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

The Red and Black Architect

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Once again Melbourne’s all night festival of art, music and light projections has delighted hundreds of thousands in Melbourne’s CBD. The 2016 edition of White Night is the fourth time that it has been run in Melbourne. After only a few years the cultural event has clearly been readily accepted as an important part of Melbourne’s busy events calendar

The biggest highlights this year were dominated by Melbourne’s top architectural masterpieces. Whilst some expressed disappointment at the limited number of projection art pieces between these landmarks, the quality of work at these key locations held up as some of the best produced so far.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vy4TEKRmoQQ" width="100%"></iframe>

<h2>National Gallery of Victoria</h2>

In past years, visitors have been treated to an array of work from international artists. This year however the curatorship looked to internationally recognized Australian artists for some of the most important pieces.

Projected upon the monumental bluestone of the National Gallery of Victoria, indigenous artist, Josh Muir, along with Ample Projects produced a beautifully animated story of Melbourne’s indigenous people. Entitled ‘Still Here’, this piece perfectly resonated with the time and place that it was created for. The imagery of animated trams rolling along the St Kilda Road facade, reflected off the pools of water was truly a memorable experience.

<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/img_7291.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="National Gallery of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_7291.jpg?itok=t-fQyFhz" title="National Gallery of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>National Gallery of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith</figcaption></figure>Inside the gallery, behind the water wall, the NGV was open for exploration the entire night. The extraordinary exhibits, which are still available for viewing, included the Ai Weiwei and Andy Warhol exhibition, a couple of extraordinary inflatable rabbits by Michael Parekowhai, and the NGV pavilion by John Wardle Architects.

<h2>Federation Square</h2>

In past years it was the Forum Theatre, and adjoining buildings on Flinders Street which were given the ‘flashy treatment’. This year it was Federation Square’s turn. Again it was fantastic to see that an indigenous artist had been commissioned for this technically challenging task. Reko Rennie with The Electric Canvas produced an artwork of vibrant patterns specifically tailored for the complex geometry of Federation Square.

<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/img_7347.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Federation Square. Image © Michael Smith"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_7347.jpg?itok=IT38jH6F" title="Federation Square. Image © Michael Smith" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Federation Square. Image © Michael Smith</figcaption></figure><h2>State Library of Victoria</h2>

As we have come to expect from White Night, the State Library of Victoria was a dazzling spectacular both inside and out. From Swanston Street the Library dazzled in rich graphics, architectural sketches and photographic imagery. The facade illumination and animation experience entitled ‘Landscaping Architecture’ was put together by Amanda Morgan and James HH Morgan with music by DJ JNett.

Within the iconic reading room, visitors were taken on a journey through the spheres of human knowledge, in a celebration of the wonders available through libraries. This brilliant piece entitled ‘Ideation’, was the creative work of Nick Azidis, Lisa Greenway, Adem Jaffers and Bentley Dean.

<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/img_7491.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="State Library of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_7491.jpg?itok=Zra6CVMk" title="State Library of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>State Library of Victoria. Image © Michael Smith</figcaption></figure><h2>Royal Exhibition Building</h2>

Perhaps the most successful piece of this year was the full facade masterpiece on the Royal Exhibition Building. This work was a collaboration between an indigenous group from Ballarat known as the Pitcha Makin Fellas and the Portuguese creative studio OCUBO. The result was a masterful piece of storytelling, animation and soundscape upon the backdrop of Australia’s first World Heritage listed building.

For those who attended White Night in 2015, there was a similarity between this piece and the piece entitled 4 Elements. Both pieces described the changing of the seasons and yet the power of the Australian story told by Australians, with the animation created specifically for this building, made this an even more compelling installation.

<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/img_7450.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Royal Exhibition Building. Image © Michael Smith"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="435" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_7450.jpg?itok=a2Sc5FpO" title="Royal Exhibition Building. Image © Michael Smith" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Royal Exhibition Building. Image © Michael Smith</figcaption></figure><h2>An event like no other</h2>

White Night is a Melbourne event like no other. It is a celebration, which is not based on sport, but instead upon art and architecture. With a record attendance this year of well in excess of 500,000 people, White night 2016 is a testament to Melbourne’s credentials as a city that values creativity and diversity. As always thanks must go to former Premier Ted Baillieu who had the foresight to make White Night Melbourne possible back in 2013, as well as those like current Premier Daniel Andrews for crucial support in backing this cultural behemoth.

Michael Smith is a principal at Ateiler Red+Black. This article originally appeared on the <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2016/02/22/white-night-melbourne-2016/">Red and Black architect blog</a>. Michael also operates the <a href="https://ratemybuilding.com.au/">Rate My Building website</a>.
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redblackarchitect

White Night Melbourne 2016

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<blockquote>
We don’t stop playing because we get old. We get old because we stop playing.
<cite>George Bernard Shaw</cite>
</blockquote>

As a society, we have become increasingly focused on the needs of the youngest members of our society. This hasn’t always been the case. It is startling to note that the history of the children’s recreational playground only goes back a 150 years, whereas adult recreational spaces such as spas/hammams/gymnasiums go back hundreds of years.

Play has also been elevated past its original recreational purpose to an educational one. The national curriculum for children between the ages of 0-5, the Early Years Learning Framework, has a strong emphasis on play-based learning. This educational bent towards play has taken some fun out of the exercise, pun intended. The increased scrutiny of playground environments and helicopter parenting has meant that modern playgrounds can often be sterile expanses of rubberized play-surfaces and a sea of brightly coloured plastic play equipment.

<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/img_2053.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="779" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_2053.jpg?itok=ZdQNEdNW" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Return to Royal Park. Image supplied</figcaption></figure>Enter the recent project by the City of Melbourne’s design team – <a href="/news/return-to-royal-park">Return to Royal park</a>. This might seem like a big call, but this project single-handedly rewrites the rulebook on playgrounds and their design in so many ways. It is also an utter delight to experience.

I recently road-tested the playground with my 4 year-old daughter and her best friend. As anyone will tell you, young children don’t know how to be diplomatic. If they don’t find something engaging, you can expect them to immediately stop in their tracks and declare ‘I’m bored’. Such a scene did not occur for nearly 2 hours at Return to Royal Park. That in itself speaks volumes.

The genesis of the project and the details of its landscaping are well covered in <a href="http://architectureau.com/articles/return-to-royal-park/">this review</a> of the project when it was launched early in the year.

<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/img_2059.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="779" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_2059.jpg?itok=Tx-ZUWZI" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Return to Royal Park. Image supplied</figcaption></figure>In particular I wanted to share one key observation. In direct opposition to the many playgrounds that attempt to manage-out danger in any form, Return to Royal Park embraces the ideology that risk-taking and play are closely related. Partaking in the former can actually enrich the latter.

For instance the large ‘amphitheater’ of carved sandstone blocks (near the super-sized slides) is a gradually-stepped surface with nearly a 5 m difference from the top-most ledge to the lowest. These ledge-surfaces are not smoothly carved or paved, they are uneven with dimples and edges.

Moreover they do not act like typical steps as their staggered heights are often uneven. As a parent, my first instinct was to encourage my daughter to give this element a wide berth. I was surprised to see instead that its uneven-ness was a great source of delight to her.

The lack of a clear hierarchy or ‘marked’ pathway made it all the more fun for her as she carved her own way up and down, often taking the longest, most difficult route. A central water-play area featuring levers to create a creek or dam has been a much talked-about element of the design.

Water is often excluded from most modern playgrounds as there is the perceived risk of slipping and falling. However this is cleverly managed through the introduction of sand around this area, which soaks up the water and creates a mini-beach effect.

The play equipment too embraces the aspect of risk in its very design: tall rope bridges, flying foxes, oversized climbing spider-webs and even rusted-steel to form a ‘birds-nest’ and elevated ‘cubbyhouse’. And importantly, there is hardly any rubber or plastic surface to be seen. Nature, and more importantly texture, stretches as far as the eye can see – whole timber logs, sandstone boulders, rope, sand, corten etc.

<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/img_2051.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="779" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_2051.jpg?itok=s7kiXwmz" title="Return to Royal Park. Image supplied" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Return to Royal Park. Image supplied</figcaption></figure>The park as a whole will continue to evolve as the landscaping matures and provides avenues for shade and the occasional game of hide-and-seek. And I for one cannot wait to return and experience it in its new avatar.

As a parent, instead of being horrified by the vague presence of risk, I was delighted that its presence was encouraging my little one to unleash her inner explorer. And more importantly, once I noticed its effect on her I became an active participant in her play.

Therein lies the crux of the problem with many modern playgrounds.

