The new <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yarraville-green-42-stephen-street-yarraville-vic-3013">Yarraville Green</a> development in Melbourne's inner west is showing that landscaping can be just as influential as architecture, with buyers responding strongly to the garden-first approach adopted from the outset by developer Excelon Projects and the project's design team.

Excelon appointed Six Degrees Architects and landscape architects SBLA to work collaboratively on the development, with a brief to create "a sustainable, design-led building with a focus on community."

That approach has resonated with buyers. According to Next Chapter Director Tom Hirini, who is leading the sales campaign, the landscaped communal garden has become one of the project's defining features, alongside its boutique scale and European-inspired cluster housing concept.

Local downsizers, right-sizers and established families already living in Yarraville and surrounding suburbs have accounted for the majority of purchasers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297740]

Yarraville Green will comprise 53 homes, including apartments and townhomes, arranged around the shared central garden to maximise connections to the landscaped open space. Parking has been moved underground, allowing the ground plane to be dedicated to greenery, pedestrian movement and communal spaces.

The landscape extends well beyond passive planting. Productive garden beds, a pergola, communal gathering spaces, garden sheds and a pet wash have all been integrated into the masterplan, creating spaces designed to encourage everyday interaction between residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297741]

The interiors continue Excelon's focus on craftsmanship, incorporating bespoke elements by Melbourne artisans including leadlight detailing by Adadaz, hand-turned timber hardware by Auburn Woodturning and blown-glass lighting by Ruth Allen.

Sustainability has also been embedded throughout the project, with Yarraville Green targeting an average 7-star NatHERS energy rating through passive design principles, rooftop solar servicing common areas and rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=144913 project_image_fid=297735]

Construction continues to progress at Yarraville Green, with structural works well underway and framing works approaching completion under builder Balmain &amp; Co. The project remains on track for completion in mid-2027.

Apartments at Yarraville Green are currently priced from $625,000, while townhomes start from $1.4 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=144913]

Joel Robinson

Garden-led design drives buyer demand at Yarraville Green

National diversified developer Fortis has officially launched Crest &amp; Walker, its latest Brisbane apartment development, with construction now underway on the 20-storey Newstead project.

Award-winning builder BINAH has commenced construction on the Bureau^Proberts-designed building, which will deliver a limited collection of 65 two and three-bedroom apartments on Kyabra Street.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373556]

The project marks Fortis' fourth active residential development in Brisbane, following River House, which is nearing completion, alongside projects in New Farm and Hamilton as the national developer continues to expand its South East Queensland pipeline.

Fortis General Manager – Development Queensland Dan Boman said Crest &amp; Walker reflects the developer's long-term commitment to delivering design-led residential projects in Brisbane's established inner-city suburbs.

"We're proud to be strengthening our presence in Brisbane with Crest &amp; Walker, particularly in such a sought-after lifestyle destination as Newstead," Boman said.

"Every Fortis project is shaped by its context, and we approach each one with the respect and care it deserves.

"Our focus is always on creating places that feel connected to their neighbourhood and elevate the everyday experience for residents. Newstead continues to evolve as one of Brisbane's most sought-after urban communities, and Crest &amp; Walker reflects our ambition to contribute meaningfully to that story."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373559]

Positioned between Gasworks Plaza and James Street, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/crest-walker-newstead-12-kyabra-street-newstead-qld-4006">Crest &amp; Walker</a> has been designed as a boutique residential address offering privacy and generous living spaces within one of Brisbane's most established lifestyle precincts.

The building features a contemporary brick podium softened by integrated landscaping, while the upper levels are characterised by restrained architecture and enduring materiality. Interiors have been designed to maximise natural light, acoustic performance and long-term liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373583]

Residences comprise spacious two and three-bedroom floorplans, with two-bedroom apartments priced from $1.55 million and three-bedroom, half-floor residences from $3.95 million.

Residents will have access to a wellness-focused rooftop featuring a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, landscaped dining spaces and outdoor lounge areas overlooking Newstead and the Brisbane CBD.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=145922 project_image_fid=373571]

Sales are being managed by Slaite Projects, with Fortis expecting strong demand from owner-occupiers seeking a high-quality, design-focused apartment in one of Brisbane's most tightly held inner-city suburbs.

Completion of Crest &amp; Walker is slated for late 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=145922]

Fortis expands Brisbane pipeline with launch of Crest & Walker in Newstead

The enormity of delivering a true skyscraper in Australia's new development market is often overlooked.

It has taken the best part of a decade since plans for Chevron One were first unveiled, but the 41-storey tower is now complete, with residents collecting their keys and moving into what has become one of the Gold Coast's most recognisable new landmarks.

Rising 127 metres above Chevron Island, Chevron One stands almost twice as high as any other building on the island. Its scale places it alongside the trio of towers at Jewel, arguably the last truly significant addition to the central Gold Coast skyline when they were completed around six years ago.

While there are several developments underway around a similar height to Chevron One, they are more concentrated within clusters of the highest towers in the city. The fact Chevron One sits within a developing precinct, looking back at the other high-rise developments in Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, makes it a different proposition altogether. It will certainly become a reference point on the Gold Coast skyline.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68833]

Developer Bensons Property Group is behind the 41-storey tower, which has 229 apartments, along with an exhaustive list of resident amenity spread across what is the largest development site ever assembled on Chevron Island.

The tower has been the talk of the town for years, says Ray White Projects Gold Coast agent Caitlin Rosenboom, who is selling the remaining apartments.

"People have been watching Chevron One go up for years," Rosenboom says, adding that many prospective buyers have been surprised by the scale of the views once they step inside.

"It's only when they walk through a completed apartment that they truly understand the position of the building," Rosenboom says.

"The views are jaw-dropping. Whether you're looking east over the ocean, across Surfers Paradise, along the river systems or out to the hinterland, every level offers something different but equally impressive."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=360215]

One of Chevron One's defining advantages is its location on the eastern side of Chevron Island on Stanhill Drive, a position which protects the views forever.

"There's only one row of houses between Chevron One and the water, and the height restrictions along the river means views from Chevron One can never be built out,"&nbsp;Rosenboom says.

While new apartment developments continue to emerge across the Gold Coast, Rosenboom says opportunities to secure a completed apartment with this level of outlook are becoming increasingly rare.

