Taouk Architects

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Mere weeks ago Urban covered VCAT's decision to approve <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/160-whitehorse-roads-approval-pushes-blackburns-apartment-pipeline-toward-1000">development plans for 160 Whitehorse Road</a>.

Blackburn's largest development to date was given the green light after a planning push eventually secured the right to create a mixed-use project across the 8,767 square metre site. As many as 263 apartments are now approved for the development designed by Taouk Architects which was anointed Blackburn Place.

The development though has now been listed for sale with CBRE City Sales handling the process, providing Melbourne developers with the opportunity to nab one of the east's largest approved scheme in recent times. 

With Box Hill coming off the boil (in line with the trending decline of large-scale projects across the city), the Taouk Architects-designed 160 Whitehorse Road does discern itself due to its size and location.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image29_17.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Prospective views. Image: CBRE City Sales"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="384" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image29_17.jpg?itok=UYB9gcKs" title="Prospective views. Image: CBRE City Sales" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Prospective views. Image: CBRE City Sales</figcaption></figure>Initial plans for the site attempted to realise a greater return of apartments, with buildings spanning 14, 10, 10 and 8 storeys as originally submitted. Those plans have been tempered with the VCAT-approved outcome seeing a more modest built form and apartment numbers reduced from 394 to 263.

CBRE note that the site's planning approval includes four buildings between 6 and 8 levels, plus 3,663 square metres of commercial space.

Having sold for $18 million to an Asian-backed developer three years ago, 160 Whitehorse Road's price history has seen steady growth. Previous campaigns saw the site sell for $11.36 million in 2010, $3.25 million in 1986 and $1.3 million in 1980.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image30_14.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="218" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image30_14.jpg?itok=dW28oq2e" title="160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>The size and staggered delivery schedule of 160 Whitehorse Road is in stark contrast to various other approved permits that have been 'flipped' in Melbourne's east over recent months. Two recent permitted Doncaster sites were a step down in size relative to 160 Whitehorse Road. 

7 Williamsons Road is currently for sale and sees 68 predominantly 2 and 3 bedroom apartments approved within a ClarkeHopkinsClarke-designed building. The 1,064 square metre site is in close proximity to Nicson Property Group's approved hotel scheme for 810 Elgar Road.

That site saw a Kyriacou Architects-designed hotel scheme offered for sale. The 993 square metre site came with approval in place for 102 suites over 8 levels, and if acted upon would become Doncaster Hill's first dedicated hotel.

At the turn of 2018, Mont Albert's 813-823 Whitehorse Road was offered for sale by Doyen Tower Pty Ltd; its 89 apartments are within a crystalline Bruce Henderson Architects-designed 16 level tower.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public//pictures/article-images/image32_16.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Mont Albert and Doncaster Hill have provided opportunity during 2018"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="237" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files//styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image32_16.jpg?itok=mCQaguTl" title="Mont Albert and Doncaster Hill have provided opportunity during 2018" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Mont Albert and Doncaster Hill have provided opportunity during 2018</figcaption></figure>
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silvermb

Melbourne's east throws up a sizeable residential opportunity

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Little to no media attention has been given to VCAT's decision to approve development plans for 160 Whitehorse Road.

Proponents behind the bid to redevelop Blackburn's premier development site into a staged mixed-use project were met with success at Victoria's planning tribunal late last month. As many as 263 apartments are now approved for the development designed by Taouk Architects which has been christened Blackburn Place.

The approval has also gone a long way to pushing Blackburn's apartment/townhouse pipeline toward 1,000 dwellings. From planning to construction, Urban.com.au's Project Database is keeping tabs on 970 plus dwellings, spread predominantly across a raft of smaller sized apartment developments.

Blackburn Place though is by far and away the suburb's largest development and could have been far larger.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image79_8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Blackburn Road perspective. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="265" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image79_8.jpg?itok=JwKt6UiG" title="Blackburn Road perspective. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Blackburn Road perspective. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>Initial plans for the site attempted to realise a greater return of apartments, with buildings spanning 14, 10, 10 and 8 storeys originally submitted. Those plans have been tempered with the VCAT-approved outcome seeing 10, 9, 7 and 6 storeys given the nod, resulting in a sizeable reduction in overall apartment numbers from 394 to 263.

Apartments aside, Blackburn Place will also include a string of retail and commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas and basement parking.

Located within the Blackburn major activity centre, the application spans the largely vacant 8,767 square metre Lexus of Blackburn triangle site that maintains 295 metres of frontage to Whitehorse Road &amp; Railway Parade.

Having sold for $18 million to an Asian-backed developer three years ago, 160 Whitehorse Road's price history has seen steady growth. Previous campaigns saw the site sell for $11.36 million in 2010, $3.25 million in 1986 and $1.3 million in 1980.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image80_4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sovereign and Trio under construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="308" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image80_4.jpg?itok=xdrMfxRw" title="Sovereign and Trio under construction" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sovereign and Trio under construction</figcaption></figure>Blackburn Place will crown an otherwise steady but relatively subdued Blackburn apartment market.

