May 5, 2013

Developers offer top-end freebies

Filed under: Buildings — Tags: Incentives for buyers, Melbourne apartments — tom @ 11:34 pm

Melbourne apartment developers are resorting to giveaways of free marina berths, $40,000 furniture packages and stamp duty rebates of up to $45,000 to attract off-the-plan buyers in an increasingly flooded market.

There were 23,325 new apartments granted planning approval in the 12 months to February, driven in part by interventions by Planning Minister Matthew Guy to approve a host of new skyscrapers.

It represented a 19 per cent jump in approvals from the year before, when 19,530 apartments were given the green light, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That compares with just 11,258 five years ago under the previous government and during the credit crunch.

Andrew Perkins, of real estate group Oliver Hume, said the rush of approvals had resulted in a record number of off-the-plan sales campaigns competing for buyers.

Some of what is approved never gets built because the developer fails to get enough presales to fund construction or secure funding from a bank. Others are simply looking to onsell land with permits.

There are currently about 300 developments being marketed in Melbourne, with 35,700 proposed apartments for sale.

Independent property adviser Mark Armstrong said the glut of apartments meant current apartment owners were unlikely to have much capital growth in their asset for years to come. ”The reality for existing owners is that the value of their properties is always going to be below what developers are selling the new ones for,” he said.

The record competition has pushed even established developers such as Mirvac to resort to extra incentives for buyers.

Mirvac is offering buyers of million-dollar apartments at its proposed Docklands Yarra Point development a bonus berth at the local marina on a leasehold until 2030. A 17-year lease at Mirvac’s Yarra’s Edge marina sells on the open market for $120,000 for the smallest berth (12 metres). A large number of the 149 marina berths are still for sale.

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May 1, 2013

Melbourne continues to lead nation’s population growth

Filed under: Buildings,Civil — Tags: MElbourne Growth — tom @ 5:24 am

How Victoria’s population has changed.

Melbourne has again dominated Australia’s population growth, adding 77,242 people in 2011-12 to reach mid-2012 with a population of almost 4.25 million.

New estimates released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show five of the eight municipalities recording the nation’s biggest growth were in Melbourne – three in the outer northern and western suburbs, one in the south-east, and the city of Melbourne itself.

Perth outgrew Sydney to be Australia’s second biggest growth centre, its population swelling by 65,434 or 3.6 per cent, more than twice the national growth rate, to almost 1.9 million.

Victoria added 88,966 people to close the financial year with 5.624 million people, just under 25 per cent of all Australians. Australia added almost 360,000 people, and the Bureau estimates its population hit 23 million last week.

It was the 11th year in a row that the bureau estimates that Melbourne led the nation’s growth. In that time, the city’s population has grown by more than 750,000, or almost a quarter, imposing new strains on an infrastructure designed for far fewer people.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy said the city’s population was growing by 1500 a week, or equal to the combined growth of Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Newcastle and Canberra.

”There is no sign of that growth slowing. That growth is continuing and has continued now for the best part of 10 years,” Mr Guy said. ”It is the policy challenge we face in planning for today and the future.”

He said many of the problems in urban areas arose because growth was not managed well in the last decade: ”We didn’t plan well on a state level for growth.”

Wyndham, centred on Werribee, had the biggest growth of any municipality in Australia, adding 12,822 people. That is more than the entire annual population growth of Victoria at one stage under the Kennett government.

Whittlesea had the second biggest growth in the nation. Melton was fifth, Casey sixth, and the City of Melbourne eighth.

The city’s population centre remained in Glen Iris, but most of its population growth came north and west of the Yarra, a dramatic change from 20th-century patterns, which saw it spread in a lopsided way to the south-east.

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Fire Protection an Overlooked Element in Sustainability

Filed under: Buildings — Tags: Fire Protection — tom @ 5:22 am

Sustainable design and construction practices have come a long way over the past 10 years.

Good design and smarter construction are bringing reduced carbon footprints, more efficient energy use, better natural light and ventilation, water recycling, harvesting of renewable energy supplies and reductions in plant and equipment demands, all of which contribute towards sustainable ‘green’ buildings.

What is often forgotten, however, is the challenge of achieving environmental and operational targets without experiencing a corresponding reduction in safety, amenity and property protection. I’m referring specifically to fire protection, which tends not to be considered a sustainable feature, but it should be, because it is. By ensuring suitable fire protection is designed into a building at the start, traditional objectives can be met and progressivesustainable design concepts can be achieved.

