We were shortlisted to develop an urban renewal project in Brunswick for the City of Moreland. We developed a scheme titled O2 on Barkly, to deliver a mixed use and sustainable housing project with two key drivers: a zero energy consuming building, at zero cost to the housing agency.

The proposed development consists of 40 apartments across five levels, incorporating a rooftop garden and a retail space to the ground level on a 700sqm lot, a mix of Affordable Housing (compliant under the National Rental Affordability scheme), housing to be provided at no cost to Homeground services, private housing, and social enterprise.

In addition to developing a scheme of social diversity, our proposal developed the model for the social enterprise to deliver employment opportunities for occupants from within the apartment complex itself. The retail/café space on the ground floor level was to be operated by a not-for-profit made available through our links with industry.

The design response was developed in context to the site’s industrial past as well as drawing reference to the rich heritage of the region’s early historic structures, which includes warehouses and farmhouses, and was to deliver 8 star minimum rating and incorporate passive house design principals, as well as including 0 energy consumption with solar panels to offset the power consumed by the building.

The technology proposed is transparent solar panels integrated with the building’s glassed second skin. The building ultra-low energy will also incorporate water harvesting and highly efficient appliances and equipment.