There’s a quiet patch of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/hawthorn-vic-3122">Hawthorn</a>, between the bustle of Glenferrie Road and the curve of the Yarra, that rarely sees change, and even more rarely, new apartments. But that’s exactly where <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/pomeroy-pacific-quattro-corp">PQD</a> is planting Kooyongkoot: a deliberate, 18-residence answer to the question of what downsizers actually want.

“This is something this pocket of Hawthorn has never seen before,” says Fil Gacesa, head of sales at PQD. “<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/kooyongkoot-hawthorn-1-kooyongkoot-road-hawthorn-vic-3122">Kooyongkoot</a> will deliver just 18 large-scale apartments in the heart of Hawthorn. It is the true definition of resort-style living.”

<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/59D7VxzltmM?si=1iCzRD7FRneKryfv" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

That scale is central to the story. It’s what allows for two dedicated lift cores, short corridors, and a generous lightcourt that draws natural ventilation and sunlight into every residence. It’s also what makes room for the sort of amenity usually confined to high-density towers: a fully equipped wellness centre with infrared and traditional saunas, yoga and pilates studio, cold therapy shower, and treatment room. There’s a golf simulator, car and dog wash stations, and extensive storage too, not bolted on, but baked in from the start.

But more than the checklist, it’s the design intent that carries weight. “This project has been many years in the making,” says Mark Pomeroy, Director of PQD. “Not just in planning, but in listening, to what our buyers and the local community are looking for”.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355289]

That listening shows up in the materials, oak floors, natural stone, V-ZUG appliances, and in how space is handled. Penthouses feature private rooftop terraces with pools. Terraces and garden residences embrace outdoor connection. Inside, the layouts skew large and open, geared for hosting, not just housing.

Architecturally, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cera-stribley-architects">Cera Stribley</a>’s approach is grounded. There’s no reaching for spectacle here. Instead, the building offers a sculptural calm, anchored by landscaping from Eckersley Garden Architecture.&nbsp;

“We wanted to create spaces that feel expansive, serene, and meaningfully connected to daily life,” said founding partner Chris Stribley elsewhere.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=102717 project_image_fid=355304]

That sentiment, calm, connection, echoes in the location itself. Kooyongkoot sits just a short stroll from Central Gardens, Fairview Park, and the Rivoli Cinema. Tram lines and schools are close, but the street is tucked, quiet, and leaf-lined.&nbsp;

“Residents of Kooyongkoot will be a short stroll from Fairview Park, Central Gardens, and the Glenferrie Road retail strip," Gacesa notes, "but you're also cocooned in this peaceful pocket behind extensive landscaping by Eckersley Garden Architecture.”

Kooyongkoot is set for completion in late 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=102717]

Staff Writer

The project that said no to compromise: Inside Kooyongkoot, Hawthorn

When long-time Ivanhoe locals Graeme and Catherine, decided it was time to downsize, they weren’t necessarily in a rush.&nbsp;

Like many in their stage of life, they had started thinking about apartment living, but anticipated making the shift in two to three years.

That timeline changed when they visited <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/candela-ivanhoe-40-upper-heidelberg-road-ivanhoe">Candela</a>, a new boutique development by <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/salter-brothers">Salter Brothers</a>. The project ticked all the boxes they were looking for: location, quality design, and long-term lifestyle benefits, which prompted them to bring their decision forward.

“It was the right place at the right time,” they said. “We knew immediately it ticked all the boxes, and we didn’t want to wait.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=358855]

Their decision to downsize was driven by a combination of practical needs and lifestyle considerations. Their existing home, while much loved, had become increasingly difficult to maintain. It spanned multiple levels, included extensive front and back gardens, and was starting to show the wear that comes with age.&nbsp;

They were looking for a more manageable lifestyle, one with less upkeep and more freedom. A brand-new apartment with no maintenance requirements and the ability to simply “lock up and leave” gave them peace of mind and a greater sense of control over their future.

Financially, the purchase made sense as well. The available stamp duty savings, strong price-to-value offering, and timing of the settlement suited their plans, making the transition smoother and more cost-effective. The apartment's design and inclusions further supported their choice.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357493]

The layout was both functional and flexible: three bedrooms, a butler’s pantry, a separate laundry, and a large open-plan living area. It gave them the freedom to host a family, accommodate guests, or set up a home office. The expansive balcony and elevated views added to the appeal, providing a sense of openness and connection to the outdoors.

“It just had a really good flow,” Catherine noted, something they found lacking in many other apartments they’d considered, particularly in the established market.

Candela’s boutique scale was another deciding factor. With a smaller number of residences and a top-floor penthouse position, the couple felt the development offered the privacy and space they were looking for, without feeling isolated.

“We liked that it wasn’t a huge development. It felt well-balanced, modern but still with a sense of community, not overwhelming,” they said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=342 project_image_fid=357508]

Equally important was the ability to remain in Ivanhoe, a suburb they know well and have deep roots in. After 46 years in the area, proximity to local parks, shops, and familiar faces mattered just as much as the apartment itself.

“We didn’t want to give up the community we’ve known for decades. Candela allowed us to upgrade our lifestyle while staying in the place we call home.”

With a Walk Score of 90, the village location supports a convenient, connected lifestyle. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/ivanhoe-vic-3079">Ivanhoe</a> Station is just a eight-minute walk away, and the neighbourhood offers access to parks, cafes, restaurants, and schools along Upper Heidelberg Road, all within easy reach.

Beyond the apartment, the couple also saw value in the broader vision for Candela, one that integrates residential living with public spaces and local amenities.&nbsp;

The development introduces 58 new apartments as well as a mix of commercial and social spaces that integrate contemporary architecture with the suburb’s existing character.&nbsp;

At ground level, residents will find a charming café and a lifestyle wellness centre, perfect for unwinding and rejuvenating. Meanwhile, the rooftop garden offers a stunning vantage point for residents to enjoy breathtaking sunsets, host gatherings, or enjoy barbecues with family and friends. It's not just a place to live; it's a vibrant community where every moment is an opportunity to connect and create lasting memories.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=342]

Why Ivanhoe locals are choosing to downsize to Candela

Mark and Roy Makari are expanding their presence in Sydney’s South West with a second major proposal for Leppington, this time envisioning a 900-dwelling mixed-use development just 850 metres from their previously lodged tower trio on Fifth Avenue.

Project management and construction management firm Creative Vision filed the plans for the&nbsp;multi-building project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/230-rickard-road-leppington-nsw-2179">230 Rickard Road, Leppington</a>. The proposal seeks to establish a new focal point for the precinct through a high-density, transit-oriented development supported by diverse land uses.

According to the Scoping Report prepared for the Department of Planning, the scheme includes around 900 apartments across multiple towers, including 135 dwellings designated for affordable housing. A mix of market and subsidised apartments will be supported by ground-level activation through retail and office space, a childcare centre, and a hotel, forming a comprehensive urban precinct.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="34797362-f3dc-4d84-8235-2657fc5f3bde" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Plan.png?VersionId=Uzckrz9tUpDQl5lX1_WMhjnv16bsr8wG" />

The Design Report by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/studiosc-0">Studio SC</a> notes that the project “intends to deliver a high-quality, high-density built form that supports the vision for the Leppington Town Centre, integrating mixed-use outcomes and public domain upgrades.” The development is expected to be delivered in stages, although a precise timeline is yet to be confirmed.

