The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
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[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Rothelowman

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Burbank Group is in the process of making good the opportunity to bring urban regeneration to Werribee.

As part of Wyndham City Council's push to <a href="http://www.starweekly.com.au/news/werribee-cbd-facelift/">redevelop key sites around Werribee under a $250 million transformation</a>, Burbank Group has taken to planning a scheme for what is currently an at-grade asphalt car park. The developer joins the Pelligra/Citinova partnership in claiming the right to develop three separate central Werribee sites: Riverbend, Cherry Street and Gateway.

Riverbend is the subject of Burbank's planning application, with the requested outcome the right to create 100 new apartments adjacent to the Werribee River.

<h2>3 Comben Drive application summary</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/image13_21.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rothelowman's generated renderings for 1 Comben Drive."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="265" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image13_21.jpg?itok=mguFaVSR" title="Rothelowman's generated renderings for 1 Comben Drive." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rothelowman's generated renderings for 1 Comben Drive.</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Site: Council owned public car park</li>
	<li>Proposed: 10 level residential building at 34.57m in height</li>
	<li>100 apartments: 16 x 1BR, 81 x 2BR, 3 x 3BR</li>
	<li>2 retail tenancies: 175.6sqm &amp; 192.5sqm </li>
	<li>82 vehicles across ground, 1st &amp; 2nd floor bays</li>
	<li>Provision for 34 bicycles</li>
	<li>Level 9 communal outdoor space of 116.6sqm</li>
</ul>
Project architect Rothelowman talks of the want “To create a vibrant retail laneway network through the middle of the Precinct centred on Barnes Place and Comben Drive, to connect the planned Riverbank Promenade with Station Place, the Werribee Train Station, Watton Street and Cherry Street” within the planning documents.

Under the <a href="https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2016-06/Werribee%20City%20Centre%20Structure%20Plan%20-%20June%202013.pdf">Werribee City Centre Structure Plan</a> higher density development will be encouraged throughout the Werribee City Centre.

Buildings of up to 20 levels were envisaged during the 2016 tri-site announcement, although the sought after 10 level outcome would still comfortably exceed the preferred precinct height limit. A taller tower may still be in the pipeline as 1 Comben Drive accounts for only a portion of the Riverbend at-grade car park site designated for redevelopment.

<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/image16_10.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rising on Werribee River."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="292" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image16_10.jpg?itok=GsCEzlvf" title="Rising on Werribee River." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rising on Werribee River.</figcaption></figure>A multi-faceted business generally focusing on home building, Burbank Group has pushed further into Melbourne's apartment sphere over recent years. Mosaic Dandenong on Cheltenham Road represented the developer's first genuine push into apartments.

Further to 1 Comben Drive, Burbank Group is also working toward realising a high-rise project across 96-102 Franklin Street in Melbourne's CBD as well as future stages at their sizeable Cheltenham Road land tract.

Rothelowman carry on their website imagery of the latest potential stage of the Cheltenham Road development which sees both apartments and low-rise townhouses forming the dwelling mix.

<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/burbank.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A Rothelowman scheme for Dandenong."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="347" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/burbank.jpg?itok=JXmUuqPP" title="A Rothelowman scheme for Dandenong." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A Rothelowman scheme for Dandenong.</figcaption></figure>
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silvermb

Burbank advances plans for Werribee's Riverbend site

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Apartments have seemingly taken a back seat in South Yarra as developers look to cash in on Melbourne's buoyant hotel sector.

Latest to the trend is LK Property Group who are seeking to usurp their already approved residential tower scheme on Claremont Street with a 294-room hotel tower. If successful 35-41 Claremont Street would join three other prospective hotels within South Yarra, which combined could add as many as 711 new hotel suites to the suburb.

LK Property Group's about-face for the 1,446 square metre site follows on from the previous <a href="http://artisanarchitects.com.au/projects/claremont-street">Artisan Architects-designed scheme</a> gaining approval during December 2016. It was to have included 121 apartments.

