Build-to-rent project approved in Melbourne's north

A housing proposal comprising more than 300 new build-to-rent-to-own apartments has been approved for development in Coburg, Naarm/Melbourne.

The building will be located in a lively and highly activated part of Coburg, on a site spanning 511-537 Sydney Road. It will accommodate 326 apartments with one-, two- and three-bedroom dwelling options.

Designed by Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB), the building is perched above a podium, which then separates at the centre to create a two-tower structure with a breezeway between. Adopting a two-tower and breezeway massing arrangement allowed the designers to increase the natural light and ventilation entering the building core. Additionally, it enabled the introduction of a communal green spine between the towers.

In its design statement, JCB noted that the project responds to contemporary societal obstacles. "The development responds to the challenges of: obtaining home ownership, apartment livability, prioritising tenant longevity, communal living, public transport accessibility, and neighbourhood placemaking within a densifying Melbourne."

The project seeks to foster community relationships and neighbourly interactions through the creation of communal spaces and the activation of the ground level. Some of the features that contribute to this sense of community include 156 car parking spaces; 562 resident bicycle spaces; commercial offices with frontages to Sydney Street; a cafe at street level, and amenities for residents such as a bike workshop; laundry facilities; multipurpose pavilions, and a rooftop social area with barbecue.

Landscape architecture and urban design practice Mala was engaged for the landscaping design. The green spine is a key landscaping feature, comprising two pavilions; plantings, trees and raised planter beds; "foodcube" garden beds; a covered walkway connecting the towers; a play area with a simple play structure; timber bench seats, and a central concrete pathway.

The project will target a NatHERS rating of at least 7.5-stars.

The development application, lodged by property developer Assemble, was fast-tracked for approval through the Victoria government's new streamlined planning process. Assemble has developed similar housing projects, such as 38 Albermarle Street, designed by Fieldwork.