"The size of the site is something that would be incredibly difficult to replicate today," she says.

"That's allowed Chevron One to deliver the sort of amenity, open space and resident facilities that very few projects can offer. There are not many completed apartment buildings on the Gold Coast right now that can compete with the combination of scale, quality and amenity."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6515 project_image_fid=68839]

There's around 2,000 sqm of amenity solely for the use of residents of Chevron One. Club One features a uniquely shaped swimming pool that mirrors the footprint of the building itself, set within a extensively landscaped gardens. There's also an indoor pool and spa, a fully equipped gym with a Pilates room, a yoga garden, a bookable private dining area and lounge that can host up to 30 people, and a 24-hour concierge service.

As for the buyers, Rosenboom is fielding enquiry from everywhere: Sydneysiders and Melburnians looking at the new and off-the-plan market following the changes in the Federal Budget, as well as those looking to relocate, through to South East Queenslanders seeking either a permanent home or a weekender bolthole.

"The Gold Coast lifestyle continues to resonate with people relocating from the southern states, and when they see the views and the quality of what's been delivered at Chevron One, it becomes very easy for them to understand the appeal," Rosenboom says.

A diverse mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments remain available, with each offering "something a little different", be it the orientation and views, configuration, or level, to suit a wide variety of buyers.

The remaining apartments are ready to inspect in person, by appointment.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6515]

A decade in the making: Residents to move into Chevron One as construction wraps up

A general rule of thumb in new apartment developments is that the penthouses get the rooftop.

It's a formula that's become commonplace across Australia's apartment market. Residents might have access to a pool, gym or barbecue facilities on a dedicated lower level, but the most desirable outdoor spaces are typically reserved for the highest-priced homes at the top of the building.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sherpa-property-group">Sherpa Property Group</a> has taken the opposite approach.

Rather than dedicating the rooftop to a handful of buyers, the Gold Coast developer has made it the centrepiece of its Flourish collection, creating expansive shared spaces from the best vantage point in the building.

The philosophy has reached its most ambitious expression at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/flourish-soleira-palm-beach-1150-1160-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Soleira</a> in Palm Beach, where two rooftop precincts connected by a skybridge will deliver one of the most extensive lifestyle offerings seen in a residential apartment project on the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374053]

"We're seeing a clear move toward developments that offer more than just an apartment," Sherpa Group founder Christie Leet said.

"People want spaces that support how they actually live, whether that's working from home, staying active, or spending time with family and friends.

"That's where amenity becomes critical. It's not just about what's included, but how those spaces are designed to be used every day."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374052]

The breadth of amenity has already attracted buyers across multiple demographics. Younger first home buyers have been drawn to Soleira's one-bedroom apartments, a product rarely delivered in Palm Beach, while families have responded to practical inclusions such as the shallow children's pool adjoining the main lap pool and the extensive communal recreation areas.

Instead of a single rooftop, Soleira delivers two distinct lifestyle zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=372547]

The southern rooftop has been dedicated to wellness, featuring a gym, yoga and Pilates studio, work-from-home facilities, a wellness centre, spa, and hot and cold plunge pools.

The northern rooftop focuses on recreation and entertaining, incorporating a heated resort-style pool, private dining rooms, pizza ovens, barbecues, a golf simulator, children's recreation areas, and what is expected to be the Gold Coast's first rooftop basketball court, which will also double as a squash court.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=374054]

Beyond the rooftops, Soleira will introduce 1,500 sqm of curated retail beneath the towers, creating one of Palm Beach's first genuinely mixed-use lifestyle precincts where cafés, restaurants and convenience retail become part of residents' everyday lives.

Sherpa has also retained management rights across the development, allowing it to oversee the long-term operation of the building through a 24-hour concierge model. The developer is also exploring additional revenue streams within the precinct aimed at helping offset ongoing body corporate costs for residents.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370962]

While Soleira is the largest project Sherpa has delivered, the rooftop-first philosophy has been evolving for several years.

It began with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/amargo-6-12-sixth-avenue-palm-beach-qld-4221">Flourish Amargo</a>, the first project released under the Flourish brand. Rather than competing at the ultra-luxury end of the market with oversized half-floor and full-floor residences, Sherpa focused on creating lifestyle-driven apartments supported by resort-style shared spaces.

Amargo introduced more than 800 sqm of rooftop amenity, combining wellness facilities, heated pools, entertaining areas, cabanas, pizza ovens and private dining spaces into what was designed as an extension of residents' homes rather than a facility used only occasionally.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=146527 project_image_fid=366550]

That approach continued with Flourish Oasis, where the same amenity-led philosophy was refined into a more boutique development. Strong demand from Sherpa's growing VIP database saw much of the project sold before it reached the broader market, reinforcing buyer appetite for apartment communities centred around shared lifestyle experiences.

Flourish Amargo is slated for completion mid-way-through next year, with Oasis to be delivered by late 2027. Flourish Soleira is expected to complete in 2030.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150017]

Sherpa takes amenity to the sky as Flourish Soleira captures booming Palm Beach demand

As apartment living continues to evolve across Sydney's growth corridors, the quality and distribution of shared spaces is increasingly shaping how residents experience home. Rather than functioning as add-ons, amenities are being embedded into the daily rhythm of a building, supporting everything from quiet retreat to social interaction, often within a single vertical community.

At <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/aeris-melrose-park-nursery-street-melrose-park-nsw-2114">Aeris</a> in Melrose Park, this approach is resolved through a layered amenity offering that unfolds from ground level through to its upper podium. Developed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sekisui-house-australia">Sekisui House Australia</a> in partnership with Hankyu Hanshin Properties, the project introduces 468 apartments across two towers and a mid-rise building, positioned at the highest point of the broader masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=359199]

The amenity experience begins at street level, where two courtyards sit within a landscaped setting that connects residents to the wider network of parks and green spaces. These green spaces are not isolated pockets but part of a wider pedestrian network that links Aeris to the surrounding <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/melrose-park-nsw-2114">Melrose Park</a> precinct, including Central Park, future schools, and the Town Centre opening in July 2026. The result is a transition that moves from public to private without abrupt boundaries, allowing residents to pass through shaded, tree-lined environments before reaching the building itself.