The developer pulled the trigger on the redesign mid-year, enlisting Rothelowman for the new hotel's design. Submitted during August, the project carries a build value of $65 million.

Expected is a twenty-two storey hotel building above a single basement level encompassing 20,083 square metres of gross floor area. A lounge, meeting rooms, restaurant, gym and rooftop bar are among the design's listed amenities.

<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/image15_13.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Exterior finishes. Planning image: Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="228" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image15_13.jpg?itok=zojjQuCq" title="Exterior finishes. Planning image: Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Exterior finishes. Planning image: Rothelowman</figcaption></figure>In advancing plans for a hotel, LK Property Group will for the first time move away from a residential outcome.

The unveiling of a new 35-41 Claremont Street follows hot on the heels of two new hotels announcing themselves over recent weeks. Most recently Argo Group has listed 230 Toorak Road for sale, complete with approval for 93 hotel suites.

Designed by Woods Bagot, the scheme replaces developer Cranecorp's earlier plans for <a href="https://www.hassellstudio.com/en/cms-projects/detail/toorak-road">25 luxury apartments</a> across the site.

Alfasi Property Development has also entered the fray, planning a 150-room, 4.5-star international hotel at 2-10 River Street. JLL Metropolitan Sales handled the sale of the 2,116 square metre site recently, resulting in Alfasi rolling out their first hotel development.

Carr Design Group have handled the project's architecture, describing the outcome as "consisting of a two-level podium which creates a dramatic contrast. Clad in a dark metallic materiality with a structural form defined by sheer blades and articulated planes, the effect is of solidity, strength and rigorous detailing forming the base from which the suites sit lightly above."

Rounding out South Yarra's quartet of hotels in waiting is Starwood Hotel and Resort's commitment to 402 Chapel Street. Expected to open during 2019 as part of a larger mixed-use development, Starwood will brand the 176-room hotel component under its Aloft banner.

<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/image18_21.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="2-10 River Street, Aloft Chapel Street and 230 Toorak Road."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="403" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_21.jpg?itok=XVw8LWT6" title="2-10 River Street, Aloft Chapel Street and 230 Toorak Road." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>2-10 River Street, Aloft Chapel Street and 230 Toorak Road.</figcaption></figure>
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South Yarra's fourth hotel in development unveiled

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Developers continue to stake their claim in Fishermans Bend, as the State Government prepares to release the draft Fishermans Bend Framework which will outline the future composition of the massive urban renewal area.

CostaFox Developments has entered Fishermans Bend at an interesting juncture, lodging an application for a prime Dockland site in the shadows of the State Government announcement. Sited behind Yarra's Edge's low-rise townhouse enclave, CostaFox's 111 Lorimer Street is a 4,109sqm plot on the northern border of Fishermans Bend.

Fishermans Bend's development lull was snapped last week, as <a href="/news/fishermans-bends-development-scene-rumbles-back-to-life">news on three major projects broke</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/imagecfox.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="CostaFox's Fishermans Bend tower."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="738" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/imagecfox.jpg?itok=jRglhlqJ" title="CostaFox's Fishermans Bend tower." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>CostaFox's Fishermans Bend tower.</figcaption></figure>CostaFox have also taken to the front foot, outlining their aspirations for 111 Lorimer Street to the media.

Provisional plans include 396 apartments and 3,841sqm of retail and commercial space, with the latter spread over two dedicated levels. Across the scheme, a further 3,390sqm is dedicated to residential amenities. 

Rothelowman have designed the 40-storey scheme which includes 1, 2, 3 &amp; 4 bedroom apartments. CostaFox adding a proportionately high number of larger apartments which is expected to reflect the project's targeted buyer demographic.

<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/image5rlfb.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rothelowman's Fishermans Bend catalogue includes South and Johnston Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="188" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image5rlfb.jpg?itok=EBeX_hbI" title="Rothelowman's Fishermans Bend catalogue includes South and Johnston Street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rothelowman's Fishermans Bend catalogue includes South and Johnson Street</figcaption></figure>111 Lorimer Street's submission represents CostaFox's first entry into the Apartments.com.au Project Database. 