By becoming almost risk-free and passive, they have inadvertently assigned parents to the fringes of the playground – safe in the knowledge that no harm can possibly come to their child in such a ‘cushioned’ environment. But what modern children often desire most from their time-poor parents… is that their parents would actually play with them.

And that is where Return to Royal Park is streets ahead of its competition. Almost every parent I witnessed that afternoon, was not a passive latte-sipping observer but an active participant in their child’s play. And for that, the designers deserve a lot of credit and goodwill.

<blockquote>
Design is a funny word. Some people think design mean how it looks. But of course, if you dig deeper, its really how it works.
<cite>Steve Jobs</cite>
</blockquote>

Sonia Sarangi is an architect and co-founder of Atelier Red + Black, this article original appeared on <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2016/01/18/return-to-royal-park-the-risk-reward-equation-of-play/">The Red and Black Architect's blog</a>. Follow Sonia on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thesarangi/">@thesarangi</a>
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soniasarangi

Return to Royal Park: the risk-reward equation of play

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After an extended period of uncertainty left by the previous Victorian State Government, the Premier, Daniel Andrews, has confirmed the appointment of Victoria’s next Government Architect. Architect Jill Garner was chosen personally by the premier out of what would no doubt have been a very impressive list of applicants.

Having worked with an impressive list of key design practices, Jill co-founded Garner Davis Architects in 1990. In 1995 Garner Davis won a substantial international design competition for the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre.

In 2010 Jill joined the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) in the role of Associate Government Architect. In September 2014 the previous government architect Geoffrey London left the role after providing ample notice for the then Liberal State Government to provide a replacement. As Associate Government Architect, Jill was leading the OVGA through this politically difficult period.

With the reinstatement of the OVGA into the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the appointment of the Government Architect, Victoria is now much better placed to deal with the substantial design issues with which it is now faced. The Government is pushing forward with a very big agenda which includes improving apartment standards, level crossing removals and substantial urban renewal projects such as Fishermans Bend.

Red + Black Architect (R+BA): What do you anticipate as being the biggest challenge for the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA)?

Jill Garner (JG): Victoria is going through an incredible time of change in our built environment – projects are large scale, significant, and city changing. It is our challenge to industry and government to demand understanding of the impact of these projects within our existing city and to embed high ambition and interdisciplinary commitment to outcomes that demonstrate quality architectural, landscape and urban design. The challenge for the OVGA is how to cover the ground.

R+BA: You have previously suggested that the OVGA could be involved, through the Design Review Panel, in more everyday planning applications rather than the more specialized government projects. Looking at this from a developer’s viewpoint, how would this process work?

JG: We have now become involved in design review of selected private developments. There are a number of conditions that might trigger a referral to our design review panel including scale, site significance, or consideration of a precedent being set. We have an agreement with the Metropolitan Planning Authority (MPA) that has seen us review more than a dozen proposals in Fishermans Bend, and we are currently forging an agreement with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) for design review to be included in selected Central City projects. We are unhappy that many of the projects seen to date have been brought to design review at a stage where we have limited impact. Interrogation of a masterplan, a site strategy, orientation, contextual studies of scale and fit, and early site moves is more valuable than moving deckchairs on a Titanic.

R+BA: Do you anticipate the OVGA having an increased role to play in the outer suburbs?

JG: The city changing projects I speak of are not limited to the city. The impact of projects such as level crossing removals, higher density residential propositions, and mixed-use ambitions associated with selected transport hubs will all have significant impact on our suburbs. Higher density residential propositions are emerging throughout metropolitan Melbourne, from Wyndham to Frankston. I would hope OVGA can have some influence in embedding an ambition for quality and vision into this current climate.

R+BA: What are your views towards medium rise apartment buildings such as ‘The Commons’ and more recently ‘Nightingale’ which are attempting to offer car free apartments?

JG: In Melbourne we see so few propositions for an alternative type of home, and the model proposed in these projects reflects a residential type that is embraced and embedded in many great cities across the world. Although dense, these projects are human in scale, reflect the individual priorities of the various owners and promote community pride. This type of home, developed through a design led process radically different to the developer-driven model, has the capacity to fill a gap in the current market.

R+BA: In light of the recent VCAT decision against the Nightingale project do you think the VCAT system is broken? Should we for example have a panel of decision makers rather than a single person?

JG: The quotes from the VCAT decision that I read seem a rather extraordinary and disturbing summary of what could have been an intelligent interrogation of the car free proposition and a meaningful discussion of a demographic shift that clearly places less value on a car than might be considered ‘typical’. The Nightingale project might have benefitted from interrogation by our design review panel, and in light of its being a proposition for an alternative housing procurement model, an independent review may have contributed commentary to the design decisions made by the team. In this type of housing model overseas there are diverse propositions regarding cars, including subscriptions to carshare schemes, shared ownership of several smartcars, or precinct-based solutions to parking offsite. The VCAT decision has highlighted that these are critical discussions to have when we are trying to encourage walking, cycling, and public transport use.

R+BA: For a while now the State Government has been investigating how to improve apartment design across the state. Perhaps the main resistance to these efforts have been by those who believe this will translate into substantially more expensive housing. How do you respond to these housing affordability concerns?

JG: There are indeed very loud voices arguing that apartments with better amenity will significantly affect affordability. I believe affordability is a far more complex issue than this and it will not be solved by dividing a single site into smaller and smaller ill-considered parts. Community response to the Better Apartment Discussion Paper has clarified several misconceptions about the housing market: there is a demographic that is not afraid of living more densely than the block/house/garden model; that same demographic is not wedded to the car in the traditional way; that demographic simply cannot find what they seek in the current market. We are lacking diverse, innovative, alternative models that I suspect could be made affordable.

R+BA: If we get the apartment design rules and regulations right, do you think there could be benefit in providing a zoning in certain areas, which allows apartment building as of right, within the strict design parameters, that could effectively bypass planning all together?

JG: Design rules and regulations generally seek to raise the bar of the lowest common denominator to a standard deemed ‘acceptable’. Allowing apartments as of right is unlikely to be the best outcome. However, a precinct-wide strategy that considers quality higher denser housing alongside the design of streets, public amenity, landscape, communal parking sites etc. would certainly contribute to neighbourhoods that elicit community pride.

R+BA: With the recent appointment of a Federal Minister for Cities, do you anticipate having more interactions at a federal level?

JG: There is a network of Government Architects across Australia (currently all states and territories except Tasmania) and we have committed as a team to do our best to engage with this exciting new appointment.

R+BA: Do you think there is merit in a Federal Government Architect to help advise the Minister for Cities and the Federal Government?

JG: There would be considerable merit in the new Minister receiving wise counsel about the role, impact and legacy of good design across the integrated disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.

R+BA: You have been with the OVGA for some time now having previously served as the Associate Government Architect. What do you think has been the biggest success for the Victorian public, that is a direct result of the work of the OVGA?

JG: When I joined the OVGA, activity in Victoria’s built environment was slower, and we had the space and time to consider how to embed initiatives that had the potential to make a difference to both process and quality of outcomes. We are now in a time where large scale projects – both public and private – are going to significantly change the built environment of our cities. The Victorian public should be pleased that we have embedded our Victorian Design Review Panel (VDRP) initiative to perform a critical and highly visible role in project critique in an effort to raise ambition, awareness and the design bar. The public should also be pleased that our resolve to highlight the poor amenity we could see emerging in higher density housing has resulted in a transparent process of review and change.

R+BA: Thank you for your time.

With Jill’s appointment it is clear that the State Government is committed to strengthening the OVGA to provide the very best advice across the full spectrum of government projects. These projects will have a substantial impact on Melbounre’s future. If we are to have a livable sustainable health and productive built environment, good design is the key.

The next Red+Black exclusive interview will be a with the Planning Minister Richard Wynne, discussing a broad range of planning and urban design issues.

Michael Smith is a principal at Ateiler Red+Black. This interview originally appeared on the <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/11/08/redblack-interview-with-victorias-government-architect-jill-garner/">Red and Black architect blog</a>. Michael also operates the <a href="http://ratemybuilding.com.au/">Rate My Building website</a>.
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The Red and Black architect interviews Jill Garner

The complexity of Fishermans Bend: An interview with Rob McGauran

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Victoria is currently undergoing a substantial consultation process targeted at improving the design quality of apartments being built across the state. <a href="/news/victorias-push-for-better-apartments-part-1">Part 1</a> of this post discussed the main aspects of the <a href="http://delwp.vic.gov.au/planning/policy-and-strategy/better-apartments">Better Apartments</a> discussion paper released by the state government. Part 2 of this discussion will focus on why the state government should step in to guide the future development of apartments.

