Repeat buyers are one of the strongest measures of confidence in any apartment development.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/era-newcastle-west-124-126-bull-street-newcastle-west-nsw-2302">ERA</a> in Newcastle West, some purchasers are returning to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gwh">GWH</a> after living at the developer's One Apartments. Their decision to purchase again was driven by the quality of life they found after moving into their first GWH home.

Keith Wilton had spent years living in a house in East Maitland before deciding it was time for a change. Apartment living had always been on his radar, but he was selective about what he wanted.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FH_1EzB-1vs?si=XScVlP1ERsTDJoME" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

"I had some boxes I wanted to tick," he says.

Keith points to the open-plan design, generous outdoor areas and considered inclusions as key reasons One Apartments worked for him.

“One of those things was a nice indoor open plan area, but also I wanted a nice outdoor open area that I could entertain on in summer or Christmases or birthdays,” he says.

He also found value in the smaller details, from integrated appliances to shared resident spaces including the pool, cinema and rooftop areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356818]

After comparing several developments, he chose One Apartments because of GWH's longstanding local reputation and his own experience working with the developer on a commercial project more than a decade earlier.

"I knew that they were local, that the quality of the build was going to be up there. I'd looked at other apartment complexes around and close by, and I just knew that here was a better decision location wise."

Today, Keith says the move has completely changed how he experiences Newcastle.

"I enjoy living in this location because it's more of a lifestyle change. That Newcastle city living where you can walk to restaurants and bars and even beaches and parks and even shopping across the road."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356828]

Beyond the location, he says it's the sense of community that has surprised him most.

"Everyone loves living here because they chose to live here, but everyone looks out for each other. It's a real great community feel here."

For Aimee and Lyle Goodman, the journey started almost by chance.

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The couple happened to be having coffee in Newcastle when they noticed the site where One Apartments was about to begin construction.

"We were aware GWH was planning a development," Aimee says. "We made one phone call and things moved pretty quickly after that."

As busy business owners, they initially thought apartment living would simply reduce the maintenance that came with larger homes. Instead, it fundamentally changed how they spent time together.

"We actually catch up more as a family now," Aimee says.

"We've had homes with big yards and lots of space, but everyone ended up in different rooms. Here we'll have dinner together, the kids can play, and we spend far more quality time together."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356829]

Lyle says their confidence came from GWH's reputation within Newcastle's building industry.

"I know people who've worked across different apartment projects, and whenever GWH came up the feedback was always the same. They're rock solid. They're quality."

That confidence only grew throughout the buying process.

"One of the things that really impressed us with GWH was the whole process, was the communication," Lyle says. "It was consistent, it was regular, there was no problem if we had some weird questions, there was no problems in getting answers."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351104]

Aimee says one moment stood out.

"The project actually finished on time. We realised we needed to hurry up and sell our house because everything was happening exactly when they said it would."

The positive experience at One Apartments ultimately gave all three buyers the confidence to purchase again with GWH, this time at ERA.

Their confidence reflects what many buyers are seeking in today's apartment market. Location remains important, but so too does certainty around delivery, quality and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356822]

ERA builds on those foundations with 280 one, two and three-bedroom apartments across two landmark towers in <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/newcastle-west-nsw-2302">Newcastle West</a>.&nbsp;

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/fk-australia">Fender Katsalidis</a>, the project will include more than 2,000 square metres of resident amenities, including a resort-style pool, gym, sauna, private cinema and rooftop entertaining spaces overlooking the harbour and coastline.&nbsp;

The development is also within walking distance of the Newcastle Interchange, Honeysuckle, Darby Street, the harbour foreshore, restaurants, retail and the city’s beaches, continuing the walkable lifestyle that existing GWH buyers say has transformed how they live.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=356826]

For Keith, the appeal remains straightforward.

"You feel at home even before you've moved into your home."

For Aimee, the change is measured in time.

“I just felt like I had more time,” she says.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135096 project_image_fid=351102]

Construction at ERA is now underway, with more than half of the residences already sold and limited two and three-bedroom apartments remaining in the East Tower release. Priced from $980,000 for two-bedroom residences and $1.46 million for three-bedroom residences, buyers can secure an apartment with a 10 per cent deposit, with premium homes offering ocean views from Level 8 and harbour views from Level 10.

ERA is also backed by Resilience Insurance's 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy, providing protection against structural or waterproofing defects for 10 years after completion. The project is anticipated to be completed in early 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135096]

Joel Robinson

From ONE to ERA: Why buyers are choosing GWH again in Newcastle West

Virgate Property Group is preparing to commence construction of Verdé, its new apartment development in Melbourne's Arts Precinct at Southbank, following a strong run of sales that has seen more than half of the project's 173 apartments secured.

Verdé has attracted a broad mix of first home buyers, owner-occupiers upgrading from nearby inner-city suburbs and investors, with younger owner-occupier couples aged between 28 and 45 accounting for the strongest enquiry. Many are already living in Southbank, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Yarra and the CBD.

"Verdé is located in one of the most desirable pockets of southern Melbourne," Blair Property Group Director Darren Blair, who is managing sales at Verdé, said.

"It's within walking distance of the Arts Centre, Royal Botanic Gardens, Albert Park Lake, and Southbank's restaurants and retail. It's a great lifestyle location with strong amenity and liveability, which made it a very attractive choice for the project."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372549]

Virgate was already familiar with the precinct, having previously delivered the successful Domain House development in neighbouring South Melbourne. That experience gave the developer confidence to acquire the Coventry Street site and continue expanding its presence in Melbourne's inner south.

"We had been keeping an eye on the site and the broader precinct for a few months before deciding to move forward with the acquisition," Virgate said.

The project was ultimately secured in 2020 following feasibility studies, planning assessments and due diligence, with the brief centred on delivering "a high-quality, considered design that feels both refined and fit for purpose."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=314259]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bruce-henderson-architects">Bruce Henderson Architects</a>, Verdé comprises 173 one, two and three-bedroom apartments priced from $599,000. The architecture is distinguished by a faceted glass façade that responds to both the site's outlook and Melbourne's changing light conditions.