The project will be assessed through a future State Significant Development Application, with the Scoping Report indicating the team will seek design excellence via a competitive process or through an expert design review panel. Early massing diagrams suggest a series of mid- to high-rise buildings framing a central landscaped spine, with emphasis on pedestrian permeability and public space.

The planning documentation flags a strong sustainability agenda, stating that the development will “respond to the urban heat island effect, incorporate water sensitive urban design, and prioritise active transport”.

<img alt="Mixed Use Development 230 Rickard Rd Leppington" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="369d7b54-1279-4cde-88ec-dcb215594414" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Podium_1.png?VersionId=QArL7B2kkLt63vl5xvL0FNV_ardAlez4" />

The proposal follows in the footsteps of the Makaris’ nearby Fifth Avenue site, where they’ve submitted plans for three towers comprising nearly 500 apartments, with 10 per cent dedicated to affordable housing. That project features commercial podiums, a childcare centre, and a new public park that would occupy more than a third of the site.

Both developments are situated within walking distance of Leppington Train Station and fall under strategic precinct plans promoting higher density housing. The town centre is undergoing substantial transformation, driven by state government planning reforms aimed at fast-tracking housing delivery.

Together, the two projects represent a combined ambition of nearly 1,400 new homes across just under two kilometres of central Leppington.

First look: 900-home mixed-use precinct planned for Leppington

Leading Australian integrated property development group, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/aqualand-australia">Aqualand</a>, has released the signature penthouses crowning its landmark AURA by Aqualand precinct at 168 Walker Street in North Sydney, unveiling Il Magnate and La Divina as the largest and most luxurious penthouses in the suburb.

With prices anticipated to commence from $15 million, and each accompanied by a new Porsche Carrera 911 valued at over $500K, the residences mark the culmination of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/aura-by-aqualand-north-sydney-168-walker-street-north-sydney-nsw-2060">AURA by Aqualand</a>’s decade-long journey and the beginning of its final sales chapter. 
&nbsp; 
Their release follows more than $850 million in record-breaking residential sales and the building’s completion and occupation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358868]

The Richards Stanisich-designed 284 sqm Il Magnate and 224 sqm La Divina penthouses, collectively known as The Icons of AURA, are conceived as grand luxury homes rather than apartments, with expansive proportions, elevated materiality and curated identities that reflect their status as one-off residences.&nbsp;

Il Magnate features a grande master suite, complete with substantial walk-in dressing area and ensuite, three other bedrooms, second ensuite and another bathroom, powder room, open plan kitchen, scullery, substantial dining area and generous living room divided by a feature fireplace, and a multifunction wintergarden, which is ideal for a study and adjoining office breakout space. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, the La Divina residence offers the same amenities, sans the powder room, on a slightly smaller alternate floor plan configuration.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358863]

Each occupies half of AURA by Aqualand’s topmost 28th level, comes with four secure car spaces and pairs sweeping Sydney Harbour panoramas with large-scale living spaces, refined detailing and a level of craftsmanship and amenity rarely offered in the North Shore market.&nbsp;

Penthouse residents will also receive Etymon’s ‘Black Key’ private concierge and lifestyle management service, an invitation only offering providing the ultimate in bespoke personalisation, including a range of everyday discrete services, from dinner party management, grocery deliveries, pet feeding or plants watered, dinners, snacks and coffee deliveries, event ticket sourcing, right up to organising travel visas and international airfares. Rarely seen in Australian properties, the service provides residents the benefits of living in a world-class luxury hotel-style home, akin to The Ritz, or the Waldorf Astoria.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=358862]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/richards-stanisich">Richards Stanisich</a>’s Director, Kirsten Stanisich, said the studio set out to craft residences that feel profoundly considered, contemporary and deeply connected to their setting.

“From the outset, we approached these penthouses with the sensibility of a grand Parisian residence - generous in scale, elegant in proportion and designed to feel more like a handcrafted home than an apartment," Stanisich said.

“Their elevated position and sweeping harbour outlook informed every decision, creating a rare connection between urban sophistication and natural calm. We shaped each space with expressive materiality, sculptural forms and bespoke detailing that invite touch and interaction.&nbsp;

“The result is a pair of residences defined by volume, light and an inherent softness - refined, flexible and deeply personal. These penthouses are unlike anything else in North Sydney, offering a sanctuary of true luxury framed by some of the city’s most remarkable views.”

For Aqualand’s Head of Sales &amp; Marketing, Alex Adams, the collaboration with Porsche underscores the shared ethos behind the residences.

“Aqualand’s collaboration with Porsche underpins both brand’s sharing an obsession with craftsmanship, design excellence, and enduring value," Adams said.

“Our penthouses are created for those who appreciate the finer details and expect the extraordinary at every touchpoint. Including a Porsche simply extends that experience beyond the residence - it’s a continuation of the lifestyle our buyers already live.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=30959 project_image_fid=292862]

Aqualand’s Managing Director, Jin Lin, said the penthouses represent both the pinnacle of AURA by Aqualand and an important design benchmark for the company’s future pipeline.&nbsp;

“These stunning penthouses reflect the purest expression of Aqualand’s design ambition," Lin said.

“The unparalleled design intent makes them not only the glistening crown of AURA by Aqualand, but the crown of North Sydney itself. They’re essentially a thank you gift to a burgeoning community that deserves this level of quality and architectural consideration.&nbsp;

“We’re leveraging the unrivalled standard set here as the foundation for what comes next, including our upcoming Anderson Street, Chatswood; 15 Blue Street, North Sydney and Central Barangaroo projects. Purchasers of these penthouses will essentially be living inside the blueprint of Aqualand’s future.

“These landmark residences demonstrate how far North Sydney has evolved and the strength of demand for highly curated, bespoke luxury homes. They’re more than penthouses, they’re legacy residences.&nbsp;

“With AURA by Aqualand now a thriving new precinct with residents well and truly settled, and our in-house world-class lifestyle amenity activated, Il Magnate and La Divina represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure an extraordinary piece of North Sydney’s future.”

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=30959]

Joel Robinson

Aqualand launches North Sydney penthouses with free Porsche Carrera 911

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/bokarina-qld-4575">Bokarina</a> Beach has quietly evolved into one of the Sunshine Coast’s most complete coastal lifestyle precincts, defined not just by proximity to the ocean, but by how residential living, local retail and everyday amenity are stitched together.&nbsp;

Gardner Vaughan Group’s <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bask-bokarina-38-bokarina-boulevard-bokarina-qld-4575">Bask Bokarina</a> now represents the final residential chapter in that transformation.

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Over recent years, the Bokarina Beach precinct has taken shape as a walkable, community-oriented neighbourhood, anchored by beachfront access, Lake Kawana to the west, and a growing mix of cafés, specialty retail and public open space.&nbsp;

With Zinc Bokarina already delivered next door by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a> (GVG), Bask is the last opportunity to buy a brand new apartment within the precinct, effectively rounding out a fully formed coastal village.

