Project Overview

Powered by 100% Green Power, Ferrars & York presents best practice in climate resilient design and construction and is one of the highest performing and most sustainable apartment buildings in Australia.

Carbon neutral in both construction and operation, Ferrars & York comprises 22 carbon-neutral apartments in South Melbourne with an average energy rating of 8.6 stars and the highest performing apartment achieving 9.3 stars (out of 10).

Genuine collaboration with project architects Six Degrees and project builder Ironside, together with experience carried forward from previous projects and input from HIP V. HYPE’s in-house sustainability consultancy, enable market-leading innovation. Ferrars & York represents more comfort for residents due to consistent air temperatures, better acoustic performance, lower energy bills and a lower carbon footprint. Across its six levels, Ferrars & York is designed to foster an active vertical community. Open walkways create an active skyline and a visual connection to the wider community, providing a high-quality, light-filled space ideal for fostering interaction and engagement between residents.

Off-form concrete with timber textures provides solid bookending to the building’s form. This robust materiality anchors the building, whilst the steel frame, scattered landscaping, feature tiles, timber and stained-glass accents provide richness and warmth. The saw tooth roofline nods to the area's industrial buildings, with angular forms evident in the adjacent South Melbourne Market.

A communal roof yard with BBQ, fireplace and landscaped arbour offers all residents striking views across the City skyline and South Melbourne Market.

Organisation

HIP V. HYPE

Team

Ferrars & York is enabled by HIP V. HYPE, designed in collaboration with Six Degrees Architects and built by Ironside.

Sustainability Consultant: HIP V. HYPE
Landscape Architect: SBLA Studio
Structural Engineer: Edge Engineers
Landscaping: Gardens of the Sun

Project Brief

With more extreme weather events affecting the health of people and planet, tangible exemplars of carbon-neutral, all-electric buildings are needed to inspire positive change and drive greater demand for a more comfortable and prosperous environment.

At the very core of Ferrars & York is a strong belief that the building we choose to build and live in can drive the positive impact our cities deserve, balancing people, planet and prosperity.

Located 100m from South Melbourne Market, Ferrars & York responds to the ever-increasing need for responsibly developed, low-impact housing in our urban centres. Located on a narrow piece of land adjacent to the South Melbourne light rail, the project is an exemplar of the potential for responsible use of under-utilised land in our cities.

Ferrars & York provides a proof point that all-electric, carbon-neutral living can be more than just a pipe dream but a reality.

Project Innovation/Need

Sustainable density is critical to curbing urban sprawl and reducing the impact of cities. Ferrars & York provides new and diverse housing choices – like 3-bedroom, loft-style family apartments – in an established suburb where families are regularly priced out of standalone dwellings. HIP V. HYPE’s Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) modelling revealed an embodied carbon footprint of 3,740 tonnes of CO2, or 1,380/m2 (KGCO2 EQ). HIP V. HYPE conducted a third-party verified LCA to identify the total amount of embodied carbon in the building’s construction. This total was offset via the purchase of high-quality Climate Active offsets to deliver a carbon-neutral building in both embodied and operational carbon. Compared to a standard 6-star apartment, an apartment at Ferrars & York is estimated to consume 40-50% less electric demand, 32% less heating and 25% less cooling. Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equates to 1600kg; the equivalent of driving from Melbourne to Byron Bay and back just under 3 times. Apartments feature an Energy Recovery Ventilation system designed to provide a constant supply of fresh, filtered air and to prevent moisture build-up and mould issues – offering a multitude of short- and long-term health benefits. The car stacker is fully provisioned with a demand-managed electric vehicle charging system, managed via the embedded network. In August 2022, HIP V. HYPE commenced 12 months of post-occupancy research to qualify design assumptions and provide feedback into our process, optimising design advice provided by our Better Buildings team to our clients across the industry.

Design Challenge

In contrast to the majority of the off-the-plan sales market in Melbourne, Ferrars & York sold strongly despite launching at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic – a deep commitment to sustainability stood out and was well received at a time of great uncertainty.

The site’s location adjacent to light rail and a busy intersection presented acoustic challenges. Fortunately, energy efficiency and acoustic performance are interrelated, with high-performance windows and doors along with increased levels of insulation doubling to provide very high levels of acoustic performance.

Installation is critical to ensuring a building performs as anticipated, particularly when fitting plays a vital component in airtightness and high performance. During construction, HIP V. HYPE facilitated a workshop between our double-glazed Tilt and Turn window supplier, BINQ; our builder, Ironside and their sub-contractors to ensure windows were installed correctly to support maximum performance.

Sustainability

Carbon neutral in both construction and operation, apartments at Ferrars & York achieve an average energy rating of 8.6 stars, with the highest performing apartment achieving 9.3 stars (out of 10). HIP V. HYPE conducted a third-party verified Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Ferrars & York, enabling HIP V. HYPE to identify the total amount of embodied carbon in the building’s construction in order to purchase high-quality Climate Active offsets for a carbon-neutral building. LCA modelling revealed a total carbon footprint of 3,740 tonnes of CO2 that would have otherwise been added to the atmosphere. Prior to construction commencement, Revival Sustainable Practice salvaged 2,000 linear metres of Oregon timber from the existing on-site warehouse. As standard practice is for such timber to be burned, HIP V. HYPE’s Better Buildings team estimate the salvaged timber has prevented ~24 tonnes of carbon (24tCO2e) from re-entering the atmosphere. Instead, timber has been repurposed for retail fit-outs and workshops across Melbourne. Ferrars & York features double-glazed windows and doors, high levels of structural and internal insulation, an Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) system and reclaimed or recycled materials where possible.

Powered by 100% GreenPower, Ferrars & York makes 100% renewable energy more accessible and affordable to all building via an embedded network, enabling the electricity generated by the 117KWh solar panel system to be shared equally amongst all apartments. At settlement, each Ferrars & York apartment received HIP V. HYPE’s Sustainability Manual, designed to help residents maximise the sustainability features of their apartment.