Builder Maben Group has filed plans for an office tower in the heart of North Melbourne that prioritise maximised environmental efficiency and sustainability.  The plans for the 16-storey tower at 22-28 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, include 7684.7sq m of net lettable office space on a 1037sq m rectangular site. Council records list an estimated development cost of $21.7 million for the project 1.26km north of the CBD. The building would have a seven-storey podium with a communal garden space on the roof of the podium on Level 8. Another rooftop garden is proposed for level 16. There are two basement levels proposed with electric-vehicle infrastructure for 36 carparking bays and a waste-to-energy anaerobic digester.  Maben intends to build the tower to achieve maximum sustainability credentials. It also intends to take space in the tower for its headquarters. The plans propose using passive design principles and mass timber or CLT construction.  Facade and rooftop solar photovoltaic panels are part of the proposal as are heat-recovery vents, rainwater collection, greywater used for plant irrigation, productive gardens on the podium roof and end-of-trip facilities. There would also be a greenhouse and productive garden on the 16th level and 88 bicycle storage spaces throughout the building. ▲ The proposal includes a greenhouse for the top floor. A highly insulated building envelope is also part of the proposed plans as are low-carbon materials. Communal space and a ground-floor retail tenancy of 164.4sq m are also proposed. A two-storey office building occupies the site with Maben Group and Clare Cousins Architects as the tenants with the latter designing the proposed plans.  Both companies intend to stay on in the new building once it is completed. The proposed Parkville Train Station, Royal Women ’ s Hospital, Meat Market and Bedford Reserve are within 450m of the site. Maben Group was contacted for comment for this article. The plans are being advertised by the City of Melbourne Council.