Moving upward, the focus shifts to the level five podium, where the primary communal facilities are concentrated. This space brings together a 16-metre swimming pool, outdoor seating areas, and a communal BBQ zone arranged to take advantage of elevated outlooks. Seating is positioned beneath pergolas, creating pockets of shade that extend the usability of the space throughout the day. The pool edge aligns with views toward the wider district, reinforcing the sense of elevation that defines the project’s positioning.

In the adjacent building, this is complemented by quieter, more contemplative spaces, including an outdoor cinema set within the same level. Positioned to operate primarily in the evening, it introduces a different tempo to the shared environment, shifting from daytime activity to after-hours use without requiring separate zones.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360299]

The podium also accommodates an intimate private resident gym. Located on the lower levels, it gives residents convenient access to fitness facilities without leaving the building.

Above, the elevated podium sky deck extends the amenity offering, providing additional open-air spaces with elevated outlooks across the surrounding landscape. While more restrained in program, this upper level reinforces the project’s vertical progression, from ground-level greenery to elevated outlook, allowing residents to move between distinct spatial conditions within a single address.

This distribution of amenities reflects a deliberate response to how residents use space across the day. Sekisui House Australia Sales and Marketing Director Peter Kalaf points to the role these shared areas play in shaping buyer demand. Aeris has been conceived as more than a collection of apartments, with the podium pool, gym and outdoor cinema forming part of a broader lifestyle offering that extends the home beyond each individual residence.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=426 project_image_fid=360300]

What distinguishes Aeris is not the inclusion of these elements individually, but how they are arranged in relation to one another. Active, social, and passive spaces are layered vertically rather than separated, allowing residents to choose between them without leaving the building or moving far from their apartment. This proximity supports both routine use, such as a morning swim or evening workout, and more occasional gatherings, whether around the BBQ area or within the cinema setting.

The amenity design also sits within a broader framework of connectivity across Melrose Park. The Melrose Park Town Centre, anchored by Coles and Dan Murphys, features a mix of retail, dining, health and lifestyle offerings, bringing everyday convenience closer to residents. By the end of the year, more than five hectares of parks and open space, equivalent to around seven football fields of green space on residents' doorstep, will further enhance the precinct, allowing the internal facilities at Aeris to operate as an extension of the wider neighbourhood rather than a substitute for it.

Construction at Aeris continues to gather momentum, with ground floor slabs expected to be completed in late 2026 before the first sections of the buildings begin to rise above ground.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=426]

Elevated amenity anchors daily life at Aeris, Melrose Park

Nightingale Village

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Nightingale Housing has been given the go-ahead to proceed with its seven-structure complex ‘Nightingale Village’. <a href="/news/nightingales-magnificent-seven-on-show-for-the-first-time">First covered on Urban.com.au in August 2018</a>, the Duckett Street ensemble has been designed by an award-winning collective of Melbourne architecture firms: Architecture Architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe Architecture, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball, Kennedy Nolan and WOWOWA. 

In the spirit of Nightingale Housing’s mission, all designs have a strong focus on community, sustainability and quality of build. To meet demand fuelled by population growth, Nightingale Village has opted for minimal parking spaces to allow for more living areas, and instead incorporated a Car Share facility and ample bike storage. Like other Nightingale projects, the village will be carbon neutral and 100% fossil fuel free.

<blockquote>
We have an opportunity to deliver multi-residential housing in cities that is environmentally sustainable, financially affordable and socially inclusive. What we do can positively impact the urban environment, and promote better health and well-being outcomes.
</blockquote>

- Nightingale Housing

Balloting for interested residents is already underway, with the Hayball-designed CRT+YRD the first of the Nightingale Village seven taking registrations. Balloting closes at 6pm on the 13th March with the ballot drawn two days later and successful participants notified thereafter.

<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/wow.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="563" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/wow.jpg?itok=H3x-xvjj" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale WOW. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#1 NIGHTINGALE WOW

Architect: WOWOWA X BREATHE ARCHITECTURE

Located on the corner at 11 West Street (adjacent to the Upfield cycleway), Nightingale WOW brings a sense of vibrancy and colour to its Brunswick site. With an aim to promote communal living, the design offers shared laundry facilities, gardens and social spaces all of which can be found on the rooftop for optimum privacy. The design consists of four vertical towers with space in between to promote natural light and airflow throughout the complex. Unique features include chain-link mesh, sunrooms and metal balustrades which emulate the traditional picket fences found throughout Brunswick. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-i-nightingale-wow">Read more</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/hayball.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="436" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/hayball.jpg?itok=_MQHzdbg" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CRT+YRD by Hayball Architects. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#2 CRT+YRD

Architect: Hayball

CRT+YRD is a sturdy design to be constructed of concrete, breeze bocks and brickwork which will give the building an organic feel, fitting into the urban neighbourhood effortlessly. A central courtyard will act as a free-flowing light source for the surrounding apartments, and will feature lush planting, seating areas and communal walkways. Rather than designing with a prospective buyer in mind, Hayball has produced a concept that can be modified to suit a differing lifestyles and living requirements. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-ii-crt-yrd">Read more</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/cca.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/cca.jpg?itok=gq8u_S8O" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale CCA by Clare Cousins Architects. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#3 Nightingale CCA

Architect: Clare Cousins Architects

At 12 Duckett Street you’ll find Clare Cousins’ eco-conscious design which contains 25 apartments across seven floors. Each dwelling offers generous storage space, x2 bike parks, access to Nightingale Villages Car Share facility and targeting a 7.5 star NatHERS rating. Nightingale CCA embraces community and contains many shared spaces including a 206 sqm landscaped garden. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-iii-nightingale-cca">Read more</a>.