Protecting a building from fire through the use of non-combustible products and the inclusion of fire detection and suppression systems and equipment helps the building and its occupants to survive much better in the event of a fire.

The Fire Protection Association of Australia (FPAA) has been working for some time to boost recognition of the role that fire protection plays in green buildings. The FPAA is an excellent source of information for building architects, designers and construction companies and advocate that their members, if consulted early in the process, can assist in improving the environmental outcomes of a project while ensuring that life, amenity and property are protected.

Fire protection companies who are members of FPAA can assist with solutions that support sustainable properties such as:

Sprinkler protection to limit fire spread;
Recycling of test water to onsite tanks;
Beam, aspirating and video smoke detection to monitor large atria and connected spaces;
Passive protection building products such as fire rated glass, walls and floors to contain fire without the need to use water or other suppression agents;
Restricting use of ozone depleting substances (e.g. Halon);
Modifying maintenance techniques to reduce testing frequency, pump operation duration, water use, and service vehicle movements;
Testing of new and innovative sustainable building materials and products to confirm performance under fire conditions.

To read full article go to http://designbuildsource.com.au/fire-protection-an-overlooked-element-in-sustainability

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A Grand Plan for Canberra

Filed under: Buildings,Civil — tom @ 5:20 am

With the launch of a new City Plan and the City to the Lake project, Canberra is looking to the future.

“As we celebrate our first 100 years, and look towards our next century, it is appropriate to talk about the role of our City centre, and how it can become a more dynamic, vibrant and sustainable place,” said ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher upon launching the projects.

The City Plan will help determine development and growth and ensure projects and infrastructure are delivered efficiently and effectively. It aims to unlock the potential of Canberra’s CBD and better integrate it with public transport, residential buildings, surrounding parklands and educational institutions in the city with the objective of stimulating local, national and international interest in Canberra to attract business and visitors and boost its economy, vibrancy and liveability.

Some of the key areas the City Plan will address include improved design of – and links between – public spaces, improved pedestrian movement around the City, transport into and around the City, including light rail, and possible sites for iconic buildings.

The City to Lake project establishes a framework to develop the broad southern flank of the City. The study area stretches from the West Basin to Anzac Parade and aims to better connect the lake and major national and regional educational and cultural institutions such as the Australian National University and National Museum of Australia with the city’s everyday life.

The public waterfront and link to the city will be the centrepiece of a new mixed use city precinct along with major new public amenities, infrastructure and cultural attractions for the Capital Region.

Proposals include a 30,000-plus seat rectangular sports stadium, a new convention centre, an aquatic facility, an urban beach and residential apartments mixed with commercial, retail and cultural facilities to cater to 15,000 to 20,000 new residents.

The project proposes a split-level ‘smart boulevard’ which will allow for free flowing traffic at the lower level and will introduce local city streets at the surface. The boulevard will also provide a lakeside anchor for the first stage of the Capital Metro light rail implementation.

To read the full article visit http://designbuildsource.com.au/fire-protection-an-overlooked-element-in-sustainability

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Documentary Looks at City-Building on a Human Scale

Filed under: Buildings — tom @ 5:16 am

Though The Human Scale, directed by Andreas Mol Dalsgaard, is a documentary, what it offers has all the makings of a science fiction movie. The director conceived the project after studying the projects and ideas of Danish architect and professor Jan Gehl.

Gehl has studied human behavior in cities over the course of 40 years and has noted how modern cities tend to repel human interaction. He argues that urban centres can be built differently to place less emphasis on buildings and more emphasis on the human need for inclusion and intimacy.

Rather than studying buildings themselves, the architect began with an interest in human interactions in what he called Life Between Buildings.

This led to studies on how human beings use streets in urban centres, with an eye toward everything from how they walk to how they see, rest, meet and interact on streets.

Gehl took a look at statistics, examining, for instance, what percentage of people used various streets over a 24-hour period, their modes of transportation, the amount of space given to the various transportation forms and whether the street was meeting the needs of all users.

Gehl’s first studies took place in Italy and his studies laid the groundwork for the notably pedestrian and cycling-friendly city of Copenhagen, Denmark.

