Hansen Partnership provided expert town planning evidence at VCAT in support of a mixed use infill project at 113 Wellington Street, St Kilda, Melbourne. This project has the land nestled between the Dandenong Road arterial and eastern edge of the Wellington Street Specialised Activity Centre. It provides both an interesting built form resolution for its challenging site context, as well as an intelligent response to housing sustainability in a mixed use precinct. The design creates intergenerational living opportunities within a single building. At the ground level, the development delivers an active commercial frontage. Above, the residence will comfortably accommodate a multi-generational family. Façade design varies between the two road frontages, to ensure that the amenity of future residents is protected.

The challenge in this case was to resolve the design response within a commercial site context and mixed neighbourhood. Neighbouring objections, residential amenity, character and land use questions required detailed assessment. Ultimately, VCAT accepted the evidence that supported the delivery of a sustainable inner city mixed use development over the amenity loss of neighbouring residents. The project acknowledges the benefits of change in this case, and that MGA+D were capable of delivering a high quality architectural response that would make a positive contribution to the site context.

Project photography by Shannon McGrath.