We spoke with Jessica Liew, Principal at Plus Architecture about the company’s designs for the 260 Bell Street Build to Rent scheme, previous and current projects, and how the architectural landscape will evolve over the next ten years.
You designed the 260 Bell Street Build to Rent development in Heidelberg Heights. Tell us about your vision – what was at the heart of the development’s design?
Designed for Unison Housing, 260 Bell Street prioritises liveability, robustness, financial viability, and long-term sustainability as part of Plus’s ongoing commitment to pursuing eco-conscious design.
Supported by Unison Housing’s placemaking expertise, we were able to design a high-quality environment grounded in commercial reality, explicitly tailored to the area’s demographic, and aligned with the standards of Melbourne’s broader apartment market.
Our vision for 260 Bell Street manifested as a purposeful, tenant-centric development that, through careful consideration of the characteristics of its surroundings, delivers a distinct asset that improves life for residents and the broader community in Melbourne’s inner northeast.
What is the architectural impact of 260 Bell Street as a Build to Rent development on the local area and community?
We designed 260 Bell Street to both elevate and integrate with the architectural landscape of Melbourne’s northeast Heidelberg Heights. Underpinned with Unison Housing’s approach to placemaking, the outcome is a safe, secure development primed to facilitate a strong community and benefit the area’s broader demographic.
Inside, we created generous open living spaces with maximised ceiling heights alongside practical, built-to-last amenities, secure underground parking and scenic views. Outside, the structure’s tiered levels feature curved and linear elements alongside double glazing to foster private and peaceful living, and we imbued the building’s façade with carefully chosen yet contrasting materials that harmonise with Heidelberg Heights’ existing built landscape.
A well-designed Build to Rent development can enhance an area’s overall aesthetic, improve property values and attract more residents, leading to higher vigilance and better crime deterrence. Multi-residential Build to Rent dwellings like 260 Bell Street tend to cater to a broader demographic, too, meaning there’s often a more diverse and inclusive community that brings significant social and cultural benefits.
At the same time, Build to Rent developments also receive regular maintenance and upkeep, which sets a precedent for neighbouring properties and, ultimately, leads to fewer building replacements and a more sustainable, liveable and desirable neighbourhood. All of this can be achieved if developers, local governments and community stakeholders work together to ensure that Build to Rent projects are integrated into the community to maximise benefits and minimise negative impacts.
Did you face any challenges, and how were they overcome?
Creating liveable spaces that appeal to a broad range of tenants while ensuring commercial viability was a challenge. Fortunately, the team at Plus has a fantastic repertoire of experience designing for multitudes of demographics and locations, which meant we were well-equipped to balance a flexible, functional, tenant-centric design grounded in commercial reality. Likewise, despite the challenges Unison Housing face in balancing budget and amenity, their dedication to promoting good design through a strong partnership resulted in an outstanding architect-led outcome.
By understanding our target demographic, we could curate Bell Street’s living spaces with the themes and amenities best suited to residents’ family-oriented lifestyles and needs. That understanding led to us adding more flexible storage space in favour of optional extras, which subsequently helped ease the development’s rising construction cost.
What are the key things to consider when designing Build to Rent developments?
Build to Rent developments exist on a broad spectrum of quality, affordability and amenity, so design considerations should reflect that as well as the wants, needs and behaviours of the location’s demographic. What does their day-to-day look like? How long are people likely to live in the development? A design needs to respond to these considerations by prioritising residences and shared spaces that are adaptable, flexible, practical, robust, and aesthetically pleasing to enhance the tenant experience.
Ultimately, creating a positive living experience and addressing tenant concerns is key to tenant retention and the long-term success of Build to Rent projects.
Plus Architecture has a growing Build to Rent portfolio. Can you tell us more about the projects you have worked on and are currently working on?
We’ve designed several Build to Rent projects in Melbourne, including one that would integrate North Melbourne with Parkville and the CBD, leveraging its proximity to Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel Project, another that’s nestled within the bluestone walls of the former HM Pentridge Prison, and a community-focused Build to Rent development in Melbourne’s northeast.
In Western Australia, we’ve designed a Build to Rent development in Scarborough and, extending our reach to regional Australia, we have a mixed-use Build to Rent development in Karratha – both of which are set to introduce greater housing diversity in the sector’s middle market.
We also have some exciting Build to Rent projects in the pipeline for Queensland, so watch this space.
What is your architectural philosophy?
First and foremost, we design for the human experience. We create liveable, tenant-centric designs supported by researching and understanding the needs, wants and behaviours of the appropriate demographic and all involved stakeholders.
We also have an ongoing commitment to designs that are sustainable in the long run, and by grounding them in commercial reality, we produce financially viable developments that stimulate economic growth by creating jobs during construction and ongoing employment opportunities upon completion.
Backed by those philosophies, we are well-placed to incorporate architectural solutions that ensure we design practical, adaptable, flexible, and robust developments that gracefully integrate with local communities and existing landscapes.
How do you see the architectural landscape in the Build to Rent sector evolving over the next ten years?
In Australia, there’s currently a heavy focus on the high-end of the Build to Rent sector. There is, however, a golden opportunity for new Build to Rent developments to address the ongoing housing crisis, which was a consideration in our design for 260 Bell Street. We also have two other upcoming developments focused on supplying more of the Build to Rent spectrum.
With our established skills in collaborating with stakeholders, Plus Architecture is primed to help shape the future of Build to Rent developments by creating innovative, tenant-focused and sustainable living spaces that meet the evolving demands of the market beyond the next ten years.
