4 Ballarat St
This multi‐residential project on Ballarat St is situated on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. Over 9 levels, the project sits within an inner pocket of Brunswick that is experiencing rapid growth. Surrounded by projects of dubious quality, this apartment building sets itself apart by engaging in thoughtful building siting and looking to community infrastructure as its driver. This project is being designed for Assemble and is delivered via a Build‐to‐Rent‐to‐Own model.
Traditional Owners: Wurundjeri People
Client: Assemble
Landscape: Rush Wright Associates
Visualisation: Cuub
The site’s north south orientation and proportion allows for a U‐shaped building, a move employed to crack the mass open – creating external circulation and dual aspect amenity. This achieves natural cross‐ventilation and increases the feeling of openness and light to the apartments. The new building wraps around and above a heritage‐listed modernist factory with a striking façade‐ originally design in 1955 by A K Lines and MacFarlane & Marshall for Yakka Overalls pty ltd. The tectonic expression of this existing building drives the arrangement of the new building above – which is broken down into two distinct parts. A four‐level concrete volume is vertically split to create distinct addresses along Ovens St, whilst a recessed upper volume peels back to 2 levels ‐ allowing the former factory a generous amount of breathing room below.