Smaller projects such as Sovereign and The Royale are at completion, whilst Trio is surfacing above ground; combined these projects stand to add 185 new apartments to the suburb. Furthermore Morton Park, Apollo, Blackburn Apartments and the townhouse aspect dubbed Regent which forms part of the wider 3 Whitehorse Road development are at registrations and/or sales, and stand to add a similar number of dwellings.

Thereafter the balance of projects within the Urban.com.au Project Database are smaller in stature and confined to the planning or approval stages of development.
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160 Whitehorse Road's approval pushes Blackburn's apartment pipeline toward 1,000 

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High-rise development sites number four and five have come under the microscope along Box Hill's Prospect Street, further pushing its credentials as the suburb's next major apartment strip.

Running parallel to Whitehorse Road, Prospect Street is "in an area inviting substantially increased intensity of use and activities consistent with an increased urbanisation." Latest into the limelight is 34-36 Prospect Street which is a major residential tower on behalf of ZL Prospect Pty Ltd.

Designed by Toauk Architects, the proposed development is currently at advertising with City of Whitehorse. Expected is a 31 level tower reaching 95 metres that includes 196 apartments, 2 retail tenancies, 1,152sqm of commercial space and 5 basement levels for 184 vehicles.

34-36 Prospect Street's provisional apartment mix sees 46 single bedroom, 138 dual and 12 triple bedroom dwellings within a tower that is dominated by a black and gold exterior.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image18_17.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="368" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image18_17.jpg?itok=RVabUtcd" title="34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>34-36 Prospect Street. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>Taouk Architects describe the project as follows:

<blockquote>
34-36 Prospect Street presents an urban design response to a location that is both capable of supporting, and is targeted for an intensive development in accordance with both the Box Hill Transit City Structure Plan and the City of Whitehorse Planning Scheme.

A mixed use development is consistent with the requirements of the Planning Scheme, and will contribute to Prospect Street as a safe and activated pedestrian corridor through the Box Hill Activity Centre.
</blockquote>

34-36 Prospect Street's offering follows on from last week's announcement by Savills that 15-17 Prospect Street had successfully sold to Chinese-based interests for $12.91 million. Billed as capable of handling 20 plus levels of residential living, the 1,305sqm site sold for a rate of $9,340 per sqm.

As with the majority of Prospect Street, the current low-rise commercial building is expected to make way for a mixed-use scheme. Backing onto rail lines, 15-17 Prospect Street is by no means alone on the southern side of Prospect Street.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/boxhill15-17prospectstreetp1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="470" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/boxhill15-17prospectstreetp1.jpg?itok=rLIVgy4Z" title="15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>15-17 Prospect Street. Image: Savills</figcaption></figure>9-11 Prospect Street has approval in place for 187 apartments across a 26 storey, Artisan Architects-designed tower. It too will include commercial use across its lower floors, with 2,915sqm of leasable space within the podium.

At the time that 9-11 Prospect Street was at planning, a 1,004sqm site at 13 Prospect Street and a 1,653.7sqm site at 31-35 Prospect Street were offered for sale jointly between Colliers and JLL. Both sites are utilised as at grade car parks, with neither yet to reach planning.

With the five identified development sites set aside, Prospect Street still has a substantial supply of low-rise sites capable of eventually accommodating mixed-use towers.

In theory as many as 10-12 additional future towers could possibly rise on Prospect Street, assuming all sites are developed to their full capacity, allowing Prospect Street to become one of Box Hill most intensely developed precincts.
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Prospect Street shapes as Box Hill's next go-to development strip

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Taouk Architects continue to refine a working design for Blackburn's 'Lexus' site. Newly released imagery of the mixed-use development for the substantial land holding at 160 Whitehorse Road now includes a heightened degree of complexity and design detail, and is similar to earlier concepts in showing multiple buildings rising to 14 levels.

The project which includes near on 400 apartments has however stumbled at its initial planning run.

Lodged with City of Whitehorse during April, Council has acted swiftly in refusing the application that would have seen 14, 10, 10 and 8 storey buildings set above three levels of basement parking. Delegate refusal was issued in under two months from its submission date.

In the rendered form below 160 Whitehorse Road would simultaneously have become Blackburn's tallest development and (by some margin) its largest development to date.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image13_16.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="308" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image13_16.jpg?itok=sfqlWy3T" title="Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>Former owner Lexus Australia chose to offload the site at the peak of Melbourne's development site sales boom during 2015. 

