303 La Trobe Street

This purpose-built student accommodation facility operated by UniLodge and developed by Cedar Pacific occupies a prominent corner site in the heart of Melbourne CBD. By responding to the rich character of the local laneways, a sophisticated architectural design stands proud as an identifiable presence within the LaTrobe Street frontage.

The 46 storey development is grounded by a double-height brick base with articulated shopfront tenancies wrapping to a colonnade passageway to encourage connectivity to Flanigan Lane beyond. The vaulted arch showcases the residential entry as a bold design element to create an identifiable marker to the street interface. This base supports the street wall podium above which has an articulated façade to mimic the textural qualities of the brickwork. This is achieved by breaking up the full height glazing with solid panels and fritted glazing which creates warmth and ephemeral interest to this facade. Recessed external terraces separate the building masses by occupying the edge to provide movement, depth, and interaction with the street. The tower form is slender and clean, with its verticality emphasised by the rhythmic staggering of vertical fins up to the ‘crown’ of the building, offering destination spaces with incredible city views. The coloured tower splays provide relief from the typical façade by acting as a design feature which ‘carves out’ from the grey glass to reveal a warm and dynamic ‘second layer’ of the tower.

The client’s brief is to provide affordable accommodation to students without sacrificing their social lifestyle. Encouraging a sense of community is at the heart of UniLodge’s operational model, forming an integral part of the design philosophy. This has been achieved by facilitating spontaneous student interactions throughout the whole development with thoughtful design considerations.