GVG has positioned Bask to strengthen that lifestyle framework. Ten ground-floor retail spaces are planned beneath the residences, extending Bokarina Boulevard’s existing activity and reinforcing the area’s everyday convenience, from casual dining and coffee to local services, within a short walk of the beach.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

The residential component comprises 135 apartments across two buildings, Mydas and Caretta, with a clear shift toward larger three- and four-bedroom layouts and penthouses. That mix reflects a maturing buyer profile in Bokarina, where demand is increasingly led by owner-occupiers and active downsizers seeking space, permanence, and connection to place rather than short-term coastal accommodation.

Design and amenity have followed the same logic. Residents will have access to a heated plunge pool, gym, private dining room with a full kitchen, landscaped communal gardens with barbecues and a firepit, and a shared herb and vegetable garden, facilities intended to support daily use rather than resort-style turnover. Pet-friendly features, including a dog wash bay, acknowledge both buyer expectations and the area’s dog-friendly beach, located around 250 metres from the site.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333366]

“Bokarina has become one of the Sunshine Coast’s most desirable beachside communities, and Bask represents the very last chance to buy new in this location,” GVG Director Sam Gardner said.&nbsp;

“Our focus has been to create spacious, functional apartments that meet the needs of locals who want to downsize without compromise, as well as those seeking a full-time coastal retreat.”

Positioned between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Kawana, Bask apartments have been oriented to capture outlooks toward the water or the Glass House Mountains, reinforcing the project’s connection to its natural surroundings. With parks, beachfront paths, hospitals, retail and public transport already in place, Bask arrives at a point where the broader precinct is no longer emerging, but established.

Construction is expected to complete in Q3 this year, with apartments ready to move into this Spring.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Bask to complete Bokarina’s Sunshine Coast lifestyle precinct as final apartments are released

Spencer Street

Parkhill Apartment’s in West Melbourne has been designed for the long-term, so residents can enjoy it for a lifetime.

Situated at 408 Spencer Street, the development presents a vibrant vertical community of apartments in a compelling CBD fringe location.

“One of [Central Equity’s] guiding principles has been that the development should not only be appropriate for today&nbsp;but relevant for the future”, said Ian Carkeek, the developers’ general manager, product design.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27406 project_image_fid=68150]

The spacious homes include long-lasting features, such as the Miele cookware in the kitchen, and tapware with a 15-year warranty.

One and two-bedroom apartments remain in the tower, which boasts luxury amenities, such as a rooftop gym, rooftop garden and seven-day concierge.

Living areas extend to spacious balconies, while windows and sliding doors are double-glazed to keep interiors cool and comfortable.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27406 project_image_fid=68117]

“Parkhill apartments offer functional design to help you enjoy every moment in your new home”, the project marketing reads.

According to Carkeek, even the paint is premium nanotechnology paint that is designed to endure.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27406 project_image_fid=155585]

The home includes a Euro-laundry with a washing machine and dryer.

“The condenser dryer pumps water away without releasing any moisture into the apartment”, Carkeek said.

Parkhill is located only metres from the tranquil Flagstaff Gardens and other amenities.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=27406 project_image_fid=68146]

Residents will have convenient access to shopping and dining offerings, universities, Melbourne’s employment hub and excellent public transport services.

Other features include two levels of secure basement parking, on-site video security, secured lift access and plenty of bicycle storage.

[smartcode_project_cta: project_id=27406]

Situated at 408 Spencer Street, the development presents a vibrant vertical community of apartments in a compelling CBD fringe location

max.kwok_55688

Next-generation apartments at Central Equity’s Parkhill Apartments in West Melbourne 