Billed as a Blackburn's premier site during its 2015 sales campaign, the largely vacant 8,767sqm block is zoned Commercial 1 and allows for residential, commercial and retail uses. 160 Whitehorse Road also maintains approximately 295m of frontage to Whitehorse Road &amp; Railway Parade.

Having sold for $18 million to an Asian-backed developer two years ago, 160 Whitehorse Road's <a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/realestate/vacant-lexus-site-on-whitehorse-rd-sells-for-18-million/news-story/353bccaec4759d8ea0b71394177c1614">price history</a> has seen steady growth. Previous campaigns saw the site sell for $11.36 million in 2010, $3.25 million in 1986 and $1.3 million in 1980.

The possibility of towers appearing across the site would be a departure from the norm for Blackburn. Over recent years residential builds of 4-6 levels adjacent to Blackburn Station have become common place, while Apollo Blackburn directly opposite the 'Lexus' site is currently at sales with five levels the approved outcome.

Planning overlays for Blackburn and the adjoining Mega Mile have indicated that 160 Whitehorse Road is the area's 'gateway' site and as such can exceed the recommended height limit of 21 metres, reflecting its "status as a visually prominent landmark."

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image17_11.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Scale and stageabilty. Image: CBRE City Sales"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="385" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image17_11.jpg?itok=ju2vbooK" title="Scale and stageabilty. Image: CBRE City Sales" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Scale and stageabilty. Image: CBRE City Sales</figcaption></figure>For its part, Taouk Architects describe their working design as follows:

<blockquote>
Located within the major activity centre, Blackburn Place comprises of 4 towers connected via shared ground areas comprising of retail and office spaces designed to flow with landscaped communal areas. Combined Blackburn Place provides 394 apartments through the various tower heights of the complex.
Utilising massing form and façade articulation, the design applies various elements to soften its presentation to each adjoining streetscapes.
Layered, projecting and interlocking architectural elements combine with a neutral palette of colours and materials to help make Blackburn Place a benchmark for future developments in the area.
<cite>Taouk Architects</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image16_9.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="319" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image16_9.jpg?itok=DKnUz1et" title="Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Rendered concept for 160 Whitehorse Road. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>The development team's next step in the approvals process has yet to play out at planning.
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Blackburn's 'Lexus' site edges closer to major development, but...

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Taouk Architects may be preparing the latest entrant into Box Hill's flourishing apartment tower scene.

The expanding architecture firm is running with detailed images of a substantial residential tower at 34-36 Prospect Street. Whether or not the images form part of a package that will head to planning remains to be seen, but their emergence further reinforces Box Hill's apartment tower credentials.

Currently 34-36 Prospect Street is a nondescript two level office building that is leased to migrant help agency AMES Australia. Knight Frank handled the 1,208sqm plot's sale during 2015, with part of the sales pitch noting that the AMES Australia lease would expire mid 2017, without the prospect of extension.

Listed as a current project, Taouk Architects' scheme involves a 28 storey tower, consisting predominantly of apartments.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image185_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A prospect on Prospect. Image: Taouk Architects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="476" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image185_0.jpg?itok=gEyWWOoB" title="A prospect on Prospect. Image: Taouk Architects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A prospect on Prospect. Image: Taouk Architects</figcaption></figure>Tucked in behind Whitehorse Road, Prospect Street has yet to see apartment development, unlike many other parts of Box Hill's central spine.

A development yardstick for the area comes in the shape of the nearby 9-11 Prospect Street; the approved Artisan Architects-designed tower over 25 levels includes 187 apartments, with commercial and retail spaces in tow. 9-11 Prospect Street is now being marketed by Savills as a prime development site ready to go. 

Should 34-36 Prospect Street head to planning, it will likely be joined by 13 Prospect Street &amp; 31-35 Prospect Street in due course. Both sites were offered for sale during 2016, with the expectation that both will become multi-level residential developments.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image182_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Savills are marketing 9-11 Prospect Street"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="344" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image182_0.jpg?itok=5onANjJd" title="Savills are marketing 9-11 Prospect Street" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Savills are marketing 9-11 Prospect Street</figcaption></figure>In other news on the Hill, one of suburban Melbourne's tallest towers is preparing to break ground.

Sky One Box Hill's site is clear, with piling set to commence on the 122.8 metre tower created by DKO Architecture; at that height it will become Box Hill's tallest tower, usurping Whitehorse Towers which is also currently under construction.

Last week a ground breaking ceremony was held onsite for Sky One Box Hill, which upon completion will include 438 apartments and amenities such as landscaped gardens, a pool, gym, spa, sauna, yoga studio and lounges.

The tower itself will emerge above ground well into 2017, following the site retention and excavation works for a substantial seven level basement.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image187_2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Sky One Box Hill is prepped for construction"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="317" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image187_2.jpg?itok=qaDYgaqN" title="Sky One Box Hill is prepped for construction" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Sky One Box Hill is prepped for construction</figcaption></figure>
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