■ 1 Lombardy Drive,
Mernda
A modern day neighbourhood strip shop development consisting of eleven tenancies, a childcare centre and fifty four car parks.
CHALLENGE
The developer of this centre wanted flexibility for the defined uses within the development so it could appeal to a wide variety of business’. This created a challenge for determining a suitable number of car parks to include.
SOLUTION
Lengthy negotiations with council were required to approve the development without nominating uses for each tenancy. A successful outcome meant the negotiated car parking supply was provided on site without our client compromising the number or size of the units.
“A genuine desire to listen and help get the best possible outcome for us is what we received from the team at CS. We look forward to working together again.”
S. BLEWETT
■ 194 Albert Street, Brisbane
This retail fit out on behalf of global leisurewear retailer Lululemon on a Brisbane High street that required a heritage exemption approval and a licence to display business signs.
CHALLENGE
Although no DA is required in this location for the retailer to establish, our team had to obtain a specific heritage exemption from Brisbane city council to display the clients preferred business signs.
SOLUTION
We were able to advocate and negotiate a successful outcome for our client that allowed their preferred branding to be erected on the building. This was exceptionally important to ensure they maintained national consistency across their stores.
“We found the CS team to be highly diligent and provided a fast and comprehensive service. We would happily recommend this agency for your town planning and council requirements.”
ADAM WEEKS
■ 86-88 Collins Street, Melbourne
This retail fit out on behalf of luxury watch retailer Vacheron Constantin within a pristine heritage listed building required planning approval in an area where heritage conservation controls are exceptionally rigid. On account of our demonstrated experience in the area CS were selected to guide the architect team through the required approvals.
CHALLENGE
The starting point for the project required the completion of exceptionally detailed architect’s drawings of the existing features of the building. These drawings had to exactly match the as built conditions of the building before any discussions on what modifications could be made were held. This was a collaborative effort between the client, the architect and our team to gather photographs and historic plans of the building to accurately draw up and document the existing conditions. On completion of this we turned our attention to identify the heritage features that were important to be retained and those modern elements that could be removed.
SOLUTION
We quickly identified that the external balustrades and embellishments within the building frontage were significant and had to be retained along with the pillars across the façade. The glazing along the frontage was identified as non-significant to the heritage fabric and correctly classed as a modern addition that could be removed or modified. With the guidance of the CS team the client was able to present an acceptable demolition plan to Council as part of the planning application that was approved by councils heritage advisor with no amendments required.
“We found the CS team to be highly diligent and provided a fast and comprehensive service. We would happily recommend this agency for your town planning and council requirements.”
ADAM WEEKS
■ Porsche,109 Victoria Parade,
Collingwood
Prestigious car manufacturers Porsche completed an upgrade and extension of their flagship dealership in early 2024.
CHALLENGE
Demolition of the entire façade as well as an upper floor extension of the large structure created concerns from the council and public about the number of increased daily victors to the busy centre as well as amenity impacts of a larger building.
SOLUTION
Our team worked in a collaborative effort with Porsche head office and the nominated architects to incorporate adjustments to the external facades to soften the impacts increase the permeability in the façade design and reduce the overall impact of the proud built form from neighbouring interfaces.
“A genuine desire to listen and help get the best possible outcome for us is what we received from the team at CS. We look forward to working together again.”
S. BLEWETT
■ 1089 High Street, Armadale
This retail fit out on behalf of global leisurewear retailer Lululemon within a pristine heritage listed building required planning approval in an area where heritage conservation controls are exceptionally rigid. On account of our demonstrated experience in the area CS were selected to guide the architect team through the required approvals.
CHALLENGE
The starting point for the project required the completion of exceptionally detailed architect’s drawings of the existing features of the building. These drawings had to exactly match the as built conditions of the building before any discussions on what modifications could be made were held. This was a collaborative effort between the client, the architect and our team to gather photographs and historic plans of the building to accurately draw up and document the existing conditions. On completion of this we turned our attention to identify the heritage features that were important to be retained and those modern elements that could be removed.
SOLUTION
We quickly identified the external features of the building frontage that were significant and had to be retained. The glazing along the frontage was identified as non-significant to the heritage fabric and correctly classed as a modern addition that could be removed or modified. With the guidance of the CS team the client was able to present an acceptable demolition plan to Council as part of the planning application that was approved by councils heritage advisor with no amendments required.
“We found the CS team to be highly diligent and provided a fast and comprehensive service. We would happily recommend this agency for your town planning and council requirements.”
ADAM WEEKS
■ 1 Harcourt Street, Hawthorn
This exceptionally large estate was proposed for a two lot subdivision in 2018. The site is a corner lot and the proposal was to create a new lot and house accessible from Harcourt Street in the area occupied by the swimming pool and tennis court. The site was within a standard residential zone and much larger than its direct neighbours.
CHALLENGE
One month after the planning application, the director of planning applied to the state government to have the property added to the state heritage register as an emergency listing. This measure saw the site listed of state significance to the heritage of Victoria and replaced council as the decision maker with the Director of Heritage for the state government. The result of this action was that our client had to make a separate application to Heritage Victoria for support of the subdivision. Once the site was heritage listed, a heightened level of assessment and information is required to be submitted for the application to be supported.
