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“What we are seeking to achieve

is a social return in which residents

feel an increased sense of attachment

and safety, they feel they belong to

a community and experience

improved health and wellbeing.”

PAROMVONG SINBANDHIT
Mirvac Design Director

“I believe we’ve moved well past
thinking that apartment living is a
compromise but the quality of life is
dependent on making a meaningful
investment in the public domain.
That’s something that has occupied
our Mirvac Design teams for a
number of years and we are seeing Above: Point Park, Yarra’s Edge, VIC
many of our projects mature into Left: Heritage Boulevarde Playground, Tullamore, VIC
fantastic places to live, work and
visit.
“It’s already happening at Green become a place where people also each project but the fundamentals “It also has to have interconnected
Square where public amenity was work and live. For the first time in remain essentially the same. streets and block sizes that
delivered ahead of people moving two centuries people will be able encourage people to walk. But
in. There are shops, restaurants to appreciate the beauty of the “Place can mean different things just creating the space doesn’t
and cafes on the high street, harbour, sitting on a grassy lawn to different people in different necessarily direct people to go
well patronised by residents and beneath the cool shade of a tree.” contexts,” says Mr Sinbandhit. there; it needs some sort of activity,
visitors, with many more to come “What we are seeking to achieve play things for children, barbecues,
as we expand our development From the perspective of those is a social return in which seating, an open exercise space.
footprint towards the public plaza. building new homes in growth residents feel an increased sense
areas, CBDs can appear over- of attachment and safety, they feel “The one non-negotiable element
“At Yarra’s Edge in Melbourne endowed with great places to live they belong to a community and when we do a development is that
where we have been transforming and visit, occupying prime real experience improved health and there is a sense of community from
the former wharves for around 20 estate on rivers and harbours, with wellbeing. day one.”
years there is an incredibly strong generous parklands for all to share.
community, not just amongst “To achieve these aims we To achieve this end, community
residents but also the restaurant In greenfield development and start in the masterplanning by facilities are delivered early in
and café owners who are equally middle ring urban renewal where creating a centre, a space in the combination with a range of social
invested in this place. There are the majority of new housing is public domain that people will activities curated by Mirvac,
parks as well so it’s not all about the concentrated, amenity often has be attracted to. It can be a park, a providing new residents with an
waterfront but celebrating nature to be created from scratch. Mirvac plaza, shops, cafes or community opportunity to get to know each
and the urban attractions of living Design architect and urban planner facilities; something that people other until the community is ready
within minutes of the CBD. Paromvong Sinbandhit has been can use and relate to. It has to be to stand on its own feet.
creating masterplans for Mirvac attractive, with a relatable theme
“Our place planning at Harbourside projects for more than 30 years and that builds on special features of Says Mr Sinbandhit: “It is not
will set a new standard for how we applies a simple test for whether a the site, its past uses or social and until people develop meaningful
experience life on Sydney harbour. place works or not. If it’s used and cultural history, with the landscape relationships to these spaces and
What was once a place for locals people come back again and again, providing the urban design quality. start to mould and shape them
and tourists to visit on a day out will it’s a winner. And it must be accessible, ideally to their needs that they become
no more than five minutes’ walk, or places and an authentic sense of
The tried and tested rules for 400 metres from any home. belonging and attachment can
achieving success change with develop.”

32 ISSUE 17 SPRING/SUMMER 2023 The Right Place by Mirvac The Right Place by Mirvac ISSUE 17 SPRING/SUMMER 2023 33