The relatively new South Yarra-based property outfit is the coming together of Michael Fox and Robert Costa.

Under the guise of Little Projects, Michael Fox has experience within Fishermans Bend, guiding nearby <a href="/developments/docklands-vic-3008">85 Lorimer Street</a> through the approvals process, consequently securing the right to develop 940 apartments across dual towers.

Rothelowman on the other hand can notch another major project up within Fishermans Bend, although none have yet to reach construction.

Developer Australia Ruiyi has the Rothelowman-designed <a href="/buildings/south-15-thistlethwaite-street-south-melbourne">South</a> at sales, whilst another approved design at <a href="/new-apartments/60-82-johnson-street-south-melbourne">60-82 Johnson Street</a> is controlled by local developer Salvo Property Group.
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CostaFox tackles Fishermans Bend with new proposal

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Rothelowman Associate Principal Jonathan Cowle and Principal Jeff Brown
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Previously unbuildable buildings have become a reality thanks to advances in parametric design. 
As any architect will attest, attempting to make a pencil thin tower stand up on a small parcel of land in the middle of a city is no small feat. Nor is the humane architecture that’s needed to create highly liveable places where people aspire to reside. 
Yet as land becomes scarcer in our cities, developers continue to search for ways to innovatively accommodate growing communities within easy reach of existing infrastructure. They look to their architects for a range of intelligent and precision-based approaches that will enable them to make these buildings as good as they can possibly be. 
Historically expensive to create and commercialise, slender towers must achieve tight feasibility width-to-height ratios in excess of 1:12 despite highly complex wind loadings, planning, engineering and site specific matters; often enough to put off those without the deepest pockets. 
Two such towers are underway in Queensland, where our team is working on game changing designs in Surfers Paradise and Brisbane. 
The first, a picturesque but elementally exposed waterfront site in Wharf Rd, Surfers Paradise (above) involves the design of a 42-storey, 12m wide premium residential project at a ratio of 1:13. 
The second, in Brisbane’s Ann St (below), is a proposed 147m high, 9m wide apartment project that, at a ratio of 1:16, would become one of the world’s thinnest buildings.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2017/10/03/Rothelowman_WharfRd.jpg" alt="">
 
There are no general rules or principals when it comes to designing slender towers, other than to be specific to the site and local environmental and planning restraints. What matters most is the design process itself, open collaboration, understanding of science and parametrics, and a willingness to push the design envelope.
With a brief to create whole-floor subtropical beach houses in the sky for the Wharf Rd project, our team set about making viable a site that might previously have been deemed too tricky to develop.
Assembling a team of market-leading partners and consultants, we relied on science to create significant structural efficiencies that were then digitally tested and analysed in detail. We then humanised the design to create a highly resolved building that is feasible, liveable and beautiful.
From a parametric design perspective, the Wharf Rd process involved capitalising on an articulation zone within the planning scheme that enabled us to move what would have been a traditional inboard structure to the building’s exterior.
In creating this exoskeleton, we were able to alter the tower’s structural dimensions to achieve a commercially viable ratio of 1:13. In other words, we kept the same floor space and tower height but decreased the width-to- height ratio to achieve a more stable building.
The exoskeleton design meant we now had the ability to cross-brace the building externally via a diagrid, rather than being reliant on sheer walls and strong boxes for stability. This enabled us to open up the facade and create a truly three-dimensional building, with windows on all sides and enough asymmetries to mitigate the prevailing winds.
Importantly, we were able to provide highly articulated beach houses with stunning views and wonderful cross ventilation while ensuring the developer received a viable design that exceeded their commercial expectations by delivering an extra two floors.
It is our view that projects such as this are a precursor to what may come in Australian cities, where ownership of land is increasingly fractured, consolidation of land difficult to achieve, and populations rapidly growing.
When a site seems impossibly narrow, any building designed for the space will be so complex that nothing can be left to chance. These projects require the highest level of design input and management, from the facades to the car parks. Their success is dependent on architects’ ability to assemble teams that are willing to think outside the square and fine-tune each parameter along the way.
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jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

How parametric design enables previously unbuildable buildings to become a reality

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Brunswick East's popularity continues to cut through with apartment buyers, as Jameson Capital has noted with the recent launch of B.E. Apartments.

