A development application has been submitted for the masterplan and first stage of a major mixed-use precinct on a 1.8-hectare site in Canberra’s inner-north.
The site of the proposed development is the Dickson Tradies site in the suburb of Dickson, currently occupied by the Canberra Tradesmen’s Union Club building. Established in 1964, the club has long served as a community venue offering hospitality, entertainment and fitness services. The club will continue to operate on site, but will relocate into a newly constructed building as part of the staged redevelopment.
Stewart Architecture was invited to participate in a design competition for the site and was later commissioned to prepare the masterplan and development application design. The broader consultant team includes environmental consultant Finding Infinity, Colliers, Arcadia Landscape Architecture, Neuron and Sellick Consultants. The design was also informed by Connecting with Country workshops, undertaken with Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Violet Sheridan.
The overarching proposal – known as The Green at Dickson – features seven architecturally distinct buildings that will collectively accommodate 645 residential dwellings, 5,000 square metres of commercial, retail and dining spaces, and 4,400 square metres of new club facilities. The proposed buildings are arranged around the Dickson Green, an open green space held at the centre of the site.
In a communique, Stewart Architecture has characterised the design as being “landscape-led,” with a strong focus on public realm and walkability. The masterplan includes a series of laneways and pedestrian streets, along with the naturalisation of Sullivan’s Creek, which currently runs through a concrete stormwater drain on the site. The central green space will be oriented towards the creek, with a public promenade running alongside it.
The communique outlines the plan’s sustainability ambitions, developed in collaboration with Finding Infinity. These include water neutrality, zero waste to landfill, a potential anaerobic digestor that would allow the site to process more waste than it produces, a zero-waste retail strategy, and buildings powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
Environmental strategies also include high wall-to-window ratios to minimise the need for mechanical heating and cooling, as well as energy-saving measures that encourage social interaction – such as shared laundries with large clotheslines on the buildings’ rooftops.
Stage one of the project will involve the development of Buildings A and B, the demolition of the nursery, gym, squash courts and part of the motel, as well as the naturalisation of Sullivan’s Creek.
The application is on exhibition until 1 October.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
