Breese Street by Milieu

Breese Street by Milieu

Welcome to Breese Street. This is our second project in Brunswick and it’s a pleasure to be contributing once more to the suburb’s contemporary village character. As inner-north inhabitants ourselves, we enjoy its small, progressive businesses, vibrant culinary scene and local creativity. Combined, these attributes represent an area that encourages diversity and discovery. While individuality is celebrated, an attitude of inclusivity exists too, which bolsters community spirit.

This attitude underpins our approach with Breese Street. Through a collaboration between DKO and Breathe, our new project promises to settle into and improve the neighbourhood sympathetically, with a dedicated focus on nurturing community and exemplifying sustainability.

The architecture at Breese Street is sensitive to the demands that urban living places on our environment, and responds with a sustainability rating to meet the bar set by neighbouring projects Nightingale 1 and The Commons. We’ve created spaces to positively influence daily living both inside and out, and to inherently support interaction with neighbours, not simply at Breese Street, but also within its broader Brunswick context.

Very Good Apartments

Michael McCormack, Milieu Property

Albion St

Hope St

Victoria St

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Blyth St

Anstey

Brunswick

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Brunswick by Foot

Exploring a neighbourhood on foot sets the best pace for discovering its character: stroll, pause, observe, carry on. We joined Jeremy McLeod of Breathe Architecture, who is also a Breese Street neighbour, on a walking tour of Brunswick’s lively streets, hidden sanctuaries and diverse providores. Using our Location Pockets as a guide, you can see this welcoming, culturally eclectic suburb through a local’s lens, and be ready to make some discoveries of your own. Breese Street by Milieu

2. Like-Minded Neighbours

Key to the kind of community we’re building are like-minded neighbours, so we’re pleased to be in the company of others who share a commitment

to sensitive and sensible design. Breathe Architecture also designed The Commons (pictured), where they are housed, and Nightingale 1, both just around the corner. Their approach to achieving genuine sustainability through ecological and social considerations are proven models for Breese Street. The future Nightingale Village, on Duckett Street off Breese Street,

will cement the Anstey precinct as a ground-breaking new standard for inner-city living.

1. On Your Doorstep

Breese Street is set in its own transport hub, with Anstey train station (pictured) within a minute’s walk and Sydney Road tram stops just one block the other way. The Upfield Bike Path skirts the train line and connects to the Capital City Trail, and there is an increasing number of car share spaces popping up nearby.

Brunswick by Foot 06 — 07

4. Sydney Road

Energetic Sydney Road is a hive of social activity, multicultural traditions and everyday wares. Above all, we know and love it

for the culinary delights. Very Good Falafel affirms its promise morning to night, Lebanese bakery A1 Bakery is a true institution, and Mediterranean Wholesalers (pictured) has you covered from

fresh pasta to Italian washing detergent. Take Jeremy’s advice and head to Balhaus bakery for the best baklava in town.

3. Culture & The Arts

A long-time haven for grass-roots movements, Brunswick has a well-known cultural vitality that extends into the arts. With local council firmly encouraging public art and community activity, there’s always something

to see and engage with: in the streets, at small artist-run initiatives and at larger scale galleries, like Neon Parc (pictured) in the nearby

Tinning Street arts precinct. For us, non-profit gallery and studio space Honeymoon Suite is must-visit platform supporting emerging artists.

Brunswick by Foot 08 — 09

5. Sparta Place

Sparta Place is a perfect example of the Brunswick village atmosphere. This quaint, leafy pedestrian thoroughfare is home to tiny boutiques,

independent specialists and providores. Brunswick Wine Shop (pictured) supports artisan winemakers and hosts regular produce-

driven events, and Caseus Cheese Shop is every dairy lover’s heaven. We treasure the aroma of fresh, warm beans that wafts from

Bertoncello Coffee Roasters all day long.

