Image Credit : Veeral
Project Overview
The subject site located 4km outside the Melbourne city center at the edge of a large disused industrial park and is strategically located around major transport and infrastructure network. Vic Sq is a new hybridized urban renewal project where for the first time in Footrscay's history, the city meets the suburb and the opposing suburban and urban scales and forms collide.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Master Plan: Kavellaris Urban Design
Architect: Kavellaris Urban Design
Developer: Growland
Builder: L U Simon Builders
Landscape Architect: Hansen
Project Brief
The 17 hectare 'Hopkins Street Precinct' is undergoing a major urban renewal process to make way for Melbourne's growth and gentrification of obsolete industrial areas. The subject site is approximately 5000m² and sits within a 13,000m² master plan which we designed, and was to consist of three separate phases. The brief required us to design buildings that would interact with the local context, engage transport facilities, and embrace views of the city, ocean and local Melbourne attractions.
Our client provided us with two principles that drove their brief. To create a project that has a strong focus on amenities with a focus on health and well being beyond the traditional offerings for inner-city major projects. The development's imperative was to craft a unique and contemporary architectural language that would create an international landmark building and form a visual gateway to the precinct.
Project Innovation/Need
Our objective was to introduce typical residential programs in the suburban context and try to incorporate them into an urban tower typology. Health /well being and lifestyle orientated facilities where key priorities for the project. The site footprint for stage 1 and 2 is 100 × 100 meters which provided us with exact dimensions for an Olympic sized running track. The track traverses along the perimeter of the podium, enabling us to connect other fitness orientated programs such as indoor and outdoor gymnasiums, an indoor swimming pool, a landscaped podium space has been designed to capture the various experiences of suburban parks and public spaces; incorporating park spaces, barbeque areas, an urban chess theatre and public seating areas.
The fluid curvilinear geometries of the Towers reflect the movement of the surrounding bay and river context. Floor plates rhythmically shift around the two buildings creating a sense of movement for the observer and offer a new experience of the towers as the observer traverses around the precinct. Contrasting black and white ribbons of glass and metal cladding wrap around the building which are expressed both internally in plan and externally in form. The white ribbons are constructed of prefabricated metal panels offsite and attached to the edge of the structural. In addition, the white linear panelled walls create the panoramic windows that wrap around the perimeter of the building and complemented with the Black aluminium framed windows that create the rhythm up the buildings.
Design Challenge
Projects of this scale and complexity are inherently a design challenge. The twin towers incorporate a curvilinear façade that also shifts and repeats every 4 levels which provides many structural and programmatic design challenges. As a result of the horizontal articulation, the floor plates would vary in plan every 4 levels but the structure had to remain concentric. This deign constraint ultimately provided with more product diversity and choice of floor plans for the market.
The façade system for both towers was completely prefabricated overseas and as a result full scale prototypes were constructed and the lead Architect flew overseas to inspect and provide design feedback to the façade contractor to ensure that the quality and requisite tolerances would be achieved on site. The façade system was complicated further with the incorporation of glazing and balcony systems. More variables and operable parts created a great risk for error and the erosion of the overall quality. To ensure that design and intent were met, 3D models, shop drawings and BIM models were consistently exchanged throughout the design phase.
Sustainability
Vic Sq, has been designed with the entire project consisting of double glazed high performance glazing and to maximize light penetration into the building, thereby reducing the amount of energy consumption used for artificial lighting, heating and cooling. In addition, the concrete ingredients are from 80% recycled material and all timber used on the project is provided from certified renewal forest. The towers incorporate KONE’s tickgreen lifts purchased, on behalf, 100% certified carbon credits from government endorsed forestry sequestration (replanting) programs. KONE’s Carbon Credits are registered on the government regulated Greenhouse Gas Emissions Register. In addition, the building will harvest 100% rainwater for water-sensitive urban design and also be used to flush toilets, irrigate the landscaped areas, and emergency fire systems.
Architecture - Multi Residential - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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