Street completes the Bourke Street streetscape.

<h2>839-889 Collins Street</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/839-889_collins_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="839-889 Collins Street progressing well"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="409" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/839-889_collins_street.jpg?itok=JPh56OLo" title="839-889 Collins Street progressing well" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>839-889 Collins Street progressing well</figcaption></figure>Four towers consisting of two sets of twins sit atop massive podia with frontages to the Yarra River and Collins Street is progressing well with facade installation commencing on the western half of the project and the tower floorplates beginning to rise. The podiums feature a combination of timber and brick spandrels providing the project with a historical and site specific contextual response, referencing the maritime history of the Docklands.

The project has a whopping 1,070 apartments.

<h2>No.1 Collins Wharf</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/collins_wharf_site.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="No.1 Collins Wharf. Photo courtesy of Redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="294" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_wharf_site.jpg?itok=AmRSUiRA" title="No.1 Collins Wharf. Photo courtesy of Redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>No.1 Collins Wharf. Photo courtesy of Redden</figcaption></figure>1 Collins Wharf is the latest Victoria Harbour project to reach sales with early works progressing in preparing for construction. Given Lend Lease's record it's a fair assumption that 1 Collins Wharf may well keep rolling into construction, adding another 321 apartments to the area.

<h2>Who's next?</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/imagepreview_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A new hotel for Victoria Harbour?"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/imagepreview_2.jpg?itok=hqxRzWHc" title="A new hotel for Victoria Harbour?" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A new hotel for Victoria Harbour?</figcaption></figure>Seen above is one of a number of concept images for the remaining land parcel at 839 Collins Street. While the possibility of a boutique hotel remains, recent talk has shifted toward another commercial complex for the site, quite possibly in order to expand the presence of ANZ which maintains its headquarters next door.

Whatever its final use, 839 Collins Street shapes as the next project for Victoria Harbour.
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Docklands update June 2016: Victoria Harbour

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Before I jet off to Europe next week I thought being a pleasant winter's day, I would do one final construction update focusing on NewQuay + Harbour Town and Victoria Harbour, the two most active precincts within Docklands in terms of construction activity. Part one will focus on the former including projects under construction in addition to upcoming developments within both.

<h2>NewQuay</h2>

Beginning at NewQuay Central, the area which once formed the gateway into the former Waterfront City precinct is awash with activity as three projects yielding five towers and a new park are at various stages of construction. The furthest advanced of these projects are Aqui and Promenade. The dual towers are being delivered by Hickory for MAB and topped out last month with the installation of the silver and gold glazing progressing at a steady pace.

<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/aquipromenade.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Aqui and Promenade, NewQuay."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="409" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/aquipromenade.jpg?itok=RrsF1fU_" title="Aqui and Promenade, NewQuay." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Aqui and Promenade, NewQuay.</figcaption></figure>MAB's other project in the area - Banksia - has seen Hickory take control of the site and commence site works to deliver the tower and just as importantly, a new park. The best vantage point to get an appreciation of the site and observe the construction is the upper level of the low-rise buildings along the waterfront.

<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/banksia_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Banksia site, with Marina Tower in the background."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="439" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/banksia_0.jpg?itok=wWXXjhhc" title="Banksia site, with Marina Tower in the background." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Banksia site, with Marina Tower in the background.</figcaption></figure>Appearing in the background of the Banksia photos is Hiap Hoe's Marina Tower and Four Points Sheraton hotel being built by Probuild. The tallest of the NewQuay towers, the 43-storey hotel has commenced its skyward ascent with its distinct 'dancing' forms are yet to fully reveal themselves.

<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/marina_tower_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Marina Tower and Four Points Sheraton Docklands."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="344" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/marina_tower_0.jpg?itok=oL963Ska" title="Marina Tower and Four Points Sheraton Docklands." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Marina Tower and Four Points Sheraton Docklands.</figcaption></figure>NewQuay's latest apartment offering hot off the heels of Banksia is Elm &amp; Stone, which is currently selling. The twin tower project designed by DKO Architecture is located along Docklands Drive and has seen a slight redesign to it's primary facades.