Brunswick by Foot

6. Brunswick Community

Brunswick’s ever-present feeling of community can be found in an ingrained economy of sharing, like at the Brunswick Tool Library and a variety of local communal food gardens. At the Brunswick Market

(pictured), nestled in off the street, a group of complementary vendors provide everything for an abundant, healthy kitchen.

The heritage-listed Brunswick Baths has long been our choice for recreation and exercise.

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Very Good Apartments

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Breese Street is collection of 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments designed by DKO and Brunswick locals Breathe Architecture. Inspired by other local, sensitively designed projects, Breese Street will naturally advocate sustainable living within quality, carefully designed homes. Fossil fuel-free, with a 7.5-star sustainability rating and a maximum of five neighbours per floor, it’s a building designed for a daily life in easy synergy with our environment.

Breese Street’s residents will form a genuine community, one where neighbours connect – this time not over the fence, but while tending veggies on the rooftop. We’re aiming for back-to-basics conversation and cooperation in future-focused, proactive communal spaces.

Very Good Apartments Breese Street’s design is a meeting of the minds of two accomplished architects, their skilled teams and the Milieu design philosophy. We delve a little deeper in conversation with DKO Design Director Jesse Linardi and Breathe Architecture Principal Jeremy McLeod 1.

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Conversation and essays by Isabel JohnsonBreese Exterior (early concept sketch)

I.J. How does the collaboration between your practices work?

J.L. This is straight collaboration, in the true sense. We’re not splitting responsibilities, we’re working together on everything.

J.M. That’s right. [Firm nods all round]

I.J. Have you worked together before?

J.M. Yeah, absolutely. We won a design excellence competition in Sydney in 2016 to build best practice sustainable apartments in Alexandria, which are currently under construction.

I.J. Well done! For those who don’t know, what does best practice in this area mean? How do you achieve a 7.5-star sustainability rating?

J.M. Fundamentally, it means that you require no energy to heat or cool your building, other than the heat that’s generated by your own body. It’s a thermally efficient building with considered orientation and placement of windows to capture the right light and shade.

J.L. It’s all determined by a mathematical equation, so we can actually back up the theory. But energy ratings don’t talk about the feeling it creates, like the atmosphere of natural light.

I.J. Natural light’s critical to the energy consumption at Breese Street, isn’t it, with a large number of solar panels?

J.M. Yes. We’ve designed the building so that the architecture reflects the suburb’s vernacular. Essentially, the sawtooth roof references Brunswick’s industrial heritage; the factories, the warehouses. Not simply an aesthetic approach, the roof’s form creates the perfect setting for the solar panels.

I.J. Is it sufficient to run the whole building?

J.M. Not quite. The owners’ corporation will buy 100% GreenPower, which utilises renewable energy sources and off-sets carbon. Breese Street is achieving the environmental benchmark set by Nightingale, which demands that every project’s got to be carbon-neutral in operation. There’s no natural gas plumbed in, so you can’t burn fossil fuels within the building. The residents of Breese Street get their power at a wholesale price, rather than retail, and they share the benefit of a reduced consumption bill thanks to that bulk GreenPower purchase, including about a 70% reduction in connection prices. So, to live carbon-neutrally in Breese Street is totally possible and totally affordable. I can’t stress enough how ground-breaking this stuff is.

J.L. There’s a whole story about the driver of the architectural form, the recognition of the building’s context. [Pulls out a pen and starts to sketch an elevation] These panels here – the sawtooth roof with northerly aspect – form a ring around rooftop space, then in the middle you have all the amenities. This internal space is open to the community gardens; it all works together. What’s nice is, the architecture fits the narrative of Brunswick’s industrial heritage 2 of the past, while talking about a sustainable future. It does both things simultaneously.

I.J. The proactive nature of the rooftop is one of Breese Street’s key features, facilitating other features too.

