Client
Hamton
Overview
Urban Residential
Collaborators
RotheLowman Architects
Disciplines
Landscape Architecture
Location
Abbotsford, Victoria
Date
2015
Imagery
Tract
Awards
2016 UDIA High Density Housing Award + President’s Award
2016 Melbourne Design Awards Gold Winner — Landscape Design
Unlike other apartment developments, Acacia Place targets a greater emphasis on shared and activated communal spaces, inviting the public in, rather than locking them out.
In collaboration with Hamton and Rothe Lowman Architects, Tract was instrumental in the initial master planning and authority advocacy for the project. The project gained authority support due to the inclusive nature of the design with easy access for all through the development to the banks of the Yarra River.
Acacia Place in Abbotsford is an apartment village comprising three buildings – Eden, Haven and Sanctuary – as well as public open space, offices, cafes and retail.
The design and planning included a concerted effort to reduce the impact of cars with shared zones and pedestrian priority spaces. The main vehicular drop off loop is designed as a pedestrian piazza with minimal traffic control devices such as kerbs and bollards. Instead, trees, furniture and planters define the vehicular zone.
Also integral to the design are spaces that encourage social interaction and give residents the opportunity to meet their neighbours. A series of communal roof top gardens include barbecues, dining facilities and spaces for lounging and enjoying the view.
Urban rain gardens have been cleverly integrated into Acacia Place to capture and filter storm water before it enters the river system. The palette of materials and planting reflects the transition from the urban environment of Victoria Street to the natural character of the Yarra River corridor. Although the project is in a dense urban area, it retains a bushy, riverine atmosphere.
