Tip Top

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Previously covered by Urban.com.au regarding its excellent <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/public-permeability-and-the-tip-top-brunswick-east-development">public permeability</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/tip-top-brunswick-170-edward-street-brunswick-east">Tip Top Brunswick</a> can now boast the 2014 Property Review Australia, Heritage Property Award for the integrated six building complex of 411 dwellings. Developer <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/little-projects">Little Projects</a>' Managing Director Michael Fox was on hand to provide a tour of Tip Top Brunswick, pointing out some of the lesser known qualities for the development while also providing guidance for upcoming projects.

Originally occupied by Northern Bakeries, the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/brunswick-east-vic">Brunswick East</a> development provides for 32,088sqm of gross floor area over buildings rising up to eight levels. Initially encountering stiff opposition from locals, Michael Fox maintains the local perception of the project has changed appreciably now that the <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/architects/rothelowman">ROTHELOWMAN</a>-designed development is complete.

A highly walkable ground plane, retained heritage facades to both the Weston/Edward Street, stepped development maintaining sight lines, free public parking spaces within the underground car park and a 1,400sqm childcare centre have contributed to the Tip Top Brunswick's success and acceptance. Michael Fox was particularly proud of the Little Seeds childcare centre which consumes an entire floor of the westernmost apartment building and is the first of its kind in Brunswick East.

<blockquote>
ROTHELOWMAN sought inspiration from the original Dutch Modernist architecture throughout the development. With only the highest quality finishes and fixtures throughout, this clever redevelopment surpasses any other project in the area.
<cite>Little Projects</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/img_0767a.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The retained northern facade of Tip Top Brunswick"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="827" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_0767a.jpg?itok=ztVz3L38" title="The retained northern facade of Tip Top Brunswick" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The retained northern facade of Tip Top Brunswick</figcaption></figure>Since 2012, Little Projects has completed no less than 1,200 apartments, with inner city suburbs such as <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/south-yarra-vic">South Yarra</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/st-kilda-vic">St Kilda</a>, <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/port-melbourne-vic">Port Melbourne</a> and Brunswick East favoured over <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/melbourne-vic">Melbourne's CBD</a>. Little Projects’ current <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/central-south-yarra-3-yarra-street-south-yarra">Central South Yarra</a> tower has sold out and is now midway through construction, with focus turning toward forthcoming developments.

Last week a planning application was submitted for <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/dux-richmond-hill-153-bridge-road-richmond">153-177 Bridge Road Richmond</a>, with the 2,700sqm site slated to host 191 apartments atop Richmond Hill.

Currently serving as a Thomas Dux grocer, the existing buildings are to make way for a ROTHELOWMAN-designed apartment complex save for the existing heritage facade which will be incorporated into the new build. The third collaboration between architect and developer, 153-177 Bridge Road Richmond was snapped up by Little Projects for near on $20 million in an off-market transaction.

<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/littleprojects_bridgeroadrichmond_newdevelopment_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="153-177 Bridge Road, Richmond. Image courtesy Little Projects"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="374" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/littleprojects_bridgeroadrichmond_newdevelopment_3.jpg?itok=bX0mN9Aw" title="153-177 Bridge Road, Richmond. Image courtesy Little Projects" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>153-177 Bridge Road, Richmond. Image courtesy Little Projects</figcaption></figure>Another forthcoming Little Projects development may just deliver the Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area its tallest tower to date. A revised planning application for <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/projects/85-93-lorimer-street-docklands">85-93 Lorimer Street</a> is under consideration which would see a 233 metre residential tower soar above the adjoining Yarra's Edge residential precinct.

Initially conceived by architects <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/architects/elenberg-fraser">Elenberg Fraser</a> as dual residential towers, the scheme has since been revised to a single tower of 900 apartments in order to accommodate increased public open space at ground level. Asked of Little Projects' intentions for the Lorimer Street development, Michael Fox replied by stating the project upon approval would proceed to sales quickly thereafter.