J.M. Yeah. If we’re talking about community, there’s only a very small number of apartments on each floor and sharing each lift. You wouldn’t ordinarily know everyone on your floor, but here, you will. The whole community can come together on the roof; there’s the shared laundry, barbecue facilities, chill-out spaces. The idea is that it’s kind of a backyard in the sky, for everyone to enjoy.

I.J. There’s a narrative about how we’ve become a more insular society, a kind of nostalgia for how people once had a yarn over the fence or neighbours over for dinner. Do you think we lost that, or is it a myth?

J.L. I definitely think some people want to engage in community, others less. And they’re all free to live the way they want to. A lot of developments are so descaled and dehumanised that when you’ve

1 Jeremy McLeod (Breathe Architecture) and Jesse Linardi (DKO).

14 — 15Very Good Apartments

2 The sawtooth roof acknowledges Brunswick’s industrial vernacular, while providing practical, sustainable design outcomes.

got three or four hundred apartments, there’s no intimacy, so even if you want to engage, there’s no opportunity to. What buildings like Breese Street do is allow for either-or; you can say, well, I want to be part of this, or I don’t. We’re not forcing it on people, we’re giving them the opportunity to do it.

J.M. Yeah, I’d definitely agree. Going back to your question, historically, Melbourne was a cluster of villages. But over time we’ve merged together to become a big city. Anonymity happens in cities – you don’t worry about talking to your neighbours because you’re never going to remember all their names! And so that’s what happens in bigger buildings, too. With, say, 32 doors off one lift lobby, of course you’re not going to know everyone. Have we lost that connection to our neighbours over the last thirty years? Do we just look at our phone instead of making eye contact with fellow travellers on the train? I would say, yes. Do we talk to our neighbours in a big apartment building? Probably not, because there is that sense of anonymity. So, I’m particularly interested in how we foster sustainable urbanisation – and by sustainable I don’t just mean ecological, but also social sustainability. How do we build better cities? Better spaces? As architects, Jesse and I try to do our bit, along with Milieu, to do one good building at a time, in little precincts, and Breese’s precinct is one that I really think could be incredible. All this gives back to the broader community. We’re intentionally trying to provide a catalyst for people to talk to each other and connect with each other. Jesse’s right; there are introverts and extroverts in every community and some people will want to opt in, and some will be more reserved and hopefully engage when they feel comfortable or have the energy to do so.

I.J. I think what you say about people feeling comfortable is key. By providing things for people to engage with, like the rooftop bees and a garden with meaning, it’s much more than saying, ‘here’s a nice wide, open space’ and throwing everybody all together. With these things, people can be curious and active at their own pace.

J.L. Yes, I think people will take ownership over it. And ownership is a feeling or concept that creates neighbours. They’re growing vegetables, they’re harvesting honey 3 and, all of a sudden, this shared ownership creates a comradery that’s a bit different to just having a rooftop pool and a solitary barbecue area. Jeremy, you live in a building like that and I’m pretty sure that that’s the way it’s treated, you know, as a house that we all live in?

J.M. Absolutely. When we moved into The Commons, I thought that what I would enjoy the most would be the architecture, obviously! [Laughing...] But, I had no idea how important the community would be 4. If you ask me now what my favourite thing about The Commons is, it’s not the footprints on the underside of my concrete ceiling or the way the timber is aging, it’s actually the people around me.

I.J. As an outsider, that lovely sense of kinship comes through. It’s inviting and a little envy-inducing. But we should talk about the wonderful architecture, too. Are the parameters that are involved in designing to a certain standard of sustainability restrictive, or does it create a challenge that broadens the creativity in the design?

J.M. Both DKO and Breathe say sustainability is a must-have. It’s non-negotiable. It’s something that we do every day and we don’t think like it’s anything extra. That’s part of our role in society. When we embark on design, sustainability is integrated and embedded in every design decision we make.