SOLUTION
Council’s decision to apply to the state government for a heritage listing of the property within weeks of receiving the subdivision application was a source of great disappointment for our client. Rather than appeal the listing of the property on the state heritage registrar we accepted the listing and then worked with the state government on the design of the new dwelling to respect the significant heritage features of the property. The result was the new development was nestled behind the existing heritage building with no visible vantage points from the public realm. It was a long consultation and negotiation process with the state government but this is common place for our team’s projects and we know how to navigate the system successfully for contentious developments.
“CS Town planning helped me to secure a planning permit with very few conditions. They were able to address all the concerns raised by council for a design which originally had a number of compliance issues. They provided services above and beyond expectations.”
KRITSANA CHAIWATANATORN
■ 10 Turkeith Crescent, Glen Waverley
This ‘knock down / rebuild’ project involved the demolition of an existing house on a site within a heritage overlay and replacement with very contemporary dwellings. Demolition of existing buildings within an heritage overlay can be a complex application but the proposal is made simpler if the building is not designated as ‘contributory’ under the overlay.
CHALLENGE
The existing house was a non-contributory property to the significance of the heritage area and its removal was not contentious. However Council had concerns with the contemporary replacement build and were not supportive of a modern architecture response within the overlay. To compound this, the proposal required a new second crossover and driveway and the removal of a council street tree.
SOLUTION
Our team engaged a reputable local heritage consultant to work with the architect and the client to identify the important elements of the heritage precinct and incorporate these features into the design of the new homes. This included a varying schedule of external finishes and window treatments that were common in the neighbourhood. We also successfully negotiated with council’s parks department to replace the street tree with two high quality evergreen trees in alternate locations within the nature strip. The result was a design that incorporated softer finishes to offset the contemporary design and was ultimately supported.
“CS Town Planning represented us at a VCAT mediation hearing in regard to a neighbouring development. They patiently, competently and confidently prepared and steered us through the process, presented our case without the emotional involvement of those directly involved, and most definitely achieved the best possible outcome under the circumstances.“
FRANK THEXTON
■ 2031 Malvern Road, Malvern
This contemporary three townhouse development on a corner site was designed by an award winning Melbourne architect with four bedrooms per dwelling with each dwelling having a roof top garden accessible from the main living area. The homes are a reverse living arrangement with bedrooms at the ground floor and main living areas on the upper floor.
CHALLENGE
Malvern has become a popular suburb for knock down, rebuild projects but when the redevelopment increases the number of houses on the lot from one to three then a planning permit is required. This provides Council a strong influence on the design outcome and in this case they were not supportive of the application on the basis that it was inconsistent with the established neighbourhood character. This was deeply upsetting and confusing for our clients because they had seen a number of redevelopments in their street that were directly comparable to what they wanted to build.
SOLUTION
Rooftop terraces are an extremely contentions aspect of any design because of the inherent privacy impacts on the neighbours. They attract objections from the direct neighbours and require a proactive approach to ensure the design presents no overlooking impacts prior to the application being lodged with council. This proactive approach was evident in the application lodged with council and they were satisfied that the amenity impacts had been carefully considered. In tandem with this we were able to demonstrate to council that this area was undergoing a period of development transition and the neighbourhood character was evolving to a more compact city style living arrangement. These measures combined resulted in a successful application to council.
“I will not hesitate to use your professional guidance in the future, should the need arise. Thank you for your support in what has proved to be a frustrating time for me against what I consider to be a totally unreasonable municipal council.”
KOULI, PETER, FRED & AANGELIKA STOLL
■ 20 Cadby Avenue, Ormond
This project involved the demolition of the existing house and construction of four bespoke townhouses on a site of under 700 square metres. Each house included a self-contained double garage within a basement car park. House one consisted of five bedrooms with each of the remaining homes being four bedroom.
CHALLENGE
The development was seeking to provide a more compact living arrangement while still retaining a more suburban character than typical apartment style living. Each house had it’s own front door at ground level and because of the number of bedrooms per home, the development had quite a ‘robust’ built form coupled with compromised vehicular access within the basement in a council designated flood plain. The basement car park also required the removal of trees within a neighbouring property for the development to be viable.
SOLUTION
Successful planning applications are often the result of good negotiations and in this case our team consulted with the neighbour to secure a written confirmation that they supported the tree removal from their property to accommodate the basement. We appointed a reputable traffic engineer to work with the architects to design a ramp access to the basement that would prevent flood water entering the garages and through carefully considered design techniques we were able to successfully lodge a design that met all the requisite Rescode standards and was ultimately approved.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank CS for organising the planning permit for us with City of Melbourne; we found your attention in servicing our needs on the recent permit application efficient and professional.“
GRAHAM R BOYD
■ Telstra, 325 Chapel Street,
Prahran
This Telstra retail outlet triggered a planning permit because of heritage controls in the busy Chapel Street precinct and included the installation of a external green wall and almost entire demolition of the existing building façade.
CHALLENGE
Demolition of the façade in a heritage precinct is generally not supported by Stonnington City Council and they also had concerns regarding the installation of a green wall along Chapel Street.
SOLUTION
Our team developed an idea to recess the green wall into the building and also set up the majority of the new signage within the building so the new façade consisted entirely of glass and some lightweight timber cladding. This approach was accepted by Council and the client was permitted to continue the fitout.
“A genuine desire to listen and help get the best possible outcome for us is what we received from the team at CS. We look forward to working together again.”
S. BLEWETT