<blockquote>
Nightingale CCA incorporates the social, environmental and financial sustainability principles of the Nightingale model. These projects look to facilitate connected communities both within the building and the wider community. 
</blockquote>

- Clare Cousins Architects' Design Statement

<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/kennedy_nolan.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="536" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/kennedy_nolan.jpg?itok=sHGbCNhx" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Kennedy Nolan. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#4 Kennedy Nolan

Architect: Kennedy Nolan

Kennedy Nolan’s Nightingale Building is situated at 9 Duckett Street, and has been designed to appear as two separate buildings to reduce the visual bulk. Tones of pink and red give the design a point of difference, and the use of red steel framing and oxide colouring make the build practical and low maintenance. On the rooftop you’ll discover two outdoor zones - the ‘Sky Garden’ which is designed for leisure and relaxation, and the ‘Working Yard’ which features a communal laundry, outdoor dining and more. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-iv-kennedy-nolan">Read more</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/skye.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/skye.jpg?itok=CUjBJRw9" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Skye House by Breathe Architecture. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#5 Skye House

Architect: Breathe Architecture

The striking arch motif of Skye House reflects the Mediterranean style housing of the area and was inspired by the iconic Ricardo Bofill’s ‘The Factory’. The apartments are constructed using up-cycled materials with a design focus of celebrating the beauty of unique imperfections. Residents are invited to enjoy sensory gardens, a yoga deck, induction BBQ, garden beds, as well as a lawn for pets and even a beehive. <a href="/developments/brunswick-vic-3056">Read more</a>.

<blockquote>
“ Our design strategy is to build more, with less. To give texture, space, height, light and air. Apartment planning is kept simple. Materiality takes precedence over form. ”
</blockquote>

- Breathe 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/coup.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/coup.jpg?itok=gDqAbHTt" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale Coup by Architecture Architecture + Breathe Architecture. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#6 Nightingale Coup

Architect: Architecture Architecture + Breathe Architecture

Nightingale Coup will be located on the Southern side of Nightingale Village at 24-26 Hope Street. The goal for the design was to incorporate familiar design features of the area including tradition roof shingles and chimney line forms, with a modern twist. On the ground floor, the design team have created seating areas in the semi-public laneway to encourage community involvement, keeping with Nightingale Housing's communal focused mission. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-vi-nightingale-coup">Read more</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/ama.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="721" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ama.jpg?itok=nlVbMdLy" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>AMA by Austin Maynards Architects. Credit: Nightingale Housing</figcaption></figure>#7 AMA

Architect: Austin Maynards Architects

Brunswick’s iconic warehouses were the inspiration behind the design of Austin Maynard's AMA development. The goal was to increase quality by using modern industrial materials to achieve the look in an innovative, yet economical way. Shared balconies screened with durable chainlink have been used to encourage air to circulate the complex, while providing privacy from the street below. Entry breezeways also deliver a multifunctional purpose, acting as bicycle/resident storage as well as a BBQ area. <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-vii-austin-maynard-architects">Read more.</a>
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Olivia Round

Approval granted for Nightingale Village in Brunswick

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The final instalment in Apartments.com.au's Nightingale Village series is Austin Maynard Architects's (AMA) contribution at 8-10 Duckett Street. The seven-storey project represents AMA's second foray into the Nightingale model, having already designed Nightingale 3.0 at 209 Sydney Road. Andrew Maynard is also one of the founding members of the Nightingale Housing Board and one of the original investors in Nightingale Housing. 

AMA's Nightingale was conceived as a seven storey-mass comprising a three-storey streetwall, with an upper level setback of 5 metres, responding to the adjacent massing of its neighbours to ensure a cohesive built from outcome along Duckett Street.  

Characterised be gabled roof forms which draw on the diverse character of the precinct, the upper levels have been designed to appear visually recessive and comprise a combination of dark patterned concrete and  lightweight framework.  This framework supports the balconies which project 2 metres and are enclosed in mesh to provide a sense of lightness and transparency. This is achieved through the application of full height chain-link or metal mesh with 100-120 mm apertures. 

<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/nightingale_ama_hero.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale AMA. Image: Austin Maynard Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="721" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_ama_hero.jpg?itok=B8c2AMpM" title="Nightingale AMA. Image: Austin Maynard Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale AMA. Image: Austin Maynard Architects</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
Whilst the low quality warehouses on Duckett street have no heritage significance, we are keen to reuse the existing bricks to create an architecture that shares the DNA of Brunswick’s existing warehouse fabric. The design of the streetwall takes references from the small to medium scale industrial streetscape in the surrounding area. 

8-10 Duckett reflects the design principles in these warehouses, from the consideration of robust, economical materials to functional forms. Instead of replicating the style and materiality of bricks, 
modern industrial materials, for example, webforge, are used to compose the new facades, in order to reduce the visual weight of the building mass from the street with economical considerations.

The new streetwall is broken into four vertical volumes, mimicking the existing rhythm and fabric of the warehouse constructed in the surrounding area.

- Austin Maynard Architects
</blockquote>

The streetwall represents a departure from some of the other Nightingale Village buildings with the three-storey volume presenting a semi-transparent interface to the street, albeit with an element of privacy achieved through the adoption of a visually dense webforge mesh. Despite its density the mesh still allows light to permeate through, while conforming to planning regulations.

Light wells have been inserted to respond adjacent buildings, The Dux and Clare Cousins Architects' 12 Duckett Street  and further assist in reducing the visual bulk of the building. These also provide apartments with a secondary outlook, complementing the primary outlook directed to either the mews to the north or Duckett Street to the south.

The ground floor accommodates apartments to the north and two retail tenancies to the south along Duckett Street, serviced by entry breezeways which also serve the dual function of not only providing resident access but also bicycle and resident storage in addition to a BBQ area. Two landscaped pocket gardens sit within the footprints of the light wells either side of the lift lobby. 

A native Brittle Gum on the northern boundary has been identified as being in excellent condition by the project Arborist, with the project team taking the necessary measures to ensure the retention of the tree through demolition, construction and occupation, with only minor pruning required to facilitate the development of the building. 

A series of decks which bridge the two volumes above the ground floor, adjacent to the lift, also provide a communal dwell space for residents. In keeping with the Nightingale model of activated roofscapes, AMA have located a series of bleachers for relaxation to the south in addition to a communal laundry and clothesline, communal dinning, BBQ facilities and veggie patch.

