WORKS TO BEGIN ON MAJOR MELBOURNE DOCKLANDS DEVELOPMENT

Situated alongside AsheMorgan’s established District Docklands precinct, District Living will integrate with existing retail, entertainment and lifestyle amenities. AsheMorgan has this week tapped Japanese companies Marubeni Corporation, Haseko Corporation and Mizuho Leasing as partners in delivering the project.

Designed by Warren & Mahoney, the build-to-rent model focuses on the creation of a new urban village that combines community, commerce and recreation. Pioneering the amount of outdoor space and greenery expected in a BTR, residents will have access to around 2,500sqm of outdoor space, including an outdoor dog park, an outdoor fitness area and large green open spaces to relax. Publicly accessible spaces include retail spaces on the ground floor, and a further 1,500sqm of public outdoor open space.

The 1 hectare site will provide village living for over 900 apartments across three towers surrounding a central plaza. Building forms have graduated heights, minimising shadow impacts on the adjacent Docklands Primary School, a new direct connection through the development to St Mangos Lane and the waterfront area has been established. High levels of public interaction at the ground plane have been created, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for adjacent open spaces.

Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece has said it is a “truly landmark project for Docklands”. “This project is a huge vote of confidence in Docklands and will be a fantastic new addition to the precinct. The quality of the design is really strong … the green open space that is being delivered will be much appreciated by the Docklands community and broader Melbourne community.”

The landscape architectural design from Arcadia Landscaping seeks to interpret and reference the lost pre-colonisation landscape of the area through form, materiality and planting to provide a unique public realm outcome. The Public Realm at ground is comprised of a variety of spaces to provide a diversity of active, passive and recreational pursuits to this growing community. The spaces include:

• The Plaza will facilitate general movement across the area and provides for events and community activities. An inground water feature will reference the Blue Lake, previously on found on the site. This water feature transitions to a nature based play space, providing destinational amenity to activate the plaza, supported with outdoor barbecue and dining areas.
• The Lawn is an open flexible lawn with solar exposure, allowing for informal activity.
• The Gardens will be an intimate vegetated area for passive seating, dining and socialising.
• St Mangos Lane will be a laneway connection from Little Docklands Drive, activated by adjacent retail frontages and outdoor dining.
• The Lane is the major pedestrian and vehicular route through the site, providing a new extension of the existing St Mangos Lane and connection into Little Docklands Drive. It will facilitate pedestrian and cyclist priority and connectivity between both buildings with small plazas containing planting, seating and canopy trees at the main building entrances.
• The Way is an important east west pedestrian route, facilitating movement between the SUP and bus stop to the east and central plaza space in the east. The lane will be activated by the retail frontage of Tower One, with outdoor dining spilling out to a wide pedestrian thoroughfare.
• The Boulevard provides a vegetated interface, contributing to the overall amenity of Footscray Road and the Capital City Trail.

Future plans include a pedestrian link to North Melbourne Station, further strengthening the precinct’s connectivity and appeal as one of Melbourne’s most significant new urban communities.