Gehl’s concepts helped lead to the creation of walking streets, the addition of – and improvements to – bike paths, and an improved configuration for public spaces such as parks and squares throughout Copenhagen and other Nordic cities. The work done there has helped to inspire ongoing efforts to being change to global cities such as Melbourne, Christchurch, New York, Dhaka and Chongqing.

To read the full article visit http://designbuildsource.com.au/documentary-looks-at-city-building-on-a-human-scale

By Mercedes Martty

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April 28, 2013

Fears grow for rail yard park proposal

Filed under: Buildings,Civil — tom @ 10:50 pm

A $680 million plan to create a new CBD park and public event space next to Federation Square may be doomed because of a lack of government funding and a decision to open up the site to private developers.

The company behind the Federation Square design, LAB architecture studio, has produced a detailed master plan for the Jolimont rail yards site known as Federation Square East.

The plan was commissioned by the Office of Major Projects and included an extensive park and community spaces.

”An urban park at Federation Square East provides a rare and arguably final opportunity to link the city, Yarra River, parklands and the sports and entertainment precincts, enhancing the urban amenity and leveraging the significant investments already made by the government in adjacent precincts,” the briefing to the former government said.

The plan for Federation Square East was partially released by the Brumby government in 2010 and Fairfax has now seen detailed costings.

Stage one of the project, decking the rail yards and landscaping, it was estimated, would cost the state government $335 million, with about $3 million already spent on feasibility work. The total cost of the proposed development for Federation Square East was estimated at $680 million – Federation Square received about $450 million in state government funding.

The Napthine government will instead on Tuesday release a ”request for industry submissions” for the Federation Square East site.

Some now fear community space and parkland will be sacrificed for large commercial development to pay for the deck.

Another issue likely to arise with the site is the potential for new commercial developments to overshadow the Yarra River.

”The Victorian government wants to harness the innovation and creativity of the private sector to look at the potential development of this landmark CBD site,” Premier Denis Napthine said this month.

A senior architect with Lab Architecture, Tim Fowler, fears the new private sector model will result in less public space.

”I struggle to see how it (the new private-sector model) could produce an outcome that offers the level of civic amenity that the original model proposed,” he said.

Mr Fowler said the final result for Federation Square East could be similar to the QV development in Swanston Street or could involve the scale of commercial development now abandoned for the St Kilda Triangle site.

Opposition planning spokesman Brian Tee said the ”site could be as iconic as Sydney’s Opera House but the Napthine government is so lacking in talent they contracted out delivery of a vision to the highest bidder, who will turn out the public as they turn over a profit”.

There is strong interest from the private sector for the site.

”We have long seen the development of this part of Melbourne as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a dynamic connection between the city, the park and river,” a spokeswoman for construction giant Grocon said.

The Ron Walker and Ashley Williams company Evolve Development started looking at the site 18 months ago.

”It is probably a mix-used precinct, mixture of office and residential apartments,” Mr Williams said.

Melbourne lord mayor Robert Doyle said the project should extend past Exhibition Street towards the MCG. ”It has the real capacity to circle the city with open space,” he said.

Major Projects Minister David Hodgett said Labor’s 2010 plan was a stunt.

”It was little more than a thought bubble with minimal detail. It was not subject to feasibility or financial analysis,” he said.

He denied the government would be making ”sweetheart deals” with the private sector.

”The responses provided by the market will allow for a range of possible commercial, ownership and contractual structures and the Coalition government will explore these options,” he said.

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April 23, 2013

Monaco Skyscraper To House World’s Most Expensive Penthouse

Filed under: Buildings — tom @ 2:06 am

Monaco, a luxurious Mediterranean city-state renowned for being home to some of the world’s wealthiest moguls, will soon boast the world’s most expensive penthouse, a residence expected to fetch $387 Million when it goes on the market next year.

The penthouse will be housed inside Monaco’s tallest building, Tour Odeon, a double-skyscraperstanding 170 metres tall. Tour Odeon is due to be completed in July 2014 and will feature 259 units, including 73 private luxury residencies, two 1,200-square metre Sky Duplexes and the five-floor, 3,300-square metre Sky Penthouse.

The world’s current most expensive penthouse is a $212 million flat in London‘s One Hyde Park.

