Victorian Heart Hospital | Conrad Gargett – now merged with Architectus + Wardle

The Victorian Heart Hospital (VHH) is the southern hemisphere’s first dedicated cardiac hospital, a place for clinical care, cutting edge research, treatment and education of the next generation of health professionals. The architecture, interiors, facility and clinical planning consider the impact of the built environment on the health and wellness of all users and has been guided by strong clinical and patient voices. The hospital is a valuable place within the university campus and wider community with its capacity to save and change lives.
The VHH is a building for people, a place of work and treatment – the design contributes to the wellbeing of patients, clinicians and staff and aids patient recovery through its spatial qualities, amenity and materiality. Natural light permeates through the building, with the open central courtyard providing a landscaped space for viewing and occupying, it imparts the visual relief of nature which is evident throughout.

RMIT Multifaith & Wellbeing Centre | Idle Architecture Studio

Designed by Idle Architecture Studio, the RMIT Multifaith & Wellbeing Centre is a groundbreaking facility providing a safe, inclusive space for staff and students to connect with their faith, practice mindfulness, and engage in wellbeing activities that enrich their time at RMIT.

Located centrally within the City Campus and Social Innovation Precinct on the CBD perimeter, this compact 3–level building covers the site and presents an intriguing face to the street. The architectural expression is one of integrity and strength, civic, whilst avoiding alignment with any singular faith group.

Internally it comprises prayer spaces, ablutions, chaplaincy services, office and multi–purpose spaces arranged around a generous central spine and open staircase, facilitating movement, and encouraging respectful interactions between diverse users. The spaces offer controlled views to the inner–city context through the gold shrouded windows, while a full–height coloured glazed window floods the interiors with ever–changing light and pronounces the recessed entry.

Preston Level Crossing Removal Project | Wood Marsh Architecture

Bell and Preston Stations have been developed as part of Victoria’s Level Crossing Removal Project.

Bell Station references its suburban context. The City of Darebin’s roofscape was abstracted into a three–dimensional façade pattern. Within this façade, windows filter coloured light into the concourse. Preston Station’s design took inspiration from the adjacent Preston Market. The façade was designed as an array of black vertical folds, resembling a barcode used by market vendors. These folds were filled with vivid colours drawn from the produce in the market.

The elevated rail makes space for landscaping, public amenities, and recreation spaces to better serve the neighbourhood. These stations provide new opportunities for connection and link the local community to greater Melbourne by providing safe and equitable access.

The project integrated indigenous co–design to create meaningful and culturally inclusive spaces. Formal, landscape and programmatic design decisions directly emanated from this process.

Munro Development and narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services | Six Degrees Architects

The Munro development is a community–oriented mixed–use project spanning 16,000 m2, integral to the Queen Victoria Market renewal masterplan. Delivered for PDG Corporation and the City of Melbourne, with an adjacent apartment tower and basement carpark by Bates Smart.

Central is the first library to open in the City of Melbourne in nearly a decade, narrm ngarrgu Library and Family Services, which blends art gallery, makerspace and community services. Over three levels and 4400 m2, the project prioritises community needs and sustainability principles. Reflected in Wurundjeri Woi–wurrung language and art integration, a 960 m2 landscaped terrace with access to a dedicated children’s library, an expansive solar array, and special needs facilities. It includes the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation offices and social housing dwellings managed by Housing Choices.

The project achieves 5–star Greenstar and Well sustainability ratings. Costing approximately $55m, the Munro development exemplifies effective collaboration, community engagement, and sustainable design.

Mount Alexander College (MAC) | Kosloff Architecture

MAC is a new public vertical school located in the suburb of Flemington.

The school provides a highly student led curriculum focus, where each year’s subject offering, and class structure are co–designed with incoming cohorts. In response to this, the building employs adaptable floor plates free from load bearing walls, that enable the program within to continually evolve.

A predominantly red brick suburban context, including a number of significant late 19th–century civic buildings has played a significant part in the materiality selection for the project. MAC embraces a masonry approach, one of permanency and low maintenance that is referential of 20th century predominantly red brick Public Works school buildings throughout Victoria.