According to Bruce Henderson Architects, the coloured glazing gives the building a distinctive identity while also providing privacy and solar shading, with residences oriented to capture views across the bay, city skyline and surrounding parklands.

Inside, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/designoffice">DesignOffice</a> has created interiors focused on natural light, efficient planning and enduring materials. Apartments feature engineered oak flooring, natural stone benchtops, floor-to-ceiling glazing and SMEG appliances, while a restrained material palette aims to complement the expansive outlooks rather than compete with them.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4661 project_image_fid=372550]

Resident amenity has also been designed around everyday functionality rather than occasional use. Facilities include a concierge-serviced lobby, residents' lounge with fireplace, library and co-working space, gym, terrace garden with barbecue facilities, ground-floor café, and package delivery management.

The project's location continues to be one of its strongest drawcards. Positioned on Coventry Street, Verdé sits within walking distance of the National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens and Albert Park Lake, while Southbank's dining precinct, Sturt Street trams and the new ANZAC Station are all nearby. The surrounding education catchment also includes Melbourne Grammar, Melbourne Girls Grammar, Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and several major university campuses.

The sales team says buyers have responded particularly well to the combination of location, design quality and long-term liveability.

"They're responding really positively to the quality of the design, premium resident amenities and the uninterrupted views. Many also appreciate the location and how connected it is to everything they need."

The ability to secure stamp duty savings before completion has also been a key factor for purchasers, alongside the opportunity to personalise finishes ahead of settlement.

With construction set to commence soon and more than half the apartments already sold, Verdé enters its next phase as one of the Arts Precinct's more established apartment developments, offering remaining buyers an opportunity to secure a residence before construction advances further. Expected completion is scheduled for late 2027.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4661]

Virgate's Verdé Southbank moves toward construction as sales fly past halfway stage

Downsizer-focused apartment development Kooyongkoot in Hawthorn has been recognised at the 2026 Better Future Melbourne Design Awards, taking home Gold and Silver awards in two categories.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a>, currently being delivered by developer PQD and designed by Cera Stribley, received Gold in the Interior Design – Proposed category and Silver in the Architecture – Proposed category.

The dual recognition reflects the design approach behind the boutique development on prestigious Kooyongkoot Road, where the focus has been on creating homes for downsizers seeking the space, quality and functionality of a detached house within a low-rise apartment building.

Rather than maximising apartment numbers, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pqd">PQD</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a> limited the development to just 18 residences, allowing for larger floorplans, greater privacy, generous landscaping and expansive communal spaces.&nbsp;The majority of the apartments also benefit from corner aspects, allowing for dual sources of natural light.

Now around 70 per cent complete and on track for completion in November 2026, Kooyongkoot will comprise a mix of garden residences, ter​race apartments, sub-penthouses, and is crowned by two half-floor penthouses with direct lift access and private rooftop terraces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355297]

The Silver Award for Architecture recognised the way the building responds to its prominent corner position at the ent​rance to Hawthorn's Scotch Hill precinct, one of Melbourne's most established residential neighbourhoods.

Rather than competing with the grand homes that line Kooyongkoot Road, the architectural approach focused on restraint and longevity, using curved brickwork, generous landscaping and carefully considered proportions to integrate with the existing streetscape.

"The form feels fluid and timeless, as though shaped by the landscape itself – architecture that belongs, rather than competes," said Chris Stribley, Co-Founder and Managing Principal of Cera Stribley.

The judging submission also highlighted practical innovations throughout the building, including lift cores servicing only nine homes each, a central landscaped lightcourt designed to bring daylight and ventilation into the building, and fully enclosed private storage rooms with lighting, power and shelving to better accommodate residents transitioning from larger family homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355293]

The Gold Award for Interior Design recognised the project's focus on long-term liveability rather than display-home aesthetics.

According to the awards submission, the interiors were designed from the inside out, prioritising how homes would function over decades of daily use through generous proportions, practical storage, durable natural materials and flexible layouts.

The specification includes natural stone throughout, upgraded acoustic glazing, V-ZUG appliances and fully enclosed storage rooms, alongside an amenity offering focused on wellness, entertainment and everyday convenience.&nbsp;

Residents will have access to a gym and yoga studio, a wellness centre featuring traditional and infrared saunas, a cold therapy shower and treatment room, as well as a residents' lounge and golf simulator/cinema room for entertainment.&nbsp;Kooyongkoot has also considered the everyday convenience of its residents by offering a private carwash and pet wash facilities on site as well as dedicated parcel lockers and oversized fully enclosed storage rooms.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355303]

The project's attention to detail has already resonated with buyers. Earlier this year, Kooyongkoot recorded one of Boroondara's highest apartment sales when an $8 million penthouse was purchased by a Melbourne CEO downsizing from a nearby family home.

"Every detail feels deliberate, from the overall design down to the smallest touches," the purchaser said.

"The level of quality and refinement is exceptional, but what really sold it was how liveable it felt... It felt like a place where everything had been considered, not just a luxury building."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

Sustainability also formed a key part of both award submissions. Kooyongkoot is targeting a minimum 7.5-star NatHERS rating across all residences, supported by passive design principles, high-performance glazing, EV charging infrastructure, water reuse systems and a wellness model focused on lower-energy dry facilities rather than pools and large wet areas.

Located within walking distance of Scotch College, Methodist Ladies' College, Koo​yong Lawn Tennis Club, Aubur​n Village and Camberwell Junction, Kooyongkoot continues to target owner-occupiers looking to remain in Melbourne's inner east without compromising on space or quality. A limited selection of two, three and four-bedroom residences remains available, with prices starting from $1.9 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Kooyongkoot wins Gold and Silver at Better Future Melbourne Design Awards

New apartment supply has become increasingly constrained across <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/parramatta-nsw-2150">Parramatta</a> in recent years, with fewer projects progressing through to completion as development conditions have become more challenging.