<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/nightingale_ama_rooftop.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale AMA's diverse roofscape. Image: Austin Maynard Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="294" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_ama_rooftop.jpg?itok=EnLpqEmT" title="Nightingale AMA's diverse roofscape. Image: Austin Maynard Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale AMA's diverse roofscape. Image: Austin Maynard Architects</figcaption></figure>Overall 8-10 Duckett Street will provide 27 apartments, two retail tenancies totalling 196 sqm and 80 bike stackers, and concludes Apartments.com.au's look at Nightingale Village. We'll be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the Village as well as any future Nightingale projects.
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Laurence Dragomir

Nightingale Village - Episode VII - Austin Maynard Architects

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The penultimate entry in Apartments.com.au’s Nightingale Village series is Architecture Architecture’s Nightingale Coup, in collaboration with Breathe Architecture. Located at 24-26 Hope Street, the eight-storey building is the most southerly of the Nightgale Village seven, setback from Kennedy Nolan's building to the north to allow for the proposed mews. 

Nightingale Coup has also been designed to address any potential future development on the adjoining sites to the east and west, setting a planning framework for those that might follow. A central light court provides circulation and access to apartments while also ensuring all apartments benefit from the dual-aspect configuration, with primary aspect to either the north or south. This allows for improved internal amenity via increased daylight and natural ventilation.

<blockquote>
The architectural expression of Nightingale Coup responds to the site’s industrial history and context through its honest, robust materiality while evoking a sense of familiar domesticity through breaking the building into finer grain elements, referencing traditional roof &amp; chimney line forms in the street wall parapet, and reinterpreting materials like shingles in contemporary ways.

This familiar yet contemporary architectural treatment encompasses the values of the co-housing group that it will be home for — Urban Coup — while expressing an affectionate understanding of the local context and 
history.

- Architecture Architecture
</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/architecture_architecture_nv-01.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale Coup, provides a highly textured presence to the street. Image: Architecture Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/architecture_architecture_nv-01.jpg?itok=9sFyB6sO" title="Nightingale Coup, provides a highly textured presence to the street. Image: Architecture Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale Coup, provides a highly textured presence to the street. Image: Architecture Architecture</figcaption></figure>For the most part, Nightingale Coup follows the urban formula of its siblings in how it formally responds to planning considerations and fits within the overall master plan for Nightingale Village.

To the southern frontage, along Hope Street the building’s streetwall is expressed as a solid cream brick base, carved and punctured with arched and orthogonal apertures and a profiled roof form evoking . The depth created between the perimeter walls and glazing line allows for outdoor balconies which provide internal spaces with privacy and shading during summer months.

The upper levels are setback and treated with a textured concrete that evokes roof shingles, resulting in a visually recessive upper form above the streetwall. This overall streetwall and upper level strategy is also employed to the northern frontage albeit with a slightly more light weight approach, responding to the proposed mews. 

The streetwalls are also split into two and distinguished via a staggering of heights. One is expressed as a more solid massing, once again carved with apertures and the other featuring a lightweight framework which supports the balconies. Combined, these strategies aim to reduce the visual mass of the building.

In keeping with the Nightingale Village ethos of building more with less, Nightingale Coup employs robust and durable materials of a largely domestic scale, which reflect Nightingale Village's industrial context and create a cohesive urban village. 

<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/architecture_architecture_nv-02.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The northern aspect appears much more lightweight and transparent. Image: Architecture Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/architecture_architecture_nv-02.jpg?itok=NXYNaUPX" title="The northern aspect appears much more lightweight and transparent. Image: Architecture Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The northern aspect appears much more lightweight and transparent. Image: Architecture Architecture</figcaption></figure>Communal rooftop spaces are located to the south on level 7 and on the roof with a northerly aspect. Between them these spaces provide for passive landscaped areas to dwell, productive gardens, communal laundry and clothesline and extensive decking. The building also accommodates the vehicular access ramp to the precinct’s car share hub, located in the basement of Skye House. This has been integrated into the overall design of the street frontage.

At ground level a 136 sqm retail tenancy is provided with a Hope Street address, while the mews frontage incorporating a communal kitchen and dinning area which spills out onto a communal deck. Additionally, the design team have designed an active ground floor with nooks, seats and a semi public laneway at the entry of the building help foster a local community spirit.

Upon completion Nightingale Coup would add 31 dwellings to the precinct comprising a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom configurations, and provision for 28 visitor bike spaces and 64 resident bike spaces. The shared basement parking hub has capacity for six private car parks and 14 <a href="/guides/weekly-podcast-episode-28-gogets-justin-passaportis-and-joshua-brydges">GoGet</a> car share spaces.

In the final piece of the series we'll be looking at Austin Maynard's Nightingale Village project.
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Nightingale Village - Episode VI - Nightingale Coup

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In today's Nightingale Village instalment, we take a look at Skye House by Breathe Architecture, the architects that started it all with the Commons and Nightingale 1.

Located at 1-3 Duckett Street on a site known as Site F, adjacent to Hayball's CRT + YRD, Skye House (or Nightingale 11) will comprise 40 apartments spread across eight floors and topped by a rooftop terrace. The rooftop consists of a communal laundry facility, outdoor clothes line and veggie patch, with plant services and solar PV panels, making up the balance of roof area.

The building also has a single basement level with provision for resident storage facilities, in addition to the precinct's car parking garage with capacity for 12 car share spaces.  A 184 sqm retail tenancy is located on the ground floor with direct access and frontage to Duckett Street.

<blockquote>
Being more than familiar with the Duckett Street area (it’s one block south of our office), we are strongly committed to the success of the Nightingale Village, and dedicated to delivering the best result for our local community and future neighbours.

The architectural expression of Nightingale 11 has been carefully considered to celebrate Brunswick’s eclectic migrant heritage while also acknowledging the site’s industrial history.

We have designed an apartment building, but it’s kind. Unlike the existing pattern of recent development in the area, which leaves much to be desired in terms of public generosities and street activation, the architecture of this building ensures it is a provider both inwardly and externally.

We have looked to iconic, international precedents to inform the arrangement and appearance of 1-3 Duckett Street, particularly the shape and scale of the arched motif along the main, north facade.

- Breathe Architecture
</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/breathe_nv.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Breathe Architecture's Skye House on Duckett Street. Image"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="410" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/breathe_nv.jpg?itok=ICNYRnqy" title="Breathe Architecture's Skye House on Duckett Street. Image" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Breathe Architecture's Skye House on Duckett Street. Image: Breathe Architecture</figcaption></figure>The design adopts the approach of its Nightingale siblings in its adoption of honest materials which reflect the industrial character of the area and are tactile, untreated and durable but are curated to form an elegant composition.