Acting as a capital partner to date, Jameson Capital has turned its hand to development with 11-15 Brunswick Road, a 1,724sqm site that is located in an already established apartment pocket. On the eve of the project's launch, Apartments.com.au chatted with Jeremy Urbach, director of Jameson Capital regarding Melbourne's latest apartment release.

The development has been well publicised in that Jameson Capital has chosen to offer 10 of the project's 97 apartments at a 5% deposit rate, half the norm. Designed to aid first home buyers and those looking to buy again, Jeremy Urbach told Apartments.com.au that at the time of launch earlier in September, 7 of the 10 incentivised apartments had been accounted for with 5 of those first home buyers.

Dubbed 'Your Path Your Start' the incentive has also served to increase the profile of the development in a competitive off-the-plan apartment market.

<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/image9aa.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Exterior perspective. Image: Jameson Capital"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="381" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image9aa.jpg?itok=C1pSTYwN" title="Exterior perspective. Image: Jameson Capital" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Exterior perspective. Image: Jameson Capital</figcaption></figure>Asked if the incentive could be rolled out across future projects, Jeremy Urbach explains that at this point the scheme is restricted to the Brunswick East project.

'Your Path Your Start' is much like Jameson Capital's role as developer of B.E. Apartments; a meeting of opportunity with the capital capacity to deliver. Jeremy Urbach states that Jameson Capital's chief role will remain that of a financier and capital manager, but the numbers stacked up to step in as developer when the site was offered for sale with a permit in place.

B.E. Apartments has a completion value of $60m, with a targeted internal rate of return of 30.2% gross.

With sales now underway a shortlist of builders has been compiled, with the successful head contractor expected to be onsite during the first quarter of next 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/image10aa.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rothelowman's design influence. Image: Jameson Capital"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="326" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image10aa.jpg?itok=LvQXrdC6" title="Rothelowman's design influence. Image: Jameson Capital" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rothelowman's design influence. Image: Jameson Capital</figcaption></figure>Post site acquisition, Jameson Capital enlisted Rothelowman to overhaul the existing permit. Although the previous permit was adequate, Jeremy Urbach explains that as a continuation of an existing relationship, Rothelowman were tasked with redesigning the project to meet the Better Apartments Design Standards criteria.

The resultant B.E. Apartments now has no saddleback configurations, increased daylight access and increased sellable area, although the redesign did add an extra 10 months to the development's timeframe.

Apartments were also made larger, with single bedroom apartments between 50-53sqm, whilst the largest three bedroom dwelling comes in at 105sqm.

Another point of difference is the work of street artist Ghostpatrol which will feature on the building's exterior and within the project's common areas. B.E. Apartments will also include ground floor retail space and a rooftop terrace holding an unimpeded CBD sight line.
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The right fit, the right time: profiling Jameson Capital's B.E. Apartments 

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Dahua Group's Managing Director William Huang recently sat down with Apartments.com.au to profile the company's upcoming Hawthorn Park development, and their wider intentions for the Australian market.

Exposure for the development is on the rise prior to its public launch next month. Hawthorn Park shapes as one of Melbourne's largest releases for 2017, with 362 dwellings slated for the 12,282sqm site which holds three street frontages; the major frontage is to Camberwell Road.

Located in the burgeoning apartment market that is Hawthorn East, Dahua Group have positioned Hawthorn Park with flexibility in mind. William Huang explains that dwellings, and particularly dwelling sizes and formats have been designed to broaden the project's appeal within the marketplace.

Rothelowman are responsible for both architecture and interiors, designing Hawthorn Park's gamut of living options which sees interiors range between 45sqm and 137sqm.