It makes <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/novm">NOVM</a>'s 2021-completed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/the-lennox-parramatta-12-phillip-street-parramatta-nsw-2150">The Lennox</a> one of the most recently completed residential towers on the Parramatta River, and among the newest apartment developments in Sydney's second CBD.

With the project largely completed before the sharp escalation in construction costs and inflation following the pandemic, The Lennox is now offering pricing that would be difficult to replicate in a comparable new development in Parramatta today, or across much of Western Sydney.

The majority of the 413 apartments at The Lennox sold before and shortly after completion. A limited release of the remaining apartments has recently been brought to market by capital partner <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/equitifund-group">Equitifund</a>, with entry-level pricing from $700,000 and two-bedroom apartments available from under $1 million.

Rising above the Parramatta River at 12 Phillip Street, The Lennox comprises one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, appealing to first home buyers, young professionals, families, downsizers and interstate investors seeking a completed apartment in one of Australia's fastest-growing economic centres.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=372394]

Rather than positioning Parramatta as an alternative to Sydney's CBD, Equitifund believes the city has reached a point where it stands on its own merits.

"Parramatta is no longer simply an alternative to Sydney CBD, it's becoming a destination in its own right," Equitifund Executive Chairman Greg Huxley said.

"The Lennox captures that evolution with a level of quality and amenity that's difficult to match at its price point."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=953]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/marchese-partners">Marchese Partners</a>, the tower responds directly to its riverfront setting through expansive glazing and open-plan layouts that maximise views across the Parramatta River and city skyline. Interiors feature engineered timber flooring, stone benchtops, stainless steel appliances and floor-to-ceiling glazing, while generous balconies extend the living spaces outdoors.

Marchese Partners says the project was conceived to balance high-quality apartment living with practical, long-term functionality, pairing larger, efficient floorplans with amenities more commonly associated with five-star hotels.

That emphasis continues through the resident facilities, which include a 20-metre rooftop swimming pool, fully equipped gym and wellness spaces, full-time concierge, a residents' lounge, function room, private lifts, secure basement parking and rooftop communal areas overlooking the Parramatta River. Ground-floor boardwalk retail and dining further activate the riverfront and integrate the building into the surrounding public realm.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=925]

Australian housing and finance group Equitifund has secured the remaining apartments, believing there are few completed apartment opportunities in Parramatta that offer the same combination of location, amenity and pricing.

Equitifund National Sales Director Ben Hamblett says buyers are increasingly recognising that premium apartment living no longer needs to come with Sydney CBD pricing.

"The Lennox is where aspirational living becomes attainable," Hamblett said.

"Wake to river and mountain views, step into Sydney's Second CBD, and arrive home to resort-calibre amenities, all without the harbour price tag."

Hamblett says owner-occupiers are also attracted by the convenience of having Westfield Parramatta, Church Street's dining precinct, Parramatta Park, Riverside Theatres, Western Sydney University and major transport connections all within walking distance.

"At The Lennox, lifestyle is not an afterthought, it is the foundation."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5743 project_image_fid=5374]

The Lennox places residents within walking distance of Parramatta Square, Westfield Parramatta, Church Street Eat Street, Parramatta Station, the ferry wharf, Light Rail, the future Sydney Metro West, Parramatta Park and CommBank Stadium, reinforcing Parramatta's position as one of Australia's most connected metropolitan centres outside Sydney's CBD.

Equitifund says buyers visiting the display suite consistently comment on the quality of the finishes, generous floorplans, river and skyline views, and the walkability of the location. The project has attracted a broad mix of local professionals, upsizers, downsizers, buyers relocating from Sydney's inner suburbs and interstate investors seeking long-term growth opportunities.

That demand aligns with Parramatta's continued evolution as an economic powerhouse. Equitifund Research and Market Insights specialist John Bekiaris says sustained population growth, infrastructure investment and expanding employment opportunities continue to support long-term housing demand across the city.

"Parramatta has evolved from a satellite city into one of Australia's most important economic centres. Population growth, infrastructure investment and employment are all supporting sustained long-term housing demand."

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=5743]

The apartment price gap drawing Sydney buyers west

A luxury beachfront apartment at Rainbow Bay has more than doubled in value since it sold off the plan six years ago, setting a new local apartment record in the process.

The three-bedroom apartment in the Flow development on Petrie Street, the first of four new projects locally by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects, has sold for $7.4 million, after originally selling for $3.27 million when the project launched in 2020.

The seventh-floor apartment, comprising 187 sqm of internal living space and a 54 sqm balcony overlooking Froggies Beach and Snapper Rocks, was purchased by a local family.

The transaction was negotiated by Pezet Matheson director Kerry Pezet and equates to more than $30,000 per sqm.

Pezet said the sale reflected the limited opportunities to buy into the boutique beachfront development.

"The sale highlights the rarity of opportunities within the boutique beachfront development, where residences seldom become available," Pezet said.

"Flow is one of the Gold Coast's most tightly held buildings. Buyers from our database move quickly when residences become available, and achieving an off-market sale at $7.4 million demonstrates the depth of demand for property of this calibre."

<img alt="Flow" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c585b206-2130-4eee-a50c-3f27c51a7c70" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-07-06%20at%208.33.25%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=m3pHRDV62Y3fvN.XQuQHq.52ilTWpRLf" />

Flow was the first of four luxury apartment developments delivered by Paul Gedoun's S&amp;S Projects at Rainbow Bay and was completed in 2023.

Positioned on the beachfront overlooking Snapper Rocks, the residence includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a powder room and views stretching north along the coastline towards Surfers Paradise.

Pezet Matheson Residential principal Mitchell Lambert said buyers continued to prioritise quality beachfront apartments in tightly held locations.

"Flow Residences offers a rare combination of elevated beachfront positioning, architectural excellence, comprehensive resident amenity and premium finishes, which is exactly what discerning purchasers are seeking," Lambert said.

"The transaction further reinforces Rainbow Bay's reputation as one of Australia's premier coastal lifestyle destinations, where limited supply and growing demand continue to support strong market performance."

Pezet Matheson originally marketed and sold out Flow off the plan, making the latest transaction a return to one of the project's original buyers.