J.L. Yeah, that’s right. The form itself, though, does change quite a lot with these considerations. A major factor in achieving sustainability is sunlight, and how can you control that!? It demands creativity; active systems might be great for controlling the sun but not be a sound commercial move. So that inspires different outcomes and new vernaculars. Breese Street has a series of openings that work far better than types of glazing would, for example.

3 Breese Street residents will have an ongoing supply of unique Brunswick honey from beehives on the rooftop, set up and kept by Honey Fingers.

14 — 15Very Good Apartments

4 Rooftop vegetable gardens at The Commons offer residents an opportunity to connect in a natural and productive social environment.

J.M. Yeah, that’s right.

J.L. We always look to the surrounding environment to inform the materiality. It might sound pretty obvious, and we certainly don’t want to be clichéd, but there’s always a story to tell and that is a very important aspect to the design. Brunswick brick is important, and it’s a useful material in the kind of building we’re creating.

J.M. We’re definitely using bricks in the common areas. Jesse’s right, this building really does have a sense of place and, given Brunswick’s industrial heritage, there’s simplicity and honesty in its use of materials. There’s brick, there’s concrete. It’s tough, it’s honest, and it’s beautiful. Inside, we’ve kept a simple palette. The robustness and honesty of the outside of the building is evident within the interiors, with the warmth of natural materials. Off-form concrete ceilings get you that extra height, which is quite industrial, but it works well with the recycled timber floors. The floorboards reveal some of their previous life before they were brought to this site, you can see the nail holes.

I.J. I’d love to know a bit more about the interior scheme.

J.M. So, we’ve got brick paving to the lift lobbies – it feels like an external walkway, or your front yard before you walk into your apartment. Lime-washed plywood joinery, coupled there with terrazzo in a tan and brown scheme.

J.L. I’d say the aesthetic is really pared-back, it’s very nice.

J.M. Yeah, it’s simple and modest, but not in a slick way!

I.J. Is the terrazzo a nod to the elegant Mediterranean DNA in Brunswick’s heritage?

J.M. Well, maybe a little. I guess it makes sense to think of it that way. But it’s also textural, which contributes a nice tactility.

I.J. It sounds like you’ve created a remarkable project. Thank you so much for taking the time to clue me in on all the details.

J.M. A pleasure, Isabel.

J.L. Thank you! It’ll be a great one to see come to life.

14 — 15Very Good Apartments

Want to know more? Listen to the ‘Designed for Tomorrow’ podcast, visit milieuproperty.com.au.

Exterior 16 — 17

18 — 19Exterior

Breesey Bees

What do avocadoes, almond milk and watermelon juice all have in common? Aside from being breakfast ingredient royalty, without the activity of our wee mates Apis mellifera, they’d actually be kaput. The Western honey bee might be best known for their delectable sweet syrup, but they’re also the best thing to happen to healthy ecosystems and agricultural production since way before sliced sourdough.

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This essay was informed by conversation with Nic Dowse from Honey Fingers, who generously shared his insight and philosophies on urban beekeeping. Nic will be responsible for the set-up and maintenance of hives on the rooftop at Breese Street, and is always happy to engage with curious community members.

After their introduction by settlers in the 1800s, honey bees rapidly spread throughout Australia to become both domestic and wild. Joining the 1500 species of native Australian bees, they pollinate so many flowers that it’s said they’re responsible for the production of one in every three bites of food that we take. So, if they’re still so abundant and prolific, why does it seem lately that there’s a real urgency around the plight of bees?

Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic decline in bee populations around the world. Sudden losses of whole colonies raised the alarm on a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder. Though no one clear explanation for it exists, we know it’s due to a confluence of factors: pesticides, disease, inadequate food sources, lack of genetic diversity, and more. Collapse is incredibly costly, with natural bee pollination of crops valued in the billions every year – not to mention the sad cost of having failed to protect a remarkable creature whose ancestors go back to the dinosaurs.