The glazed bronze facades remain, providing a contrast to the white framed buildings. Planter boxes are also provided for residents on balconies to create a cascade of green down the facade.

Elm &amp; Stone features a mix of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom split-level lofts and apartments as well as rooftop communal garden atop the podium in addition to other resident facilities.

<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/elmstone.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Elm &amp; Stone currently selling. Image courtesy of MAB"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="239" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/elmstone.jpg?itok=Z3XJqeBs" title="Elm &amp; Stone currently selling. Image courtesy of MAB" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Elm &amp; Stone currently selling. Image courtesy of MAB</figcaption></figure>During my walk I also noticed that The Arkley building had received a coat of blue paint to the edges of its balconies. This presents the first visible sign of maintenance on the original NewQuay towers with some now 14 years old!

<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/thearkley.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Arkley recieves a highlight of blue paint."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="554" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/thearkley.jpg?itok=z6D1KSJS" title="The Arkley recieves a highlight of blue paint." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Arkley receives a highlight of blue paint.</figcaption></figure><h2>Harbour Town</h2>

Harbour Town Melbourne is currently in the midst of a substantial overhaul by owners Ashe Morgan. These works have included the installation of new ETFE canopies designed by The Buchan Group in addition to hardscape works and removal of redundant escalators and bridges.

Awnings have also been removed and the shells of the shopfronts peeled back and painted white. But it won't end there.

Harbour Town will also see the construction of a new 8-cinema Hoyts on the site of what was previously the temporary home of the Winter Wonderland as illustrated in the rendering below:

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/harbour_town_hoyts.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Harbour Town Melbourne's new 8-cinema Hoyts complex. Image courtesy of Hoyts."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/harbour_town_hoyts.jpg?itok=rLVGMzsM" title="Harbour Town Melbourne's new 8-cinema Hoyts complex. Image courtesy of Hoyts." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harbour Town Melbourne's new 8-cinema Hoyts complex. Image courtesy of Hoyts.</figcaption></figure>The Hoyts complex will effectively provide a bookend to the Harbour Town area and link back to the existing centre.

Further works to be undertaken also include the provision of a supermarket and extension to Harbour Town's gateway building along Docklands Drive.This extension will extend over the street and provide a somewhat more sophisticated front door to the centre.

At this stage no further works are proposed to the facade of the residential apartments above, however the second of the canopies will also extend through to Docklands Drive complimenting the new entry experience from Docklands Drive.

<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/harbour_town_entry.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Harbour Town Melbourne gateway extension. Image courtesy Harbour Town."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="411" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/harbour_town_entry.jpg?itok=0XlLZUWt" title="Harbour Town Melbourne gateway extension. Image courtesy Harbour Town." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harbour Town Melbourne gateway extension. Image courtesy Harbour Town.</figcaption></figure>Other projects in the area include Capital Alliance's 26-38 Pearl River Road and 3-43 Waterfront Way. Both sites abut Harbour Town and were acquired by Capital Alliance in December 2014. Both are currently at planning with the latter on its way to VCAT.
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Docklands update June 2016: Newquay and Harbour Town

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Docklands based not-for-profit organisation Good Cycles has been running a crowd funding campaign to raise $40,000 for a Bike Community on Harbour Esplanade. Ending on June 27th the campaign has so far generated $24,936.60 in pledges. The initiative has already received support from The Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund and the Bank of Melbourne in addition to Places Victoria's pledge to match every dollar pledged up to $20,000.

<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/edc02202203b4b3db7896b4f184c99a4-good_cycles.jpg.556x330_q85.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Docklands Community Bike Hub. Image courtesy Good Cycles"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="344" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/edc02202203b4b3db7896b4f184c99a4-good_cycles.jpg.556x330_q85.jpg?itok=46neJX1q" title="Docklands Community Bike Hub. Image courtesy Good Cycles" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Docklands Community Bike Hub. Image courtesy Good Cycles</figcaption></figure>To be completed in August pending the success of the crowd funding campaign, the new hub will operate as a small bike shop and service centre, while also providing another facility for Good Cycles to conduct a range of social programs. It will be located on Harbour Esplanade just south of the Hortus cafe near the NAB building and just like Hortus, the converted shipping container by artist George Rose, will be a semi-permanent fixture on the waterfront.