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
For many of us, the reality of Australian homes now sits many storeys up in the sky. <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-density-and-diversity-apartments-are-australia-at-its-most-multicultural-97176" target="_blank">High-rise apartment buildings have sprouted across the nation’s cities</a>. In recent weeks – <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428" target="_blank">on Christmas Eve at the Opal Tower building in Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/04/apartment-fire-in-melbournes-spencer-street-prompts-new-fears-over-cladding" target="_blank">on February 4 at the Neo200 Building in Melbourne</a> – that reality has turned into the nightmare for hundreds of residents of being turned out of their homes with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
The Opal Tower evacuation was <a href="https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/-/media/Files/DPE/Reports/Opal-Tower-Investigation-Draft-Interim-Report-2019-01-15.pdf" target="_blank">due to structural cracking</a>. At Neo200, a fire raced up the building, <a href="https://www.afr.com/real-estate/combustible-cladding-main-contributor-to-melbournes-spencer-st-tower-fire-20190204-h1atix" target="_blank">fuelled by flammable cladding</a> on part of its facade.
The rapid spread of the fire, and <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/cbd-tower-residents-forced-out-of-apartments-after-blaze-20190204-p50vlt" target="_blank">its apparent origin in a smouldering cigarette on the balcony</a>, was eerily reminiscent of the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/docklands-owners-sue-for-24m-over-fire-as-date-to-fix-cladding-looms-20180909-p502pc" target="_blank">Lacrosse building fire</a> in Melbourne in 2014. It also brings to mind the Grenfell Tower inferno in London (probably <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-40301289" target="_blank">originating in a small electrical fire</a>). This catastrophe took the lives of 72 people and devastated the lives of many more.
Media reports of the Neo200 fire included two concerning aspects:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/extra-fire-alarms-put-in-a-fortnight-before-blaze-ripped-through-tower-20190204-p50vjt" target="_blank">tenants had been unaware</a> the building was partially covered in combustible cladding
</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.mfb.vic.gov.au/Media/docs/Post_Incident_Analysis_for_Lacrosse_Docklands_-_25_11_2014%20-%20FINAL-dd61c4b2-61f6-42ed-9411-803cc23e6acc-0.PDF" target="_blank">as the Metropolitan Fire Brigade found at Lacrosse</a>, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/same-as-grenfell-tower-cladding-fears-as-fire-rips-through-melbourne-cbd-apartment-building-20190204-p50vgl" target="_blank">smoke detectors had been covered</a>, rendering them inoperable.
</li>
</ul>
Such behaviours and lack of knowledge compromise critical safety-related equipment. This represents both a challenge to, and reinforcement of, the critical role of residents in ensuring high-rise buildings are safe.
In the <a href="/news">final report</a> of the post-Grenfell “Building a Safer Future” review for the UK government, Dame Judith Hackitt observed:
"Residents need to be safe, and feel safe, in their homes … they also have a responsibility towards their fellow residents to ensure that their actions do not compromise the safety of the building."
Six elements of residential building safety
The Hackitt Review joins a raft of reports that have influenced ongoing reform of residential construction regulations. In Victoria, notable recent contributions include the Auditor-General’s <a href="https://www.audit.vic.gov.au/report/victorias-consumer-protection-framework-building-construction" target="_blank">2015 report</a> on the consumer protection framework, and <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/July%202018/document/pdf/building_ministers_forum_expert_assessment_-_building_confidence.pdf" target="_blank">Shergold and Weir’s 2018 report</a> for the Building Ministers’ Forum.
There is significant agreement between these reviews. Their vision for an effective regulatory scheme can be distilled into six elements, which need to interact holistically:
<ol>
<li>
Information: all parties who have an influence on occupant safety need sufficient information about the risks in the building to make decisions consistent with protecting occupant safety.
</li>
<li>
Responsibility: while the “buck stops” with an adequately resourced regulator, all parties in the residential construction supply chain need to discharge clearly expressed, risk-based and complementary responsibilities.
</li>
<li>
Standards: people with appropriate expertise (for example, about how building materials interact) should set standards to be enforced throughout the supply chain.
</li>
<li>
Competence: where work requires particular skills and experience, only people who have these should do it.
</li>
<li>
Quality assurance: inspection regimes need to provide a robust “last line of defence” to catch defects before they threaten occupants’ safety.
</li>
<li>
Rectification: recognising that litigation is slow and expensive, dispute avoidance processes and insurance should expedite rectification.
</li>
</ol>
The Victorian regulatory regime for residential construction mainly comprises the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/ltobjst10.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/FF534BFE5E1FF524CA2583150019BDAF/%24FILE/93-126a117.docx" target="_blank">Building Act 1993</a>, its recently updated <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/b12e276826f7c27fca256de50022686b/d6ce1ed4cf4cae14ca25833000014a82!OpenDocument" target="_blank">regulations</a>, the <a href="https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ncc-online/NCC" target="_blank">National Construction Code</a> which underpins those regulations, and the <a href="http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt10.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/513B8F096A77B1A7CA2583300080DA1F/%24FILE/95-91a084.docx" target="_blank">Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995</a>. Justifiably, much of the recent reform focus has been on the role of the regulator under element 2 – the Victorian Ombudsman’s <a href="https://www.ombudsman.vic.gov.au/Publications/Parliamentary-Reports/Own-motion-investigation-into-the-governance-and-a" target="_blank">2012 report</a> led to the Victorian Building Authority replacing the Victorian Building Commission – and elements 3-6. Contributors to The Conversation have, for example, noted:
<ul>
<li>
the difficulties of <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fires-expose-gaps-in-building-material-safety-checks-heres-a-solution-111073" target="_blank">tracking compliant products throughout globalised supply chains</a> (element 3), and how technology can help overcome these challenges
</li>
<li>
the importance of enforcing competence (element 4) in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-opal-a-10-point-plan-to-fix-the-residential-building-industry-110975" target="_blank">ten-point plan to fix the residential building industry</a>
</li>
<li>
scapegoating <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-lessons-to-be-drawn-from-the-cracks-that-appeared-in-sydneys-opal-tower-but-they-extend-beyond-building-certification-109428" target="_blank">private building inspectors</a> (element 5), as happened after the Opal evacuation, attacks a symptom of the disease, rather than the inherent tension between cost and quality in residential construction.
</li>
</ul>
The regulatory response on each of these four elements remains a matter for ongoing debate. This is justified given that the performance-based nature of most standards-setting results in increased competence requirements.
What about the role of residents?
The Neo200 experience highlights, however, that the role of residents can be underestimated. In particular, where regulatory elements 1 and 2 refer to “parties”, this very much includes dwelling occupants and others who enter these buildings. It also includes the designers, builders and other construction professionals who are the primary concern of elements 3-6.
Given the diverse ways in which people visit, live or work in high-rise buildings, it will always be a challenge to devise ways to make sure occupants:
<ul>
<li>
have enough information to understand the risks of being in such buildings (whether or not there is combustible cladding)
</li>
<li>
act in ways that reflect their responsibility to keep themselves and their fellow residents safe.
</li>
</ul>
As recent moves in Victoria to <a href="https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/swimming-pools/information-for-consumers-who-have-an-existing-pool-or-spa" target="_blank">register and inspect backyard pools and spas</a> arguably demonstrate, there seems to be robust community support for intruding into people’s homes where the safety risk is seen as high. Is it time, therefore, to mandate airline-style safety briefings in apartments, regular inspections of apartments to make sure smoke detectors are working, and other similar interventions? Certainly, a recognition of occupants as active stakeholders would suggest such measures are appropriate in pursuit of a deeply held community goal of dwelling safety.
As a society, though, are we ready for such state-based assaults on our homes – upon what the Kerrigans regarded as their “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/" target="_blank">castle</a>”? Time will tell. In the meantime, the residents of the Neo200 building – like those at the Opal building before them – are left searching for alternative accommodation, and for answers.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111255/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Matthew Bell, Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Studies for Construction Law, University of Melbourne.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-overlook-residents-role-in-apartment-building-safety-111255" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Don't overlook residents' role in apartment building safety: Matthew Bell

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Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne will push for a nationwide ban on combustible cladding at the Commonwealth building ministers’ meeting in ­Hobart today.
The consideration comes as the residents of the NEO200 building in Melbourne’s CBD face more than a fortnight of not being able to return to their homes after a cladding fire on Monday.
The Neo200 building in the CBD was evacuated when a discarded cigarette butt caused a cladding fire.
Following the blaze, Melbourne City Council's building surveyor issued an emergency order that said the building could not be occupied for 48 hours, but this was extended on Wednesday with most residents unlikely to be able to return home until February 20.
"Two additional Emergency Orders and a Show Cause Notice were issued by the Municipal Building Surveyor this afternoon to specify that the building should be vacant for up to a further 14 days," the council said.
The Australian reported Wynne was forced to concede that he was yet to appoint a state building inspector, 14 months after pledging to do so as part of a raft of measures aimed at ridding buildings of dangerous flammable cladding.
The cladding — which was responsible for the fatal Grenfell Tower fire in Britain in 2017 — remains in thousands of Victorian buildings.
Mr Wynne said he would call on state, territory and federal governments to support the ban.
“The Andrews Labor government has led the country in taking action against combustible cladding — introducing changes last year to give the Minister for Planning powers to ban the use of aluminium composite cladding on new multi-storey buildings and provide a low-cost financing ­option to help owners remove dangerous combustible cladding from their properties,” Mr Wynne said.
“The Victorian Cladding Taskforce, the Victorian Building Authority and local governments have also worked with building owners and residents to make buildings safe by completing emergency works such as removing cladding around fire exits and installing smoke alarms.”
Opposition planning spokesman Tim Smith said Mr Wynne’s number one priority was to remove the “dangerous, flammable cladding from existing buildings around Victoria”.
“There are 360 buildings in the most concerning category from the Andrews Labor Government’s cladding audit, and yet they still have not guaranteed that every single resident in those buildings has been informed that their home is at risk,” he said.
Designed by Hayball Architects for Becton, the building is distinguished by its yellow podium lights presenting to Spencer and Little Bourke Streets and its distinctive golden curvilinear foyer.
The building’s construction was completed in 2007 by LU Simon builders and was awarded the 2008 Master Builder Association’s – Excellence in Construction Award.
There was a small fire on New Year's Eve in 2015.
 