Many commentators on this subject are fiercely against anything other than the status quo which is largely determined by the free market. Their view is that if someone is willing to depart with the cash, it should be up to them as to what they buy. If that means the apartment has poor amenity then that is the individual’s choice and government has no place intervening. However the government does intervene in many other goods and service for the benefit of the community.

<h2>So why should the government step in to provide minimum apartment standards?</h2>

The free market does not easily take into account the mass consequences of individual choices. For example, if apartments within a building can be sold cheaper by the development excluding suitable landscaping, then the market will reward that approach. If this approach is allowed to continue over time, our built environment as a whole suffers the combined effects of poor design, such as making cities more susceptible to the <a href="/news/urban-heat-island-effect-whats-that">Urban Heat Island Effect</a>.

Another failure of the free market approach is to ignore the long term consequences in favour of achieving short term priorities. In a fast paced consumer driven society, permanence is something of a novelty. Our cars and white goods seem to last up to 10 years whilst our smart phones typically last about 2-3 years before they ‘need’ upgrading. Apartments however on the whole still have very substantial lifespan even when they are no longer useful.

This is a significant danger for our newly constructed apartment buildings which could easily become semi-abandoned slums if they cannot adapt to future requirements or be easily maintained. The developer and the initial buyer have nothing to lose if the building is great for the first ten years, mediocre for the next ten and uninhabitable from then on. As long as they don’t own the building when it becomes uninhabitable it will not be their problem. It will be someone’s problem though and our society will collectively pay the price if buildings become dilapidated and unusable.

<h2>Should the government mandate minimum apartment sizes?</h2>

A substantial aspect to this debate is the question of mandated minimum sizes. A common complaint against apartments are that they are ‘dog boxes’ which are too small. This complaint however is much more of a symptom than a disease. A poorly designed 50 square metre apartment can be very impractical for living, just as a well designed 24 square metre apartment can be a great place to live. It is far more about design quality, than size.

Some commentators believe that mandatory apartment sizes are a foregone conclusion for Victoria. This would seem quite premature given the following commentary by the Planning Minister in Apartments.com.au

<blockquote>
While apartment sizes are a hot talking point, we must keep in mind that good design is the key. There are some fantastic small apartments offering good amenity, natural light and are affordable, just as there are plenty of poorly-designed large apartments.
<cite>Planning Minister Richard Wynne</cite>
</blockquote>

If we agree that the problem is poor design at the bottom end of the spectrum, the solution then is to weed out the bad designs prior to approval. To do this the most obvious solution would be to require proposed apartment developments to be subject to a design review by the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. This would enable the quality of design to be assessed independently and the success of an apartment proposal would be tied to design quality rather than apartment size.

For unwilling developers concerned by the perception of a less certain outcome, a secondary option would be compulsory adherence to a full set of proscribed design standards including minimum apartment sizes.

<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/rate-my-building.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rate My Building sample responses"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="580" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/rate-my-building.jpg?itok=W7KuSUQT" title="Rate My Building sample responses" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rate My Building sample responses</figcaption></figure><h2>Bedroom sizes are being squeezed</h2>

A major bugbear for many apartment dwellers in newer homes is the limited size of the bedrooms. Whilst some might argue that a queen or king sized bed is a luxury item, for those taller than 188cm, a queen or king sized bed is a requirement for a good night’s sleep. By restricting bedroom sizes to only fit a double bed, the effect is to restrict who can live in the apartment.

Apartments which cannot facilitate a queen sized bed amounts to housing discrimination. Imagine the outcry if a public transport or government service was not available to people over 188cm in height. Housing is a basic and fundamental human need, regardless of height. Any guidelines or standards on apartment design that come out of this process need to engage with this aspect of apartment design.

<h2>Will minimum design standards significantly increase apartment costs?</h2>

Some of the most outspoken critics of the Better Apartments discussion paper and of apartment regulation cite the issue of housing affordability as the major reason why the government should not interfere with the apartment market. Perhaps the most alarming prediction was from <a href="/news/better-apartments-should-be-retitled-more-expensive-apartments">Craig Yelland</a> who proclaimed that “The cost per apartment will immediately increase by upwards of $150,000”.

The prediction is drawn from a comparison between Melbourne and Sydney apartment prices. Whilst it is absolutely clear that inner Sydney apartment prices are significantly more expensive than inner Melbourne apartments it is far less clear that this can be blamed upon their apartment design regulations, SEPP 65.

There are many factors that impact on the cost of an apartment in Sydney. Sydney has higher average wages and higher prices on goods and services. It also has different city geography, zoning controls, levels of international investment and different transport infrastructure all of which affect apartment prices. Median house prices in greater Sydney have also increased more quickly than in greater Melbourne, a fact which is also due to a complex system of factors.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1">
<caption>Median house prices</caption>
	<thead><tr>
<th>Year</th>
			<th>Melbourne</th>
			<th>Sydney</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>2010</td>
			<td>$560K</td>
			<td>$629.9K</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>2014</td>
			<td>$658K</td>
			<td>$811.8K</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>percentage increase</td>
			<td>18%</td>
			<td>29%</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
It is important to note however that SEPP 65 is not limited to Sydney, it is has jurisdiction across all of New South Wales. It is in fact in the regional centres where the State of Origin comparison between NSW and Victoria reveals an interesting story. If it were the case that SEPP 65 was responsible for apartment prices immediately increasing by upwards of $150,000, due to the mandated larger sized apartment sizes, bedroom windows or higher ceiling heights then we should expect it everywhere that those requirements are enforced.

A quick comparison between Newcastle (NSW), Wollongong (NSW) and Geelong (Vic) shows that it is possible to buy in all three locations a typical 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1 car-space apartments for somewhere between $530K and $580K

​

<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/image29_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image source: The Red and Black Architect"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="149" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image29_0.jpg?itok=Ofp8YctQ" title="Image source: The Red and Black Architect" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image source: The Red and Black Architect</figcaption></figure>The view that the New South Wales apartment regulation SEPP 65 Laws have not substantially impacted apartment affordability is also shared by The Property Council of Australia. A 2009 survey of the Property Council of Australia’s members found that 82 percent of respondents agreed that it had led to improved design, and with relatively minor impact on affordability. At the time of the survey, the regulations had been in place for seven years.

Despite being skeptical of the idea that minimum apartment sizes will cause substantial price increases, If apartment affordability should still be monitored closely to determine the likely impacts of the regulation. If prices do begin to rise substantially there is no reason why other planning mechanisms could be looked at to increase the supply side of the equation.

<h2>Where to from here?</h2>

In a democracy it is up to the citizens to determine how much we want our government to regulate. Do we allow a basic human right such as housing to be dominated by the developer spreadsheet or is there a further role for government to step in to make sure we build the city we need now and in the future. Now is the time to have your say. Public submissions on the Better Apartments Discussion Paper open until the end of July there is still much debate to be had about the way forward.

This article originally appeared on the <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/victorias-push-for-better-apartments-part-2/">Red and Black Architect's blog</a>.

Lead image courtesy LITTLE Real Estate.
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Victoria's Push for Better Apartments (Part 2)

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In May, Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne released the government’s discussion paper entitled <a href="http://delwp.vic.gov.au/planning/policy-and-strategy/better-apartments">Better Apartments</a>. This document is the next stage of the process that began under the previous government looking at how to improve the design quality of Victoria’s apartment dwellings. The Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) has been concerned for some time about the poor quality of amenity offered in new apartment developments in Victoria.

As identified in the introduction of the discussion paper, “The issue of apartment amenity was also raised by local government, architectural and industry bodies, and the media during consultation on Plan Melbourne.”

This discussion is well overdue with record apartment development in Victoria occurring since 2009. It is clear looking forward that apartments will be a big part of our capital city and increasingly our regional centres. This is undoubtedly a good thing as it is an opportunity for our cities to become less car reliant and more sustainable into the future.

In Sydney, minimum apartment design standards have been in place for quite some time. In 2002 under the leadership of Bob Carr, New South Wales introduced State Environment Planning Policy 65 (SEPP 65). Whilst it is no doubt a controversial debate, it would appear that the reforms have been successful in their purpose of improving the built outcomes of apartments in New South Wales. In this <a href="http://architectureau.com/articles/improving-the-quality-of-housing/">ArchitectureAU article</a> by professors Kerry and Lindsay Clare, they identify that the “Research, feedback and anecdotal evidence all point to the policy’s success”.