But here’s some good news. Australia is enjoying the last golden age of beekeeping, with the healthiest bees in the world producing wonderful honey. Crisis is yet to reach our shores, although the risk factors certainly are present. The varroa mite – a bloodsucking parasite that devastates bee colonies – mounts one of the greatest challenges. We’re the last country in the world to be free of its effects, but varroa is routinely discovered and destroyed by quarantine inspectors, and has lately been spotted in Queensland. It’s a ‘not if, when’ problem, so it’s vitally important that we’re not complacent, but appreciative of what we have and proactively nurture it.

In addition to growing and buying local and organic produce, one of the most effective things we can do is understand and engage with urban beekeeping. As an industry, it’s one of the oldest there is; archaeological excavations have revealed apiaries, or beehive colonies, constructed from clay and straw dating to the ninth or tenth century B.C. As a hobby it’s nothing new, but beekeeping within the confines of cities has been on a steady rise, worldwide. From New York to Glasgow, urban colonies exist in backyards, on balconies and on rooftops of apartments, restaurants, hotels and even airports.

The benefits of urban beekeeping are myriad and interconnected. By breeding more colonies of healthy, happy bees, we can contribute to their survival and to sustainable biodiversity, learn new skills, and be rewarded with delicious honey in the process! And happy they really are. It may seem counterintuitive, but city dwelling bees are actually better-off than their country friends. Why? Because a greater variety of food is available year-round. City plants are artificially watered for more consistent yields and aren’t under siege by agricultural chemicals. The thousands of species of native

and exotic flora in Melbourne provide bees with a huge source of nectar and pollen.

Urban bees create ‘poly-floral’ honey that tells of a million flowers distilled. Each hive’s honey will have different flavour profile depending on what’s growing in the neighbourhood, as well as reflecting the change in seasons. Brunswick’s autumn honey, for example, might have notes of summer herbs, while spring honey from the same hive could be redolent of winter-flowering eucalypts. Urban bees’ perennial activity results in less winter deaths and in turn pollinates more flowers, perpetuating a circle of ecological production worthy of celebration.

The beauty of urban beekeeping is that it reveals the conceptual distinction between nature and built environments is a fallacy. The wilderness isn’t out there somewhere, it’s all around us. The dragonfly zig-zagging around is trying to hunt a bee snack, as is the wattle bird up there in the melaleuca. Peel back the paperback and you’ll find spiders nibbling on other invertebrates. Paused in the grass is that little gecko from your bedroom wall, ready to nab a cricket. When you open your bees’ hive and pull out a frame, glistening with viscous liquid gold and sculptured honeycomb, you’re stepping into that food-web too, where you can always indulge in the satisfying pleasure of harvesting your own edibles.

Rooftop 22 — 23

24 — 25Central Podium Garden

Natives

It’s dawn on a summer morning and the scent of eucalyptus is carried by a lazy, warm breeze. Waist-high grasses gruffly tickle bare legs on your walk to Merri Creek in search of food. In the mood for a feast, you’re off to get your forage on. Fish, mussels and yabbies, duck eggs and nutritious yam daisy beckon, pulled straight from the banks of the crisp, clear burbling creek.

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What parallel universe is this? Less than 200 hundred years ago, this was the state of Brunswick’s natural landscape. With colonisation, urbanisation and industrialisation, the natural habitat of what’s now Melbourne’s northern suburbs underwent rapid, extensive transformation.

In the 1830s, John Batman determined that the idyllic basalt plains north and west of Port Phillip Bay would be a jolly swell place to set up a community, and took for his purpose 240,000 hectares of land. While we generally know it as Fitzroy to Brunswick and beyond, the area is known as Merri Merri, ‘very rocky’ in Woi-wurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people, the land’s original occupants.

Batman certainly wasn’t wrong about it being a nice place to live. Unfortunately, though, settlement and subsequent practices kick-started a steady decline in the land’s quality. Problem numero uno was that sheep and rabbits took a thorough liking to the native flora. As picky grazers, they wiped out their favourite small herbaceous plants, which didn’t stand a chance to regenerate underfoot. So, the settlers introduced crops and pasture to replace them, which soon out-competed many remaining indigenous plants.