The Docklands Community Bike Hub seeks to build on Good Cycles' goal of enriching lives through bicycles by providing a bike workshop, service centre and cycling hub beside the Capital City Trail on the water Docklands. The Community Bike Hub will service the thousands of daily bike commuters using the Harbour Esplanade bike paths and provide a further facility for participants in Good Cycle's social programs to gain invaluable, hands-on industry experience.

The Bike Hub is designed to be a centre for all things cycling: somewhere to meet, learn, share stories and develop a love for bicycle. The Docklands Community Bike Hub's establishment will have an immediate impact on Good Cycles social programs allowing them to transition more of their participants through to employment in the industry.

Beyond this the Bike Hub is all about cycling, promoting its benefits, bringing the community together and getting more people riding. Bikes can address many of the most pressing issues that the broader community are currently confronting: obesity, mental-health, social isolation, youth and long term unemployment and sustainability.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kBV9sd9MEGg" width="100%"></iframe>

The Hub will also go some way to further activating Harbour Esplanade in the short to medium term in tandem with Hortus, while the master plan for the area is further developed and eventually implemented. Harbour Esplanade is one of the busiest bike routes in Melbourne and will continue to be as Docklands' population grows, its waterfront develops and further bike paths are added to its current network.

<h2>About Good Cycles</h2>

Good Cycles is a Docklands based organisation that operates a retail bike store, a large bicycle servicing center. They are also a social enterprise and a registered charity – all the revenue from their commercial enterprise goes to supporting social programs focused on finding employment pathways, both within and outside the bike industry, for those experiencing significant disadvantage.

Good Cycles also runs workshops in bicycle repair and maintenance and helps deliver bike-based programs for local governments and community organisations.They currently have a large workshop service centre and retail store at 750 Collins Street.

To find out more and to pledge please visit: https://letsact.com.au/projects/the-harbour-esplanade-community-bike-hub/

To learn more about Good Cycles and the work they do please visit: http://www.goodcycles.org/
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Docklands Community Bike Hub hopes to add to the social fabric of Docklands

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Submitted to town planning last year Lend Lease's new 29-storey, $106 million residential development will comprise 321 apartments, 290 car parks, 312 bike spaces and 68 square metres of ground floor retail space.

Designed by Bates Smart, the 90 metre tower was considered by Council's Future Melbourne(Planning) Committee which resolved to support the proposal. With frontages to Collins Street, the proposed Bourke Dock public space and the Yarra, Council have urged Lend Lease to increase the amount of retail space to these key interfaces.

<blockquote>
The predominantly residential building (one ground floor retail tenancy) is contrary to the Development Plan which contemplated human services/mixed use at its interface with Bourke Dock; retail along Collins Street and commercial uses along the Yarra River interface.

The wintergarden on the shorter Collins Street/Buluk Park alignment is inactive. These departures from the use create a solely residential building with portions of inactive frontages to the public realm, rather than a mixed use building.
<cite>Future Committee Report</cite>
</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/collins_wharf_location.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="No.1 Collins Wharf in context. Image courtesy Aspect + Oculus"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collins_wharf_location.jpg?itok=yCu2M_Fz" title="No.1 Collins Wharf in context. Image courtesy Aspect + Oculus" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>No.1 Collins Wharf in context. Image courtesy Aspect + Oculus</figcaption></figure>Located within the Victoria Harbour Precinct at the junction of Bourke and Collins Streets, No.1 Collins Wharf marks the first stage of Wharf Quarter and acts as the gateway to the Collins Wharf precinct of the peninsula. Comprising five residential towers accommodating approximately 1,500 dwellings and a number of parks and boutique offices, Collins Wharf will be built atop a finger wharf extending out into Victoria Harbour and the Yarra River.

After the best part of 15 years at construction, Collins Wharf forms the final stage of Lend Lease's Victoria Harbour Precinct.