<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/hpark2.jpeg" rel="gallery-all" title="What residents of Hawthorn Park can expect"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/hpark2.jpeg?itok=nLOdvWAu" title="What residents of Hawthorn Park can expect" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>What residents of Hawthorn Park can expect</figcaption></figure>Apartments aside, Hawthorn Park will feature a string of retail tenancies and dual cafes to Camberwell Road and Burwood Road. At present the only confirmed tenant is DOMO, with the furniture brand accounting for a Camberwell Road space.

Asked what additional features the projects boasts, William Huang states that the project will include Melbourne's first elevated pool that spans separate buildings. A gym, skywalk, cabana lounge, outdoor alfresco dining area, yoga/massage room and cycling workshop form the balance of amenities within Hawthorn Park.

Jack Merlo is responsible for the development's communal green areas, with one zone featuring a hammock lounge.

Quizzed on a likely start to construction, Dahua Group have pencilled in the second quarter of 2018. Hawthorn Park's construction tender process is currently underway.

<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/hpark22.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Jack Merlo's influence at Hawthorn Park"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="327" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/hpark22.jpg?itok=etl_iFwv" title="Jack Merlo's influence at Hawthorn Park" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Jack Merlo's influence at Hawthorn Park</figcaption></figure>In the broader development picture, Dahua Group maintains a development pipeline of apartments and greenfield estates that will see it through to 2030.

Asked is Dahua Group is specifically looking for additional Melbourne apartment development sites, William Huang explains that if the right site and circumstances arise the developer would act, but their plan of hedging between apartments and detached housing has served them well to date.

Having created separate development arms in both Melbourne and Sydney during 2014, Shanghai-based parent firm Dahua Group joined the flow of Asian-based developers into Australia at the peak of the recent development boom.

In response to a question regarding the restrictions placed upon foreign investment by the Chinese Government and its subsequent effects on developers such as Dahua Group, William Huang is unperturbed. Given the string of restrictionary planning and financial changes make by both state and federal bodies in recent years, William Huang explains that developers in general have ridden those challenges.

As for Dahua Group, it's a business as normal approach to delivering their strengthening development portfolio across Melbourne.

<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_8556.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Noir South Yarra is part of the Dahua Group project catalogue"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="455" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_8556.jpg?itok=beGBkz75" title="Noir South Yarra is part of the Dahua Group project catalogue" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Noir South Yarra is part of the Dahua Group project catalogue</figcaption></figure>
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Hawthorn Park solidifies Dahua Group's Australian presence

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Hawthorn's Queens Avenue is emerging as an apartment hot spot of sorts, as developers realise the worth of converting the light industrial and commercial strip into a higher density apartment enclave.

Running parallel to Burwood Road, Queens Avenue now has six apartment developments in progress. The latest to emerge via City of Boroondara is 21-27 Queens Avenue which is seeking to add a further 66 apartments within a 9-storey building.

Leinard Constructions Pty Ltd is the owner and prospective developer of 21-27 Queens Avenue, with Rothelowman tasked the development's design.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image7_14.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="21-27 Queens Avenue with Queens Avenue and Agustra. Images: Rothelowman, FKD &amp; Ascui &amp; Co"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="308" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image7_14.jpg?itok=3bQG1XAR" title="21-27 Queens Avenue with Queens Avenue and Agustra. Images: Rothelowman, FKD &amp; Ascui &amp; Co" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>21-27 Queens Avenue with Queens Avenue and Agustra. Images: Rothelowman, FKD &amp; Ascui &amp; Co</figcaption></figure>Should 21-27 Queens Avenue progress successfully through planning, it will join a handful of fellow apartment projects bringing change to the area.

Bond Hawthorn and the CHT Architects-designed Queens Avenue Apartments are currently under construction, jointly adding 103 apartments. The former also maintains a second frontage to Burwood Road, as does 563 Burwood Road.

Design practice Ascui &amp; Co currently maintains a relevant presence along Queens Avenue, responsible for three of the six current projects. Along with 563 Burwood Road which backs onto Queens Avenue, Ascui &amp; Co have also created 22-24 Queens Avenue and 4 Queens Avenue which has been marketed as Augusta Apartments.