Paul Gedoun is selling his third project, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/radia-rainbow-bay-271-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Radia Rainbow Bay</a>, after recently completing, and selling out, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/esprit-217-227-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Esprit</a>. He has plans for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/first-look-s-s-projects-proposes-88-apartment-wellness-tower-at-coolangattas-boundary-street">fourth building</a>, 88 apartments on <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/209-213-boundary-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Boundary Street</a>.

Rainbow Bay apartment doubles in price since off the plan sale during pandemic

Architecture

<html><body>
A Mosman Park home designed by Perth architect Ariane Prevost has been listed for sale.
The property, known as Marimekko House, was designed with connections between interior and exterior spaces.
There has been extensive use of recycled materials –including steel, timber, brick, rammed earth and concrete which gives the home a sustainable edge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/3/31/Mosman%20Park%201.jpg" alt="">
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence captures the outdoor landscape with large windows.
There are high ceilings, an abundance of natural light and open-plan living with bi-fold doors.
It has been listed by Ruth Litis, who paid $2.63 million in 2014.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2020/3/31/Mosman%20Park%202.jpg" alt="">
<div class="video-container default">
<div class="video-padding">
<div id="6052336285001-42" class="video-js vjs-mouse vjs-paused vjs-controls-enabled vjs-workinghover vjs-v5 bc-player-default_default vjs-dock vjs-ima3-not-playing-yet vjs-vpaid-controls-disabled vjs-ima3-html5 vjs-plugins-ready vjs-contextmenu vjs-contextmenu-ui vjs-player-info vjs-errors vjs-ad-controls vjs-user-inactive" data-application-id="" data-embed="default" data-player="default" data-account="4342645250001" data-video-id="6052336285001">The property won Australian Architecture House Awards in 2012 and 2013.</div>
</div>
</div>
It was a finalist in House Magazine’s Australian House of the Year 2012.
Marimekko House is being marketed by Marcus Sproule of Mack Hall Real Estate, Claremont. 
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Ariane Prevost's Marimekko House listed

<html><body>
Universities across Australia are seeing a <a href="/news/monash-university-refreshes-its-20-year-campus-master-plans">rapid increase in student enrolments</a>, with <a href="https://internationaleducation.gov.au/research/International-Student-Data/Documents/MONTHLY%20SUMMARIES/2019/Nov%202019%20MonthlyInfographic.pdf">754,656 International student enrollments</a> documented since 2018. Such abundant growth has universities considering expanding and further developing their campus to accommodate demand. 

<a href="/">Apartments.com.au</a> has compiled a list of the top three Australian universities with the most future-focused building designs. 

<h2>$564m Victorian Heart Hospital at Monash University </h2>

Monash University has proposed to build a $564 million Victorian Heart Hospital on their Clayton campus adjacent to the Australian Synchrotron.

<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/photo_1_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="434" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/photo_1_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png?itok=10FIUlGC" title="Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/new-vision-of-564m-victorian-heart-hospital/">ArchitectureAU</a></figcaption></figure>The hospital will be the <a href="https://www.vhhsba.vic.gov.au/health-infrastructure/victorian-heart-hospital">first Australian specialist cardiac hospital</a> providing holistic, patient-centred care, as well as research and education. The new Victorian Heart Hospital will also incorporate clinical cardiology services and research facilities to raise the profile of cardiovascular discovery, treatment and training.

Designed by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects, the proposed development aims to reduce its carbon footprint, with the building being constructed using 90% of locally sourced materials. 

Inspired by the tree-lined university, the architectural design of the new building emphasizes the surrounding external native landscape of the campus, through light-filled interiors, internal gardens and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. 

 

<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/photo_2_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Photo 2: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/photo_2_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png?itok=o2ZkB6sD" title="Photo 2: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Photo 2: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/new-vision-of-564m-victorian-heart-hospital/">ArchitectureAU</a> </figcaption></figure>The design will also integrate principles of biophilic design in an effort to improve the health and wellbeing outcomes of patients. 

Once completed, the hospital will have the capacity to provide 2,150 cardiac surgeries per year, 108,000 consultations and outpatient appointments; and 13,500 cardiac laboratory procedures. The development will also include:

<ul>
<li>206 beds</li>
	<li>An emergency department</li>
	<li>Cardiac catheterization labs</li>
	<li>Specialist surgical and imaging facilities</li>
	<li>Telemedicine services for Victorian, interstate and international patients</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/photo_3_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Photo 3: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="436" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/photo_3_-_victorian_heart_hospital_by_conrad_gargett_and_john_wardle_architects_in_joint_venture.png?itok=-srB7eV1" title="Photo 3: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: ArchitectureAU" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Photo 3: Victorian Heart Hospital by Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects in a joint venture. Credit: <a href="https://architectureau.com/articles/new-vision-of-564m-victorian-heart-hospital/">ArchitectureAU</a>  </figcaption></figure>Excavation of the site began in 2019, with the hospital scheduled for completion in 2022

First large-scale timber building at Murdoch University 

Murdoch University in Perth has proposed to build the first large-scale timber building in Western Australia. 

Designed by Lyons Architecture in collaboration with Officer Woods, The Fulcrum Agency, Silver Thomas Hanley and Aspect Studios, the $105 million academia building will be constructed using locally sourced timber. 

The proposed building design follows a creative warehouse model which includes partitions for a flexible internal form, and, "will serve as an important entrance statement and further activate this key arrival point to the university campus", according to the <a href="https://www.melvillecity.com.au/CityOfMelville/media/melville-talks/documents/Murdoch-University-Development-Application-Planning-report.pdf">planning report</a> advertised by Melville Council. 

<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/subject_building_-_murdoch_university_.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Subject Building - Murdoch University. Credit: Melville City"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/subject_building_-_murdoch_university_.png?itok=noa2lZmp" title="Subject Building - Murdoch University. Credit: Melville City" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Subject Building - Murdoch University. Credit: <a href="https://www.melvillecity.com.au/CityOfMelville/media/melville-talks/documents/Murdoch-University-Development-Application-Planning-report.pdf">Melville City</a></figcaption></figure>The existing modernist architecture <a href="https://edsc.unimelb.edu.au/graduate-research/student-life/oculus/2016/ronald-jack-gus-ferguson-a-concrete-regionalism">designed by Gus Ferguson</a> consists of five campus buildings which will be demolished to free up the site for new development. 