The water quality of the Yarra’s tributaries was quickly degraded by the effects of market gardening and dairying on their banks, run-off from tanneries and abattoirs, and sullage from residential development. Over time, some introduced flora and weeds became invasive species and joined the aggressive takeover of the native land, also providing haven for invasive fauna like predatory cats and foxes. Blimey!

So, these days, while we head to the shops for our groceries and aim to avoid plastic, lessen our food waste and ride our bikes more, what can we do to help turn some of this damage around? Straight up, plant native species.

It’s not a novel concept. Since the 1970s, environmentalists and community groups have been advocating for Melbourne’s natural environment and open spaces. Only around 5% of the Victorian Volcanic Plain is covered by indigenous vegetation, but small tracts do survive, having been preserved by council and other initiatives, like the Wurundjeri Council and ‘Friends of’ groups.

Planted with natives, our own little patches can play an important role in revegetation while contributing to a healthy natural bionetwork. Many natives have beautiful scented wildflowers that attract native bees – who are essential contributors to our ecosystems – and offer habitat and food for other native animals, like skinks, butterflies, frogs, and nectar-eating birds. You can nosh on some natives too, or even make tea out of some leaves.

While some may associate natives with arid areas, there are species specific to every climate zone, having had a few hundred thousand years to adapt. Resilient and drought tolerant, natives require less maintenance and resources than introduced species, particularly in the heavy, poorly draining clay soils of the area. Natives reduce reliance on heavy watering, making them an obvious choice for the sustainability of our most precious resource. In fact, many native grasses are an excellent substitute for traditional lawns, which are incredibly thirsty.

Less maintenance doesn’t mean none, though, and understanding what pruning and mulching can do for your garden will pay dividends in creating lush and hardy plants. They don’t like chemicals, nor are much keen on pesticides and fungicides. Good news for the insects who are just there to do their bit, and for you too, who can head to Bunnings for only a bit of native plant fertiliser with spare change for a sausage.

Gardening with natives easily extends beyond garden beds. Rooftops and balconies can be challenging settings, but hardy natives with shallow root systems will flourish. Canopy trees suit rooftop gardens, providing shade and minimising the effects of urban ‘heat islands’.

Natives also contribute to the natural character of the environment in more than aesthetic and ecological ways. The Merri Merri’s cultural history is inherently linked to the natural environment; the Wurundjeri peoples’ customs and stories reflect not only their previous dependence on the land, but their principles for its proper use. Learning about and planting natives fosters connectivity with the land’s heritage and communities.

At Breese Street, native plants have been selected for the rooftop by MALA in celebration and consideration of all these factors. MALA and Milieu have worked closely together on a number of projects.

Living & Dining 28 — 29

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Living Better

In our Liveability Survey, we asked potential Breese Street residents how they think apartment living could best be realised. Their answers informed the project’s design signatures, a collection of features that combine to create Breese Street’s unique character.

Proactive Rooftop

Liveable space at Breese Street extends to a dynamic rooftop benefitting the whole building. The sawtooth roof supports solar panels and provides shade for barbecues, entertaining areas and quiet nooks. A garden of communal veggie plots and native plants offers sustenance and activity for everyone, including

Breesey Bees, beehives that will be maintained by Honey Fingers and interested residents. A shared laundry and clothesline keeps energy consumption down

and increases the apartments’ living space.

Fossil Fuel-Free

No fossil fuels are created or consumed at Breese Street. Instead of gas cooking, kitchens will be equipped with induction cooktops. Air-conditioning goes unneeded in the building, having been designed with proper attention

to thermal mass and given appropriate glazing, orientation and external shading. Heating is hydronic, and all the energy required by the building is fully

sustainably sourced. Residents will share in the savings generated by a combination of rooftop solar panels and GreenPower purchasing.