<h2>What is Victoria’s Better Apartments Paper About?</h2>

This paper is about seeking feedback from the property development industry and importantly apartment dwellers themselves about what the issues are and what should be done about them. The paper explains the four different mechanisms that the government has to control apartment development. It must be emphasised that the government is not restricted to using just one tool for every issue. Instead it could tailor a combination of control measures specifically to the issues at hand rather than trying a blanket catch everything approach. The tools at hand are as follows:

<ul>
<li>Regulation – Mandated standards via planning schemes or the National Construction Code (NCC).</li>
	<li>Performance based requirements – Objectives, standards and decision guidelines, similar to the way that ResCode works for housing 3 storeys and under.</li>
	<li>Policy – Provision of a guide to good practice referred to in the planning scheme.</li>
	<li>Market based methods – Focus on better educating the buying public.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What are the issues that have been identified?</h2>

<h3>Daylight and sunlight</h3>

The benefits of daylight and sunlight in apartments generally boils down to two aspects. The health and well being of the occupants, and the energy efficiency of the apartment. Apartments which have an overall smaller area of windows will require artificial lighting to be running more often. Apartments without direct sunlight cannot directly use this naturally available resource to help with heating, therefore requiring more energy to artificially heat.

There are currently requirements for day lighting to habitable rooms in apartments from the NCC. There is also an often used work around called ‘borrowed light’. This provision allows for a habitable room to ‘borrow’ the amenity from another room via a large door or glazed panels. This issue currently has substantial planning uncertainty attached to it with it being overlooked in some jurisdictions and close to outlawed in others.

19% of respondents to the <a href="/news/atelier-red-black-announce-ratemybuildingcomau">Rate My Building</a> apartment survey indicated that they feel their apartment has insufficient windows for light and ventilation (out of 140 responses)

<h3>Space</h3>

One of the primary discussion points around apartment design standards in Victoria is the size of apartments being built. 79% of Victoria’s one bedroom apartments currently marketed or under construction are below the minimum size required in New South Wales under the Sepp 65 laws. There are many issues that reside within this overall discussion point. The dimensions of an apartment can affect the flexibility, adaptability and liveability of that dwelling. The dimension of the ceiling height also has an impact the penetration of daylight into the apartment.

There is also the question about the diversity in types of apartments that are being supplied to the market. This nominally fits into this point although it could easily be its own separate issue.

Minimum sizes will be discussed in further detail in part 2 of this article.

<h3>Outlook</h3>

Whilst one might immediately start imagining apartments with brilliant city views, this point is more about making sure that privacy between apartment buildings is not undermined. There are examples in areas such as Melbourne’s Southbank where large apartment towers have been permitted to be constructed very close together. This places excessive reliance upon internal blinds or an exhibitionist personality.

The other issue with outlook is to enable passive surveillance to the street front. By having apartments at the lower levels with street facing windows, the street can feel significantly at night. This aspect is typically dealt with very effectively at a local council planning level and therefore may not require much in the way of policy or regulatory intervention.

<h3>Natural ventilation</h3>

Ventilation of rooms is critical to providing a sufficient level of internal air quality. In poorly ventilated spaces the air quality can become a health hazard. Giving occupants the ability to open and close windows can reduce the occupant’s reliance upon mechanical ventilation. Ventilation to habitable rooms is dealt with in a similar way to daylight, in that it is controlled in the NCC but with a similar borrowed ventilation clause available to the developer who can get planning approval.

<h3>Noise</h3>

The key issues with excessive noise entering apartments is that of health and wellbeing, sleep disturbance and privacy. When we think of apartments with poor acoustics we often think about the noisy neighbours that can be easily heard through the ‘paper thin’ walls. Australia wide data from 140 Rate My Building survey responses suggest however that noise from the street is just as important an issue as noise from neighbours. Currently controlling noise from neighbouring dwellings in the same building is regulated through the National Construction Code. There are currently no mandatory provisions for street noise insulation in apartments. That being said, some apartment developments are required to achieve a minimum level of acoustic insulation via councils imposing specific planning permit conditions.

<h3>Outdoor space</h3>

Outdoor space is often addressed in apartments via the balcony. Typically the rule of thumb is to have a minimum of 8 square metres with a minimum linear dimension of 1.6 metres. Outdoor space is often used when entertaining guests and is also important for those with children. The provision of outdoor space can become a difficult proposition once an apartment tower gets above a certain height due to excessive wind speeds. This is where well designed communal open space should be utilized to make up the deficit.

<h3>Adaptability</h3>

Apartment buildings and in particular apartment towers once built will need to last a very long time. Typically these towers are sold to hundreds of different parties each with a very small stake. This makes demolition and rebuilding virtually impossible if requirements change. Therefore we must be extremely careful about how we design these structures so that they can adapt to future needs. Can a basement car park be repurposed for another use? Can walls be removed to join two or three apartments into a single dwelling? Can an apartment adapt to service the needs of a disabled person? These are clearly aspects of apartment design that are not able to be addressed by the free market and need further government guidance.

<h3>Landscape</h3>

The use of landscaping within and around an apartment development has significant benefits to the wider city by reducing the urban heat island effect which occurs during our increasingly intense summer heatwaves. This urban heat island effect might seem like a fluffy term, however it contributes to hundreds of heat related deaths every year in our capital cities.

There is also substantial benefit in improving the vitality of the public realm through well designed vegetated areas.

<h3>Universal design</h3>

Architecture is for everyone, apartments should be for everyone too. There are clear statistics on how many people in our society live with various disabilities. There are also mathematical models which can predict how these numbers will change over time in our aging society. Clearly there is an urgency then to make sure that an equivalent percentage of apartments provided within a development are suitable to be adapted should the need arise. This is currently handled more or less on a council by council basis. A state wide policy would provide certainty to all parties involved and make the inner city a viable choice for those with a disability.

<h3>Energy and resources</h3>

The question raised by this topic is where the bar should be set in terms of energy efficiency. There are already well considered processes within the NCC to mandate a minimum level of energy efficiency. A solution to improve apartments here may be as simple as adjusting the benchmark. An additional consideration may be to mandate renewable energy generation for a substantial portion of the common area energy requirements.

<h3>Waste</h3>

<blockquote>
Apartment developments often have low resource recovery rates compared to single dwellings. This can be due to a lack of access for residents to recycling infrastructure and services
<cite>Better Apartments Discussion paper</cite>
</blockquote>

Waste Management is an area which is also in the better apartments ‘needs improvement’ category. The relevant objective here is to increase the level of recycling by residents. Recycling needs to be made as easy as possible by providing facilities to separate the waste. This might be as simply as putting in separate waste and recycling chutes in towers.

<h3>Car parking</h3>

Car parking is a common area of dispute within the planning system. From a developer’s point of view if they provide too much parking they will be criticised for increasing traffic. However if they provide too little parking they will be criticised for causing a parking problem on the local streets. It would seem the correct approach to car parking may well be to enable a site by site assessment that takes into consideration other transport options such as public transport and car sharing facilities. Local councils are already well placed to make the final decision regarding car parking, although perhaps this could be further enhanced by a state policy aimed at minimizing car reliance where possible.

<h3>Entry and circulation</h3>

The issues around the entry lobby and circulation spaces generally reside around a sense of address, visibility and safety. Amongst the other discussion points, this one would seem less critical than others that are more directly related to human health, environmental health and building performance. It is not necessarily apparent that a corridor that has fewer apartment front doors is necessarily safer than one that has more. Indeed it may be quite possible that the reverse is actually true. There are some energy efficiency bonuses available to naturally ventilate an entry corridor. It is also Clear that hallways which terminate with views to the outside are superior from a user experience point of view, however as such this might be an area suitable for the free market to judge via price.

<a href="/news/victorias-push-for-better-apartments-part-2">Part 2 of the Red+Black discussion</a> on Victoria’s Push for Better Apartments will look further into the merits of improving apartment design standards.

This article originally appeared on the <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/victorias-push-for-better-apartments-part-1/">Red and Black Architect's blog</a>.
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Victoria's Push for Better Apartments (Part 1)

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Michael Smith, Director of architecture firm Atelier Red + Black and Apartments.com.au Industry Hub member, has gone to extraordinary lengths to mark the occasion of his 100th article on his personal blog, <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/about/">The Red and Black Architect</a>.

No stranger to regular Apartments.com.au readers, Michael's commentary on all aspects of architecture provides valuable insights and adds another layer of depth to Apartments.com.au's content. So what better way to mark his 100th article on The Red and Black Architect then to glean insight from leading Melbourne figures and fellow industry participants.

Below is an excerpt taken from <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/the-red-black-architect-post-100/">his recent post</a>. The responses below as to why good architecture is so important could not have been answered in a more telling and comprehensive manner.

