Riverside Richmond

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Located on the Yarra River in Richmond in close proximity to the Victoria Gardens Precinct, Arcadia has worked with Bates Smart and Salta Properties to create a unique build to rent offering for Riverside Richmond. Outdoor space has been prioritised, to enhance social engagement and a true sense of community, all within the naturalistic setting of the Yarra (Birrarung) River corridor.

The landscape has been designed with the following pillars:

Embrace the River Landscape: the landscape of the Birrarung river corridor is celebrated by extending it throughout the development to provide a unique natural character

A Sense of Belonging: Promote a sense of belonging within the residential community by providing a variety of outdoor spaces for socialising and passive and recreational pursuits.

A Serene Retreat: Calm and peaceful spaces of retreat have been created to, embracing the vegetated character and outlook of the river corridor.

Connectivity: By establishing a generous thoroughfare through the heart of the precinct, people have access to a public connection between the Birrarung corridor and Victoria Gardens precinct.

Water Connection: The cultural and natural value of the Birrarung is referenced through the use of a water line feature that represents the river journey from natural to urban settings.

At the Ground Level, residential communal spaces include the Northern Lawn and Southern Pool, while the Central Plaza will act as the heart of the development. The Plaza provides a publicly accessible open space that acts as an arrival point for residents and facilitates the connection from the Victoria Gardens Precinct through the Central Plaza and then transitioning to a series of steps down the river embankment to the Main Yarra Trail. The planting character of this space is an extension of the river corridor, providing a transition between the urbanity of the Victoria Gardens precinct to the natural surrounds of the Birrarung. The pavement “River Line” commences within the Central Plaza, as a narrative element referencing the alignment and urban and natural transition of the river as it moves through Melbourne.

The concept for the River Embankment seeks to revegetate the river corridor, strengthening the landscape character and providing pedestrian and cycle connectivity through the development. This connectivity is provided by a wide staircase that traverses the embankment from Main Yarra Trail and leads to the Central Plaza above. To provide dismount cyclist and accessibility for all abilities, a timber boardwalk ramp navigates the level transition and integrates with the embankment and extensive proposed planting. The embankment will be revegetated with Indigenous and native groundcovers, shrubs and canopy trees contributing to the overall character and environmental values of the river corridor and assisting in integrating the built form into this context.