 
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Still no return possible for residents after Neo200, Spencer Street Melbourne cladding fire

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The Strata Community Association (Vic) general manager Rob Beck says Melbourne’s Spencer Street fire highlights the urgency for State Government to regulate combustible cladding material.
SCA Victoria is the peak body overseeing Victoria’s $300 billion strata sector.
It supporting more than 80% of all owners corporation management firms and represent more than 650 owners corporation professionals who manage approximately 375,000 lots. 
Beck says the "anywhere, anytime" nature of Melbourne’s defective building problem, highlights the need for stricter construction industry regulation.
“The quick action of fire fighters today brought a potentially deadly situation under control.
"The need for combustible cladding and other defective building materials to be regulated can no longer be denied,” Mr Beck said.
 
 
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Strata boss says apartment aluminum cladding must be regulated

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A fire broke out in the Neo 200 building on Spencer Street at around 5am today.
The fire is believed to have started on the balcony of the 22nd floor, and then spread to the 29th.
Fire crews were first alerted at 5:43am and the incident was upgraded in severity after they thought the building to have combustible cladding.
The ABC reported 15 fire trucks, two ladder-platform trucks and 60 firefighters were used to extinguish the fire, which was brought under control at 6:49am.
The MFB suggested that the 41 storey, 371 residence tower had some cladding similar to the deadly Grenfell Tower in London which killed 72 when it caught ablaze in 2017.
The residents will need to find alternate accomodation after the Melbourne City Council's building surveyor issued an emergency order that states the building cannot be occupied for 48 hours.
A council inspection of the building has found the fire affected "essential safety measures" including the sprinkler system and fire alarms.
A Victorian Government audit after the Grenfell Tower disaster found flammable cladding posed a fire risk on 1,400 buildings around Melbourne.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/2/4/Neo%20200%202.JPG" alt="">
The Neo200 apartment complex was found to be "fully compliant" with cladding standards in 2017, according to a 2017 tweet from the developer, Becton.
"While most of the building is not clad at all, where any cladding is used it is compliant with VBA [Victorian Building Authority] standards," Neo200 tweeted.
Premier Daniel Andrews said he would wait for an investigation into the fire before making comment on the role flammable cladding played in fuelling the blaze.
"On the issue of Spencer Street, let's get the facts," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
The Age reported pieces of the building could be seen falling from the building on the corner of Spencer and Little Bourke streets.
 
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/2/4/Neo%20200%203.JPG" alt="">
 
(Source: twitter user @bekahjaynex)
This isn't the first time LU Simon who built the Neo 200 have been involved in a building fire.
The Lacrosse building, another built by them was devastated by fire in 2014.
MFB fire chief Dan Stephens said “My understanding is that the building is cladded with ACM — aluminium composite material, so the sort of cladding that was on the Grenfell Tower.”
Only roughly 150 people did evacuate the building, meaning many residents stayed behind leaving them at serious risk.
MFB Assistant Chief Fire Officer Trent Curtin said "It’s my understanding that occupants have taken some plastic and wrapped it around the smoke alarm so as to stop it from activating in case of cooking or other products of combustion in an apartment."
In 2017 they tweeted about the cladding being compliant with VBA standards.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/4/Neo%20200%20tweet.JPG" target="_blank">Click</a> to enlarge.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2019/2/4/Neo%20200%20tweet.JPG" alt="">
There are currently eight apartments available for rent in the 200 Spencer Street building, with rental prices ranging from $495 per week to $1,039 per week for one and two bedroom apartments.
One parking space is available for rent in the building at $60 per week
There were 13 sales in the building last year with prices ranging from $650,000 for 3406/200 Spencer Street at the peak. 
Down to the cheapest apartment sold last year 1012/200 Spencer Street, which went for $392,500.
The most recent $610,000 sale on the 28th floor had seen the two bedroom previously sell at $560,000 in 2010 and an initial $579,000 sale in 2008.
A tenth floor one bedroom unit sold late last year for $410,000, had sold on completion in 2008 for 283,000, and twice at 350,000 during the interim in 2010 and 2014.
There are currently three apartments currently listed for sale in the Neo 200 building.
1. 39/200 Spencer Street 
2. 4104/200 Spencer Street, Penthouse
3. 1810/200 Spencer Street
<div>Neo200 is 41 storey building with 371 residential apartments, ground floor retail tenancies and entrances to both Spencer and Little Bourke Streets.</div>
Designed by Hayball Architects, the building is distinguished by its yellow podium lights presenting to Spencer and Little Bourke Streets and its distinctive golden curvilinear foyer.
The building’s construction was completed in 2007 by LU Simon builders and was awarded the 2008 Master Builder Association’s – Excellence in Construction Award.
There was a small fire on New Year's Eve in 2015.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Fire at Neo200 Spencer Street, Melbourne reignites apartment cladding concerns

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The western edge of Melbourne's CBD is a flurry with construction activity as a number of projects are currently underway along Spencer Street. Once derided as Melbourne's arse end, the burgeoning <a href="/developments/docklands-vic-3008">Docklands</a> precinct and redevelopment of the former Spencer Street Station (remember that?) into Southern Cross Station have provided the catalyst for the Street's metamorphosis into a high-rise neighbourhood.

Developments such as Liberty Tower (Elenberg Fraser's first high-rise), Far East Consortium's multi-tower Upper West Side on the site of the former Lonsdale Street power station, and Media House amongst others have all contributed to lifting Spencer Street's profile over the last 20 years.

In more recent years the pace has really picked up with Spencer Street not only going up in terms of height but also branching out with development towards West Melbourne. With that in mind let's take a look at the current construction pipleline along Spencer Street.

<h2><a href="/buildings/melbourne-village-377-spencer-street-west-melbourne">Melbourne Village </a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/melbourne_village.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne Village. Images: Deague Group | Urban.com.au forumer redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="233" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/melbourne_village.jpg?itok=5XVgL6c1" title="Melbourne Village. Images: Deague Group | Urban.com.au forumer redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne Village. Images: Deague Group | Apartments.com.au forumer redden</figcaption></figure>The Deague Group's Melbourne Village development will upon completion comprise 496 apartments, 33 townhouses as well as commercial office space within two towers. 

Covering a 3,800 sqm site at 83-113 Batman Street, Asian Pacific Group's purchased the site with approval for dual 27-storey towers designed by Bruce Henderson Architects.

The walls of the red brick podium have been erected with builder Maxcon making good progress with the cores beginning to make their mark on the West Melbourne skyline.

<h2><a href="/buildings/west-end-185-rosslyn-street-west-melbourne">West End </a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/west_end_aug18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="West End site works have finally commenced. Images: Trennery Property | Urban.com.au forumer redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="190" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/west_end_aug18.jpg?itok=CwnbKgBO" title="West End site works have finally commenced. Images: Trennery Property | Urban.com.au forumer redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>West End site works have finally commenced. Images: Trennery Property | Apartments.com.au forumer redden</figcaption></figure>Trennery Property's five building 'village' development has finally commenced onsite with excavation now underway to deliver the project that includes an impressive roll call of designers including ARM, CHT, Carr, Six Degrees, Mim Design and Hecker Guthrie.