<hr>
<h2>What is your favourite building or space in Melbourne? And why?</h2>

Peter Hitchener – Chanel Nine News Presenter, Melbourne Icon. <a href="https://twitter.com/phitchener9">@phitchener9</a>

It’s hard to decide on one favourite building or space – there are so many in Melbourne… The Royal Exhibition Building, Flinders Street Station and St Paul’s are obvious choices.. Fed Square continues to be hugely popular as a meeting place, but my favourite Melbourne building is the National Gallery in St Kilda Road designed by Sir Roy Grounds, as well as the Arts Centre theatre and concert hall. I find the art gallery in particular induces feelings of calm, reflection and creativity; and I love the famous stained glass ceiling. It’s always worth a visit and I am never disappointed.

Jeff Kennett – Former Premier of Victoria, (Via Twitter). <a href="http://twitter.com/jeff_kennett">@jeff_kennett</a>

The Treasury Gardens in Spring Street, outside my old office. The gardens are a restful place for clear thinking and contentment. There are also many other great open spaces in Melbourne and Victoria as well.

Alison Cleary – Chapter Manager, Victorian Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects

My favourite place in Melbourne is both a place and a moment in time. Federation Square February 13th, 2008. Standing with 10,000 Melbourneites, black and white, watching the big screen as the Then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen Generations. The feeling of connection and togetherness, standing shoulder to shoulder with 1000s of others who had longed for this moment – the opportunity to say we are sorry and this should not have happened. A quintessential Melbourne moment contained within a quintessential Melbourne space.

Sonia Sarangi – Co-Director Atelier Red + Black. <a href="https://twitter.com/TheSarangi">@TheSarangi</a>

Heide MOMA II (by McGlashan &amp; Everist) is simply magical and one of Melbourne’s hidden gems. Previously a home for the Museum founders, it is now a gallery. It demonstrates beautifully how art, architecture and landscape are intertwined. I cannot do justice to describing it; you have to go there! But it reaffirms my belief that great architecture doesn’t age – it is robust and continues to enrich lives for decades. Heide III by O’Connor &amp; Houle is a fitting addition to this building and a testament to the thriving architectural scene in Melbourne.

Cr Rohan Leppert – Melbourne City Councillor. <a href="https://twitter.com/RohanLeppert">@RohanLeppert</a>

I have so many favourite spaces in Melbourne, but up there would have to be the Meat Market on Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. As a performing arts space, it’s got to be one of the most unusual buildings around – which is one of the reasons why so many emerging and contemporary artists love it. Its long history, which is central to the story of Melbourne’s growth as a city and as a community, continues to evolve in ever more interesting ways, without one ever losing the sense of this building’s remarkable working past.

<h2>Why is good architecture so important?</h2>

Jill Garner – Associate Victorian Government Architect

Utilitas (function? commodity? utility?), firmitas (solidity? materiality?), and venustas (beauty? delight?). Design’s power to make ordinary objects desirable can confuse its (more? equally?) important capacity to make things and places safe, understandable, durable, functional, affordable and energy efficient. The true value of (good) architecture lies in its capacity to integrate a solution to the mundane problems of occupation, with the capacity to change our perception of place, and the very best architecture integrates use with space, material and light in such a way that our senses soar.

Bad architecture – or no architecture – costs so much.

Peter Malatt – Architect, President of the Victorian Chapter of the Australian institute of Architects

Good architecture enriches our lives in ways which make every day a better day

Good Architecture stimulates all the senses of touch, taste, smell, sight and sound.

Good Architecture lasts longer, looks better, smells better, is better for the public and uses less energy.

Good Architecture gets better as it gets older.

Stuart Harrison – Architect, Writer, Broadcaster, Director of Harrison and White Architects. <a href="https://twitter.com/stuartnharrison">@stuartnharrison</a>

Better designed cities, buildings and public spaces make life more productive, satisfying and enjoyable whilst fostering a sense of community. Architecture is central to this, it is a glue to bring together people, spaces and stories. Good architecture should be promoted, debated, tested and understood to become truly good, in the minds of all who use, see and experience it.

Leone Lorrimer – Architect, CEO DWP Suters. <a href="https://twitter.com/LeoneLorrimer">@LeoneLorrimer</a>

I often reflect on the power of good architecture to change behaviour. Historically, churches, town halls and court houses were symbols of civic power. The Sydney Opera House was the first public building to challenge the cultural status quo of an entire city – daring the city to re-evaluate its role on the world stage. The design of the Sydney Opera House was the equivalent of the moon landing; without it the boundaries of technology in design and construction would not have been pushed so hard and so fast. With the Sydney Opera House, innovative architecture took on a new role as the visual identity of a city. Today the Sydney Opera House still creates awe, raises aspirations and changes behaviour. Where else would you stage the Festival of Dangerous Ideas?

<h2>How would you like to see the architecture profession change?</h2>

Warrick Mihaly – Architect, director of Mihaly Slocombe Architects, Writer of Panfilocastaldi. <a href="https://twitter.com/MihalySlocombe">@MihalySlocombe</a>

The architecture profession has been in a sustained crisis for as long as I can remember. I’d like to see us respond to this by diversifying our contribution to society into new territory. This will mean accessing segments of the building industry currently closed to us (like volume built housing), as well as generalising our skills beyond it. Our education and training bestow upon us a unique and valuable worldview. We need to put this to use wherever there is need for complex thinking and sophisticated creativity. Politics, strategic planning, finance, the media and entrepreneurial start-ups would be a great start.

Tania Davidge – Architect, Writer, Director of OpenHAUS. <a href="https://twitter.com/taniadavidge">@taniadavidge</a>

The reality is that the profession is already changing. Globalisation and the ever increasing speed of communication have opened up new contexts for architects to practice in. New technologies and the outsourcing of architectural services are changing how architects go about their business. This change is double-edged – it opens up possibilities for architects and broadens the audience for architecture but at the same time it has the potential to decrease architectural agency and relegate architects to the position of spatial image makers if we don’t pay attention.

If we want the profession to change for the better we need to redefine the practice of architecture for ourselves rather than let external pressures shape architecture. Within this context, I would like to see the practice of architecture expand to encompass greater diversity and to make a shift from object-centric preoccupations to incorporate more strategic ways of thinking about the city and the people who inhabit it.

Kim Irons – Architect, Director of Irons McDuff Architecture, Principal Adviser, Architecture + Transport OVGA and Architectural Adviser to Public Transport Victoria. <a href="https://twitter.com/IronsMcDuff">@IronsMcDuff</a>

I would like to encourage the profession to work more collaboratively in all aspects of research, academia, advisory, advocacy, and practice to demonstrate the value of good design – not just as an outcome but as a process. If we measure and demonstrate the value of design both in economic and social terms, we could be better advocates for our contribution to the built environment. Evidence exists for value of design in schools and hospitals, but we need more evidence across other typologies, and the public realm. The evidence for good design could lever our capacity to advocate the role and worth of architects to drive innovation and reduce ‘design risk.’

Timothy Horton – Architect, Registrar Architects Registration Board, New South Wales. <a href="http://twitter.com/timhorton_">@timhorton_</a>

More than anything I’d like the profession to own its own data. Why? Succeeding in advocacy, engagement and change often means having numbers to hand to either give shape to a problem (look at the movement on gender equity that comes from being confronted by the facts), or to sketch out a model of the opportunities on offer. This might mean collecting the data to validate those early promises on how a project will increase workplace productivity, or to put some quantities around the supply chain implications of decisions on materials or assemblies. Without its own cache of data, architecture risks being viewed as unverifiable overspruik.

<h2>How would you like to see Melbourne evolve over the next 20 years?</h2>

Clay Lucas – City Editor at The Age newspaper. <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayLucas">@ClayLucas</a>

Two planners from NSW I had a meeting with this week remarked how, compared to Melbourne, Sydney’s CBD had too many wind tunnels and dark corridors where you felt over-powered by skyscrapers. Over the next 20 years, I hope Melbourne’s CBD can accommodate high-rise residential development without making the central city an unpleasant place to be. More widely, it would be great if affordable, quality housing was created in the middle-ring suburbs – the lack of it drives some of the city’s more serious planning problems. And major transport projects will hopefully henceforth be built based on facts, not propaganda or a vibe; both the East West Link and the Regional Rail Link were supported without a transparent and honest exploration of the city’s needs.

Monique Woodward – Architect, Director of WOWOWA Architecture. <a href="https://twitter.com/WOWOWA_Arch">@WOWOWA_Arch</a>

What if Architects fees were tax deductible? What if the polite but inevitable cocktail party conversation regarding real estate and tax breaks merged into contributing higher quality housing stock for wins at tax time? After all, financial planner fees can be taken from a client’s superannuation fund because the perception is their service contributes to overall wealth. For most, the Australian fiscal dream revolves around money made from renovation after renovation but so few use an architect. What is it about architecture that people have a problem with? I wager a fear of cost blowouts coupled with seemly exorbitant fees. Making our service seem more attractive and accessible starts to address at least part of this issue.