One of the Tour Odeon penthouse’s most talked about features is its spacious outdoor area and private circular infinity pool that can be entered via a water slide. The five-storey penthouse features interiors inspired by the French Belle Époque era, which is captured in the stencilled floors, marble, slate and earthy colour palette that reflects the surrounding landscape of the Ligurian Sea.

Practical while still exuding elegance, the penthouse features top-notch fittings and finishes. Advanced appliances have been installed in the fully equipped bathroom and kitchen and and the entire penthouse offers a centralised home automation system. Sculpturally-inspired light fittings hang in formal areas and throughout the penthouse’s private lobby while 360-degree views of the south of France just add to the incredible opulence of the space.

The city of Monaco’s real estate is estimated to be of an average of fifty thousand euros per square metre and Tour Odeon will be the first skyscraper built in Monaco since the late 1980s when high-rise construction in the city was banned due to a coastal preference for polder expansion. The ban was lifted in 2008 and construction began on Tour Odeon in 2009.

While Monaco’s coastline is made up of mainly small, flat buildings, architect Alexander Giraldi recognised the importance of high-density living and designed the mixed-use towers with a focus on residents’ enjoyment and lifestyle. In addition to residences, the tower offers retail, office and a business centre space.

While there have been concerns that the towers will cast shadows over the European cityscape, others argue the buildings will bring a much needed contemporary flair to Monaco’s coastline.

European design agency Alberto Pinto has been tasked with creating interiors that exude “exceptional elegance and comfort,” while architect Jean Mus has been chosen to complete thelandscape.

It is not only Tour Odeon’s penthouse that will benefit from panoramic views, as each apartment throughout the building features floor to ceiling windows and expansive private terraces. Natural light is abundant and the interiors have a timeless and elegant feel.

To read the full article visit http://designbuildsource.com.au/documentary-looks-at-city-building-on-a-human-scale

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April 18, 2013

Up Vs Out Debate

Filed under: Buildings — Tags: UDIA, urban sprawl — tom @ 12:54 am

Aptus Personnel attended the Women in Property & UDIA Outlook’s Up Vs Out Debate to hear two very well conceived and extremely well delivered arguments from the Affirmative consisting of Siobhan Revill of Devine, Mark Bartley of HWL Lawyers & Jeff Garvey of ID Land and their opposition on the evening the Negative consisting of Micheal Button of RMIT, Orlando Harrison of TRACT & Jamie Kay of the evenings sponsor Oliver Hume.

The Topic:

By 2050, Melbourne’s population is likely to reach between 5.6 and 6.4 million*. Is apartment living in the inner city (complete with the latest Miele appliances and a Nespresso machine) the best way to accommodate this growth? Or, are traditional houses in our new growth suburbs the better solution?

Both sides delivered compelling and at times light-hearted pros and cons on the benefits of vertical growth versus the urban sprawl with both teams delivering within the allocated 4 minutes of mic time.

Highlights of the Affirmative Teams debate consisted of were our Growths Areas no more than barren wastelands with no identity? Are we simply living in replicated suburbs without the infrastructure in place to offer the trappings of metro dwelling? Does the suburban dream not = Boredom, where is the entertainment and amenities required to offer choice? And last but not least the thought provoking idea of why can’t we grow vertically within the growth areas?

Not to be outshone by their opposition the Negative Team counter attacked with their own points of – the cost effectiveness of the traditional family home and its flexibility, the choice of diversity that the house offers all whilst allowing the space to extend your family and the chance to live the Australian Dream of the BBQ and of course the opportunity to be the DIY Warriors that reside in us.

The outcome? House is Grouse!* A win for the Negative Team showing the dream of the 1/4 acre lot still burns bright.

*(a slogan coined by Orlando Harrison of the Negative Team)

The win, albeit a slight one left me wondering whether this is a true reflection of the masses or merely just the demographic of the audience?

With this is mind I have started a Poll on Linkedin – The Great Debate – Up Vs Out, are apartments a better solution to Melbourne’s growth or is it the urban sprawl?

Lee McAndrews, Team Leader – Buildings, Land & Infrastructure, Aptus Personnel, Melbourne

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April 14, 2013

CBD rooftop farm plan laid low by height limits

Filed under: Buildings — Tags: planning melbourne, pop-up Greenhouse — tom @ 11:53 pm

The rooftop farm proposal. Photo: Supplied

Joost Bakker, the trader behind restaurant pop-up Greenhouse and eco-themed Silo Cafe, wants the City of Melbourne to amend its 40-metre building height limit so that he can establish a rooftop farm and restaurant.