Skye House's Duckett Street frontage is characterised by a streetwall response comprising a series of repeated arches which provide a framework for the balconies to sit within while creating a sense of rhythm to the street. This 12m streetwall is visually permeable yet also allows for privacy and retreat, while providing a point of distinction from some of the other Nightingales which have adopted much more solid, crafted bases.

From a sustainable design approach, the arches serve a secondary purpose in shading the interior spaces from the northerly summer sun.

Apartments are provided with primary aspects to either the north or south, with secondary aspects to the eastor via light shafts of 30 sqm (in plan) to ensure a high degree of internal amenity to apartments. These lightwells also accommodate the vertical circulation nodes via stairs and lift core.

Above the streetwall, the upper massing is setback 5m from the street and adopts a heavier visual expression comprising staggered concrete forms with projecting balconies. This austere exterior will be softened with greenery but will largely appear visually recessive from the street.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/1_duckett_street_brunswick_-_mps_2018_362_-_adv25_-_site_f_1-3_duckett_street_-_plans.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Skye House as seen from the proposed community park. Image: Breathe Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="414" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1_duckett_street_brunswick_-_mps_2018_362_-_adv25_-_site_f_1-3_duckett_street_-_plans.jpg?itok=uVlA1q9k" title="Skye House as seen from the proposed community park. Image: Breathe Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Skye House as seen from the proposed community park. Image: Breathe Architecture</figcaption></figure>Skye House will also provide residents with direct access to a future proposed park to the east of the building, currently the site of the Moreland car park. While minimal apertures have been provided to this frontage, Skye House still offers a number of residents views to this proposed park along with opportunities for passive surveillance.

The penultimate entry in Apartments.com.au's Nightingale Village series will be  Architecture Architecture's 24-26 Hope Street.
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Nightingale Village - Episode V - Skye House

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

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In today's podcast I sit down with Hayball Director Bianca Hung to chat about the design of CRT+YRD which is one of seven ensemble of buildings that form Nightingale Village in Brunswick.

Urban.com.au <a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-ii-crt-yrd">briefly covered the project</a>, which as the name suggests is based around a communal courtyard that forms the heart of the building, as part of our ongoing Nightingale Village series. 

Bianca discusses the process for Hayball becoming involved in the project, along with site selection and the genesis of the central courtyard as a key design aspiration early on in the design process.

Designing for a broad cross-section of society with no specific demographic, in addition to ensuring the design of the apartments are suitable for people of various degrees of mobility is also discussed.

Bianca emphasises the importance of designing a good base which residents can tailor to suit their particular circumstances, with flexibility and adaptability key design measures.

<iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/495286851&amp;color=%23ff5500&amp;auto_play=true&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false&amp;show_teaser=true&amp;visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>
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Weekly Podcast: Episode 30 - Hayball's Bianca Hung talks Nightingale Village

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The third entry in Apartments.com.au's <a href="/news/nightingales-magnificent-seven-on-show-for-the-first-time">Nightingale Village</a> series is the Clare Cousins Architects-designed number at 12 Duckett Street. 

Located adjacent to the Upfield cycling corridor between Nightingale WOW and <a href="/new-apartments/brunswick-vic-3056">Kennedy Nolan's Nightingale</a>, the development will deliver a mix of 25 apartments across seven floors.  Each apartment will be provided with generous private storage capacity, both internally and externally. 

Nightingale CCA embraces the community-focused ethos of the Nightingale model via the provision of shared laundry facilities, open air drying area and communal productive garden.

A 4.5m setback from the northern boundary has allowed for the creation of 'The Mews' and a shared garden, while also improving solar access to buildings and connections to the bike path along the rail corridor.

In terms of its environmental credentials, Nightingale CCA is targeting a minimum 7.5 Star NatHERS rating achieved through the inclusion of solar and rain water collection, 56 secure bike parks, and resident access to Nightingale Village's Car Share facility. A commercial tenancy is located at the ground floor while up top a  206 sqm landscaped garden roof terrace will crown the building.

<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/nightingale_cca.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Clare Cousins Architect's Nightingale Image: Clare Cousins Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_cca.jpg?itok=rn5GMOH-" title="Clare Cousins Architect's Nightingale Image: Clare Cousins Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Clare Cousins Architect's Nightingale Image: Clare Cousins Architects</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
Located at the north western end of Duckett Street, abutting a tough interface with the Upfield bike path and train line, Nightingale CCA (NG CCA) will form part of the new Nightingale Village. Conceived as a collection of residential buildings, each authored by different Melbourne architects, Nightingale Village is an opportunity to change the way housing is built on a wider scale.

Nightingale CCA incorporates the social, environmental and financial sustainability principles of the Nightingale model. These projects look to facilitate connected communities both within the building and the wider community.

Whilst most multi-residential developments would aim to maximise site coverage and therefore yield, NG CCA has reduced its site coverage in order to contribute space to the boarder community. NG CCA is set back from the northern boundary to establish a publicly accessible mews and from the west to enable the public bike path to be widened onto our site.

This equates to 21% of our site area offered for public use.

- Clare Cousins Architects' Design Statement
</blockquote>

12 Duckett Street has been conceived as two forms separated by a light court located in the centre of the development, increasing amenity to apartments in the form of natural ventilation and light. 

Within this void an open stair wrapped encompassed in fine mesh has been introduced providing not only vertical circulation and connection between the two blocks but also opportunity to grow climbers along its full extents.

Similar to Nightingale WOW, Clare Cousins Architects have set back the ground floor along the western boundary to allow a widened bike path and green buffer. A 1.8m deep entry colonnade increases the visual depth of the western setback and activates the interface through passive surveillance to the bike path.

<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/nightingale_cca3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The building comprises two forms linked by an external stair. Image: Clare Cousins Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="363" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_cca3.jpg?itok=zhWfE8F1" title="The building comprises two forms linked by an external stair. Image: Clare Cousins Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The building comprises two forms linked by an external stair. Image: Clare Cousins Architects</figcaption></figure>Additional light wells have been introduced along the western facades to further reduce the visual mass, while also providing light to bathrooms and bedrooms. This gesture also future proofs the project from any potential development on the adjacent VicTrack owned rail and bike corridors.