The proposed design aims to develop a building identity that enhances the campus's low rise and landscaped environment. 

The four-story building will provide 15,000 square metres of learning space, informal study areas and academic workspaces to facilitate the university's anticipated increase student load. 

<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/photo_-_lyons_.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Lyons. Credit: Lyons Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="821" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/photo_-_lyons_.png?itok=8FMs6a6C" title="Lyons. Credit: Lyons Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Lyons. Credit: <a href="http://www.lyonsarch.com.au/">Lyons Architecture</a></figcaption></figure>The building will also house the university's School of Business and Governance, as well as accommodate the latest contemporary teaching and learning spaces that are equivalent to the industry-leading standards and student expectations. 

Murdoch University also announced a design competition for its new environmental education centre in early January 2020. 

<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/promenade_banksia_court_-_murdoch_university_.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Promenade &amp; Banksia Court. Credit: Melville City"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/promenade_banksia_court_-_murdoch_university_.png?itok=ERo9c_oU" title="Promenade &amp; Banksia Court. Credit: Melville City" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Promenade &amp; Banksia Court. Credit: <a href="https://www.melvillecity.com.au/CityOfMelville/media/melville-talks/documents/Murdoch-University-Development-Application-Planning-report.pdf">Melville City</a></figcaption></figure>In early January 2020, Murdoch University announced that they were seeking expressions of interest for a design competition which would see a new environmental education centre take shape at its campus in Perth's south.

The centre will be built in memory of Harry Butler, the Australian environmental consultant and lecturer of biology and natural science, and will also receive $25 million in federal funding. 

<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/harry_butler_with_five_million_year_old_mammal_fossils_in_the_cliff_face_on_barrow_island_.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Harry Butler with five million-year-old mammal fossils in the cliff face on Barrow Island. Credit: The West Australian"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/harry_butler_with_five_million_year_old_mammal_fossils_in_the_cliff_face_on_barrow_island_.png?itok=d87VcHYZ" title="Harry Butler with five million-year-old mammal fossils in the cliff face on Barrow Island. Credit: The West Australian" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harry Butler with five million-year-old mammal fossils in the cliff face on Barrow Island. Credit: <a href="https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/butler-opened-eyes-to-outback-ng-ya-133933">The West Australian</a></figcaption></figure>To be known as 'The Harry Butler Environmental Education Centre', Murdoch University proposes the building will unite design excellence, sustainability and innovative technological outcomes, as well as the 50,000-year historical, social and cultural importance of the area.

<blockquote>
“We support high-quality research in the co-existence of business (human endeavour) and biodiversity and are shaping the next generation of leaders in conservation and environmental management. Our research programs ensure the continuation of Harry Butler’s outstanding environmental outcomes, based on excellence in both scientific research and industry practice.” 
</blockquote>

Murdoch University

Entries into the competition are open to multidisciplinary teams that are led by an Australian architect. However, they must contain at least one architect registered in Western Australia.

The expressions of interest for the design competition can be lodged <a href="https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/2a8ca79f69744af0a42d74fc9adbaf4e">here</a>. 

The winning design will be announced by mid-2020. 

<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/indicative_scheme_for_the_harry_butler_environmental_education_centre_at_murdoch_university.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Indicative scheme for the Harry Butler Environmental Education Centre at Murdoch University. Credit: Murdoch University"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="321" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/indicative_scheme_for_the_harry_butler_environmental_education_centre_at_murdoch_university.png?itok=exdEt-TA" title="Indicative scheme for the Harry Butler Environmental Education Centre at Murdoch University. Credit: Murdoch University" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Indicative scheme for the Harry Butler Environmental Education Centre at Murdoch University. Credit: <a href="https://www.murdoch.edu.au/research/institutes-centres/harry-butler-institute">Murdoch University</a> </figcaption></figure>You can also read about more university developments in <a href="/news/victoria-university-announces-innovative-new-vocational-training-facility-targeting-melbourne-s-skill-shortages">Melbourne</a>, <a href="/news/mab-attracts-medical-professionals-to-its-university-hill-development">Epping</a> and <a href="/news/university-of-sydneys-highly-anticipated-social-sciences-building-by-architectus-opens-today">Sydney</a> and many others on the <a href="/news">Urban News</a>.
</body></html>

Olivia Round

Three Australian universities with the most future-focused building designs

Environmental stewardship deserves commendation as advocates push eco-accreditation 

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Dangrove, the Alexandria warehouse designed by architect Alec Tzannes, has won the Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture at the National Architecture Awards.
It was designed specifically for art collector Judith Neilson's collection, one of the largest Chinese private art collections in Australia.
The state of the art facility with 10,000 square metres of space has the functionality and flexibility to not only store and display artwork, but also host private events.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/11/7/Dangrove%202.jpg" alt="">
At the centre of Dangrove is the Great Hall. 
The grand room, around 90 metres long and 18 metres wide, is used for art to be temporarily displayed, evaluated and curated.
"The plan is formed by regular bays across the length and in cross section by a ceiling that steps in height from 6m to 28 metres at each bay," Tzannes describes the space.
"A soft even light floods this space through a double skin of UV reducing polycarbonate material above a wall datum of polished concrete.
"Sculptural concrete skylights terminate the Great Hall at each end to heighten the sensory experience of natural light within."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/11/7/Dangrove%204.jpg" alt="">
Dangrove is designed with a minimum 100 year life, delivering low net energy use and a low carbon footprint.
The upper level of the two storey facility is split in to two parts, with an adjoining sculpture garden.
The first art evaluation space is the long room which runs along the street with a scalloped concrete ceiling. 
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