Although the above three projects have yet to reach fruition, Ascui &amp; Co were also the design driver behind Syracuse Apartments at 8 Queens Avenue; a project of 26 apartments which was completed during 2015 and was the first high-density residential development to grace Queens Avenue.

All told there are 229 apartments currently in development along Queens Avenue; not a particularly large number in Melbourne's larger apartment market, but a sign nonetheless that another well positioned commercial/industrial strip is heading down the path of apartment development.

<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_6910.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Queens Avenue construction activity as seen from Burwood Road"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_6910.jpg?itok=O2XsFadE" title="Queens Avenue construction activity as seen from Burwood Road" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Queens Avenue construction activity as seen from Burwood Road</figcaption></figure>Incidentally, 21-27 Queens Avenue is the fifth current project designed by Rothelowman within Hawthorn to enter the Apartments.com.au Project Database.

Earlier this month, City of Boroondara provided a Notice of Decision for 538-542 Burwood Road, which will see 25 dwellings above a cafe and a retail space within a 7-storey building. The Rothelowman creation went to planning as a green-covered residential building sitting aside the historically significant Zion Particular Baptist Church at 536 Burwood Road.

Other current Hawthorn projects under the Rothelowman banner include the at sales duo of Sierra Hawthorn and The Kent at 382 Burwood Road, plus the approved 9 Montrose Street.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image4_17.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Kent and 538-542 Burwood Road. Images: CDG &amp; Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="265" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image4_17.jpg?itok=a7ypExQ2" title="The Kent and 538-542 Burwood Road. Images: CDG &amp; Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Kent and 538-542 Burwood Road. Images: CDG &amp; Rothelowman</figcaption></figure>
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Hawthorn's Queens Avenue notches its sixth current apartment project

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The arrival of Oros on <a href="/new-apartments">offtheplan.melbourne</a> heralds the launch of Oakleigh's largest mixed-use development to date.

Located at 807-811 Warrigal Road, Oros is also Nanjing-based Viapac Group's biggest Melbourne project; the Chinese-based developer has three additional developments on its books located in Newport, West Melbourne and South Yarra.

Oros' launch follows on from the application's stint at VCAT, as City of Monash failed to decide upon an application within the required 60 day timeframe. Viapac Group's visit to VCAT included amended plans which saw the Rothelowman-designed project cut from a high of 18 levels to a more modest outcome.

<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/image91_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Oros exterior. Image: Viapac Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image91_3.jpg?itok=eAG0ZMHq" title="Oros exterior. Image: Viapac Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Oros exterior. Image: Viapac Group</figcaption></figure>Other project adjustments included the reduction in the total number of dwellings to 260, reduction in the total number of car spaces to 555, modifications to the internal layout of the development and adjustments to the project's facade finish. 

Regardless of the toned-down outcome, Oros is comfortably Oakleigh's largest high-density development to date. A sweep through the Apartments.com.au Project Database sees 7 separate apartment project in development. Oakleigh's most recent completion is Drummond Rise with 74 dwellings, whilst Alke on Atherton Road is the largest approved apartment development at 95 dwellings.

Oros is also set to feature a serviced apartment component which includes studio, single and dual bedroom options for a total of 106 suites. It's expected that Oros will provide the first injection of serviced apartments into Oakleigh since the Punt Hill Apartment Hotel Group took on 1384 Warrigal Road during 2009.

Viapac Group have also included a healthy townhouse aspect within Oros, in addition to one, two and three bedroom apartments.

<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/image92_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Courtyard perspective. Image: Viapac Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image92_2.jpg?itok=zKv6xyLH" title="Courtyard perspective. Image: Viapac Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Courtyard perspective. Image: Viapac Group</figcaption></figure>Oros is set across a sprawling 9,605sqm site, allowing Rothelowman to create three separate buildings. The sheer size of the project and subsequent space available has allowed for amenities to take precedence; over 4,360sqm of communal amenity area is included.

