Embracing The Neighbourhood – Brunswick East by Milieu Property

With a strong commitment to progressive urban design and appreciation for the unique characteristics of its local neighbourhood, Milieu Property’s latest development, Brunswick East, sets out to cultivate a strong, vibrant community within its walls.

With architecture by Fieldwork and interior design by Foolscap Studio, Brunswick East places sustainability, accessibility and community at the fore. The suburb’s industrial heritage is embraced by the building, with extensive uses of terrazzo, steel and aluminium across exterior façades and communal spaces. The building utilises fossil-free energy, achieving an average NatHERS energy rating of 7.5 stars, whilst communal landscaping is entirely native, with the drought resistant plants serviced by rainwater collection tanks. The adoption of double glazing and concrete provides both thermal efficiency and assists with noise reduction, underlining Milieu’s commitment to progressive design solutions.

With architecture by Fieldwork and interior design by Foolscap Studio, Brunswick East places sustainability, accessibility and community at the fore

In homage to the local neighbourhood’s reputation as a café and restaurant destination, the apartments in Brunswick East are designed with hospitality in mind. Each detail in the kitchen space has been considered to enhance the hosting experience, with floorplans structured so that meal and kitchen areas are large enough to entertain. A communal rooftop terrace houses barbecue grills and provides produce planters ready for shared food growing. As with previous Milieu projects, a downstairs community space will house a restaurant and wine bar, seeking to become a hive of social tenancy and a key component to Milieu achieving their Design Excellence Scorecard.

Continuing the theme of beautiful functionality, fixtures and fittings offer both form and durability. Small details such as USB ports on wall plugs attend to the needs of today’s technologies, whilst discrete integrated storage spaces prevent clutter and, in the case of built-in bars, ensure that a sense of luxury is not compromised. Parking for at least one car and two bikes is allocated to each apartment, with dedicated storage cages in every basement giving flexibility to owners and responding to the rigours of inner-city living and the limited space that typically accompanies it.

In homage to the local neighbourhood’s reputation as a café and restaurant destination, the apartments in Brunswick East are designed with hospitality in mind.

Working with long-time collaborators in Fieldwork and Foolscap Studio proved invaluable for Milieu on the development of Brunswick East. Foolscap is well-known for its flair and site- specific hospitality projects, while Fieldwork has a wide portfolio of medium and high-density residential design to recommend it. Prioritising hospitality and sustainability, Brunswick East resulting building is designed to cultivate a community as vibrant and engaged as that which flourishes in the surrounding neighbourhood.

Prioritising hospitality and sustainability, Brunswick East resulting building is designed to cultivate a community as vibrant and engaged as that which flourishes in the surrounding neighbourhood.