Tzannes-designed Dangrove wins Harry Seidler Award

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The Longhouse in Daylesford, north of Melbourne, has taken out the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture at the National Architecture Awards.
The 110 metre long functional farm and residence in country Victoria was honoured at the gala ceremony in Brisbane earlier in the week.
Timothy Hill was the design architect, who worked in collaboration with Jonathan Chamberlain, a Graduate of Architecture, Domenic Mesiti, Michael Hogg and Andrew D'Occhio.
"Daylesford Longhouse is utterly extraordinary, challenging in its questioning, enchanted in its outcome," the panel noted.
One of the Longhouse's most striking features is its roof, around 12 metres by 130 metres, that marks out a linear territory that, combined with walls of sheet metal, translucent polycarbonate and agricultural mesh, preserve the interior.
Inside is a verdant garden with a climatic zone.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/11/7/Longhouse%202.jpg" alt="">
The translucent skin, punctuated only by carefully curated picture windows, protects the garden from predators and exposure.
Akin to a long shed or conservatory, the structure includes an operational barn at one end and an intimate residence at the other.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/11/7/Longhouse%203.jpg" alt="">
Internally, aedicules, arbours and eyries accommodate the domestic functions of kitchen, dining, sleeping and bathing.
"The sense of living within the garden is profoundly delivered," the panel said.
"These spatial “follies” reference other times and places, and form the settings for continuously unfolding theatre."
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/11/7/Bedroom%20Daylesford.jpg" alt="">
"Partners Hill has scaled up this design to the rural landscape to avoid being diminished by it.
"The site is a microcosm of the broader setting; “wild” grass mounds that reflect the mounded landforms in the distance are used to signify the building entry and the cultivated production garden extends into the house."  
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Daylesford's Longhouse wins Robin Boyd Award

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Hazelwood House in Mittagong has been listed for sale by architects Allan Stevens and Naomi Fry, founding partners of Esquisse Design Studio.
Over their decade ownership they've reinterpreted Hazelwood House, built in the 1940s with influences from Cape Cod architecture.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/mittagong%202%201.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-nsw-mittagong-131991038" target="_blank">two storey home</a> is made out of local granite.
Under the timber shingles and slate roof is four bedrooms, five bathrooms an a grand living room with open sandstone fireplace.
The stone outbuilding which was a garage and workshop is now a self-contained pool house with a loft-suite, state of the art gym with limestone bathroom, double steam room, hydro-therapy shower and Technogym Kinesis machine.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/mittagong%203%201.jpg" alt="">
It adjoins the heated stone-lined swimming pool, eight person spa and tennis court with stone gazebo in the 1.75 hectare landscaped grounds.
Separated from Hazelwood House is Baynton Cottage, a two storey sandstone cottage with two bedrooms and a self-contained third bedroom.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/9/26/mittagong%204%201.jpg" alt="">
A stone stairway leads to the expansive lower garden that features a heated plunge pool, parterre rose garden, greenhouse and boules court.
It is currently run as short-term accomodation earning around $100,000 per annum.
Drew Lindsay Bowral agent Sam Lindsay is asking for $6.5 million. Stevens and Fry paid $1.8 million in 2009.
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jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

Hazelwood House in Mittagong listed by architects Allan Stevens and Naomi Fry

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Australia has come a long way in terms of planning and development, but times are changing fast. 
With <a href="/architects">architects</a> recognising the impact on climate change and urban sprawl more so than our government, we are seeing projects that challenge the status quo and influence social change through thoughtful design. 
Design can be used to address social equity and diversity in urban environments by providing affordable housing, green space, sustainable living, appropriate density and a green lean towards public transport and cycling facilities. 

Collaborating with other architects and the community to leverage projects that deliver a deep and sustained social benefit is at the forefront of this movement.  
This allows architects to call out social and environmental inequality by simply providing alternative living and civic spaces with the idea of working with communities instead of working for them. 
With erosion threatening beachfront properties along the coast of Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, and the threat of rising sea levels impacting where almost 40% of all Australians livelihood, smart design and planning is most important to influencing and adapting the way we live to retain our lifestyles. 

There are a few projects that unknowingly push the boundaries in opening up discussions between communities on sustainable living and the impact of urban sprawl such as <a href="/architects/breathe-architecture">Breathe Architecture’s </a>Nightingale proposal for Ballarat.

<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/11325664-3x2-940x627_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of the Nightingale Ballarat project by Breathe Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/11325664-3x2-940x627_0.jpg?itok=_BUzUGSu" title="Rendering of the Nightingale Ballarat project by Breathe Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of the Nightingale Ballarat project by <a href="/architects/breathe-architecture">Breathe Architecture</a></figcaption></figure> 
The architectural form of the project is driven to respond to its surrounding heritage brick industrial buildings along Davey Street and the city centre of Ballarat.  
Breathe’s design strategy is to provide more with less, with untreated, tactile and durable materials recycled where possible.

The landscaped courtyard and gardens offer the ability for deep root planting, which encourages residents to grow and sustain vegetables and plants. The facade is also immersed in native plants giving a deep sense of community pride. Through careful material usage and recycled content where possible, Nightingale Ballarat is to be a carbon zero emissions building. Recycled water, renewable energy sources and high quality waste management attribute to the future residents low cost living.

“Nightingale Ballarat has been designed to make sustainable living simple. Common elements like the roof garden and deck, laundry and clotheslines, bicycle parking and shared building services offer a collectively better outcome. By providing meaningful social and utility-based spaces, we look to encourage interaction and activity with friends and neighbours.” - <a href="/developers/nightingale-housing">Nightingale Ballarat </a>Resident Package.

Open walkways with vertical greenery connect the apartment levels, creating spaces for residents to stop and converse. All apartments have an east or west facing living areas with a private balcony providing planter boxes to allow greenery to grow along the facade as well as natural ventilation and daylight adding additional amenity for the residents.

The development has opened up a major discussion for Ballarat residents about the negative impact of urban sprawl, with the population set to grow by 40,000 people in the next two decades. Nightingale offers the first socially beneficial solution that the residents of Ballarat recognise more as a typical Melbourne development and thus are not yet accustomed to within their own city. 
Victoria’s satellite cities are growing at a fast rate as well as Melbourne’s outer suburbs and in Ballarat alone, there are undeveloped, empty lots within the existing city structure that could be developed respectfully to accommodate for this population growth. 
 