Design Signatures 36 — 37

Sustainable Finishes

A pared-back interior scheme comprises raw materiality and durable finishes that are designed to last. Waxed, recycled timber floorboards

are warm and characterful – you can see evidence of their previous uses. Terrazzo countertops and brick flooring to common areas nod

to Brunswick’s heritage and create an interesting texture palette. Chrome fixtures have been avoided in favour of Australian-made brass,

a beautiful material with a much smaller carbon footprint.

Know Your Neighbours

Community happens in smaller environments. Breese Street’s collection of 59 residences is split over two buildings with no more than five

neighbours per floor – it’s good to know who you’re living with. There’s just a few apartments to each lift, so lobbies feel like an extension of the home

and somewhere that neighbours easily connect. The proactive rooftop is designed for coming together in different ways: there are extroverted

zones for larger groups and smaller nooks for quiet moments.

Design Signatures 38 — 39

The spaces we inhabit influence our daily activity, sense of self and community character. They also, of course, affect our natural environment and have the potential to constructively contribute to it. Milieu’s design philosophy is founded on these premises and a steadfast commitment to every project being a positive realisation of them.

To deliver truly liveable spaces, our approach is to engage with fields of design, collaborators and brands that share our belief in refined simplicity and curated lifestyles. Together we create well-considered, enduring spaces of influence that respond to and enhance neighbourhoods’ natural and built amenity.

Design Philosophy

Sustainable Material

Salvaged timber is repurposed as flooring, bricks are used for the façade and in common areas, and brass tapware will be fitted throughout. Solar Power

The panels of a purpose-designed 30-kilowatt PV system are positioned on a north-angled sawtooth roof, assisting the building’s power usage and a centralised electric hot water system. Rain Water Collection

Rainwater is redirected for use in common areas and irrigation of the rooftop and central podium gardens. Thermal Design

Internal comfort and lower heating and cooling costs are generated by the concrete building’s thermal mass, double-glazing and operable external shades to north and west-facing living areas on the façade. Carbon Neutral

The apartments are designed to be fossil fuel-free and will commit to using only 100% GreenPower. Reduced Energy Bills

The building is engineered to passively maintain comfortable temperatures year-round without reliance on A/C, although there is an option to include it. Hydronic heating and ceiling fans provide adequate relief. Community Compost

A dedicated compost area cuts down food waste and contributes to productive rooftop vegetable gardening. High Ceilings

Exposed concrete ceilings in living areas, approximately 2.8m high, create spacious apartments with an inviting ambiance. Public Transport

Close to all sustainable modes of transport, there’s train and tram lines, car share services and a bike path all within 100m.

At-Grade Car Spaces

All apartments have an option for an at-grade (i.e. not a car stacker system) car space. Provision of power for future installation of electric car charging is also possible. Bike Parking

Each car space includes an over-bonnet bike rack that can hang two bikes. For those electing no car space, secure bike storage is allocated on the ground floor. Storage

All apartments are provided with a dedicated basement storage cage.

Acoustics

Constructed from concrete, the building’s significant acoustic benefits include a sense of separation between properties. Double glazing provides an additional barrier to outside noise. Quality Fixtures and Fittings

Details reinforce the simple design philosophy. High quality taps, door hardware, kitchen appliances, joinery, lighting and other features, including in all common areas, have been selected for resilience. Two Buildings, One Community

Two buildings with their own entries, stairs and lifts reduces congestion. Fewer apartment entries on each floor helps to instill a sense of community, allowing neighbours to know one another. Natural Light and Ventilation

All bedrooms and living areas have direct access to natural light and ventilation – no borrowed light or snorkel bedrooms. Central Podium Garden

Spread over more than 100m2, this garden provides a dual aspect for many apartments and a lush green outlook for those bedrooms not orientated with a street facing aspect. Rooftop