<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/collinswharf.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Artist's impression of Collins Wharf. Image courtesy of Collins Wharf Development Plan."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/collinswharf.jpg?itok=csmck9ih" title="Artist's impression of Collins Wharf. Image courtesy of Collins Wharf Development Plan." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Artist's impression of Collins Wharf. Image courtesy of Collins Wharf Development Plan.</figcaption></figure>The 24-storey (72 metre) tower sits atop a 5-storey (18 metre) high podium which contains parking and a wrap of apartments - traditional and SOHO - to key interfaces across all levels. The ground floor accommodates resident lobby and facilities plus a 68m2 retail tenancy.

The large podium is expressed as smaller elements within, reading as a number of taller townhouses rather than a slab of a building. The podium is generally constructed to all site boundaries, with the exception of an approximately four metre setback from the north (Collins Street), increasing to approximately 5.7 metres at level three and 11.3 metres at level four. 

The tower is a tall slender form which has generous setbacks to the north and south and also from the future development site to to the west. It breaks through the podium, interrupting the rhythm of the podium and addressing Bourke Dock while creating a sense of entry into the building. This design move was criticised by Council's urban design team:

<blockquote>
The Collins Street building alignment does not make a positive address on the short Collins Street / Buluk Park alignment by not being built on the boundary and not being orientated to the street and Buluk Park. The tower form meets at the junction of Collins Street and Bourke Dock, resulting in an oblique alignment.

The tower will appear as a side “end” of a tower, not a front “face”, and does not positively address Collins Street and Buluk Park.
</blockquote>

No.1 Collins Wharf is expressed as two slender, sleek rectilinear volumes offset from one another with a strong vertical articulation that is juxtaposed with occasional expression of horizontal terraces and recessed balconies. Each of these volumes also has setbacks, occurring at levels 12 and 16 respectively resulting in a somewhat animated tower form that appears as two volumes in motion both vertically and horizontally with the east facade, creating "a measurable backdrop to the civic space of Buluk Park and announces the start of the Collins Wharf Precinct."

<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/image20_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="No.1 Collins Wharf hero perspective. Image courtesy Lend Lease"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="870" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image20_4.jpg?itok=ZWHZY6hg" title="No.1 Collins Wharf hero perspective. Image courtesy Lend Lease" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>No.1 Collins Wharf hero perspective. Image courtesy Lend Lease</figcaption></figure>In addition to No.1 Collins Wharf, a 5.5 metre wide public promenade separated from the southern edge of the building by a 5.7 metre wide passage of water is proposed. To be known as Yarra Walk, the promenade would be a shared zone for cyclists and pedestrians and also provide access for small service vehicles. 

<h2>By the numbers</h2>

<ul>
<li>Total number of dwellings: 321 in townhouse style dwellings, apartments and SOHO’s
	<ul>
<li>One bedroom: 90</li>
		<li>Two bedroom: 201</li>
		<li>Three bedroom: 30</li>
	</ul>
</li>
	<li>Ground level retail: 68m2 Leasable Floor Area</li>
	<li>Overall Building Height: 90.22m / Podium Height: 18.53m</li>
	<li>North (Collins Street): 13.5m / South (Yarra River): 21.5m / West (Dock Lane East): 13.3m / East: varying, increasing as the building height increases</li>
	<li>GFA: 44,119m2</li>
	<li>Car parking spaces: 290 / Motorcycle spaces: 16</li>
	<li>Bicycle spaces: Total 312 / resident bicycles overbonnet: 201 / resident bicycles communal: 85 / visitor bicycles: 26</li>
</ul>
While 1 Collins Wharf is now selling, the entire Collins Wharf development is expected to be completed within 10 years.
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The beginning of the end: No.1 Collins Wharf

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Appearing on Apartments.com.au not for the first time and certainly not for the last time, 122 Roseneath Street in Clifton Hill provides a model for development centred around community engagement.

A collaboration between development partners Wulff Projects, Icon Co and Assemble, as advocates of small footrpint living, the project gained planning approval from the City of Yarra in May following an extensive period of community consultation which has resulted in a flexible design that offers prospective residents variety.