The council’s Future Melbourne Committee, which meets on Tuesday night, , has been advised against amending the CBD’s standard 40-metre building height limit. A council report to the committee argues that Bakker’s plans for a farm and restaurant on the roof of the former National Bank of Australasia building at 271 Collins Street are not “significant” enough to override the CBD’s height limits.

The proposed rooftop restaurant would incorporate a 1000-square-metre rooftop glasshouse, stonemill bakery and fish farm..

“This is a unique proposition. We’re not trying to add a few floors onto an office tower to get some more revenue,” says Bakker. “This is really about activating a dead roof-top space. On the one hand, the council has got a rooftop activation program and then on the other side they are saying they can’t let this go through because of the height limit.”

Under the Melbourne Planning Scheme, CBD buildings cannot exceed a 40-metre height limit, with the exception of architectural features or building services. Bakker’s proposal exceeds the limit by 4.5 metres.

According to the council, the height restriction can only be changed through a council-endorsed amendment of the planning scheme or through the exercise of ministerial power under the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

A report, presented to the Future Melbourne Committee by an executive planning officer, advises the group not to amend the scheme. “Although Mr Bakker’s concept is praiseworthy, it is not considered to be of such significance that it warrants the repeal of a longstanding and effective built form control, which is expected to be retained for the foreseeable future,” it says.

But Bakker says it doesn’t make sense for the council not to support his project while trying to encourage other building owners to green their roofs.

“They’ve asked me to be on their taskforce to work out how they can get more building owners to put on more green roofs. At the same time I’m putting up a proposal and because of a technicality they are saying no,” he says.

“As the council themselves has proven, the rooftops don’t work when they are in such harsh conditions. What I’m offering is a way that they can work.”

He has a meeting with the State Planning Minister on April 17 to discuss the amendment of the planning act but still hopes to gain council support.

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Doyle wants to expand city limits

Filed under: Buildings,Civil — Tags: planning melbourne — tom @ 11:50 pm

Lord mayor Robert Doyle will push to massively expand the City of Melbourne boundary with the annexation of the Fishermans Bend development area.

The lord mayor also wants the government to cede full planning control for the precinct to Melbourne City Council.

The move follows news last week that an application for a 49-storey tower had already been lodged for the inner-city development area.

Cr Doyle said Fishermans Bend was too important to allow developer-led planning.

”If we go down this track we are going down the track of Docklands where developers dictated,” he said.

Cr Doyle will move a motion at Tuesday night’s planning committee meeting calling on the Premier, the Planning Minister and Local Government Minister to cede the area from the City of Port Phillip to the City of Melbourne.

He said the area had already been zoned capital city so it should be part of the City of Melbourne.

The 240-hectare zone is almost as big as the Hoddle Grid and Southbank combined and is expected to one day house 50,000 new residents in the expanded CBD.

In the next 10 years, 5000 apartments are expected to be built in the former industrial area.

Last July, Planning Minister Matthew Guy seized planning control for the area.

Mr Guy is responsible for applications that have more than four storeys, more than 60 dwellings, more than 10,000 square metres in floor space, or have a development value of more than $10 million.

Mr Guy said no planning application for Fishermans Bend would be considered until a structure plan for the area was finalised. He said his powers on applications of greater than 10,000 square metres for the area were temporary.

Mr Guy supported the lord mayor’s call for the area to be made part of the City Of Melbourne.

”One council oversighting that precinct makes sense and given that it’s capital city zone, you would think Melbourne City Council is best placed to manage it,” he said.

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Older Posts »

May 5, 2013

Developers offer top-end freebies

May 1, 2013

Melbourne continues to lead nation’s population growth

Fire Protection an Overlooked Element in Sustainability

A Grand Plan for Canberra

Documentary Looks at City-Building on a Human Scale

April 28, 2013

Fears grow for rail yard park proposal

April 23, 2013

Monaco Skyscraper To House World’s Most Expensive Penthouse

April 18, 2013

Up Vs Out Debate

April 14, 2013

CBD rooftop farm plan laid low by height limits

Doyle wants to expand city limits

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