The project aspires to emulate both the sophistication of tertiary institutions and the generosity of successful public buildings, and in doing so reflect the high ambitions of its teaching staff, students, and surrounding community.

Melbourne Indigenous Transition School Boarding House | McIldowie Partners

Built on Wurundjeri land, the new flagship boarding facility at 371 Church St, houses 40 students from remote areas across Victoria and the Northern Territory. Featuring a mix of dormitories, study areas & a collection of gathering spaces, it serves as the physical and spiritual home for the MITS community. Outdoor gathering spaces, including a rooftop terrace with spectacular city views, seamlessly link inside and out and connect students to Country, with native gardens designed to reflect the pre–colonial landscape of the area and a colourful poured paving artwork by Trawlwoolway artist Edwina Green.

The facade, designed in collaboration with Indigenous artist Lorraine Kabbindi White, acts as a billboard for MITS, featuring a laser–cut perforated screen telling the Dreamtime story of the ‘First Bees.’ This story wraps the façade and acts as a landmark “always was, always will be” statement for the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School and the broader community.

Koorie Heritage Trust Stage 2 | Lyons with Greenaway Architects and Architecture Associates

The Koorie Heritage Trust, now expanded into all floors of the Birrarung building in Federation Square, is the first of its kind in an Australian capital city. Delivered through thoughtful collaboration, the First Nations arts and cultural centre connects to Indigenous perspectives and amplifies Indigenous culture in Melbourne’s CBD. A key third pillar of Federation Square, the Koorie Heritage Trust renovation seeks to anchor in the primacy of Country, echoing the colours of Country – the water of the Birrarung, the reds of the blossoms and the river red gums, the warmth of the lightly wooded landscape that once existed in proximity. It is a significant gathering place, a culturally safe space, and a place for people on Wurundjeri lands to be inspired.

Fleming Park | fjcstudio

The principles of equity of access, welcoming, sustainability and respect for place were key to the Fleming Park project with the desire to create a place to be enjoyed by the broader Brunswick Community. Utilising a combination of existing and new buildings surrounded by mature trees creates a place of community ownership.

fjcstudio’s approach was to revitalise the entire Fleming Park Precinct which was tired and underutilised. A series of modest interventions such as the replacement of all non–compliant paths, new fencing, solar lighting and playground sculptures to separate from bike paths were undertaken. This was then complemented by two new buildings, a “community sporting building” and the “restoration of an old derelict grandstand”. In addition, a car park was converted into a basketball half–court and a rebound tennis wall with the remaining spaces into a series of Bio Swales and native garden play areas.

Djerring Flemington Hub | Croxon Ramsay

The Djerring Flemington hub has been designed to foster social inclusion and sustainable design. Located at Debney’s park, at the backdoor to the local public housing estate, the hub acts as an extension to these residents’ homes. Therefore, the connection to the public housing became the key focus of this design. Many community consultation sessions were run to understand the needs of the community. The building acts as a place of refuge for residents providing spaces to inhabit without the need to engage in scheduled program, as well as providing space for religious practices. The form took inspiration from the concept of shelter and the home. Using the portal frame as the foundation for the building as this is common in a domestic setting and feels approachable to the community. The form also aids in the passive design among other key features designed to achieve a 5–star Green Star rating.

Aboriginal Housing Victoria | Breathe

Aboriginal Housing Victoria (AHV) , a community–led organisation managing over 1,500 rental properties for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people in Victoria, embodies the strength and resilience of First Nations People. This strength exists despite inadequate access to affordable and appropriate housing. An issue which is complex and multi–faceted, rooted in dispossession and dislocation, one that requires action beyond architecture alone.

Recognising the need to significantly increase the amount of available housing stock, AHV engaged Breathe to design their first multi–residential social housing project.

A guide throughout this process, AHV tasked Breathe with challenging the traditional typology of single dwellings; recognising its social and sustainability limitations in an urban context. The brief was, instead, to design a sustainable and culturally sensitive three storey multi–residential development in the heart of Reservoir. A development that would serve the large First Nations population in the area and offer them a medium density community focused home.