Key elements of the $300 million include a 92-room, 4.5 star Adina hotel, a 600 sqm public park, a supermarket, specialty stores, restaurants and cafes in addition to a north-south public arcade Rosslyn and Dudley Streets.

<h2><a href="/developments/melbourne-vic-3000">311 Spencer Street </a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/311_spencer_mb.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The new Victoria Police Centre. Images: Cbus Property | Mark Baljak "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="238" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/311_spencer_mb.jpg?itok=SPRO_zUS" title="The new Victoria Police Centre. Images: Cbus Property | Mark Baljak " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The new Victoria Police Centre. Images: Cbus Property | Mark Baljak</figcaption></figure>Probuild is making heady progress on Cbus Property's 311 Spencer Street project, with facade installation now underway.

The new 39-storey Victoria Police Centre will join the existing City West Police Complex also designed by Woods Bagot.

Upon completion the project will inject approximately 65,500 sqm of A-grade office space, further adding to the street's emerging high-rise character and providing it with diversity of programme.

<h2><a href="/buildings/premier-tower-134-160-spencer-street-melbourne">Premier Tower </a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/premier_tower_lozza.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Premier Tower's structure has now cleared the podium levels. Images: Elenberg Fraser | SSC forumer lozza"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="295" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/premier_tower_lozza.jpg?itok=mpoysXCR" title="Premier Tower's structure has now cleared the podium levels. Images: Elenberg Fraser | SSC forumer lozza" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Premier Tower's structure has now cleared the podium levels. Images: Elenberg Fraser | SSC forumer lozza</figcaption></figure>Construction on Elenberg Fraser's Beyonce-inspired building for Fragrance Group is beginning to move at pace, following a slow start in getting out of the ground due to difficult ground conditions.

Multiplex has progressed Premier Tower's core it be well above the podium levels, while the first of the tower's floors are being formed.

The first traces of the 249m tower's silver glazing are still some way off, in stark contrast to the brown brick perimeter walls of the former Savoy Tavern that used to occupy the site.

<h2><a href="/buildings/west-side-place-melbourne-250-spencer-street-melbourne-vic-3000">West Side Place </a></h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/west_side_place_aug18.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Stage one of West Side Place. Images: Far East Consortium | Urban.com.au forumer redden"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/west_side_place_aug18.jpg?itok=XETvdtlZ" title="Stage one of West Side Place. Images: Far East Consortium | Urban.com.au forumer redden" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Stage one of West Side Place. Images: Far East Consortium | Apartments.com.au forumer redden</figcaption></figure>Another project with Probuild at the helm, Far East Consortium's West Side Place takes the tier one builder's crane count on Spencer Street to eight.

The first stage of the Cottee Parker-designed quad tower development includes the 263 room Ritz-Carlton in addition to 1,376 apartments across two towers of 81 and 62-storeys.

Occupying the site of the former Age building which drew constant comparisons with Soviet-era architecture, the development has begun emerging out of the ground, with the cores rising above street level.

Along with 311 Spencer Street it is an impressive sight as you come down Lonsdale Street and you are greeted with cranes galore.
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Laurence Dragomir

The rise and rise of  Melbourne's Spencer Street

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During my early years of studying architecture, I would often wander down to Spencer Street and watch what was once known as Spencer Street Station being transformed into what would be known as Southern Cross Station.

It can be argued that the station's redevelopment along with the ongoing construction down at the docks was the catalyst for the Spencer Street's evolution over the last decade, with every indication that it will stretch well into the next decade.

<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/southern-cross-station-melbourne-morning.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Where it all began; Southern Cross Station. Image courtesy of Wikipedia "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="243" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/southern-cross-station-melbourne-morning.jpg?itok=wxE7r6eo" title="Where it all began; Southern Cross Station. Image courtesy of Wikipedia " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Where it all began; Southern Cross Station. Image courtesy of Wikipedia</figcaption></figure>Like others on the SkyscraperCity site I would enjoy speculating as to what sites would be developed in what way. There was a general consensus 10 years ago amongst forumers that sites such as the former Age building, Savoy Tavern, Lonsdale Street Power Station and Australia Post's mail centre were capable of supporting significant high-rise development with the belief that Melbourne's first 300m+ tower would rise somewhere on Spencer Street.

While no tower has scaled the 300 metre mark thus far, there has been a steady rise in height since Elenberg Fraser's Liberty Tower first graced the corner of Spencer and Collins Streets upon completion during 2002. The tallest of these will be West Side Place's Tower 1 featuring a Ritz Carlton hotel and rising to a height of 270m.

Below we take a look at the projects completed and expected for Spencer Street.

<h2>Premier Tower | 134 Spencer Street | 68-storeys / 226m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/134_spencer.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Premier Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/134_spencer.jpg?itok=aQnnI3HF" title="Premier Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Premier Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser.</figcaption></figure>Dubbed the "Beyoncé" tower, the Elenberg Fraser-designed project for client Fragrance Group will be located on the corner of Spencer and Bourke Streets, and will accommodate 660 apartments and 160 hotel rooms within an undulating form.

The tower was initially proposed at 90-storeys and 294 metres before a reduced height of 226 metres was approved. This may not be the final height of the tower with the developer's seeking CASA approval to go taller still and apartments selling to level 76. Construction is expected to commence in October.

<h2>Victoria Police Centre | 311 Spencer Street | Height TBC</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/vic_pol_centre.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victoria Police Centre. Image courtesy the Department of Finance and Treasury"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vic_pol_centre.jpg?itok=-CurFhNK" title="Victoria Police Centre. Image courtesy the Department of Finance and Treasury" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victoria Police Centre. Image courtesy the Department of Finance and Treasury</figcaption></figure>Designed by Woods Bagot, the new $300 million police headquarters has been designed to complement its $240 million neighbour which was completed during 2015.

Located alongside the near new Melbourne West Police Station, the Victoria Police Complex at 311 Spencer Street would consist of approximately 40,000sqm of office space. With the calling for construction tenders, Cbus Property and project partner Australia Post now look set to realise the project following extensive negotiations with the Victorian government.

Both the Melbourne West Police Station and Victoria Police Complex share an 11,750sqm site which was previously hosted Australia Post's mail centre.

<h2>West Side Place | Tower 1 | 81-storeys / 270m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/the-ritz.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="West Side Place. Image courtesy of Far East Consortium"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="287" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/the-ritz.jpg?itok=L33KBfF2" title="West Side Place. Image courtesy of Far East Consortium" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>West Side Place. Image courtesy of Far East Consortium</figcaption></figure>Far East Consortium's next big development on the former site of The Age follows hot on the heels of their Upper West Side development directly opposite, with Cottee Parker Architects engaged to design the multi tower development.

Stage 1 comprising two towers of some 1370 apartments and a Ritz-Carlton, which will occupy the top 17 floors of the 81-storey Tower 1 and will feature 263 luxury hotel suites with quality finishes and furniture including state-of-the-art bathrooms, luxurious amenities and breathtaking views.