The streetwall is expressed via two horizontal datums across the building which are staggered to reflect their respective solar orientations - four-storeys to the north and three-storeys to the south for solar access to the street.

These are established through setbacks to the upper levels, with the adoption of of concrete and masonry providing a robust and tactile response to the industrial character of area.

The lightweight upper forms comprises a layered steel composition framing open balustrades within an open steel structure that ties the façade roof elements together. This creates a dissolving, transparent form which also allows for vegetation to grow up the facade over time, providing a screening element.

As an overall strategy, materials have been selected for their domestic and tactile qualities, drawing on the neighbourhood character and industrial past of the site.

Next up in the Nightingale Village series will be Kennedy Nolan's Nightingale building at 9 Duckett Street.
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Nightingale Village - Episode III - Nightingale CCA

The second&nbsp;in <a href="/">Apartments.com.au's</a> series taking a closer look at each one of <a href="/news/an-early-glimpse-of-nightingale-villages-first-buildings">Nightingale Village's</a> ensemble of seven buildings, is the&nbsp;<a href="/architects/hayball">Hayball</a> designed CRT+YRD.

As the moniker - chosen within Hayball&nbsp;via a naming competition -&nbsp;suggests, the design provides the building with an&nbsp;identity that is readily and easily understood, according to the architects.&nbsp;

To reinforce the importance of this feature, CRT+YRD has been designed from the inside out, with the courtyard centrally located, forming&nbsp;the heart of the building and becoming the symbol of the project.

This provides not only&nbsp;a unique response to the building's interior environment via open walkways on the upper levels but also improved resident amenity through solar access, and&nbsp;passive ventilation and surveillance.

Further, Hayball have designed the the communal space&nbsp;and the building as a whole to foster a sense of community which&nbsp;provides a platform&nbsp;for social interaction and engagement.

<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/crtyrd_hero.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Illustration of CRT + YRD's northern facade. Image: Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/crtyrd_hero.jpg?itok=T-yqB--6" title="Illustration of CRT + YRD's northern facade. Image: Hayball" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>Illustration of CRT + YRD's northern facade. Image: Hayball</figcaption>
</figure>

CRT+YRD's&nbsp;material palette draws on&nbsp;the surrounding light industrial context by way of the use of&nbsp;off-form concrete, breeze block and brickwork&nbsp;to reinforce the street wall condition.&nbsp;

The upper levels are characterised by a much&nbsp;simpler palette of galvanised steel cladding, frames and grated sun shades providing a point of distinction&nbsp;between&nbsp;the street wall, while also mediating&nbsp;the strong rectilinear forms of the neighbouring Nightingale Village buildings.

<blockquote>
The proposal is a coherent extension of the principles established in the Nightingale Village master plan.

The central light court provides the formal mechanism to achieve this heightened sense of community, promoting excellent visual connection, light and ventilation between apartments. This well established model has a number of local precedents, including the Beverly Hills apartments in South Yarra designed and constructed by the architect and developer Howard Lawson between 1935 and 1936.

All apartment living areas have primary aspect to either Duckett St or the Mews. The majority of apartments feature at least 1 bedroom also addressing these orientations. Open walkways at each level expand at apartment entries and the lift creating gossip areas.

- Hayball Architect's Statement
</blockquote>

By beginning with the courtyard and designing with the&nbsp;resident experience at the forefront, Hayball have ensured that CRT+YRD's residents are able to connect and retreat throughout the day based on personal preference.&nbsp;

Landscaping, plants and shared garden spaces dispersed throughout the soften the austere exterior of the building, while also contributing to a healthy&nbsp;and vibrant community.

Planter boxes distributed throughout courtyard walkways, apartment private open space, and communal areas allow for&nbsp;further personalisation of their building.

Rather than designing for any particular lifestyle or demographic, Hayball has&nbsp;designed the apartments&nbsp;to provide residents with the flexibility to&nbsp;tailor their residences&nbsp;to&nbsp;suit their&nbsp;respective lifestyles.

<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/crtyrd_render.png" rel="gallery-all" title="The centrally located courtyard. Image: Hayball/Mr.P"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="576" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/crtyrd_render.png?itok=D9KBB5H0" title="The centrally located courtyard. Image: Hayball/Mr.P" width="580" /></a>

<figcaption>The centrally located courtyard. Image: Hayball</figcaption>
</figure>

Bedrooms feature&nbsp;bay windows which allow&nbsp;residents to control the levels of privacy, shading, ventilation and acoustic separation via:

<ul>
	<li>Retractable external louvres</li>
	<li>High and low level openable sash windows</li>
	<li>Internal blind systems permitting variable levels of privacy and ventilation</li>
	<li>Bay sills as mediating zones for personalisation of the common walkway with plants and alike, or informal seating areas supporting interaction.</li>
</ul>

Additionally, the majority of apartments enable the building to accommodate residents&nbsp;of varying age and physical mobility.

Next up in the&nbsp;Nightingale&nbsp;Village series will be <a href="/architects/clare-cousins-architects">Clare Cousins Architects'</a> Nightingale CCA.

Editor's note: You can also listen to <a href="/guides/weekly-podcast-episode-30-hayballs-bianca-hung-talks-nightingale-village">Urban.com.au's interview with Hayball's Bianca Hung</a> on our weekly podcast, where we discuss the design process in greater detail.

Nightingale Village - Episode II: CRT + YRD 

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Covered briefly by <a href="/news/nightingales-magnificent-seven-on-show-for-the-first-time">Urban.com.au earlier this month</a>, Nightingale Village's ensemble of buildings have been created by architecture's equivalent of Marvel's The Avengers.

In the first of a series highlighting each of the seven buildings which comprise Brunswick's Nightingale Village, we take a look at Nightingale WOW designed by WOWOWA in tandem with Breathe Architecture.

Founded in 2011 by Monique Woodward, Andre Bonnice &amp; Scott Woodward, WOWOWA's team of nine is based out of a shopfront in Carlton North. 