<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/86a357642d9acbbb786ca1cd7569f38c_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendering of the Ivanhoe Housing Estate in Macquarie Park, Sydney"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/86a357642d9acbbb786ca1cd7569f38c_1.jpg?itok=M1YFNhcX" title="Rendering of the Ivanhoe Housing Estate in Macquarie Park, Sydney" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendering of the Ivanhoe Housing Estate in Macquarie Park, Sydney</figcaption></figure> 
A project unfolding in the Sydney suburb of <a href="/new-apartments/macquarie-park-nsw-2113">Macquarie Park</a> is the Ivanhoe public-private housing estate. 
The development is an integrated social housing precinct that offers community facilities, a school, retail, green space and ‘tenure blindness’ for residential properties. 
This is a social leap into disbanding the stigma between private, social housing and rental properties as tenure blindness offers a connectivity of all diversities and demographics.

The existing <a href="https://ivanhoeestate.com.au/">Ivanhoe Housing Estate</a> is set to be demolished to provide an updated private-public mixed community precinct to which benefits social and environmental strains. 
The architecture practices involved with the project are <a href="/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a>, which produced the masterplan, <a href="/architects/candalepas-associates">Candalepas Associates</a>, <a href="/architects/turner-studio">Turner</a>, <a href="/architects/cox-architecture">Cox Architecture</a> delivering residential and community facilities and <a href="/architects/hassell-studio">Hassell</a> whom are responsible for the project’s urban design and landscape architecture. 

The development will include 3000 apartment units replacing the 259 current social housing units on site with a private vertical high school for 1000 students, a 120-bed residential aged care, two childcare centres, a supermarket, cafe’s, specialty retail shops, a multi-functional centre with a hall, gymnasium, pool and outdoor play areas and exercise stations. 
Local infrastructure will be improved for easy accessibility and connectivity and sustainable measures such as solar panels, green roofs, water capture and reuse as well as incorporating car-share facilities and a bicycle space for each dwelling keeps the precinct at a six Star Energy Rating.

The Ivanhoe Housing Estate opens Australian’s eyes to how we perceive each other and help to break down social barriers of classism and elitism that we may hold against each other. 
As communities integrate and Australia becomes one of the most multicultural countries globally, we must progress in our thinking and feelings towards each other to which density can provide that close kinship. 
The proposal has been massively influenced by community engagement and have opened up to existing residents and locals to participate in the discussion. Having social or privately owned apartments not perceivable by the public domain encourages social equality and a deconstruction of stigmatic and biased views once shared between community.

 
The architecture and urban planning industry can progress forward and benefit from a sense of personal accountability and understanding on the issues that face us in Australia. 
The outcome of these projects can no longer be just a building, but a living entity that impacts social life, so instead of thinking about providing shelter, we need to think about providing a higher quality of life.

 

 

 

 
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Nick Dante

Architecture as a tool for social change

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Architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear was the pioneer of the medieval movement in Australian home design, especially in Melbourne's north-east.
Born into a Bendigo mining family in the 1860s, raised in Richmond, and matriculating from Hawthorn Grammar, Annear was articled in the office of architect William Salway. The office was designing trophy homes - Raheen for Edward Latham in Kew, Moondah for James Grice at Mt Eliza and Millswyn Court for James Gatehouse in South Yarra.
Desbrowe-Annear, who was following the English Arts and Crafts movement closely, was responsible for much of the medieval-inspired work in Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Greensborough and Alphington. His Macgeorge house at the confluence of the Yarra River and Darebin Creek is still seen as a stunner.
In the early 1900s, the then Ascot Vale-based Desbrowe-Annear and his wife Florence went to live at Eaglemont, near Heidelberg, where his father-in-law, James Chadwick, had bought three building blocks high on Mount Eagle for £170.
The couple built a home for themselves that differed from the other two as it initially had a corrugated iron roof, painted red to replicate expensive Marseilles-pattern metal tiles. The tiles were added at a later date.
The father-in-law's neighbouring residence, which became known as Chadwick House, has recently had a suitable offer after having a price revision to $3 million. Miles Real Estate Ivanhoe agents Stewart Oldmeadow and Elisse Farquhar initially gave a $3.15 million to $3.35 million guide.
A medieval-inspired Arts and Crafts-style home, it has half-timbered roughcast walls, a hipped and gabled Marseilles-patterned tile roof, arcaded chimney stacks and cantilevered gables.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%203.jpg">
The house, which was added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 1996, sits in 1460 square metres of established gardens on The Eyrie. Its views were captured by artists of the Heidelberg School, including Arthur Street and Walter Withers, who mixed socially with the Desbrowe-Annears.
The home was first sold in 1922. It last traded in 1988 for $715,000 when sold by university professor Robert Reid to the architect Peter Crone and his wife Jane, who undertook an award-winning restoration. The property has been returned to its original condition, winning Crone the national award for heritage from the Australian Institute of Architects in 2008.
Crone first became aware of DesbroweAnnear in the 1960s, when he was a student of architecture at RMIT on a class visit to Eaglemont to view homes designed by Desbrowe-Annear and Walter Burley Griffin. The class text, Robin Boyd's Australia's Home (1952), referred to Annear's inventive approach. "Every new commission for a house was an invitation to experiment with a new device for a window or a cupboard or a detail of construction," Boyd wrote.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%202.jpg">
In 1902, Desbrowe-Annear gave a lecture at his local library in which he quoted the emerging designer William Morris's 1880 lecture The Beauty of Life: "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."
Embracing open planning, Chadwick House is a four-bedroom, two-level home with a stately dining room, a library and a living area with adjoining sitting room, opening to a veranda with views. Inside it has extensive timber panelling, with Charles Voysey-style built-in furniture and storage space.
Guided by notions of ventilation, aspect, sunshine and views, along with a healthy atmosphere, the home comes without the then very dominant long passageway.
Its swagged and ogee-arch slatted balcony balustrading was borrowed from northern European 14th and 15th century domestic styles.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%204.jpg">
These are exemplified in the white roughcast and black-stained timbering - an early example of medieval revival style unique to Heidelberg.
Harriet Edquist's Harold Desbrowe-Annear 1865-1933: A Life in Architecture suggests the architect was an iconoclast and maverick, having been trained in the academic classicism of the 1880s. She describes the three Eaglemont homes as representing a "remarkable episode in Australian domestic architecture".
By 1914, Desbrowe-Annear was living in South Yarra, with his upmarket clients commissioning Glynt at Mt Martha for the Henty family, descendants of Victoria's first European settlers. It bears a similarity to another of his designs, Delgany at Portsea.
After his death in 1933, Edquist notes, Desbrowe-Annear's work was soon eclipsed by the modern movement, which was not interested in history or acknowledging its debt to pioneers.
This article was first published in The Weekend Australian.
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Harold Desbrowe-Annear's Chadwick House, Eaglemont sold