With May's <a href="/news/assemble-papers-and-open-house-present-the-brutalist-block-party">Brutalist Block Party</a> on site done and dusted, the development team's focus now shifts to a second round of purchaser consultation before embarking on a formal sales and registration campaign.

122 Roseneath St is a showcase for a new way of thinking about multi-residential developments, one that is true to its context and respectful to existing residents within the neighbourhood.

The mixed-use development is designed around flexible communal spaces, including a multipurpose workshop and a communal room for dining and entertaining. A hallmark of the project is two raised linear parks that intercept the three buildings, with drought-resistant native landscaping by MALA.

<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/gabrielsaunders_roseneath-street_external-4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="122 Roseneath Street raised landscape communal walkways. Image courtesy Assemble"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/gabrielsaunders_roseneath-street_external-4.jpg?itok=tE60l8-2" title="122 Roseneath Street raised landscape communal walkways. Image courtesy Assemble" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>122 Roseneath Street raised landscape communal walkways. Image courtesy Assemble</figcaption></figure>The development is only a short walk to the cafes, grocers and shops of Queens Parade and closer still to Clifton Hill train station. It connects to the breathing spaces of the Merri Creek nature corridor, with its bike trails leading directly to the Yarra River and Federation Square.

Architecturally, the development responds to the history of its location, retaining the skeleton of the Brutalist-style building on site and drawing on its materiality for inspiration throughout the design.

Veil-like metal balustrades reference the surrounding architectural features in the heritage-listed local area, while timber soffits to balconies add a warmth to the northern facade.

122 Roseneath Street presents a mix of studio apartments; single-to-three-bedroom apartments; and two-to-three-bedroom townhouses. Internal areas range from 38 square metres for studios to 148 square metres for three bedroom townhouses, in addition to generous balcony and terrace areas. Prices support community diversity, ranging from $380,000 to $1.5 million.

Through the consultation process which began in September 2015, potential residents were consulted on the functions for the communal room and adjoining terrace, the type of ground floor retail tenancy, car park demand, pet-friendly owners corporation rules and sustainability features, including external operable shutters, an embedded energy network and a shared composting facility.

A philosophy of flexibility and owner choice continues the design brief inside the dwellings. The proposal offers standard and premium options across kitchens, bathrooms and flooring as well as extras – including the possibility to add a children’s baths beneath the shower, the provision for a pet door or an ‘arrival station’ by the door to drop off coats, keys and shoes on the way in.

Seeking to provide affordable well designed living spaces on par with The Commons model whereby architects take on the role of developer, the approach adopted by 122 Roseneath's triumvirate differs somewhat in that the design has been informed by feedback from both community and prospective buyers via consultation sessions.

The design process becomes more fluid rather than linear and the development team don't dictate to buyers what they want rather they listen to their needs.

Having a development team that includes architects and builders also means that design decisions can be made during the design process with the knowledge that these won't later be value managed out once a builder is appointed post tender process and there aren't any major surprises in terms of costing and construction.

<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/gabrielsaunders_roseneath-street_external-1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="122 Roseneath Street streetscape. Image courtesy Assemble"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/gabrielsaunders_roseneath-street_external-1.jpg?itok=1g8k75nv" title="122 Roseneath Street streetscape. Image courtesy Assemble" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>122 Roseneath Street streetscape. Image courtesy Assemble</figcaption></figure>Apartments.com.au met on site with Wulff Projects Development Edward Cramer, Assemble Creative Director Pino Demaio and Icon Development Manager Kyle Reeve to discuss the merits of their exhaustive consultation process and the next round to come.

According to Cramer, following acquisition of the site which came with a permit for a larger scheme, the development team spent 3-6 months engaging with the community to ascertain what aspects they liked and disliked about the scheme.

This feedback helped the team set some of the parameters for the revised scheme that was ultimately developed for the site. This process involved community consultation evenings at Fieldwork's previous office in addition to one on one conversations with neighbours and people within the neighbourhood.

Icon Co joined the team prior to town planning and once the application was lodged they set about addressing some of the concerns they received around setbacks and overlooking says Reeve.

This involved providing greater privacy via increased setbacks, reduction in the height of townhouses, employing screens or planter boxes which act as screening elements on terraces.