<blockquote>
With a bent toward promoting health and wellbeing, onsite recreational facilities include a yoga studio, a bocce field, gym and indoor heated swimming pool, all of which have been shrewdly designed using state-of-art equipment.

The inclusion of an array of communal spaces, including a verdant rooftop garden, modern cinema space, onsite restaurant, cafe, supermarket and lobby, invite the opportunity for social connections.
<cite>Oros marketing brochure</cite>
</blockquote>

Oros will further add the the transformation of Oakleigh into an apartment hot spot. The aforementioned Drummond Rise and the under construction 8 Degrees join Oros on the same block, as does 16-18 Dalgety Street which recently gained approval.

This sees approximately 420 new apartments slated for the one Oakleigh block bound by Warrigal Road, Princes Highway, Dalgety and Drummond Streets.

<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/image89_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Amenities perspective. Image: Viapac Group"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="325" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image89_1.jpg?itok=VvGNyhPF" title="Amenities perspective. Image: Viapac Group" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Amenities perspective. Image: Viapac Group</figcaption></figure>
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Viapac Group launches Oakleigh's largest development

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Development news from Footscray continues to flow at an increasing level.

Maribyrnong Council is providing the wider public with a first look at a new mixed use development in the heart of Footscray. <a href="/developers/k7-developments">K7 Developments</a> has enlisted <a href="/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> to create a scheme for 72-76 Paisley Street, with the expectation that it will eventually accommodate a substantial and predominantly residential building.

One block back from Barkly Street, 72-76 Paisley Street is a 1,840sqm site wedged between a multi level community healthcare centre and the Footscray Baptist Church. Not-for-profit community health organisation cohealth have occupied the modest brick building onsite for some time.

<h2>
<a href="/new-apartments/72-paisley-street-footscray">72-76 Paisley Street</a> application summary</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/image151.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Street level perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="320" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image151.jpg?itok=5SytAd7t" title="Street level perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Street level perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Proposed 12 level building at 38.4m in height</li>
	<li>140 apartment: 81 x 1BR, 59 x 2BR</li>
	<li>2 office tenancies of 225.8sqm and 251sqm</li>
	<li>1 restaurant of 131.3sqm with capacity for 50 patrons</li>
	<li>1 retail tenancy of 225.8sqm</li>
	<li>2 basement levels includes capacity for 137 vehicles &amp; 60 bicycles</li>
	<li>Expected cost of development: $25 million</li>
</ul>
The proposed development's treatment of the eastern and northern ground level interface is a direct response to the site's immediate surrounds. An existing through link will be enhanced and activated in order to join with the laneway network bisecting the block between Barkley Street and Paisley Street. 

To the rear of the site an urban street art installation is envisaged. According to Rothelowman, "The concept for the artwork is to use an abstract form in either linear / checked patterns, with principal colors of blue and gold which are bright and complimentary to the proposed building material pallet. The artwork will be placed on the dedicated metal panels on the northern elevation with anti-graffiti coating."

72-76 Paisley Street's eastern flank is to feature the restaurant space and outdoor seating area to the Baptist Church interface.

<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/image152_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Laneway perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="312" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image152_1.jpg?itok=1EHzlUyw" title="Laneway perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Laneway perspective. Planning image: Rothelowman</figcaption></figure>The Footscray application is K7 Developments' third active apartment project.

Following on from builder <a href="/builders/citi-con">Citi-Con</a>'s recent completion of Canterbury Hill which includes 37 dwellings, two further projects are nearing a construction start. Hawthorn East's <a href="/buildings/brasshouse-771-toorak-road-hawthorn-east">Brasshouse</a> is defined by its undulating gold facade whilst Brunswick East's <a href="/buildings/seamstress-11-13-lygon-street-brunswick-east">Seamstress</a> references the past life of the site in question, which will in due course become a building of some 32 apartments.

Including the Paisley Street application, Rothelowman has become the incumbent architecture practice of choice for K7 Developments, accounting for the developers last four projects. 

72-76 Paisley Street is comfortably the developer's biggest project to date.

