Rothelowman's Design

Projects designed by architecture and interior firm Rothelowman have been awarded five times in two months by the Urban Development Institute of Australia for genuine innovation in master planning the development and design of apartments.

A three-stage Abbotsford development encompassing the buildings Eden, Haven and Sanctuary and featuring Australia’s first convertible apartments was awarded both the Master Planned Development Award and the High Density Development Award at the UDIA Awards for Excellence held on December 4 2015.

The master planned precinct contains 570 apartments with public plazas, alfresco dining areas, a rooftop cinema, lobby bars, and a health and wellbeing centre. The development also features Australia’s first convertible apartments.

Working closely with the client, Hamton, and The City of Yarra, the design evolved to allow public access through the centre of the site from Victoria Street to the banks of the Yarra River. This new connection continues Melbourne’s tradition of highly activated, linear pedestrian thoroughfares and is fronted by offices, the apartment entrance lobbies, exercise studios and restaurants.

Acting as a catalyst for the establishment of a cohesive, identifiable community, the development has quickly realised its objectives to deliver a strong sense of place with shared spaces acting as the social hub of the community.

“Amplifying the activity along Acacia Place has allowed us to add a high quality, meaningful public space to the existing urban fabric. The additional complexity of the programme and effective removal of the private threshold of the site stiches the development into the surrounding context with obvious benefits to all stakeholders,” says Rothelowman Principal Chris Hayton.

The UDIA (VIC) wins follow the three UDIA (QLD) awards received by the Rothelowman Queensland office on November 6 2015.

The Rothelowman designed Austin development in South Brisbane was awarded three times at the UDIA (QLD) Awards for Excellence, receiving the High Density Development award, the Retail, Commercial, Public Use Award, and the coveted President’s Award, presented to leading developments that go beyond the built environment to foster community growth.

The accolades establish Austin as Rothelowman’s most awarded development to date, having also been named the Winner of Australia’s Best Residential High Rise Development for 2015 at the Asia Pacific International Property Awards, Excellence in Presentation for Neighbourhood and Strip Centres Award by the Property Council of Australia, and the Best Residential Building Over $20 Million Award by the Master Builders Association.

Austin is credited with introducing fine-grain retail and hospitality laneway culture to South Brisbane with the landmark Fish Lane– one of Brisbane’s most vibrant new retail and dining precincts.

Austin has also linked the West End and South Brisbane peninsula to the Queensland Arts Precinct and adjacent CBD.

“Acting as a precursor to the evolution of a South Brisbane laneway culture, Austin defines the entrance to Fish Lane that extends back into the nearby West End,” says Rothelowman Principal Jeff Brown.

“This previously inactive laneway space was brought to life by the inclusion of high quality retail tenancies at the ground floor, which has now become a vibrant food and entertainment district.”

The awards demonstrate Rothelowman’s commitment to intelligent design solutions in large-scale brownfield sites with a focus on innovation and community.