With one neighbour the team increased the setback to the east and will also relocate their solar system so their ability to generate green energy is not impacted by the development.

The development team's goal was to keep the dialogue as open as possible and the process as transparent as possible, continues Reeve, rather than pushing them away or putting up the notice of advertisement and waiting to see what objections come in and then deciding whether or not to address them.

He admits it's a somewhat untested process and while it also may have drawn out the design and town planning process it was something they all felt equally passionate about.

<blockquote>
In terms of time frames it definitely took longer to undertake that consultation process and a lot more time and effort on the part of the design and development team. To meet with 50 people and try and work through there concerns is really hard work.

But it was evident when we went to Council's Internal Development Approvals Committee (IDAC) meeting that it was worth it as only three objectors attended, two of which said that their concerns had been addressed and the third was dismissed by council for raising concerns that wouldn't impact them based on the fact they lived 100's of metres away.

Out of the 140 objections that the previous scheme received we managed to get that right down to three.
<cite>Kyle Reeve, Development Manager, Icon Co.</cite>
</blockquote>

The process of then engaging with prospective buyers in information sessions of 30-50 people was more about ensuring that prospective residents were comfortable with the design and that it resonated strongly with them, rather than simply being a marketing ploy to advertise the project, says Cramer.

In addition to this the team drew on the feedback and research gathered through surveys conducted via Assemble Papers on the subject of medium-density living and better apartment design standards, says Demaio and really trying to understand what is most important to people and inform the spaces based on demand for certain aspects within a townhouse or apartment.

This, continues Demaio, is in contrast to the traditional method of relying on agents to inform the design and product without the intimate understanding or knowledge of the key design drivers of a project.

All going well, demolition could commence as early as August with completion anticipated in late 2017.
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Social connectivity is at the heart of 122 Roseneath Street

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Primarily intended as a tongue in cheek reference to George Lucas' 1977 sc-fi classic, the subject matter of this piece is as the title suggests the (somewhat) recent trend towards engaging starchitects to design high-rise apartment buildings in Melbourne. While Sydney has engaged a number of starchitects such as Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster to name a few, Melbourne has instead relied on home grown talent to deliver its major projects.

Although international firms appear to be more active in the Sydney market, largely as a result of the two stage design competitions for large projects in the central city, Melbourne has also seen international firms ply their trade in the city, with some even establishing permanent bases here. The prestige surrounding these international practices is a large part of the selling point and offering a point of difference to the market, whether it's for an apartment building or an office tower.

Melbourne has previously seen the likes of IM Pei and Kisho Kurokawa working with local firms to deliver significant commercial projects such as Collins Place and Melbourne Central respectively in the late 80's to early 90's. While another significant project in 140 William Street, by Yuncken Freeman was heavily influenced by the skyscrapers in Chicago, with the architects seeking the expertise of Skidmore Owings &amp; Merrill to deliver the timeless design.

<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/cp_mc.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Central and Collins Place"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="196" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cp_mc.jpg?itok=TMTTHUu-" title="Melbourne Central and Collins Place" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Central and Collins Place</figcaption></figure>The involvement of international big name firms has been more pronounced in the delivery of public building with Grimshaw Architects in association with Daryl Jackson Architects delivering Southern Cross Station before establishing a permanent Melbourne base and working on a number of projects locally from Melbourne Metro to 477 Collins Street.

Likewise LAB Architecture who won the design competition for Federation Square set up shop in Melbourne working together with Bates Smart to deliver one of Melbourne's most popular public gathering spaces. The office's local work post Fed Square has been largely in the realms of master planning and urban design, with the firm being most prolific in China.

The Flinders Street Station design competition of 2012-13 generated a lot of interest from both local and international firms with the role call of shortlisted six design teams out of the 117 entrants making for impressive reading:

<ul>
<li>ARM Architecture (Melbourne)</li>
	<li>Eduardo Velasquez, Manuel Pineda and Santiago Medina (Colombia via University of Melbourne)</li>
	<li>Hassell and Herzog &amp; de Meuron (Melbourne and Switzerland)</li>
	<li>John Wardle Architects and Grimshaw (Melbourne and UK)</li>
	<li>NH Architecture (Melbourne)</li>
	<li>Zaha Hadid Architecture and BVN Donovan Hill (UK and Melbourne)</li>
</ul>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" name="Shortlisted 6" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dW5Fj88_9PI" width="100%"></iframe>

Ultimately it was Hassell and Herzog &amp; de Meuron's scheme that won the competition, with the People's Choice Award going to Colombian ex-pats and now Melbourne locals Eduardo Velasquez and Manuel Pineda.