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Architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear was the pioneer of the medieval movement in Australian home design, especially in Melbourne's north-east.
Born into a Bendigo mining family in the 1860s, raised on Westbank Terrace, Richmond and matriculating from Hawthorn Grammar, Anneal was articled in the office of the architect William Salway.
Salway's office was designing trophy homes, Raheen for Edward Latham in Kew, Moondah for James Grice at Mount Eliza and Millswyn Court for James Gatehouse in South Yarra.
Desbrowe-Annear was especially following the English Arts and Crafts movement closely.
He became responsible for much of the medieval inspired work in Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Greensborough and Alphington.
His Macgeorge house at the confluence of the Yarra River and Darebin Creeks is still viewed as a stunner.
In the early 1900s the then Ascot Vale-based Desbrowe-Annear and his wife Florence headed to live at Eaglemont near Heidelberg.
His father-in-law James Chadwick had paid £170 for three building blocks high on Mount Eagle.
The couple built a home for themselves. Their home differed to the other two as it initially had a corrugated iron roof, painted red to replicate the expensive Marseilles-pattern metal tiles. The tiles were added at a later date.
The neighbouring father-in-law's home, that became known as Chadwick House, has been recently listed for sale at $3 million.
It is a medieval-inspired Arts and Crafts style home with half-timbered roughcast walls, a hipped and gabled Marseilles-patterned tile roof, arcaded chimney stacks and cantilevered gables. 
<a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-eaglemont-130693858" target="_blank">Chadwick House</a> sits in 1,460 square metres of established gardens on The Eyrie with views capture by the Heidelberg School artists including Arthur Street and Walter Withers who had mixed socially with the Desbrowe-Annears.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%203.jpg" alt="">
The home was first sold in 1922. It last traded in 1988 at $715,000 when sold by university professor Robert Reid to the architect Peter Crone and wife Jane, who undertook an award-winning restoration.
The home has been returned to its original condition, winning the national award for heritage from the Australian Institute of Architects in 2008 for Crone, who first became aware of Desbrowe-Annear in the 1960s. 
He was a student of architecture at RMIT on a class visit to Eaglemont to walk around the homes designed by Walter Burley Griffin and Desbrowe-Annear.
The class text, Robin Boyd’s Australia’s Home, published in 1952, referred to Annear’s inventive approach.
"Every new commission for a house was an invitation to experiment with a new device for a window or a cupboard or a detail of construction,” Boyd noted.
In 1902 Desbrowe-Annear gave a lecture at his local library where he quoted the emerging influential designer William Morris's 1880 lecture, The Beauty of Life.
"Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”
Embracing open planning, Chadwick House (pictured throughout), added to the Victorian Heritage Register in 1996, is a four bedroom, two level home with a stately dining room, a library and a living area with adjoining sitting room, opening to a verandah with views. 
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%202.jpg" alt="">
Internally the house has extensive timber panelling with Charles Voysey-style built-in furniture and storage space.
Guided by the notions of ventilation, aspect, sunshine, views, along with a healthy atmosphere, the home comes without the then very dominant, long passageway technique.
The swagged and ogee-arch slatted balcony balustrading have been borrowed from northern European 14th and 15th century domestic styles.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/6/28/eaglemount%204.jpg" alt="">
These are exemplified in the white rough cast and black stained timbering both internally and externally, an early example of medieval revival style unique to Heidelberg.
Miles Real Estate Ivanhoe agents Stewart Oldmeadow and Elisse Farquhar, who initially gave a guide of $3.15 million to $3.35 million, have had an offer that seems likely to result in a sale.
Harriet Edquist's biography, Harold Desbrowe-Annear 1865-1933 : a life in architecture suggests he was an iconoclast and maverick, having been trained in the academic classicism of the 1880s.
She described the three Eaglemont homes as a "remarkable episode in Australian domestic architecture".
By 1914 Desbrowe-Annear was living in South Yarra with his upmarket clients commissioning Glynt at Mount Martha for the Henty family, descendants of Victoria's first European settlers. It bears a similarity to another of his designs, Delgany at Portsea.
After his 1933 death, Edquist noted his work was soon to be eclipsed by the modern movement, which was not interested in history or acknowledging its debt to pioneers.
This article first appeared in The Weekend Australian. 
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How architect Harold Desbrowe-Annear left his medieval touch on Melbourne's north-east 

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Technē Architecture + Interior Design has been appointed to undertake its first commercial tower project.
The project, situated at 484 Swan Street, Richmond, is a 13 level office building in Melbourne.
Directly connected to Burnley Station, the building will feature a total net lettable area of over 17,000 square metres as well as bookable co-working spaces.
The project is being developed by Riverlee in partnership with Bamfa Properties.
Along with the exterior architecture, Technē will design the interiors of each of the 13 levels as 'fully flexible, clear span, open-plan spaces allowing fully customisable workspace design'.
Technē is behind other Richmond designs such as the Bridge Hotel, Veneziano Coffee Roasters and Botherambo.
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