<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/image105.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Preliminary image of 85-93 Lorimer Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="306" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image105.jpg?itok=GxAgm6Hn" title="Preliminary image of 85-93 Lorimer Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Preliminary image of 85-93 Lorimer Street. Image courtesy Elenberg Fraser</figcaption></figure>See below images taken from Urban.com.au's visit to Tip Top Brunswick, beginning with the westerly Seeds apartment building/Little Seeds childcare centre and culminating with a look at the newly released Malt tri-level townhouses.

Lead image courtesy ROTHELOWMAN and Elenberg Fraser.
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silvermb

Little Projects: current success and future intent

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Over the course of the last two years Urban.com.au has had cause to progressively watch <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/developers/little-projects">Little Projects'</a> Tip Top apartment project rise from the ground in <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/brunswick-east-vic">East Brunswick</a>. Emerging from dual 1940's Dutch art deco heritage façades fronting both Edward and Weston streets, the development was progressively opened over the course of 2014 as final touches were applied to public areas.

Granted the masses won't be filtering through Tip Top's concourse as Lygon Street is only a block over, but enough foot traffic exists in the area to warrant a concerted effort which ultimately delivered a pleasant, useable public space.

<h2>Development Summary</h2>

<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/img_5733.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The name says it all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/img_5733.jpg?itok=J_9cjP0Q" title="The name says it all" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harking back to a historic link</figcaption></figure><ul>
<li>Tip Top Bakery site, 65-year history as bakery</li>
	<li>392 apartments over six buildings, retail and commercial space</li>
	<li>New buildings onsite: Silo, Seeds, Rye, Grain, Stables, Malt</li>
	<li>Retention and integration of heritage buildings facing Weston &amp; Edward Streets</li>
	<li>Includes The Learning Sanctuary, a 92-place childcare centre</li>
	<li>$215 million end value</li>
	<li>Landscaping and public access through the site</li>
</ul>
<h2>Rothe Lowman on Tip Top</h2>

<blockquote>
The project will be extensively landscaped, integrating public areas with spaces accessible by private residents only and will include bike racks for more than 250 bikes.

The two buildings that embrace existing facades along Edward and Weston streets have been designed to respond to original Dutch art deco styling. The studio sensitively added to the composition while retaining significant parts of the Heritage building.

Abstract notations of the bakery production process contribute to the personalities of each building, leading to the formation of more organic, curvaceous, interconnected forms. For example, the concept for the sixth building, Granary is derived from the interlocking nature of wheat, with balconies and privacy screens merging to become an integral composition.

The former stable block on Weston Street is the second historic building to be integrated within the development. Currently, the stable block is lost within the wider context of later building associated with the Tip Top factory. This proposal exposes the hidden side of the stable block in its entirety and reuses it as the entry to East Lane and the entrance to the building.

The east laneway will be open to public use but will have a heightened sense of privacy, partially generated by the more organic special forms; narrowed entry points, a portal through the historic facades and the changing landscape surfaces. Car parking and planting will follow more organic forms and will not represent a conventional streetscape.
<cite><a href="http://www.rothelowman.com.au/projects/project/53/tip-top">Rothe Lowman: Tip Top</a></cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Experience in multi-building design and urban strategy</h2>

<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/image40rlwm.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Renders of Rothe Lowman's proposed West Melbourne scheme"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="234" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image40rlwm.jpg?itok=0gj7DAgh" title="Renders of Rothe Lowman's proposed West Melbourne scheme" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Renders of Rothe Lowman's proposed <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/west-melbourne-vic">West Melbourne</a> scheme</figcaption></figure>Rothe Lowman have conceived projects of a similar size and nature, notably the three buildings that comprise <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/sanctuary-681-victoria-street-abbotsford">Hamton's Abbotsford precinct; the last of which titled Sanctuary</a> is now under construction.

The firm has also designed <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/new-apartments/west-end-185-rosslyn-street-west-melbourne">185 Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne</a> which is currently going through the planning approval process. Consisting of several buildings located around a north-south public piazza and additional public spaces, one suspects 185 Rossyln Street may have employed many of the urban principles that were implemented in the Brunswick East development.

Enjoy the varied images of <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/buildings/tip-top-brunswick-170-edward-street-brunswick-east">Tip Top</a>, Brunswick East below.
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