Sales for the first tower have been strong with rumours abound that it has already sold out, with attention now turning to Tower 2. Both towers, which share a communal podium are likely to be built concurrently.

<h2>Upper West Side | Four towers, 156-170 metres</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/4-upper_west-_side1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Upper West Side, Image courtesy of Cottee Parker"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="396" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/4-upper_west-_side1.jpg?itok=uc8phvmR" title="Upper West Side, Image courtesy of Cottee Parker" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Upper West Side, Image courtesy of Cottee Parker</figcaption></figure>With the final tower, Manhattan in the final stages of completion, the former Lonsdale Street Power Station site is effectively complete. Developed by Far East Consortium and designed by Cottee Parker the development sees 4 towers of 2,300 apartments rise around a host of substations with ground level retail weaving through the site.

The facades of the tallest towers have been designed to respond to primary streets; Lonsdale and Spencer Street with a colourful canvas of contrasting colours. The towers all share a communal rooftop garden atop the podium.

<h2>Neo200 | 41-storeys / 128 metres | Completed 2007</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/neopanorama.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Neo200 on Spencer. Image courtesy Hayball"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="340" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/neopanorama.jpg?itok=_vn2UWMB" title="Neo200 on Spencer. Image courtesy Hayball" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Neo200 on Spencer. Image courtesy Hayball</figcaption></figure>Designed by Hayball, Neo200 is a 41-storey building with 371 residential apartments, ground floor retail tenancies and entrances to both Spencer and Little Bourke Streets.

The building is distinguished by its yellow podium lights presenting to Spencer and Little Bourke Streets and its distinctive golden curvilinear foyer. Completed in 2007, Neo200 marked the first major residential tower for Spencer Street since Liberty Tower.

<h2>Liberty Tower | 27-storeys / 93 metres | Completed 2002</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/liberty3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Liberty Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="287" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/liberty3.jpg?itok=I1KeAW-4" title="Liberty Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Liberty Tower. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>Liberty Tower is located on the north eastern corner of the Collins Street and Spencer Street intersection. The tower was completed in 2002 and was the first project for Elenberg Fraser.

Zahava Elenberg and Callum Fraser who were both still architecture students at RMIT University were awarded the commission in 1998 by the City of Melbourne. The main façade comprises a grid of perforated aluminium screens, including a vertical crease running down the full length of the facade.

<h2>7-23 Spencer Street | 3 towers 89-112m</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/7-23spencerst.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="7-23 Spencer Street. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="328" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/7-23spencerst.jpg?itok=VHMIFMPW" title="7-23 Spencer Street. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>7-23 Spencer Street. Image courtesy of Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>Having recently obtained approval from the Minister for Planning, owner Riverlee has looked to offload the site which can accommodate up to 1,076 dwellings.

The massive 8,500 square metre site sits on the edge of the CBD and on the north bank of the Yarra; a gateway position into the Southbank area. Demolition of the former Melbourne Convention Centre continues and the project looms as the next residential development to hold a Spencer Street address.
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The evolution of Spencer Street

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Such a simple idea that provides such an incisive look at Melbourne's history. Today's article is a shout-out to the increasing popular Past 2 Present which provides an impressive glimpse into Melbourne's past by comparing it to the present.

Covering metropolitan Melbourne, Past 2 Present generates a side by side compilation of dated and current images from the past two centuries. Buildings, significant places, infrastructure and day to day street level life are covered by creator Robert Smith via Facebook, flickr and tumblr.

<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/10275586_1075838669112035_2334594070966671575_o.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A Spencer Street comparison. Image courtesy Past 2 Present"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="196" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/10275586_1075838669112035_2334594070966671575_o.jpg?itok=_hn-X0M0" title="A Spencer Street comparison. Image courtesy Past 2 Present" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A Spencer Street comparison. Image courtesy Past 2 Present</figcaption></figure>A prime example is the snapshot of Southbank above dated 1930 featuring the Robur Tea Warehouse. Built during 1887-1888 and designed by Nahum Barnet, the building appears dominant over the Spencer Street Bridge but now the 19th century warehouse is little more than a footnote on contemporary Southbank.

Another below sees how much (or little) Melbourne has changed over a century. While many parts of the CBD have lost iconic structures, certain pockets still endure as seen by the State Library of Victoria's image in comparison to that of Robert Smith's.

<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/16479952268_4932fb9733_k.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Flinders Street over time. Image courtesy Past 2 Present"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="193" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/16479952268_4932fb9733_k.jpg?itok=bbg9FGRv" title="Flinders Street over time. Image courtesy Past 2 Present" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Flinders Street over time. Image courtesy Past 2 Present</figcaption></figure>As the adage states, "You don't know where you're going until you know where you've been."

It's well worth taking a few minutes to tour old Melbourne and gain a better appreciation for our city by visiting <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Past2Present1">Past 2 Present</a>.
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silvermb

Past 2 Present: a snapshot of Melbourne's history

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A number of media outlets have reported in recent days that hotel operator <a href="http://www.ritzcarlton.com/">Ritz-Carlton</a> has signed on for <a href="http://www.fareast.net.au/">Far East Consortium</a>'s <a href="http://www.fareast.net.au/project/west-side-place/">West Side Place</a> development on the former Age site on Spencer Street. The 250 room hotel will be located on the top 15 floors of the Cottee Parker-designed 79-storey tower opposite Far East's current multi-tower project Upper West Side.

The Ritz-Carlton will boast hotel facilities and amenities such as a bar, high-end restaurant, spa centre, pool and gymnasium. A sky lobby check-in will greet guests with the Ritz-Carlton to be Australia's tallest/highest hotel. In addition to approximately 750 apartments absorbing the remainder of the tower, provision for 465 resident parking spaces and 30 hotel parking spaces will be located in the sub and podium levels.

Ritz-Carlton Melbourne will be the second for both the hotel operator and Far East Consortium after securing prime development within the Elizabeth Quay urban renewal project in Perth.

<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/ritz_carlton_elizabeth_quay.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Ritz Carlton @ Elizabeth Quay, Perth. © Far East Consortium "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="445" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/ritz_carlton_elizabeth_quay.jpg?itok=Hq_JvRn-" title="Ritz Carlton @ Elizabeth Quay, Perth. © Far East Consortium " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Ritz Carlton at Elizabeth Quay, Perth. © Far East Consortium</figcaption></figure>A second 260 suite hotel of 3 to 4 stars will be located within within the podium and lower levels of Tower 3, on the corner of an expanded Merriman Lane and Little Lonsdale Street with a north-east aspect. Tower 3 is set to rise 62-storeys for a height of approximately 210 metres and will also include a further 520 apartments and 321 parking spaces overall.

In total there will be four towers onsite upon completion with in excess of 2,500 apartments included.

<h2>Comment</h2>

The podium in particular bares strong similarities in terms of facade articulation to the residential towers of Far East Consortium's Elizabeth Quay's project as seen above as well as The Fifth at Upper West Side.