The winning scheme has yet to be realised and the chances of it coming to fruition are at this point in time slim but remains a personal favourite of mine, nonetheless.

The Flinders Street Station competition was also Zaha Hadid's second attempt at realising a building in Melbourne, with the late architect's practice being engaged by Dubai-based SAMA in 2008 to conceive a $1.5 billion multi-tower high rise development on what is now Lend Lease's Melbourne Quarter Development in Docklands.

ZHA was later shunned in favour of Norman Foster on the basis that the scheme, as proposed was too costly to 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/dubai_towers-melbourne-1_0_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Zaha Hadid's unrealised scheme for Batmans Hill, Docklands. Image courtesy of ZHA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="318" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/dubai_towers-melbourne-1_0_0.jpg?itok=nsINFkgR" title="Zaha Hadid's unrealised scheme for Batmans Hill, Docklands. Image courtesy of ZHA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Zaha Hadid's unrealised scheme for Batmans Hill, Docklands. Image courtesy of ZHA</figcaption></figure>More recently CBUS's design competition for the 447 Collins Street site saw a host of big name Melbourne architects team up with big name internationals.

<ul>
<li>HASSELL and UN Studio</li>
	<li>Fender Katsalidis and Skidmore Owings &amp; Merrill</li>
	<li>Woods Bagot and ShoP Architects</li>
	<li>Bates Smart and Snøhetta</li>
</ul>
Each team developed two schemes as part of the design competition process: a singular tower approach of around 300 metres and a more restrained dual tower scheme. In the end, the Woods Bagot and SHoP schemes proved successful with a revised dual tower scheme of 143 metres now supported by Planning Minister Richard Wynne, replacing a 90-storey 295 metre version which was rejected by former Planning Minister Matthew Guy.

The mixed-use building features over 2,000sqm of public parkland in addition to ground level retail, an amphitheatre and a mix of offices, hotel suites and apartments across two buildings linked by a sky bridge.

<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/447-close_up_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="447 Collins Street by SHoP and Woods Bagot."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="187" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/447-close_up_0.jpg?itok=LFNfXVz-" title="447 Collins Street by SHoP and Woods Bagot." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>447 Collins Street by SHoP and Woods Bagot.</figcaption></figure>Despite not winning the 447 Collins Street competition, Melbourne may still see a Snøhetta building yet, with the Norway and US based firm set to be involved in Melbourne's Arts Centre Precinct as part of the master plan redevelopment of the precinct.

And finally, the most recent proposals in Melbourne come from starchitects and Pritzker winning firms Zaha Hadid Architects and Atelier Jean Nouvel. ZHA working with Plus Architecture have designed a 54-storey tower at 600 Collins Street which looks set to receive approval, following support from the City of Melbourne.

Developer Landream submitted the 185 metre tower proposal at 582-606 Collins Street for planning approval in December 2015 with the design comprising a series of stacked volumes, which resemble vases, establishing uniformity between the podium and the tower.

Apart from a plot ratio of 29.2:1. the proposed tower otherwise meets all the other requirements of the interim planning controls under Amendment C262. The final decision rests with Planning Minister Richard Wynne.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/zha_600c.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="582–606 Collins Street. Image courtesy Plus Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="386" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/zha_600c.jpg?itok=OSJbsNck" title="582–606 Collins Street. Image courtesy Plus Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>582-606 Collins Street. Image courtesy Plus Architecture</figcaption></figure>Jean Nouvel was in Melbourne recently as part of the Melbourne School of Design’s speaker series. His firm's 70-storey, $700 million tower is earmarked for a site at 383 La Trobe Street for developer Sterling Global.

