Albion, West Melbourne
Client Homes VIC
Year 2025
Type Social Housing & Multi Residential
Scope Concept Design, DA, Documentation, Construction
Team Peter McGregor, Damien Madell, Finn Holle
Our 2nd Future Homes social housing Project for Homes Victoria has been approved. These projects are commissioned to improve Melbourne’s social housing stock. They are also an opportunity both to improve the street and the percentage of tree cover, essential to combatting the Urban Heat Island effect.
Streets are the lifeblood of any good city, and well-designed apartment buildings can make great streets. Deep soil landscape and tree cover are under-recognised as essential contributors to sustainable city design.
MWA has developed a low-carbon construction approach, which minimises the use of carbon intensive materials. Recycled brick or brick commons clad the two ground floor apartments. The ground floor is otherwise made up of lightweight screens.
The two typical floors are made up of lightweight construction supported by a concrete frame and slabs. Walls are typically clad in a Lysaght metal profiles, punctuated by a factory-finish FC sheet. Materials are simple, robust and all factory finished.
Deep soil Landscape and Tree Canopy are intrinsic to the larger planning inspiration behind this project and the Futures Homes generally.
This is a map of the general neighbourhood. Orange is the virus of built form and concrete-scape, which is increasing, most radically in the proliferation of villa developments and Dual Occs. The proliferation of large driveways and car garaging especially to the second dwelling out the back is in effect killing ourselves with concrete and carscape. This is not sustainable. And the density is not viable.
This Future Homes model has nearly 8 times the density and 3.5 times the deep soil percentage. Density and Landscape can co-exist. Social and Environmental Sustainability can be complimentary.