Alastair Taylor – Urbanist and an Editor of the Apartments.com.au website. <a href="https://twitter.com/tayser82">@tayser82</a>

Plain and simple: more urban growth, more walkable, less suburban growth and less auto-centric. We can now safely say the centre of Melbourne fits this bill however the challenge over the next 20 years will to replicate this success to areas further afield, and in an appropriate form. Smaller scale projects like those in the Anstey precinct of Brunswick are the type of development I’d like to see all over Melbourne – medium to high density, 5-7 levels high, right next to existing public transport infrastructure.

And speaking of Anstey, one thing to keep an eye on is how architects will have an impact on the development industry. The Nightingale project might just spawn a whole new direction for the way urban development is undertaken in this city.

Emma Appleton – Director of the Victorian Design Review Panel, Office of the Victorian Government Architect

To retain Melbourne’s cherished live-ability, our transition to a medium density future needs to be supported by sustained and deliberate investment in the green and blue infrastructure of our city.

We must transform the way we think about, design and manage our public realm, and protect and enhance the natural systems which sustain us, to meet the demands of more intensive use, increased consumption and pollution and to support our quality of life.

The streets, boulevards, parks, and public places, and our river corridors and natural landscapes are the lungs and connectors of our city, essential to our well-being and health, and central to the character and identity of Melbourne and who we are as citizens.

<hr>
Congratulations to Michael and as always architecture is for everyone! See the remainder of Michael Smith's <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/the-red-black-architect-post-100/">milestone post</a> on the Red and Black Architect blog. You can also follow Michael on <a href="https://twitter.com/Red_Black_Archi">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/redblackarch">Facebook</a>.

Lead image courtesy <a href="http://melbournedaily.blogspot.com.au/">Melbourne Fresh Daily</a>.
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silvermb

Melbourne and architecture: prominent figures voice their opinion

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In response to the <a href="/news/do-apartment-dwellers-want-to-entertain-guests-at-home">first research findings</a> from the <a href="/news/atelier-red-black-announce-ratemybuildingcomau">Rate My Building</a> project, journalist Nathan Johnson from Architecture &amp; Design, sent through some questions relating to minimum apartment design standards which have been much talked about since they were leaked to the media in 2014.

The original interview was posted on <a href="http://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/comment/australia-s-apartment-design-going-backwards-vic-a">Architecture &amp; Design</a>.

Nathan Johnson (NJ) – What do you think of the news that Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne is preparing a discussion paper on setting design standards for Melbourne apartments?

Red + Black Architect (R+BA) – I am cautious about this news. On the one hand any step towards improving the design quality of apartments is a good thing. In my view we desperately need a minimum design standard as the free market approach is failing our urban population. On the other hand apartment design standards have been talked about for a long time now and I think it is now time for action. To add in more talk about possibly taking action, one day in the future, will cause thousands of additional poorly designed homes to be built in our cities. Once they are built and sold off they are very difficult if not impossible to remedy.

NJ – What would you as an architect like to see from a set of Apartment Standards for Victoria?

R+BA – First of all we should look at what the problems people are experiencing are. As an example I can refer to some of the responses in the Rate My Building survey research which highlight some of the issues we need to solve

Example One:

“The kitchen lacks storage space for pots and pans. Cabinets are narrow and shallow. Not designed for people who cook their meals.”

<ul>
<li>Occupier of a new apartment (less than 5 years old) in NSW</li>
</ul>
Not everyone wants to use their kitchen to cook their meals. However by allowing the free market to determine adequate kitchen design, it would appear that inadequate kitchen design becomes the standard built outcome. This is particularly the case on the smaller 1 bedroom and studio apartments. This has an adverse impact on those (who are likely to be in the majority) who want to prepare their own meals. For the sake of a developer’s profit margin in a single year, a large number of residents for the lifetime of the building will have a basic human activity made very difficult.

Example Two:

“Bedroom is too small for a queen size bed.”

<ul>
<li>Occupier of a new apartment (less than 5 years old) in Victoria</li>
</ul>
Whilst not everyone wants or owns a queen sized bed, for some people, particularly those who are taller than average, a queen sized bed is the only size which will enable a good night sleep. Market conditions are therefore forcing some people to choose between living uncomfortable, unhealthy lives, or not in an apartment and therefore not in the city. I think these are precisely the types of issues that minimum apartment standards should address.

There are other issues pertaining to tower developments which also need further scrutiny. The separation or distance between apartment towers and the mix of apartment types within a tower, I think is also crying out for better oversight. Allowing the market to determine these issues has led to poor outcomes such as in Southbank where very large towers have been built with only a few metres separating them. These may be part of the Apartment Standards or they may be addressed within the planning system. Regardless of how it is done, we need to put in place a system that will get the best built outcomes, not just deliver the biggest developer profits.

NJ – What are the forces driving apartment quality down in Victoria at the moment?

R+BA – Clearly there are a few factors involved. I think a significant contributor is the large amount of foreign investment we are seeing at the moment. Foreign investment is great for our cities overall however it can cause future problems if we get swept up in the enthusiasm and fail to properly plan and design. Many of these investors will never step foot in their apartment and will either choose to rent it out or in some cases leave it unoccupied in the medium term. Just because apartment quality is not a high priority for these investors, doesn’t mean that future occupants of these apartments should be forced into living with below basic amenity.

Some would also be quick to point the finger at developers. Developers have a very strong interest in, and in many cases a duty to make the most money for the company. They are poorly placed to create any change that may have any negative impact on their current or future profits. They will comply with laws and regulations of course but will not aim for higher standards unless they come attached with higher profits.

So we have a situation where a substantial number of purchasers are not interested in quality and the developers on the supply side trying to maximise profits. So then who or what is protecting the long term interests of our built environment?

NJ – How would your version of the standards benefit apartment quality?

R+BA – In my view, a developer should be able to choose between two regulatory frameworks. Option one would be to comply with a series of mandated minimum requirements. These requirements would cover aspects such as overall apartment sizes, minimum room sizes, access to daylight and ventilation and other considerations to ensure basic suitability for a healthy living standard. As a further example, bedroom sizes must be at least a prescribed minimum size to enable a queen sized bed to be easily accommodated. This rulebook approach would enable developer’s certainty with regards to internal amenity requirements.

A second option would also be open for developers which would be more a performance based approach. To achieve compliance they would be required to satisfy the OVGA Design Review Panel that although particular sizes have not been met, amenity has not been compromised. Smaller spaces can absolutely be liveable, however in order to retain amenity, they must be designed very well.

These rules would achieve a higher standard of dwelling which would be suitable for a much wider demographic. It would give the occupiers choice over how they live on a day to day basis and not effectively decide for them.

NJ – Who should be the key parties involved in the design and application of these standards?

R+BA – The clear leaders in the area of design policy are the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. They need to be given the resources needed to finish the job they have started. Under the Napthine Government the OVGA were isolated and had their funding cut, despite delivering excellent results. The key leadership position within the OVGA, that of Victorian Government Architect, was left to sit vacant, despite the previous VGA giving six-months’ notice of his intention to leave. We need this to be addressed in the very short term if we are serious about the design quality in our cities.

As for who should be designing apartment buildings I would argue that we need to give these buildings more respect generally and mandate the use of Architects to design them. No doubt there will be some building designers who have the skills to do the job. For these people the answer is very well discussed in a previous article by the Australian Institute of Architects President, David Karotkin who noted the following:

<blockquote>
There are pathways for building designers to become registered architects to accommodate those who do not have the appropriate university degree. Building design professionals who can demonstrate the required competency standards and who are willing to commit to the professional standards and obligations of the Architects Act are able to become registered architects. There is no restriction on who can demonstrate these standards in order to become an architect.
<cite>Australian Institute of Architects President, David Karotkin</cite>
</blockquote>

As our cities grow, it is vital that we design them to be as sustainable, healthy and liveable as possible. There is very strong evidence to suggest that we are going backwards on apartment design. Our current free market approach is delivering developers higher profits but leaving an enduring legacy of poor apartments which will have very negative impacts on our future. Once individually sold off, these problems are almost impossible to fix.

As Winston Churchill once said: “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

This post originally appeared on the <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/2015/04/23/apartment-design-standards-qa/">Red and Black Architect blog</a>. Atelier Red + Black are an Apartments.com.au Industry Hub member organisation.

Lead image courtesy slideshare.net.
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Apartment Design Standards Q&A

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In August 2014 during what turned out to be the last few months of the Napthine Liberal Government it had become very apparent that Victorian State politics had gone from being design smart to design stupid in a matter of a few of years.

