21 February 2003

The completion of the Mondrian residential development this month marks the revitalisation of the first complete 'city block' in the new residential/high tech commercial precinct of Green Square.

St Hilliers is responsible for the design, development and construction of the $100million project, which incorporates a set of commercial, educational and residential facilities in this historic industrial heartland of Sydney. Architects Stanisic and Associates and LFA (Australia) Pty Ltd worked with St Hilliers on the design of the redevelopment.

The first stage of the development was the adaptive re-use of the 1930s Chubb heritage site (at 830 - 838 Elizabeth Street Waterloo) to provide a high tech commercial facility, which houses both the head offices of St Hilliers and Red Bull Australia.

St Hilliers also developed, designed and constructed the Taylors College building, at 965 Bourke Road Waterloo, on the other side of the ‚Äö?Ñ????ë??city block,‚Äö?Ñ????ë?¬• for Study Group Australia to house its city campus. This five level building was completed in a tight nine-month schedule, including the fitout of teaching facilities and student accommodation, to allow occupation for the 2001 academic year. The ground floor houses the new corporate head office of fashion designer and clothing manufacturer, Trent Nathan.

The centre-piece in this overall project is the just-completed $45 million Mondrian residential development at Powell Street Green Square, which integrates the residential development with Taylors College and the St Hilliers head office buildings.

Mondrian provides 137 units in four slim line buildings of four to six levels, plus attics. The 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments offer a variety of layouts based around a common 4.5 metre grid, which has allowed the flexibility to design apartments in five different combinations, allowing construction savings through economies of scale.

"We believe that Mondrian sets the benchmark for innovation and attention to detail that we seek to achieve in all of our residential developments," says Mr Tim Casey, Group Managing Director of St Hilliers.

St Hilliers has embraced environmentally sustainable design principles with the application of a number of good design ideas. The apartments have a northerly aspect, large full-height glazed living areas and balconies and most extend the full width of the building providing cross flow ventilation. These features have allowed the living spaces to function without air-conditioning, resulting in major cost savings for occupants without compromising comfort.

In addition, Mondrian recently received a Green Square Design Award for incorporating in its design 1700 square metres of public accessible open space. This is approximately half of the open space on the site and includes a pedestrian through-site walkway providing a visual connection between Short Street and Powell Street.

Other initiatives that make the buildings work both more simply and efficiently include the provision of lift services for every second floor, with the occupants of the two-storey apartments accessing the lift lobbies via their internal staircases, and the use of common risers for all services.

This application of innovative and cost effective building technology was also evident in the use of pre-cast panel systems to achieve a faster construction cycle.

Residents share a larger than usual 25 metre pool and there is extensive landscaping, featuring the use of former trusses from the old factory site to retain a link with the history of area.

"St Hilliers regards the completion of Mondrian and its two 'neighbours' in this new inner-city precinct as an example of its commitment to setting the highest standards for quality in both design and construction, which we were able to control through our additional role as developer," says Mr Casey.

This application of innovative and cost effective building technology was also evident in the use of pre-cast panel systems to achieve a faster construction cycle.

Residents share a larger than usual 25 metre pool and there is extensive landscaping, featuring the use of former trusses from the old factory site to retain a link with the history of area.

"St Hilliers regards the completion of Mondrian and its two ‚Äö?Ñ??'neighbours' in this new inner-city precinct as an example of its commitment to setting the highest standards for quality in both design and construction, which we were able to control through our additional role as developer," says Mr Casey.

All of the Mondrian apartments were sold off the plan, with prices ranging from around $300,000 for the one bedroom apartments up to $520,000 for the three bedroom apartments.