The 243 metre proposal also exceeds the 24:1 plot ratio and the soon to be introduced 18:1 plot ratio but the development team argue this is justified due to the provision of a laneway through the site in addition to a public arcade featuring large-scale digital artworks across its surfaces.

Dubbed "The Tower of Seven Colors" the name refers to the building's response to its context, adopting the visual characteristics of its neighbours via different colours to its four primary elevations: gold to the east, red to the north, green to the west and silver to the south.

<blockquote>
The Tower of seven colors has roots. It knows where it is. It is a friendly tower that likes and respects its neighbors: the Hellenic Museum in the Royal Mint, Flagstaff Park, the Republic Tower. It is part of this family. One doesn’t choose one’s parents or one’s cousins, but there they are. Is it because the tower was born right next door to the wall of the museum that it is dressed in this warm mat brick color through which white, green and blue highlights shine? Yes. Because of hereditary rules, the exceptional pleasures of contamination? Both, probably. Is it to better view Flagstaff Park that the tower climbs so high? Yes. Is it out of desire to belong to the park that it shows a dense green planted face to it, lined and underlined by sky gardens forming 3 or 4 bands around it? Yes, for these reasons and these desires. Is it out of friendship with the Republic Tower that the tower adopts and shelters between its great feet giant screens that are permanently inhabited by dynamic images, an ideal complement to its neighbor’s own art space? Of course. That is how complicity and attractiveness are created. Is it to touch the sky, or marry it, that the tower’s summit develops reflections and transparencies in a crystalline and deliberate ambiguity? Yes. These things do not happen by chance!

The tower wants to be welcoming and alive. Behind its great urban gate, passageways branch out and connect to the main streets of the neighborhood, creating a mini-neighborhood of laneways and covered porches, all under laid by a bluestone floor that extends outward into different variations of ceramic brick through all the spaces it crosses including the lobby bar of the hotel, which faces the heritage wall, and the grand entrances to the apartments and the restaurant. This urbanity is particularly made to measure in the long, tall video space that terminates in a street library that reads as an extension of the heritage wall. The urban attraction of this place is linked to its singularity, to its magnetic charm that will be as important for the residents of the tower as for the Melbournians who will come here again and again.
<cite>Ateliers Jean Nouvel
</cite>
</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/383_latrobe.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="383 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Atelier Jean Nouvel"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="355" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/383_latrobe.jpg?itok=iiaZYZkt" title="383 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Atelier Jean Nouvel" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>383 La Trobe Street. Image courtesy Atelier Jean Nouvel</figcaption></figure>Topping off the impressive roll call is the biggest of them all: Wilkinson Eyre's 90-storey, 323 metre, $1.7 billion 6-star hotel and residential behemoth for Crown and Schiavello on Queensbridge Street in Southbank.

Having already won the design competition for Crown Towers at Barangaroo in Sydney, Wilkinson Eyre has conceived a design which the firm describes as “three interlocking sculptural forms providing a graceful and unique addition to the Melbourne skyline”.

The British firm's entry was selected ahead of local firms Bates Smart and Hassell, as well as international entries from Foster + Partners and Jean Nouvel. All up the new tower will feature 388 hotel rooms and 708 residences; and pending approval will be the tallest tower in Australia eclipsing Eureka (297 metres), Australia 108 (319 metres) and Q1 (322 metres) on the Gold Coast.

<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/151019-crown-melbourne1-1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Wilkinson Eyre's 90-storey 323 metre Crown Hotel &amp; Residences. Image courtesy Crown Resorts"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/151019-crown-melbourne1-1.jpg?itok=1ztgR80h" title="Wilkinson Eyre's 90-storey 323 metre Crown Hotel &amp; Residences. Image courtesy Crown Resorts" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Wilkinson Eyre's 90-storey 323 metre Crown Hotel &amp; Residences. Image courtesy Crown Resorts</figcaption></figure>
</body></html>

Star(chitect) Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope?

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-4" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" data-turn-id-container="request-WEB:84a2af5e-d7cf-4ddf-922a-f4d44d6c6caa-1" dir="auto">
The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Laurence Dragomir

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