<ul></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/nightingale_wow.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale WOW is based on a kit-of-parts approach. Image: WOWOWA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="666" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_wow.jpg?itok=rS6wI2G2" title="Nightingale WOW is based on a kit-of-parts approach. Image: WOWOWA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale WOW is based on a kit-of-parts approach. Image: WOWOWA</figcaption></figure>Occupying a corner site at 11 West Street adjacent to the Upfield bike corridor, Nightingale WOW's playfully colourful design is the result of an eight step process;

<ul>
<li>Step 1: Acknowledge the context is colourful &amp; of varied typologies ie Edwardian, Victorian, Warehouses, Art Deco, Federation, Ware Service etc.</li>
	<li>Step 2: Dream of creating a vertical neighbourhood</li>
	<li>Step 3: Research space frames - these provide the framework for individuality to sit within</li>
	<li>Step 4: Create a space frame for Nightingale WOW</li>
	<li>Step 5: Celebrate our interest in different housing typologies</li>
	<li>Step 6: Space frame + context</li>
	<li>Step 7: Create a Kit-of-Parts facade so that residents can identify their homes</li>
	<li>Step 8: Space frame and  Kit-of-Parts response to Design Development Overlay 18 (DDO18)</li>
</ul>
Further to this, the design team has sought to reduce the visual bulk of the development by imagining the massing as four vertical volumes separated by voids which expose vertical circulation and create a light courtyard, while also allowing for privacy and natural light.

The upper three levels are setback to reduce their visual impact to the street, while also creating a legible four-storey street-wall along West Street and the communal Mews - shared with Clare Cousins Architects' 12 Duckett Street.

Along the Upfield cycling corridor the ground floor is set-back an average of 2 metres to allow for pedestrian movement without impeding traffic along the bike path. This also creates 'protected pockets' for vegetation and dwell spaces.

<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/nightingale_wow_upfield_corridor.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Nightingale WOW as view along the Upfield bike corridor. Image: WOWOWA"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="407" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale_wow_upfield_corridor.jpg?itok=sD1GnvX2" title="Nightingale WOW as view along the Upfield bike corridor. Image: WOWOWA" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Nightingale WOW as view along the Upfield bike corridor. Image: WOWOWA</figcaption></figure>Common amenities for the building's future residents are located on the rooftop and include shared laundry facilities, a productive garden and social spaces.

The Kit-Of-Parts approach to the space frame facade allows for each apartment to have its own unique expression and identity, drawing on the vibrant and eclectic local context.

Next up in the Nightingale Village series will be Hayball's CRT + YRD.
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Nightingale Village - Episode I: Nightingale WOW

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Brunswick's much hyped buildings which constitute Nightingale Village are on show for the first time.

The seven constituent buildings designed by differing architecture firms were jointly lodged with City of Moreland during May, and are now available for public viewing. 210 apartments and 8 commercial tenancies are included within the project which has an accumulated delivery cost of $70 million.

An exemption in statutory car parking requirements is also sought, in line with the Nightingale model's mantra of including minimal or no car parking.

The development which straddles Duckett, Hope and West streets in Brunswick is adjacent to Anstey Railway Station and is formally backed by R &amp; A Michael Investments Pty Ltd. Advisory Hansen Partnership is handling planning duties.

<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/image107_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The seven buildings that constitute Nightingale Village"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="532" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image107_2.jpg?itok=Be5Uepxn" title="The seven buildings that constitute Nightingale Village" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The seven buildings that constitute Nightingale Village</figcaption></figure>The architects involved in the design of Nightingale Village include Architecture Architecture, Austin Maynard Architects, Breathe Architecture, Clare Cousins Architects, Hayball, Kennedy Nolan and WOWOWA Architecture. Whilst some firms such as Hayball and Architecture Architecture are fresh to the Nightingale model, Breathe Architecture are saddling up for their third tilt at a Nightingale design.

Nightingale's model is described as "leading a housing revolution in our cities by constructing multi-residential buildings that are financially, socially and environmentally sustainable."

Whilst Nightingale projects to date have been solitary designs, Nightingale Village is an attempt to bring mass-scale change to a pocket of Brunswick that has traditionally been dedicated to light industrial uses. Sites surrounding Nightingale Village have been transformed into apartment blocks, although few pay little design attention as to how they reach with the streetscape.

As far back as 2015 Apartments.com.au highlighted the blossoming apartment precinct surrounding Anstey Station and its <a href="/expert-insights/buying/the-anstey-precinct-failing-at-a-basic-level">failure to adequately address the streetscape</a>.

Nightingale Village aims to bring the seven different designs together cohesively at street level. Nightingale's backers describe the designs and wider village as "a chance to change the way housing is built on a wider scale and to create smart, deliberate and liveable density."

<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/image109_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Separate buildings with a common street level purpose"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="334" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image109_3.jpg?itok=NBWyqBzp" title="Separate buildings with a common street level purpose" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Separate buildings with a common street level purpose</figcaption></figure>A short distance from pilot projects The Commons and Nightingale 1, Nightingale Village's designs will be looked at in depth by Apartments.com.au over coming weeks. Links to these can be found below:

<ul>
<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-i-nightingale-wow">Nightingale WOW</a></li>
	<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-ii-crt-yrd">CRT+YRD</a></li>
	<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-iii-nightingale-cca">Nightingale CCA</a></li>
	<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-iv-kennedy-nolan">Kennedy Nolan</a></li>
	<li><a href="/developments/brunswick-vic-3056">Skye House</a></li>
	<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-vi-nightingale-coup">Nightingale Coup</a></li>
	<li><a href="/news/nightingale-village-episode-vii-austin-maynard-architects">Austin Maynard</a></li>
</ul>
The overall project is maintaining a tight development timeline, with information evenings for prospective buyers leading into further small group sessions and a targeted town planning approval for late this year. <a href="/architects/hayball">Hayball have noted</a> that subdivisions of the irregularly shaped development plot are also expected later this year, with a purchaser sales night slated for March 2019.

Owing to the popularity of the Nightingale model and subsequent waiting list, construction is expected to begin mid next year with an eye toward a late 2020 completion.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/276660386" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>

<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://vimeo.com/276660386">Nightingale Village Architects Presentations 18.06.18</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user62285734">Nightingale Housing</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.
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