<blockquote>
Within a single term of government from 2010 to 2014 we have gone from a design-intelligent and architecturally progressive State Government, to one which has marginalized those best able to advise it. The public who voted in the Architect Premier in 2010 have every right to feel let down by the party politics that has led to this point.
<cite>Red + Black Architect, Architecture and Politics 25 August 2014</cite>
</blockquote>

In late November, change was upon us as the a new Victorian State Government led by Daniel Andrews swept to power. It has now been over 100 days since the election which is a good time to check in with what is happening or not happening with built environment politics. The following is a report card with a score out of 10 possible marks.

<h2>Consultation with the Australian Institute of Architects</h2>

First up on the checklist is government consultation with architects and the key organisations. Last year it was quite astonishing and very concerning to report that in Matthew Guy’s 4 years as Planning Minister he had only one face-to-face meeting with the Australian Institute of Architects. It is therefore very pleasing to be able to report that within 10 days of taking his office, the new Planing Minister, Richard Wynne has already equaled Matthew Guy’s total number of AIA meetings.

Red + Black Architect (R+BA) score: 1 mark (out of 1 available)

<h2>Consultation with the Architects Registration Board of Victoria</h2>

In 2012 the Liberal Government made the unexpected announcement that the Architects Registration Board would be merged into a new body the Victorian Building Authority.

At the time The Red and Black Architect covered this most contentious issue in three posts:

<ul>
<li>Architect Registration Board to be abolished</li>
	<li>A Red and Black Investigation into the future of the Architects Registration Board of Victoria</li>
	<li>The Case To Retain the Architects Registration Board of Victoria</li>
</ul>
Despite the talk of pushing this change through, the draft legislation was never passed through the parliament, due in part to the 2014 Geoff Shaw political crisis. This has left the Architectural profession guessing as to how registration and the Architects Act will be administered in the future.

The good news however is that this uncertainty is very likely to be resolved in the next few weeks. At this stage it also appears most likely that the ARBV will retain it’s current structure as a stand alone entity as it has since its inception in 1923.

This has the additional benefit of aligning with stand alone registration boards in other States and Territories. It is sincerely hoped by R+BA that in the future a National Architects Registration Board could be developed to facilitate a more interconnected and mobile profession.

R+BA score: 1 mark (out of 1 available)

<h2>Office of the Victorian Government Architect</h2>

The next organisation to address is the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. Here there have also been very positive meetings with Richard Wynne discussing the importance of the OVGA to Victoria’s future.

First the good news. It appears likely that the OVGA will be moving back to where it belongs, reporting directly to the office of Premier and Cabinet. This is where the OVGA can undertake its best work, independent of undue influence with a direct line to the most powerful office in the government. Discussing this exact issue, Michael Bleby recently wrote <a href="http://www.afr.com/business/construction/victoria-planning-minister-wynne-hints-at-greater-authority-for-government-architect-20150311-141boa">this piece</a> for the Australian Financial Review.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JK0CbayWZDQ" width="560"></iframe>

However there is more to fixing the OVGA than just its place in the family tree of influence. It has been almost 12 months since the last Victorian Government Architect, Geoffrey London who is featured in the video interview above, gave notice of his resignation of the role. Since September 2014 the chair has been empty. Now is the time to appoint the next Victorian Government Architect. It would be a very simple step to take and would immediately help the process of finalizing the controversial yet urgently needed minimum apartment standards. The solution could even be to promote Jill Garner the (brilliant) Associate Government Architect to the position of VGA and then hire a new replacement associate.

The other urgent piece of business at the OVGA is to address the funding of the Victorian Design Review Panel. Since 1 July 2014 the OVGA has been forced to go to a watered down ‘user pays’ service which limits the availability of this important review process.

<blockquote>
While a formal cost benefit analysis has not been undertaken due to the difficulty quantifying the benefits conferred by the VDRP, where these have been able to be quantified the benefits considerably outweigh the costs. Feedback from program stakeholders and reviewed project case studies supports this assessment, with 96% of surveyed case study participants indicating that the benefits of participating in the design review process outweighed the costs.
<cite>Victorian Design Review Panel: Program Evaluation, <a href="http://www.ovga.vic.gov.au/images/VDRP_Evaluation_Report_Exec_Summary.pdf">independent review by SGS Economics and Planning</a></cite>
</blockquote>

The cost of bad design can be extreme and persists for the life of the building. If we can design buildings better by subjecting them to thorough expert scrutiny, we can substantially reduce these negative consequences.

R+BA score: 1 mark* (out of 3 available)

* This presumes the OVGA is in fact restructured into reporting directly to the office of Premier and Cabinet

<h2>Flinders Street Station</h2>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/1160_26-07-2013_6297.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="HASSELL + Herzog &amp; de Meuron's winning bid"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="336" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1160_26-07-2013_6297.jpg?itok=uFMSIT49" title="HASSELL + Herzog &amp; de Meuron's winning bid" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>HASSELL + Herzog &amp; de Meuron's winning bid</figcaption></figure>In 2013 Melbourne’s most important landmark was the subject of a major international architecture competition to scope the future possibilities for improving the site. This was a fantastic initiative by the Liberal government which enabled a genuine discussion about real possibilities for the future. Despite subsequent criticism from some quarters, the competition was very good value for the taxpayer and generated thousands of response from an engaged public.

Since then it has been left as an unanswered question as to if the winning design will be built. The Liberal Government never promised that there would be funds available and as time passed it seemed more and more likely that the project would not get off the ground.

With the change of government came the predictable move to permanently shelve the redevelopment plans. This decision is a real win for small picture, short term thinking. This building is not just a piece of infrastructure like a power station or toll road. It is our most iconic and identifiable piece of architecture that holds far more value as an icon than as a train station.

In the only upside to this saga the new government has committed $100 Million in funds to seal the leaking roof, restore the facade and upgrade the most talked about toilets in Melbourne. Casual observers of this announcement may have been misled into thinking that this funding would also extend to restoring the ballroom and other interior spaces. Upon reading the fine print however, this funding will only extend to preparing a business case for interior restoration.

The final point to address with Labor’s less than ideal handling of Flinders Street Station’s future are the unfortunate comments that were spoken by both Daniel Andrews and Jacinta Allan aimed to discredit the former Government.

<blockquote>
The Liberals held an indulgent colouring-in competition while the station fell apart. We’re actually getting on with the job.
<cite>Jacinta Allan Minister for transport and employment</cite>
</blockquote>

Describing the enormous effort of some of the world’s very best architects including Pritzker Prize winners as mere ‘colouring-in’ is an absurdly offensive attack on both Architects and Architecture. It is hard to recall an instance where an entire industry or profession has been so needlessly dismissed as frivolous in order to score political points.

R+BA score: 1/2 a mark* (out of 2 available)

* half a mark was deducted for the ‘colouring-in’ remarks

<h2>Infrastructure</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/western-portal-copy_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="East West Link"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="317" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/western-portal-copy_1.jpg?itok=67DUiq3w" title="East West Link" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>East West Link</figcaption></figure>The change of government has seen a most significant change to the State’s infrastructure policy. The 2014 Victorian State Election was described by the Prime Minister as “a referendum on the East West Link”. This has turned out to be quite true with the Labor Government standing firm on their pre-election promise of not building the toll road.

This measure alone is undoubtedly a game changer and a lifeline for Victoria. At a price of $1 million per metre and returning just 45 cents of benefit for every dollar contributed, the East West Link would have crippled Melbourne financially whilst destroying several communities and devastating Royal Park. Whilst the political decision seems to have been finalized there is still much work to be done to permanently prevent this poorly conceived project from making a comeback.

Firstly the Government is still in negotiations with the East West Consortium to cancel the contract without paying for the $1 Billion + super profits that the previous government was so happy to sign away in their morally bankrupt side letter. If this negotiation fails Daniel Andrews has implied strongly that he will take action in the Parliament to legislate a solution. Obviously the consortium should be reimbursed for expenses already incurred. As for claiming to be eligible for profits on a project that they never built, this is exactly the kind of big corporate behavior that sickens hard-working, honest individuals.

The entire East West Link saga can be traced back to politicians bypassing crucial expert analysis to fast track a project for political gain. In order to reduce the undue political interference from future infrastructure investment, the Andrews Government has already begun setting up Infrastructure Victoria. This new body was one of the six issues lobbied for by the Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter prior to the election. The idea of this body will be to act as an independent adviser to the government, which will hopefully also see a logical prioritization of projects based on actual publicly released and positive business cases.