<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/image159_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The completed Canterbury Hill with Brasshouse. Render: Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="222" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image159_1.jpg?itok=ojpSCYjR" title="The completed Canterbury Hill with Brasshouse. Render: Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The completed Canterbury Hill with Brasshouse. Render: Rothelowman</figcaption></figure>
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K7 Developments look to push up Paisley Street

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The inner city's sustained surge in student housing projects is poised to churn out three additional developments, all of which are currently navigating through planning.

As demand for inner city apartments has waned, student accommodation proponents have seized the opportunity to add further key sites across inner northern suburbs to their respective portfolios. As the frenzied sale (and sale prices) of prospective development sites has cooled, a handful of key institutional players have muscled in on land acquisitions.

This coupled with the expansion/conversion of existing buildings, has seen the student accommodation sector mushroom rapidly; Apartments.com.au's Project Database now includes 16 dedicated student accommodation developments, with more to follow.

<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/image69_6.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Whitley College's proposed revamp. Planning image: Rothelowman"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="299" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image69_6.jpg?itok=OT0UAZeD" title="Whitley College's proposed revamp. Planning image: Rothelowman" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Whitley College's proposed revamp. Planning image: Rothelowman</figcaption></figure>Most recent to the database is GSA Australia, continuing their expansion agenda with 263-281 Royal Parade.

The Parkville address which currently plays host to Whitley College is in line for a substantial expansion. Designed by Rothelowman, the scheme requests additional levels be added to the existing doughnut-shaped sandstone building, with a new six level wing added to the rear of the site.

The project's estimated cost of development is $32 million and results in 366 student rooms.

This is GSA Australia's fourth Melbourne project in quick succession, with the <a href="/news/the-student-living-drive-churns-out-an-additional-tower-but-provides-no-luck-for-another">wraps coming off their most recent</a> only last week.

<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/image70_5.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A revamped scheme for Wreckyn Street. Planning image: Nettleton Tribe"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="278" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image70_5.jpg?itok=An7NXW74" title="A revamped scheme for Wreckyn Street. Planning image: Nettleton Tribe" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A revamped scheme for Wreckyn Street. Planning image: Nettleton Tribe</figcaption></figure>Also on the agenda is a reworking of an approved North Melbourne site previously held by Malaysian developer Mammoth Empire.

The approved apartment scheme has been superseded by a Nettleton Tribe design for operator UniLodge. At 9 levels the new 15-27 Wreckyn Street incorporates 420 beds split between individual and multishare options. 85 bicycle spaces and a cafe tenancy are also present, as are numerous common areas.

Having <a href="http://www.afr.com/real-estate/mammoth-sells-north-melbourne-site-to-unilodge-for-student-accommodation-20161220-gtexg9">sold the site for $17 million</a> late last year, the transaction pocketed Mammoth Empire $5 million for the two years that it was in control of 2,271sqm site.

From UniLodge's perspective, 15-27 Wreckyn Street joins <a href="/news/inter-war-and-student-to-the-core-another-whopping-student-accommodation-project-unveiled">123-135 Bouverie Street</a> as the operators pending inner city projects.

<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/image44_1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Bedford Place's now defunct apartment project. Image: Vinci Carbone"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="317" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image44_1.jpg?itok=Uor-As_8" title="Bedford Place's now defunct apartment project. Image: Vinci Carbone" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Bedford Place's now defunct apartment project. Image: Vinci Carbone</figcaption></figure>Finally, Brisbane-based Blue Sky Funds is behind 3-5 Bedford Place, situated adjacent to Haymarket Roundabout. Controlling the adjoining property at 1 Flemington Road which has approval for a Hayball-designed student tower, Blue Sky have sought the conversion of the Bedford Place permit from 53 apartments to student accommodation predominantly consisting of 3 or 5 bedroom clusters.

In line with its new purpose, the Bedford Place property which is now under the guidance of design practice Hayball, has lost its basement level and has been significant reworked internally. Externally the reworked design remains within the bounds of the approved envelope.

It's proposed that both buildings are to be constructed simultaneously, and will most likely fall under the recently created Atira Student Living banner.
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