With productive gardens, a communal laundry, BBQs, entertaining areas and intimate nooks, the rooftop is a place for neighbourly activity and quiet outdoor enjoyment. Laundry

A communal laundry and rooftop clothesline frees up space within apartments and encourages lower energy and water usage. Purchasers can request individual laundries; alternatively, this space can be storage. Pet Friendly

Pets are a wonderful addition to any home, so Owners Corporation rules have been prepared with them in mind. Durable surfaces have been invested in for sustainable use. Security

The basement levels and ground floor lobbies are fitted with CCTV. Building access is by security fobs or video intercom. Community Notice Board

A community notice board creates a true sense of neighbourhood awareness and connection between residents. Proactive Owners Corporation

We care about our building beyond settlement and handover, and will continue to treat it and its inhabitants with the respect that they deserve.

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Project Team

Milieu Property & Buxton Group Development Partners

Now in their third project together, Milieu and Buxton share a long-held commitment to elevating property development in Melbourne by delivering quality, well-conceived buildings. Both companies are passionate about crafting functional homes that benchmark contemporary living, like Barry Street, also in Brunswick. With its exemplary design and focus on sustainable futures, Breese Street is a clear representation of the values of these two highly respected and awarded partners.

Barry Street by Milieu (expected completion 2018)

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Project Team 44 — 45

Breathe Architecture

Project Architect breathe.com.au

Breathe Architecture takes a pragmatic approach to design, putting ecological and social considerations first. Conceiving sustainable, efficient buildings with light footprints is the hallmark of Breathe’s approach, in turn displaying a distinctively purposeful aesthetic. Breathe’s architecture is responsive to local community character, encourages new ways of living, and celebrates the inherent qualities of materiality. Two Breathe Architecture projects, Nightingale 1 and The Commons, are very near Breese Street and serve as a model for exemplary sustainable design.

The Commons (completed 2013). Photography by Andrew Wuttke.

MALA

Landscape Consultant mala.net.au

As a fast-emerging practice, MALA has earned a reputation for delivering dynamic, strategically site-specific landscape architecture and urban design. MALA’s work is deeply considerate of the synergetic relationships between environment, community, culture and history.

Photography by Kate Ballis.

DKO Architecture

Project Architect dko.com.au

DKO Architecture’s ongoing collaborative relationship with Milieu is founded on DKO’s urban design ethos. Their meticulously designed buildings complement contemporary living, respect local contexts and give acute consideration to communities’ future needs. DKO designs serve the people, uphold sustainable principles to care for the Australian landscape and positively contribute to neighbourhoods’ visual narratives. Breese Street is the eighth project to be realised by the enduring and successful working relationship between DKO and Milieu.

Peel By Milieu (completed 2017). Photography by Dan Hocking.

Honey Fingers

Urban Beekeepers honeyfingers.com.au

Honey Fingers is a multifaceted urban beekeeping project. Through the lens of beekeeping and with a celebratory curiosity, Honey Fingers explores the intersections of farming, food, art, history, design, urban ecology and education, and the role of bees at the centre of it all.

Photography by Kate Ballis.

Please note that the material contained herein has been produced prior to detailed design and construction, is indicative only and does not constitute a representation by the Vendor, Agent, or Vendor’s consultant in respect to the size, form, dimensions, specifications or layout of the unit at all. The final product may change from that illustrated herein. Furniture is not included. All furniture shown is for illustrative purposes only. Artists impressions, floor plans and the project specification depict and or detail upgrade options which are not included in the purchase price unless noted in the contract of sale. Changes may be made to the detail layouts during development and construction in accordance with the provisions of the contract of sale or the building and or planning requirements or for compliance with relevant standards or codes. Prospective purchasers must make and rely upon their own enquiries.

Sales Enquiries

Patrick Cooney – 0408 527 248 patrick@milieuproperty.com.au

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milieuproperty.com.au

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