In the final piece of good infrastructure news, the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel has been given the new Government’s backing to proceed. According to <a href="http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/project_assessments/files/2013/VIC_Melbourne_Metro_Brief.pdf">Infrastructure Australia</a> the Melbourne Metro Rail tunnel has a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 1.2 meaning that for every dollar spent we can expect $1.20 benefit. There has also been public comment by the Premier suggesting that the preferred procurement method may also be shifting from Public Private Partnerships to having construction funded by the Government and then sold off to private operators. Given the currently very low interest rates it seems difficult to fault that logic.

R+BA score: 3 a marks (out of 3 available)

<h2>The Red + Black Scorecard</h2>

All in all it has been a solid start for the new government. Having spoken with various stakeholders who have been dealing directly with senior members of the Government it seems that there is a cautious optimism about the direction we are heading.

The Red+Black Scorecard is as follows:

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 100%">
<thead><tr>
<th>Action</th>
			<th>Score</th>
		</tr></thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Consultation with AIA</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Consultation with ARBV</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>OVGA reporting to Premiers Department</td>
			<td>1*</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Appoint Victorian Government Architect</td>
			<td>-</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fund Victorian Design Review Panel</td>
			<td>-</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Funding the Restoration of Flinders Street Station</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Flinders Street Station Design Competition</td>
			<td>-0.5</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Cancel East West Link</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Create Independent Infrastructure Body</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Work towards Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel</td>
			<td>1</td>
		</tr>
<tr>
<td>Total</td>
			<td>6.5/10</td>
		</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
* This presumes the OVGA is in fact restructured into reporting directly to the office of Premier and Cabinet

<h2>Issues and questions for the next 100 days</h2>

Whilst it has been a breathe of fresh air to have a government willing to have intelligent consultation with architects, there is much work to do over the coming years to address several areas of concern. Minimum apartment standards continue to be a very hot topic which will require real leadership to see through. The OVGA will have significant role to play here, which is why the appointment of a new Government Architect must be a priority.

The Labor Government has also flagged potential changes to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal appeal process for planning decisions. This will be a very interesting discussion to have on where the line in the sand is. On the one hand is the right of an individual or company to build a project and on the other hand is the right of an individual or company to object.

Perhaps one of the biggest issues we will have to face up to is housing affordability. The current system is pricing families out of the inner and middle suburbs, pushing them to the limits and forcing a high dependence on car travel. Single people and those in creative or caring industries are also finding quality housing difficult or impossible to obtain. The last thing Melbourne needs is a city like London where only the very wealthy are welcome to reside. If the new Labor Government can make inroads with this, they will well and truly deserve a second term.

Michael Smith is Director of Melbourne architecture firm Atelier Red + Black. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/">The Red and Black Architect blog</a>

Lead image courtesy thecourier.com.au.
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The Andrews Government, 100 Day Report Card

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Last week Moreland Council presided over one of the most important planning applications it will see all year. The project in judgement was the Nightingale Apartments, a five storey proposal in a small off-street in Brunswick Victoria. What makes this application of such importance is that it is being undertaken using the same design principles and development strategy as its neighbour across the road ‘The Commons’.

The Commons, by Breathe Architecture, is of national significance (with awards to prove it) due to its principled environmental design response combined with a unique financial model which enabled the apartments to be sold at affordable prices. In both ‘The Commons’ and ‘Nightingale’ the developers are a band of local architects who share a belief that high quality, yet affordable medium density housing can be a reality.

<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/img_3037.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Commons apartments by Breathe Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="773" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_3037.jpg?itok=SP-9c4bK" title="The Commons apartments by Breathe Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Commons apartments by Breathe Architecture</figcaption></figure>The Commons is proof of that reality. Through removing the typical ground level car park the project both promotes more environmentally friendly transport options and significantly reduces the cost per apartment. By providing a very high standard of sustainable features, running costs are kept to an absolute minimum. Laundries for the apartments are provided communally rather than individually, reallocating the space in the apartments to higher purposes and reducing the number of machines required.

The financial model is perhaps even more innovative. The profits of the developers are capped at 15%, rather than the traditional developer model which starts at 20% and then squeezes the costs and quality to get a bonus return. In the Nightingale model, Marketing costs, real estate costs and showroom costs are all eliminated completely with savings passed on to the buyers.

<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-apartments-breathe-architecture.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Proposed design of the Nightingale Apartments by Breathe Architecture"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="411" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nightingale-apartments-breathe-architecture.jpg?itok=dEanJk5K" title="Proposed design of the Nightingale Apartments by Breathe Architecture" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Proposed design of the Nightingale Apartments by Breathe Architecture</figcaption></figure>Typically within our planning system the number of objections to a project is a telling story. In developments of a similar scale it would not be uncommon to have 15 – 30 objections from the public submitted to council. By comparison Nightingale had just 3. It did however have an unprecedented 177 letters of support from architects and the local community wanting to see more affordable and environmentally sustainable housing.

<blockquote>
We didn’t have a column [in our internal filing system] for tallying the number of supporters
<cite>Moreland Councillor CR Samantha Ratnam</cite>
</blockquote>

Prior to last night’s meeting, the council planning officers distributed a detailed report styled agenda for the Councillors and public. In the report, the council officers noted the following:

<blockquote>
It is considered that the proposed development achieves excellent sustainability outcomes through no car parking provision, emphasis on alternative modes of transport, provision of renewable energy sources and use of passive design principles. High quality contemporary architecture has also been achieved with engaging facades, a rooftop productive garden, and ground level activities to enhance the public realm.
<cite>Moreland Council Urban Planning Committee agenda</cite>
</blockquote>

Despite this, the ultimate conclusion of the officer’s report was a recommendation that a permit should be granted subject to significant changes to the distance of the front façade to the street front at the upper levels. The justification for this recommendation was that the Nightingale project was not compliant with a new policy which, according to the applicants, had not existed at the time the planning application was originally lodged. Further to this, the planning policy in question is still yet to be adopted as an official policy of the council. The idea that a retrospective application of a yet to be adopted planning policy could be used to substantially modify a building design at the eleventh hour is ridiculous. Yet that was exactly what was proposed by the council planning department. It was then up to the elected Councillors to decide.

The Moreland Council Urban Planning Committee Meeting commenced at 6:30pm in front of a crowd so large that the furniture had to be re-arranged to allow more standing room at the back. After an introduction by CR Helen Davidson as Chair of the Committee a council planner talked through the submission.

From a more practical viewpoint, the issue in question was: should the building be allowed to overshadow the footpath on the other side of the road at the equinox? The road itself is an important pedestrian link from Sydney Road to Anstey Train Station and the pedestrian experience is a valid issue to consider.

With this issue lingering in the air, objectors were offered a chance to speak. With the brief silence that followed, it was unclear if there were none willing or just none present.

Then it was the supporters’ turn. Rather than the customary 3 minutes per person (which could have taken all night) Jeremy Mcleod, the director of Breathe Architecture, led the discussion, first introducing the people who have already been balloted to purchase and live in the apartments. There were some extraordinary comments from the new home buyers.

<blockquote>
I never thought about apartment living until I encountered The Commons.
<cite>Mim</cite>
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
I couldn’t afford anything else of that quality as a single person.
<cite>Bonnie</cite>
</blockquote>

Next to talk was a housing affordability researcher. Describing the project as a deliberative development rather than a speculative one, she strongly urged the Councillors not to reduce the building size, as it may affect the overall viability of the project. She also made the excellent point that whilst the architect developers might accept a reduction in profit, the financiers of the project would almost certainly not. After a final discussion by Jeremy Mcleod discussing and proving the very minor nature of the street overshadowing issue it was over to the Councillors to make their remarks and to vote.

Immediately CR Samantha Ratnam took the opportunity firstly to praise the project for its quality and secondly to remove the suggested design change conditions originally proposed by the planning officers. This motion was seconded by CR Lambros Tapinos who described the overshadowing concerns as “a very small price to pay for all of the benefits”. With that, the motion was passed unanimously to spontaneous cheering from the crowd.

Afterwards a jubilant Jeremy McLeod said he was “Incredibly buoyed by the support of the architectural community. The collegiate nature of the profession will hold us in good stead for the 21st Century”

As commented by others such as Stuart Harrison, this new model has the potential to change the property development industry. Nightingale style projects offer the purchaser a better quality home at a lower price. It also comes with a community centered and environmentally sustainable lifestyle as a bonus.

Massive congratulations to all of the Architects involved and in particular Breathe Architecture and Jeremy McLeod.

This piece of architecture is exactly the type of project that proves architecture is for everyone.

Michael Smith is Director of Melbourne architecture firm Atelier Red + Black. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theredandblackarchitect.wordpress.com/">The Red and Black Architect blog</a>.
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