<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/thefifth_uws.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Fifth. © Far East Consortium "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="905" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/thefifth_uws.jpg?itok=5rjDKjoQ" title="The Fifth. © Far East Consortium " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Fifth. © Far East Consortium</figcaption></figure>This treatment to the podium creates and ordered but varied appearance and aids in reducing the scale of a 30m podium into a much more finer and relatable human scale. Additionally it provides passive surveillance to the street, a far cry from the fortress of the former Age building.

The buildings beyond as they appear in the render can be treated as massing envelopes, as one of the principles within Cottee Parker's Master Plan for the site is to ensure clarity between tower forms and architecture so as not to appear as one great mass on the skyline. This was partly addressed at Upper West Side by providing a similar facade treatment of differing colours. Hopefully the language of future towers at West Side Place extends beyond just a variation in colour palette.

<blockquote>
To ensure that each building is distinctive in its design, the Master Plan includes the following principle: the architectural treatment should clearly distinguish one tower from another as individual developments.
<cite>City of Melbourne planning officer report</cite>
</blockquote>

The Ritz-Carlton also presents the first high-end, 5-star hotel to be developed in the western end of the city at the threshold between the traditional Hoddle Grid and Docklands. The site is well serviced by trams, buses, Southern Cross Station and the Sky bus shuttle service within an area experiencing significant change. Together with Upper West Side and the Savoy development, West Side Place will transform Spencer Street from the dingy area it was in the 1990's to the new face of Melbourne.

With site works well underway and display suite not far off, construction is anticipated to commence in early 2016.

<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/age_site_works.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Site works well underway. © Ryan Seychell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="389" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/age_site_works.jpg?itok=Nv1kFQzv" title="Site works well underway. © Ryan Seychell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Site works well underway. © Ryan Seychell</figcaption></figure>
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Puttin' on the Ritz at West Side Place

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A few weeks ago Apartments.com.au <a href="/expert-insights/buying/an-unconventional-opportunity-for-7-23-spencer-street">briefly touched on</a> the proposed redevelopment of the former Congress Centre; today we focus on the site master plan. Prepared by Elenberg Fraser on behalf of joint venture clients, the master plan provides an overarching framework for the development of the 4,500sqm site.

All in all four tapering crystalline residential towers ranging in height from 20-29 storeys sitting atop two 4-storey podiums. The proposal seeks to provide better connections to South Wharf and Southbank from the surrounding areas to the north of the Yarra River, including the western edge of the CBD, Docklands and Southern Cross Station.

In doing so a new southern gateway into the CBD for both pedestrians and vehicles is envisaged.

<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/7-23_spencer_street.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Providing a new gateway to the southern entry into the CBD. © Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="390" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/7-23_spencer_street.jpg?itok=mpXtOOkv" title="Providing a new gateway to the southern entry into the CBD. © Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Providing a new gateway to the southern entry into the CBD. © Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure><h2>Project summary</h2>

<h3>Podiums</h3>

<ul>
<li>Podium 01: 4-storeys, 64 apartments, RL19.00</li>
	<li>Podium 02: 4-storeys 75 Apartments RL 19.00</li>
	<li>Total Podium Apartments: 139</li>
</ul>
<h3>Towers</h3>

<ul>
<li>T01: 20-storeys, 184 apartments, RL 84.50</li>
	<li>T02: 22-storeys, 210 apartments, RL 96.80</li>
	<li>T03: 29-storeys, 273 apartments, RL 121.00</li>
	<li>T04: 29-storeys, 356 apartments, RL 121.00</li>
	<li>Total Tower Apartments: 1023</li>
</ul>
Total apartments available: 1162

The indicative concept shows 1,321sqm of ground level retail space available, split between 770sqm through the North Podium and 551sqm in the South Podium. Seven retail tenancies are expected with 461 car parking spaces contained above within the podium levels.

<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/7-23spencer_massing_model.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Master plan massing diagram. © Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="470" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/7-23spencer_massing_model.jpg?itok=ROOefQS7" title="Master plan massing diagram. © Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Master plan massing diagram. © Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>The four towers are 'carved' to allow adequate separation between one another in order to minimise overlooking and provide a high degree of natural light and ventilation. The sloped/terracing roof forms are the result of extrapolating the shadow cast by the existing Crown Plaza hotel during 2pm on the winter solstice to form a solar plane that dictates the maximum height of each tower. This has led to the crystal-like forms suggested in the planning documents.

Each tower represents part of a four-stage phasing process that has informed the numerical designation of each tower i.e. Tower 01 represents stage 01 of the project and so on. Tower 04 acts as a bridging element that unites both podiums and forms a weather protected undercroft to Siddeley Street.

<h2>Improvements to Siddeley and Spencer Street Public Domain</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/siddeley_street_render.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="View down revistalised Siddeley Street. © Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/siddeley_street_render.jpg?itok=2JIMMltW" title="View down revistalised Siddeley Street. © Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>View down revistalised Siddeley Street. © Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>The master plan seeks to set the built form envelope, height and street interface of the proposed podium development. Key principles of the master plan include:

<ul>
<li>Two podiums that prescribe a preferred height of five storeys, including a Podium to the south of Siddeley Street and a Podium to the north of Siddeley Street;</li>
	<li>Active ground floor retail and lobby facilities on Siddeley Street and Spencer Street, to reactivate the streetscape and provide activity in the public realm;</li>
	<li>Three levels of car parking accommodated on each podium level, with access provided from Siddeley Street;</li>
	<li>Opportunities for an ‘active skin’ of residential apartments on the Siddeley Street and Spencer Street facades, to add to the sense of activity and vibrancy of the new public realm on these streets;</li>
	<li>The potential for a usable landscaped podium roof to provide significant communal open space for residents, complementing a residential amenities level on the first floor of each tower.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Comment</h2>

The proposal follows the blueprint of other large scale multi-tower developments in the city: a master plan is developed with a series of guiding principles that help to define a certain series of parameters to inform the future development of a site. It provides some degree of certainty to local government but also allows developers the flexibility to alter their plans for projects that span several years.

The base information is there but the detail is the element lacking. This has led to some developers selling entire sites upon gaining approval or carving sites up and selling them as individual parcels. Recent examples of this master planning approach include 250 Spencer Street, Swanston Square, Village Docklands/Collins Square and Batman's Hill on Collins.

What will ultimately become of the site remains to be seen but one can't help but feel the change in strategy from developing two-commercial towers (and failed bids for Victoria Police and KPMG) to a residential driven master plan hints at an opportunity to offload the site once approval is obtained. A permit for a series of residential towers is a far more attractive proposition to prospective developers.

It will be interesting to see how each tower ultimately manifests; it is critical that there is a level of articulation that is varied and distinguishes each tower from the next. The danger is that they read as one uniform and singular mass, which visually would not be a desirable outcome.

<h2>7-23 Spencer Street Project team</h2>

<ul>
<li>Developer: Asset1 WTC Pty Ltd &amp; HANZ (Spencer Street)</li>
	<li>Architects: Elenberg Fraser</li>
	<li>Planning Consultant: Urbis</li>
	<li>Acoustic Assessment: Marshall Day Acoustics</li>
	<li>Traffic Assessment: GTA Consultants</li>
	<li>Wind Assessment: MEL Consulting</li>
</ul>
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