BUILDINGS
Previous projects:- 175 Collins Tower
- Council Housing Facade Retrofits
- Croydon Urban Redevelopment
- The National Theatre in St Kilda
- Gas Works Arts Park
- 175 Collins Tower
- Council Housing Facade Retrofits
- Croydon Urban Redevelopment
- The National Theatre in St Kilda
- Gas Works Arts Park
Central House Project Brief
Collaboration between:RMIT University & The Centre for Building Better Community (CBBC)
for students in:
Sustainable Facades and Materials Semester 2, 2020.
Project Background
Central House is a 1929 reinforced concrete building of nine stories on a site of approximately 200m2. Maintenance costs for this large asset are encumbering the building’s owner – a not-for-profit faith community. Over the last 5 years, various options have been explored for re-envisioning the site, including demolition. The opportunity to redevelop the site with a new, more profitable and sustainable building, despite the site’s constraints, is now considered feasible through new building and façade technologies.
The Client:
Collins Street Baptist Church – www.csbc.org.au (Links to an external site.) .The Client’s Representative – The Centre for Building Better Community: As both physical and social infrastructure develops, well researched, proactive responses and holistic, system-focused solutions are needed to rethink Central House Tower at the north end of The Baptist site.
These responses and strategic directions cannot sit idle. They must be communicated to leaders and influencers within cities.
To this end, key practitioners with knowledge and skills in urban planning, architecture, community development and social planning, have come together to share their expertise, ideas and guidance to establish a new, specialised entity: the Centre for Building Better Community (CBBC).
CBBC is a hub for thought and action leadership, drawing from a wide range of sources, professional links, research findings, and knowledge. It is a base for a team of consultants to embark on work locally, nationally and globally - work in: Thought Leadership and Networking; Training and Research (Urban Studies Institute); Media; and, Consultancy. The Central House project is an example of this consultancy work.
The Site
(Lot 1 on Plan of Subdivision 147486P, on Certificate of Title Volume 9595 Folio 182.)The rectangular shaped allotment comprises a total land area of some 1,076 sq.m. and includes a Collins Street frontage of 20.14 metres, western frontage 53.20 metres rear boundary of 20.29 metres and an eastern boundary of 53.08 metres. Central House occupies the rear 200m2 (approx.) of the lot with the front portion occupied by an 1861 place of worship. The rear land benefits from a secondary frontage and access to Baptist Place (of 28.73 metres). The land is rectangular in shape being long and narrow with surface contour rising steeply from the Collins Street frontage and then flattening to the rear. There do not appear to be any easements or encumbrances on Title that may adversely affect the subject property.
Collins Street is Melbourne’s premier thoroughfare and the property forms part of a highly
regarded commercial and retail precinct. Surrounding development is of a mixed amenity,
including a combination of older and more recently constructed low to medium rise developments of commercial and residential uses including the former George’s Department Store, the Victoria Hotel and the adjacent Regents Theatre. Importantly, once completed, the new Metro Rail Station (north entrance) will be within 100 metres of the property once completed.
Heritage
The entirety of the site and all of its buildings are subject to a Victorian Heritage listing. The site is Number H006 on the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). Buildings listed on the VHR are of “state significance”. The listing includes the Collins Street Baptist Church Place of Worship and Central House together with the former Foreign Missions lounge (now Rutherford’s Pearls shop) and an enclosed passageway along the western boundary. A permit from Heritage Victoria and the City of Melbourne will be required to demolish Central House and redevelop the site or carry out alterations and additions to Central House.Zoning & Overlays
The subject property is within the Capital City Zone 1 (CCZ1) zone, providing for a wide range of uses including office, retail, education, dwelling in addition to others and typically supports an intensive form of development. The subject property is also subject to a number of planning overlays.Site Opportunities
A client keen to explore sustainable building systems and modellingA planning regime open to a 30-40m tall building (as long as it is beautiful!)
A mix of building uses – residential apartments (including affordable housing), boutique offices and function spaces
An opportunity to cantilever over the heritage building to the front as structure allows
A place making opportunity in connecting the site to Collins St by demolishing the currently enclosed passageway to create an open-to-sky laneway. (This is one of the few Hoddle Grid blocks that does not have a north south laneway.)
Site Challenges
A small site with limited demolition and construction accessConstraints to design over the first ~12 m where the 1861 building intrudes into the site
Constraints to design between ~12 and 30m where the building to the rear shares a parti-wall.
Heritage protection of the 1861 building to the front of the site
A very high profile finished presence within Melbourne’s most premier location
A not-for-profit client with limited resources
Spatial Brief (note all figures are GFA)
USE AREA NOTES
Apartments 3,850m2 preference for a mix of 1 and 2 bedroomOffices 360m2 can be over two or more floors
Function Spaces 530m2 at least one space of 300m2
Retail / Lobby 180m2 frontage to Baptist Place
Utility space 180m2 basement preference for new social enterprise
TOTAL 5,100m2 GFA
