First look exclusive: Lowe Living set for Sandringham apartments, Miramar

Melbourne developer Lowe Living has continued to increase its apartment pipeline, this time in the Bayside area they've made their own.

Plans have been submitted for Miramar, a 24-apartment, three-level development in Sandringham, on an amalgamated 2,081 sqm at 15-17 Abbott Street.

While Lowe Living always develop for the owner-occupier, the new project further enhances its credentials as one of the most prominent in that space.

Of the 24 apartments proposed, only eight have two bedrooms. There are three three-bedroom apartments, and 13 three-bedroom plus study units, which will likely draw the generational downsizer. Professional couples are also expected to be interested in the project.

The apartments range in size from 95 sqm to 168 sqm internally, with balconies and courtyards spanning between 10 sqm and 81 sqm.

Servicing the apartments are 43 secure parking spaces and 24 bicycles spaces. 

Architecture firm Jackson Clement Burrows were given a brief to design a building with a primary focus ESD innovation and architectural excellence, a focal point of the Bayside Planning Scheme.

"This design response will allow delivery of a building that is of a similar height to other recently approved and constructed projects in the immediate area," JCB said in their Urban Context Report.

JCB suggested the development represents a new type of quality housing stock for the Sandringham area.

"The architectural, landscape and ESD response is undeniably of its place providing environmentally conscious, low impact housing for the Sandringham area.

"The design showcases consideration of the urban context, respectful of character, sustainable and set to increase use of public amenity, enhancing Sandringham’s liveability and exemplifies Lowe Living’s dedication to delivering purposeful, quality developments to the area."

They called the development "a collection of homes more than an architectural statement."

It was a fairly blank canvas for JCB when looking at Abbott Street, which they said "does not lend itself to a design response driven by the creation of a specific architectural form."

"Instead, over time, an architecturally eclectic blend of typologies has formed. Our response is anchored around the creation of moments and the way the occupants will experience them. Through our considered design, these moments create viceral experiences and sense of place for the occupants."

There's a communal rooftop terrace that captures bay and city views.

The site, next door to the Sandy Life Baptist Church, is located in near the Sandringham Activity Centre and the coast, just 300 metres from Sandringham beach, 250 metres to Sandringham Station, and within 250 metres from four different bus route.

There was a focus on sustainability, with the project targeting a minimum NaTHERS rating of 7 stars, creating an electric building with common areas powered by renewable energy.

An on-site solar photovoltaic electricity generation complements the efficiency and future-proofs the development for the capability of net zero-carbon energy.

Eckersley Garden Architecture handled the landscaping, noting that the landscape design embraces the coastal environment, with a predominant use of native plants, with the indigenous species making up 91 per cent of the planting palette.

"The soft coastal tones will help to seamlessly integrate the project into the local surroundings.

"The landscape design incorporates multi-layered planting arrangements, combining groundcovers, self-mounding shrubs, feature trees and perennials providing seasonal interest. This diverse planting design adds depth and visual interest to the landscape, whilst being a landscape requiring minimal inputs."

The Planning Report by North Planning said the design response has been conceived from a comprehensive understanding of the surrounding character and site opportunities and constraints.

"It adopts a form and scale that is both appropriate and cognisant of the existing and emerging streetscape, presenting as a highly articulated and refined architectural solution that places equal importance on sustainable and landscape initiatives.

"The resulting outcome will be one that delivers on the key measurables identified in the Bayside Planning Scheme."

Lowe Living is currently preparing its South Melbourne mixed-use development for launch, having received sign off for the project earlier this year.

They're working on two other Bayside projects, Oceano and Hampton Hill in Hampton.